I rather doubted that last bit, but knowing that Zeus held the key to actually helping me find what I needed was a start. “Any idea where he might be?”

Panacea gave a slow nod. “He always goes north when he runs away. Always north; it is the direction that calls to him.”

North was the Wall. “How far north? Like in the mountains north?”

They both nodded. “Look for the snow; where the snow flies and the mountain kisses the sky, that is where he will hide. It will bring him closest to his power and strength that way, so be wary. He will not hold back if he feels threatened.”

Awesome, that was just what I needed. Zeus with a twitchy trigger finger. “Thank you, both of you.”

They smiled at me in tandem, but it was Artemis I found myself staring at. Like Smithy, she had scars on her body, scars that obviously she was not upset about showing if the amount of skin that was on view was any indication. Her eyes locked with mine. “Let me tell you something, Alena.”

I stared at her. She used my name instead of my designation, and that caught my attention. “Yes?”

The huntress stood and was as tall as me, so we were eye to eye. “You have it in you to bring Zeus back to his senses. Trust your instincts. Trust your heart. I believe that is what went wrong when they thought to turn you into a monster. They believed your heart was weak.” She placed her hand over my left breast, not in a sexual way at all. “Your heart is that of a god.”

I wasn’t so sure about having the heart of a god. Artemis laughed. “Your face says it all. I do not mean that you are a god, Alena. But in the old days, we had the hearts that people would follow into war. We fought for those we loved the best, and we laid our lives on the line. You are that person. And when Merlin turned you, I don’t believe that he knew just how strong you were.”

Being that Artemis was a goddess of courage and strength, I wanted to believe her that I was strong enough. Of course, the last bit about Merlin being wrong was no real surprise. That I could easily believe. So maybe the rest was true too. Yaya came up beside me.

“It’s because she comes from good stock,” Yaya said.

“And I’m a Super Duper,” I pointed out. Part of the mystery around my life was that we still hadn’t figured out just what kind of Super Duper my father was. No one had. Having one parent with supernatural lineage was the only way I’d have been susceptible to the Aegrus virus or curse or whatever you wanted to call it in the first place. And of course, good old Dad wasn’t saying a word. Acting like he was a plain old human. Ha.

“I guess we’ll head north, then. Thank you for your help.” I took a step back before turning away.

With Yaya at my side, we worked our way around the pool to where Tad still had his back to the water. Sandy was at the edge, crouched, chatting with one of the priestesses.

I put a hand on my grandmother. “Yaya. What are you up to anyway?”

She smiled up at me, the skin around her eyes far smoother than I’d seen in years. Years. “Alena, you need to keep at this. The world is changing, and it is because of you. So don’t stop what you’re doing. We are gaining back our power; people are believing again in the old gods. That is a good thing. It is weakening the Firstamentalists’ hold.”

I pulled away from her, my mouth suddenly dry. What she was saying wasn’t all that horrible, but it sounded an awful lot like the reasoning Hera had. The goddess wanted to make people believe in her again so she would get her power back to rule as she wanted. I had no idea it would be true for Yaya as well as all her priestesses. Maybe as the gods and goddesses they chose to follow rose in power, they too gained strength. As much as I wanted to be happy for Yaya, I just wasn’t sure how I felt. The whole thing was just too close to Hera’s version of things for my liking.

I let her go and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She grasped my hand, though, holding me tight. “Don’t forget, you have your parents’ anniversary coming up. And you are supposed to be making the cake, as well as the small desserts.”

I groaned softly. “I know, Tad reminded me. Mom is coming tomorrow to taste test.”

Yaya’s eyebrows shot up. “She is?”

I nodded. “Yeah. But . . . I don’t know how that’s going to go over for her.” I wasn’t about to explain the mob of Firstamentalists that had been outside my bakery. Crazy like a bowl full of nuts, they had no idea what was going on in the world. And I wasn’t sure how Mom would handle seeing her daughter being picketed and mobbed by people she called her friends. Maybe she’d join them and add her voice to their shaming. I think that was what I was most afraid of. That once again we’d be back at the beginning of our relationship. That I would disappoint her yet again, and maybe worse, that I’d embarrass her.

I sighed. “Will you come for the taste testing? Just to have a bit of a buffer?”

“Nope.” Her denial shocked me, and she smiled to soften it. “You and your mother need to work this out. And you can, I know you can. She’s coming around. The fact that she’s coming to your bakery says a great deal about how she’s feeling. Don’t deny her. And don’t be late for the party either; you know I hate tardiness.”

I slumped and then nodded. “I’ll try.”

I grabbed Tad as I walked by, and Sandy hurried to catch up to my side. “Where to now?”

“I think we all need to get some sleep, and then we’re on a hunt for Zeus,” I said. The night was coming to a close, and I was exhausted. I’d learned the hard way that taking care of myself amid the battles for my life was important if I wanted to be at my best.