Page 104 of Blood of Olympus

A rolling growl rumbled through the temple, silencing anything further she might have said.

Velira uncurled her long, scaled body. Her large golden eyes blinked once as her head came ever nearer, hovering over those of our entourage.

The priestesses shrieked, stumbling backwards, just as Lykos approached them from the rear. They screeched again and I was beginning to understand how they could stand to worship one such as Hera — otherwise known as she of the ever-piercing decibels.

But the growl wasn’t emanating from my bonded dragon’s throat.

Alright, I think they got the message, I teased my stormwielding bodyguard.

For their own sakes, they’d better have.

“Hades was my father’s name⁠—”

“Was?” Io cut in with timidity.

“Was?” Ekho repeated in the same vein.

“Was,” I confirmed. “It is my name, too. As is Nyssa⁠—”

“Queen,” Caelus growled.

“Highness,” Aphrodite purred.

“Majesty,” Aros quipped with a wink.

I threw my hands up, twisting to address the band of merry subjects. “How am I ever meant to get anything done with you three interrupting me?”

Aph cracked first. Her face split into a wide, salacious grin as the air filled with the mingling scents of spiked arousal.

Caelus shifted uncomfortably, staring at me with such intensity I knew that his thoughts consisted solely of the other night. Aros groaned, readjusting his protruding bulge — thankfully not arm-sized today. Apollo remained stalwart, although a muscle ticked in his jaw. Athena gritted her teeth, standing rigid as she fought the urge to go to Nike, whose wings were flirting furiously with the goddess of warfare. And I clenched my fists, fighting every urge to turn away from the man I loved and throw a scathing look at my roguish friend.

“Behave,” I spat out, dragging the word through both syllables, ignoring the wetness pooling in the crotch of my breeches.

Aph cackled. A heartbeat later, she shrugged and the overwhelming desire dissipated. A chorus of relieved sighs sounded around the open space — including from the two priestesses who were fanning themselves with the collars of their robes.

Furies, those things must be stifling.

“Why don’t you take those off?” I asked, curious.

Both hooded faces snapped around to mine.

“I — we — we haven’t dared—” Io stammered.

“We haven’t dared,” Ekho confirmed.

Io tried to explain, though I could hear her thundering pulse from where I stood. “It’s not allowed.”

“It’s not allowed.” Ekho shook her head.

“It is forbidden.”

“Forbidden.” Ekho nodded.

I frowned. “Why is it forbidden? And why do you keep repeating everything Io says?”

“Everything Io says?” she queried.

“Two questions require two answers, your grace,” Io answered diplomatically. Before Ekho had a chance to repeat her words, Io took a breath and plunged ahead. “The goddess Hera decreed it so.”