Read The Goddess Hunt for Free Online

was more important to us, and she took offense and cursed us.”
    My mouth dropped open. “Ava!”
    She sighed. “It wasn’t like it was a big curse or anything.”
    “Any girl Casey falls in love with, I fall in love with as well,” said Lux. “Which doesn’t sound too bad until it’s put into practice.”
    “Oh.” I frowned. It really didn’t sound that bad at all. But after spending the past six months watching what unrequited love and jealousy could do to a person, I could only imagine. “I’m sorry. Ava can fix it though, can’t she?”
    “Sure,” she said. “As soon as Casey’s safely back in the Underworld and Daddy’s dealt with Pollux.”
    Lux snarled, and I launched myself between the pair of them. “Hey. Hey . Lux, stop it. Ava, just do it, would you? It’s been thousands of years. They’ve been through enough already.”
    She shrugged. “Would if I could, but I can’t. Daddy would have an apocalyptic fit.”
    Walter. My frown deepened. Henry in a bad mood was dangerous enough, but throwing in the King of the Gods—right. “Fine. Then we’ll figure it out, and once this is over, you’re going to talk to Walter and tell him you’re lifting the curse. I don’t care what you have to do or how much you piss him off. It’s happening, or I’m never talking to you again.”
    Her eyes widened, but this time the expression of hurt on her face was real. “You’d do that to me just because of them?”
    “Yes, just because of them. I mean it.”
    Her brow furrowed, and after several long seconds, she sighed again. “Fine. But you have to come with me now and leave the tracking up to James, else the deal’s off.”
    “You promise you’ll undo it if I go with you?” I said, and she reluctantly nodded.
    “Cross my heart and hope to—”
    A twig snapped, and as Ava fell silent, Lux went rigid all over again. He prowled toward the source of the sound, somehow moving noiselessly despite the underbrush, reminding me of a panther. A pissed-off panther that hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt yet.
    Before Lux could pounce, however, James stepped out from behind a tree. I shrieked and ran toward him, tackling him with a hug.
    “James! You found us!” I gave Lux an I told you so look. “It’s about damn time. We’ve been looking for you since—”
    “Where’s Casey?”
    Lux’s voice shattered my relief, and I let go of James and glanced around. He was alone. My stomach dropped. “James?”
    He pressed his lips together. “I’m sorry. Henry tracked us down and—”
    “Henry? You mean Hades?” Lux paled, and for a moment he looked so utterly shocked that despite his immortality, I was afraid his heart would stop. That he would will his life to end.
    But James couldn’t possibly be right. Henry would never do that—no mattly 8212;noer what stories they told, he was different now. He was wiser, more compassionate, and he knew how much the two brothers loved each other. He had to understand.
    “Did he say where he was taking him?” I said to James, touching Lux’s elbow. He shuddered, but at least he didn’t jerk away.
    “He took him to the Underworld,” said James. “Lux, I’m sorry, I—”
    “Don’t.” The very forest seemed to tremble at the danger in his voice. If Lux could’ve killed us all, I was absolutely sure he would. “This is your bloody fault. After everything you did—”
    “Actually, my dear son, this is your fault.”
    If Lux had been angry before, it was nothing compared to the fury that twisted his expression now, making him nearly unrecognizable. Walter stepped out from between the trees, Ella trailing after him. She slung her bow over her shoulder and smirked, looking so self-satisfied that the urge to wipe that look off her face overwhelmed me. Apparently Lux was rubbing off on me.
    Walter, however, looked anything but satisfied. His mouth was set in a thin line, and his forehead furrowed so deeply that his bushy brows nearly obscured his eyes.