He winced and so did I. “Sorry,” I said. “It’s okay.” “No, I mean I’m sorry. About all of this.” I turned around to lean back against the ceramic sink, tossing the swab into the garbage can. “You shouldn’t be getting caught in the middle of my squabbles with Artemis. You probably had a perfectly peaceful life before I got myself banished here.” Hephaestus eyed me. “Actually, it was kind of nice. Living on the beach, hanging out with the ladies . . . no listening to your constant whining about Orion . . .” I shoved his arm and he made a fist, about to fake-hit me back, but suddenly his hands dropped. He cocked his head toward his room. “What?” I asked. “What is it?” “It’s Harmonia.” He spun his chair around. “She’s calling.” My heart skipped excitedly as we rushed through the door and past his bed, the ancient floors creaking and groaning beneath us.
