Grim had a jauntiness in his step and a broad smile on his face as he went to the coffee shop just a short walk away from where he had set up a permanent anchor for teleporting to the moon base. He looked over the menu and tried to think of what he wanted. Something always different.
The barista smiled at him. She stood ready, finger poised above the touch screen, and watched Grim. “What’ll it be today, sir?”
“I think I’ll have…a latte with a double shot of caramel.”
She punched in the order, gave him the price, which he paid. He turned to look around the coffee house to see the usual kids working on things on their laptops, people people-watching, and a dark, long-haired man watching him intently. Grim caught his eye, and the man nodded, his hand making a slight beckoning motion.
Grim looked at him, and then made a motion with his hand, quickly drawing a rune in the air, whispering the spell so he could See. And sure enough, the man changed into someone much bigger, a man with black skin and blacker eyes, wearing a Greek-styled toga.
Grim knew him. Zagreus.
Hades’ son.
Grim grabbed his coffee and started heading for the door. The man got up. Grim pushed his way out, and hit the sidewalk running.
He bolted down the street, and Zagreus came out of the coffee shop just as Grim turned a corner. Grim started to run toward the anchor. If he made it there, he could lock it down and hide – Zagreus couldn’t get to the moon, could he?
Grim dashed down an alleyway, taking a side-ways way to the anchor. If Zagreus saw the anchor, he would go to it at some point. He took a few breaths, trying to calm himself enough to fly.
Someone grabbed his shoulder, hard. “Grey Cat,” said Zagreus’ deep voice.
He would not give up without a fight, so he acted compliant so Zagreus’ guard would be down. Grim hung his head. “You got me.”
Zagreus squeezed Grim’s shoulder. “I come to warn you.”
“Warn me?” He snapped his head up, and pulled himself out of Zagreus’ grip. “Hades – Hades knows?”
“Worse. Hermes knows.”
“Fuck.” Hermes was the one that had gotten him into the mess with Hades, what with his stealing some gods’ special items – Artemis’ arrow, and Hades’ Helmet of Invisibility, for two. Grim had gotten into enough trouble with those gods that he didn’t need Hermes to get him in more trouble.
“Yes,” said Zagreus, thoroughly serious.
“What am I to do?”
“Do not stir the gods.”
“I don’t invoke them anymore.”
Zagreus said, “Today. Tomorrow, you must remember this.” Zagreus walked by Grim, then turned to him. “For tomorrow you take vows before the gods.”
“I don’t plan on it.”
Zagreus flashed a glance at Grim’s left hand, then looked up at him. He turned, and walked way, leaving Grim with a confused look on his face.