Urian had barely taken out two of their own who’d been chasing his sister-in-law when he rounded a corner and ran into the last creature he’d ever expected to see.

The god Helios.

And judging by his expression, he wasn’t happy. In fact, if looks alone could kill, Urian would be splintered.

“What’s up, sunshine?”

That had the intended effect. The Titan hurled a god-bolt at him.

But instead of harming him, it hit his arm and caused it to light up and deflected. The moment it did, the ancient god’s eyes widened. He blasted Urian again.

And again, nothing happened.

His nostrils flared.

“Losing your touch?”

“Don’t you dare taunt me.” Helios narrowed his gaze. “So you’re the one whose been slaughtering my soldiers.”

Urian shrugged with a nonchalance he didn’t feel, because he knew he was dancing with the devil. “Returning the favor.”

“Says the boy playing with fire?”

Urian’s blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”

A slow, evil smile crept across his face. “When you keep a lot of secrets, they will creep out. There’s only so long you can keep the lid on a boiling pot. And you know what you’ve done.”

Helios vanished.

Panic filled Urian as he considered those words and the fact that Helios must know what he’d been doing to protect Phoebe.

The god was right. Every night Urian woke up, he felt like he was balancing on a razor blade. To keep his wife happy, he was lying to his father, protecting her last sister with everything he had—even killing his own people to do it.

To protect his own ass and marriage, he lived in terror of Phoebe finding out that he’d been the one who’d led the strike team that had taken out her eldest sister and her grandparents. That he’d been personally responsible for about half of her childhood traumas and those of her mother.

He was the bogeyman that caused her to wake up in the middle of the day, shaking.

What have I done?

His happiness had been bought on a lie. Sooner or later, it would unravel. He knew that. It had to.

All things built on a lie would always come crumbling down, sooner or later. The truth about Cassandra was going to come out. They would all learn it and it would destroy her. People didn’t like being lied to, and they always turned on the liar and dragged them to beat them twice as hard for the betrayal. It was the worst thing anyone could ever do.

Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Urian turned, ready to fight.

Then he smirked at the last person he expected to see.

Ruyn Widowmaker.

And he wasn’t alone. He was traveling with a demon Urian had only come across a few times over the centuries, but he was one he knew better than to get tangled up with.

Shadow. His allegiance was always questionable at best. One never really knew where his loyalties lay. Not even with himself. He could be a spiteful bastard. And when he saw Urian, the expression on his face said he had about as much trust for Urian as Urian had for him.

That they’d rather set each other on fire than pass pleasantries.

“Should I ask what trouble you two are getting into?”

Ruyn smiled. “Mostly mayhem. You?”

“Same.” Urian jerked his chin at Shadow. “I see you’re hanging out with a whole new level of loser.”

Shadow made a face at that. “I’d be insulted, but for the fact that coming from you and your class of demon, that’s a compliment.”

“How you figure?”

“My boy could be hanging out with a lot worse. He could be with a Daimon.”

Urian snorted. “Touché.”

And as he studied them, he realized that their timing here was a bit suspicious. “You two looking for Helios?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Shadow said at the same time. He glared at Ruyn. “Why are you lying?”

“Why are you being honest?”

“I didn’t get the lie memo.” Shadow smirked. “You have to keep me up to speed on these things. Otherwise, expect absolute honesty.”

“Really? Thought you were Prince of Shadows?”

Shadow grimaced. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Dubious? Nebulous? Questionable character?”

“You have me confused with your mother.”

Urian let out a low whistle at that. “Hey, now, no need to invoke that dig. That’s seriously going low, Shadow. I’m flagging that play. And on that note, I need to get back.”

As he started to leave, Ruyn stopped him.

When he looked back at his former brother-in-law, Ruyn laid a verbal bomb on him. “There’s something weird going on in the Nether Realm. Something has kicked the proverbial hornets’ nest and they’re going crazy. Watch your back, brother. The gods are crazy, and we’re in their way. Which means they’re going to be coming for us.”