Free Strife: Hidden Book Four by Colleen Vanderlinden Page A

rumble, rage flowing from him.
    I took a deep breath. “No. I had a nightmare, like I was flying through the city, seeing everything through the darkness, watching it set fire to shit. Maybe it was making me watch. I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head.
    “What do you think set it off?” he asked. “Was it that shit with Brennan the other day?”
    I shook my head. “It wasn’t just that,” I said. “It was everything. Everything we went over with Jones yesterday, meeting with the vamp queen, who refuses to join us, by the way. Brennan, you, the stress of never being alone. Just… everything. I’m exhausted,” I said, and I hated the weakness in my voice. Waved it away. “Not that it matters.”
    “It matters,” he said. “We need to find a way to fix this. You can’t keep going on this way.”
    The back door opened, and we both turned and watched my parents walk through. “We may have an idea,” Tisiphone said.

Chapter Six
     
    “What?” I asked, standing up. Nain stood up as well, stayed beside me.
    “We think you should have Asclepias look at you,” Hades said.
    “No. Not a chance in hell,” I said, kicking at the edge of the bottom step.
    “Who’s Asclepias?” Nain asked.
    “Healer god,” Hades said. “One who joined our side during the war and also came and healed the shifters from the plague sent by the Nosoi.”
    “An Aether healer immortal,” I said, emphasizing the “Aether” part and looking at Nain.
    He got it, nodded once and crossed his arms over his chest. He had about as high of an opinion of the immortals as I did, after seeing more than a little of what they’d done to me when I’d opened my mind to him.
    “An Aether god who doesn’t care at all for politics, Mollis,” Tisiphone chided, and I almost laughed, hearing her mom voice.
    “Yeah? So he says. Everyone has a price. Everyone has a point at which they decide someone isn’t worth saving. Not a chance in hell am I letting any of them know what’s going on with me.”
    “Did you see yourself on television today? It’s kind of obvious something’s wrong with you,” Hades said, glaring at me. “Do you really think none of them saw it? Aphrodite is in town trying to see Hephaestus. Apollo is around too, because his sister is here. Trust me: they know.”
    “But they don’t know that whole story and I’m sure the hell not letting them learn more than they already know,” I said, glaring right back at my father. “Are you nuts? Why in the hell would you trust any of them, ever? Especially knowing what I am and what I can do to them?”
    I glanced at my mother, who was looking like she was ready to beg me, then glanced back at my father and Nain just in time to see them exchanging a look.
    “Molls. Just let the fucking healer god look at you,” Nain said after a few moments.
    “Did he tell you to say that?” I demanded.
    He gave me one of his typical Nain glares. “Have you ever known me to give a shit about what anyone tells me? I don’t care about what he wants,” he said. “But this is something you need. And if he betrays you, then you end him, because you can.”
    I felt the horror from both of my parents at his last statement. They both genuinely liked Asclepias. I did too. Didn’t mean I trusted him.
    “Do this thing. You can’t fix it until you know. And I’ll be here and I swear I’ll watch him, every second.”
    I met his eyes.
    Just do it, Molls. If he blabs about what’s happening with you, I’ll help you hunt his ass down. But this isn’t solving itself and if they think he can help, you should see what he says.
Nain’s voice in my mind.
    I hate this,
I thought at him.
    I know. But you know as well as I do that we have to figure this out to prevent it from happening again. It could have been a lot worse. Next time it might be.
    I watched him for a moment, looked away. “Fine,” I said, shaking my head. “Bring him here.”
    My mother went to find Asclepias and Nain, my dad,