Hercules didn't get to see his brother for a week. He knew Hermes checked on him day after day, but it was often so quick that Hercules didn't even see him. Then, one day, Hermes was standing at the gates of the school, waiting for him. But he was not in his god form. He was in the form that Hercules knew from the clearing. The girls of the school couldn't seem to keep their eyes off of him, and he flashed a dazzling smile at everybody who looked his way.
"Hey, Hercules!" he called, waving and beaming.
"Hey, erm, Merc," Hercules said.
"Is that you-know-who?" Cassandra asked in a low voice as they strode over to him.
"It's Hermes," the demigod muttered to his friends.
They walked over, and Hermes grinned at them. "What's going on? Have a good day at school?"
"Yeah, except Adonis," Hercules said.
"What did he do this time?" Hermes asked, his grey eyes zeroing in on the prince.
"Chiton. In gym."
Hermes snorted. "Jerk."
"Divine intervention would be too much, yeah?" Hercules ventured hopefully.
The god rubbed his chin then smiled. "Yeah. But some brotherly intervention might be right up my alley."
He pulled a coin out of his pocket and strode over to Adonis. The prince of Thrace looked at him.
"Out of the way, commoner," he said distastefully.
"The prince does not want adoration?" Hermes asked humbly.
Adonis yawned and waved his hand. "If you must."
"Must is a strong word, my prince," Hermes replied. "Must I offer adoration to you? Must anybody?"
"I'm a prince," Adonis said, frowning. "It's a part of it."
"Yes," Hermes said, tossing the coin into the air. "But you're not a king yet. You think you're above it all, but you're not. And if you mess with Hercules again, I'll give you something to think about."
"Jerk-ules?" Adonis snorted. "You a friend of his?"
Hermes smiled, his perfect teeth gleaming as brightly as the mischief in his eyes. "I consider him a brother. And as a brother, I have a right to kick your royal rump from here back to Thrace."
A crowd had gathered, watching the young man stare down Adonis. Adonis scoffed.
"Get out of the way."
Adonis took one step forward, Hermes stepped aside, his eyes sparkling, and Adonis tripped over his own feet. He hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of himself. Hermes winked at Hercules, who watched with amusement, then schooled his expression into shock.
"Oh, my prince, are you okay?"
Adonis's face was dark red, and he struggled to his feet, gasping for breath. "You. Tripped. Me!"
"I didn't. It was just…" Hermes shrugged one shoulder. "Bad luck."
And Hercules, Icarus, and Cassandra had to turn away to hide their fit of giggles. Adonis looked ready to have his guards drag Hermes off, but the god leaned down and spoke in a low voice. Adonis snapped his mouth shut and paled, shaking his head. He suddenly didn't look so royal as he stared at Hermes.
"You don't mean that."
"Don't I?" Hermes asked, straightening up and crossing his arms.
Hercules saw a look of genuine fear cross Adonis's face, and he actually lowered his head, his face turning red again. Hermes stared at him then held out a hand. Adonis glanced up and took it, allowing Hermes to pull him to his feet.
"Stop messing with Herc and his friends. I mean it, Adonis," Hermes said grimly.
"But how did you know about… about that?" Adonis asked meekly.
"Lucky guess," Hermes replied. "Do we have a deal?"
Adonis kept his eyes on the ground and nodded glumly. Hermes clapped him on the shoulder then turned and strode back over to Hercules. His little brother looked curious, and he opened his mouth to ask what juicy tidbit that Hermes had on the Thracian prince, but Hermes shook his head.
"Drop it," he said sternly. "Come on. Let's go pick up our cousin and then grab some food. I'm starved."
Hercules, Cassandra, and Icarus looked back at Adonis, who stared after Hermes with a strange expression on his face. He turned and walked away, pushing past his guards, who looked from their prince to the god's retreating form.
"Should we go after him, sir?" one of them asked.
"No," Adonis said. "Just leave him alone. Let's get back to my palace."
And the prince sounded so miserable that the three teens glanced at each other in surprise before following Hermes. They walked toward the shore, and Hercules tapped Hermes on the shoulder. Hermes shook his head before the boy even had a chance to ask.
"No. I'm not doing that to him. He's got enough pain to deal with without you adding fuel to the fire. Maybe when you grow up a bit, Herc."
"Adonis is in pain?" Icarus asked.
"More like he's a pain," Cassandra said.
Hermes clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You have no idea how much pain he's in. Did you three ever consider there's a reason for his behavior? Did you consider that he bullies you because he's never known another way? He doesn't know any better. What I told him will make him think. And I'm not going into it with you three."
"It wasn't a lucky guess," Hercules surmised.
"I needed to know if there was a good reason for what he does to you. It may not seem good to you, but it's understandable for him. He's in so much pain, and he masks it with bullying. It makes him feel better to see others lower than him. It's what he was trained to do by his parents, and like I said, it's all he knows. He doesn't have a constructive way to deal with what's wrong. And before you ask, I'm not telling you. Drop it, Herc."
The tone of Hermes's voice told the three teens that they would get nothing more, and none of them dared to speak about it again. Hermes continued to the shoreline, and Hercules suddenly remembered where they were going.
"Triton's coming with us?" he asked, and Hermes relaxed, turning to grin at him.
"I sent a sea nymph to pick him up from school. I figured we could have a nice meal at a great restaurant. I've got a reservation for five at that cool new spot on the east side."
"You mean the Gods' Table?" Cassandra asked, raising her eyebrows.
"It's impossible to get in!" Icarus exclaimed.
"I got lucky," Hermes said, winking at them.
They shared a chuckle, and they came to the shore to see Triton sitting on a rock, writing on some kind of paper made of seaweed. Hermes smiled and called out. The sea god looked up, waved, and quickly rolled up the paper and stored it in his bag. He hurried over and pulled out a small item. He scanned the face of the tall, tanned man with his cousin.
"Mercury?" he asked cautiously.
"Yes, Triton," Hermes replied.
Triton nodded and held out his hand. "A little offering."
He handed it to Hermes, who opened his palm to see a beautiful shell, delicate as an egg. It was blue and pink with lines of gold and silver curling around the circular pattern. Hermes smiled, caressing the shell, and he looked up and embraced his cousin, who gasped before returning it. The god carefully stored it in a pouch at his side.
"Thank you, Triton," he said. "It's perfect."
"No problem," the green teen said, his face warm. "That nymph said we were eating somewhere?"
Hermes nodded. "You didn't ask her name?"
Triton shifted uneasily. "She didn't want me to talk. She didn't answer."
"Well, considering that nymphs are seen as sexual objects, I'm not surprised. Even my promises mean little until you prove yourself," Hermes said, pinching his nose. "Well, that was Calista. She'll be my means of communicating with you when I'm in this form."
"So this is why Herc didn't recognize you," Triton said.
Hermes smiled and turned to stroll along the sidewalks. The teens fell into step, staring at the hidden god. He moved with such grace, such fluidity. It was distracting, and every head turned to look at him. When he passed a group of young women, they giggled when he smiled at them, their faces turning red. Their whispers followed them around the corner.
"How was school?" Hermes asked casually, tossing a coin to a beggar.
"It was good. We're learning about tidepools," Triton said. "I was working on my essay when you got there."
"Interesting subject?"
"It is, but I've heard all about it from my dad. I'm hoping for at least a Beta-plus on my essay. Mr. Dardanos is really strict. He doesn't like me much."
"Why not?" Hercules asked. "You're pretty cool."
"Too clumsy. And I don't pay attention in class because I know all about that stuff."
"Well," Hermes said, taking another left. "Shouldn't you get Alphas on your homework then? Unless you're not trying your best."
"It's boring. Going to Prometheus Academy was better."
"Why don't you come back?" Cassandra asked.
Triton cringed. "Dad thinks you guys are a bad influence. I stole his trident and all that other stuff happened, so…"
"I'll talk to him, if you'd like," Hermes said.
"Would you?"
"Sure," Hermes said. "I have a feeling I'll catch a lucky break. I have a way with words, you know. In a multitude of languages. And your dad is easy. I mean, for crying out loud, he listened to Hades."
Triton smiled. "That'd be great, cuz!"
Hermes threw a grin at his cousin, then stopped at the entrance of the restaurant. The host glanced over him curiously, his eyes roving over the teens with distrust. Hermes bowed low, surprising even the man in front of him.
"I'm sorry, sir. We're not open yet," the host said hesitantly.
"I'm Mercury," Hermes said, tilting his head. "I was told to come here for a special treat."
The man's eyes lit up. "Oh! You're the one who made those donations!"
Hermes nodded. "They said I could bring some friends, so I brought my brother, my cousin, and their friends."
"Of course! Of course! Come on in!"
They were led into a posh room, decorated with gauzy curtains and carved candelabras. The room was empty besides them and a few waitstaff who were preparing the room for the night's service. The staff watched them with surprise, and the host whispered to one of them, who lit up just like the host. There was a scramble, and their group was immediately seated at the best table in the place. They could see the kitchen, and a waiter dashed in to talk to the cooks, who looked angry. Their anger changed to pleasure, and they made a beeline for the kitchen doors. Hermes clapped, his eyes sparkling as he looked around.
"This is perfect. Thank you, Cleon," he said to the host.
Cleon smiled and hurried to the kitchen. Before he could push open the door, several men came out and shook Hermes's hand, thanking him with big smiles, which Hermes returned. They were obviously grateful for whatever the god did, and the teens watched in surprise. When Hermes introduced Hercules, Triton, Cassandra, and Icarus, they found their own arms being pumped so hard they were worried that their shoulders would be dislocated. They were given olives and promised fresh, hot bread in a few minutes. Hermes was clearly enjoying himself.
"This is very nice. You're too kind."
"Anything you want, sir. Anything," Cleon said.
Hermes beamed. "Can we see some menus?"
They were brought immediately, and Hermes ordered wine, which was quickly poured, even for Hercules and the others. Cleon hovered around, waiting to do whatever Hermes wanted. When Hermes said that they needed a moment, the men inclined their heads and left them alone. Hercules gazed in wonder at his brother, who was scanning the menu thoughtfully.
"What did you do?" he asked, biting into an olive.
Hermes flushed with pleasure. "I made a sizable donation to the owner to get this place up and running, with another donation to the staff to make it work. They seem grateful." Hermes added casually, "Order whatever you want."
The food was so fancy, and the teens had never, ever been to a place like this before. They scanned the menu with trepidation, and Hermes laughed and began to explain the food. After a few minutes of deliberation, Triton finally settled on some marinated octopus, Hercules got a good cut of roasted lamb, Cassandra selected a grilled fish, and Icarus chose Moussaka. Hermes scanned the menu, looked at the server, who was there in an instant, and handed the menu back.
"Surprise me," he said.
The waiter nodded quickly. "We'll get you the best in the house. Anything for you, sir."
"Thank you."
Hermes chuckled, his eyes still sparkling. "This is nice, yes? Not crowded yet, just us. I like it."
"Hermes," Hercules began, but Hermes shot him a look.
"Mercury," he corrected. "In this form, you are to always call me Mercury. Do you understand me?"
They all nodded, and fresh bread and olive oil arrived. Hermes began to break the bread apart, dipping it into the oil. Hercules followed suit, watching his brother carefully. Hermes could tell; Hercules was desperate for a good role model, and the god decided then and there to be the best role model he could be. He passed the bowl of olive oil over.
"Try it," he said. "Go on."
"How much will this cost?" Triton asked nervously.
"Don't worry about it," Hermes replied. "Try the bread, Triton."
The sea god obeyed, and he looked thoughtful. "This is really good. How do you make… bread?"
Icarus laughed. "You don't know how to make bread?"
"Even I know how to make bread," Cassandra said. "And I hate Home-Grec."
"It's not surprising," Hermes said. "Water and bread don't mix. It's not a part of his diet. You go to Poseidon's for dinner, you won't see any kind of bread."
Triton, his face warm, smiled gratefully at his cousin. "It really is good. I wouldn't mind having it again."
"That's cool. Come to ProAc again and you can have bread almost every lunch," Hercules said, nudging him.
"If Her... Er, sorry, Mercury, can talk to Dad and get him to change his mind," Triton said, "I would love to come back. Most interesting two days of my life!"
They ate the bread and olive oil, talking about the various adventures of the sea god and the demigod and watching the cooks skitter around the kitchen making their food. When their dinners arrived, they dug in with great relish. It was the best food that Hercules had ever had, and Triton raved about the octopus, saying it was better than his mother's, but don't tell her or she'd kill him. Cassandra really enjoyed the fish, to the point that she found herself smiling over the meal. Icarus was actually taking his time with the Moussaka, listening to the stories and laughing along with everybody else. Hermes simply sat and ate the house special, Souvlaki prepared with the finest ingredients, listening and taking in the faces of the teens.
By the time they had finished dessert, a wonderful honey and rosewater baklava, the restaurant was getting ready to open. Hermes personally went to each member of staff to give them a monetary gift, leaving each of them stammering, before he paid for the entire meal. The looks on their faces were absolutely priceless, and they took the group to the door, waving them out with many a thanks. Hermes was positively beaming as they walked away. All of the teens were full, and they walked slowly, talking amongst themselves and following Hermes wherever he was going. It was only as they passed under the shade of trees that they all realized they were going into a forest. Hercules looked around.
"What's with you and forests?" he asked lazily.
"Part nymph, little brother," Hermes replied.
"We're going to meet the nymphs?"
"Not today. Perhaps one day. They don't like men. Or boys your age."
"What? Why?" Triton asked.
"Do you know how many teenaged boys try to lose their virginity to the nymphs?" Hermes asked dryly. "That's what Daphne and the others thought you were after, Herc, the first time you showed up in that clearing. They sent me in to scare you off. Luckily," he said, winking. "I know you, so I didn't have to scare you."
"You're not so scary," Icarus said.
Hermes laughed. "I can be. Threaten a nymph, or any female with rape, and I will tear something vital out of you."
"Is that because of what happened to your mom?" Hercules asked hesitantly.
"Partly. And I've seen men, mortal and otherwise, taking advantage of them too many times to count. One day, when I was big enough to do something about it, I put a stop to it. The nymphs can call me anytime, and I will answer. Even if I have to snub the big guy himself. I've gotten in trouble for it before. I don't care. I refuse to let what happened to my mother happen again. I've even kicked Ares's tail for it before. I was too fast for him to see, but he ran away with a smarting rear and no idea what happened."
Hercules nodded. "I don't know why somebody would do something like that to a girl of any kind."
Hermes paused, turning to gaze at his little brother. "You're too young to get it, Herc. Sex is powerful. It feels really good. But it is easy to abuse it, especially for men. Don't become somebody who does that, Herc. Or you will face me. I can be scary. Trust me."
The shadows that fell across Hermes's face contrasted with his suddenly bright, glowing eyes. Hercules shivered, looking away as he nodded emphatically. Triton nodded, too, and Cassandra and Icarus took a few steps back. Then Hermes smiled and his posture relaxed, and he was the same, friendly god they were used to.
"Good," he said. "Now who wants to play a game?"
"Game?" Triton and Hercules asked at the same time.
"What game?" Icarus asked.
Hermes grinned, leaned forward, and tapped Icarus. "Tag! You're it!"
Then he turned and ran away, laughing as gaily as a child. There was a pause, and Cassandra snorted. "I'm not playing."
Hercules and Triton glanced at each other, then they took off. Icarus, a glint in his eyes, took off after them.
"I shall be avenged!" he screamed.
Cassandra made her way to a tree stump and sat down. The laughter of the four males rang through the woods, and again, she found herself smiling. Hermes was really an interesting man, for a god. He was in touch with the struggles of being a mortal, and he seemed ready and willing to ease their burdens. It was so unique, so wonderful to be cared for by one of the gods. Because she was beginning to realize that Hermes was right about them. They didn't care. Not in the right way. Not like Hermes did.
"Gotcha, Triton!" Icarus crowed in the distance. "You're it!"
"You're going down, flatfoot!"
Hercules's laughter rang out. "Look who's talking, flipper boy!"
"You're next, Herc!"
"Not playing I see."
Cassandra started and looked up at Hermes. "You're quick, even without those sandals."
"Next time, I'll bring you a scroll."
"That would be nice."
Hermes smiled and ruffled her hair. Icarus came sprinting over.
"Triton's it! Triton's it!"
There was an almighty crash and Triton hollered in triumph. "Herc's it!"
"No fair!" Hercules snapped. "I didn't see that rock!"
Hermes threw his head back and laughed again until tears ran down his cheeks. "Now this is fun!"
Triton came sprinting down the way, Hercules on his tail. Hermes winked at Cassandra then snagged Icarus's arm and dragged him in another direction. Cassandra actually laughed as the two boys shot past her at inhuman speeds, the sound strange in her own ears. But it was a good strange, she thought, and a nice break from the visions. And she settled back with a smile on her face, listening to the romping boys and feeling relaxed for the first time in ages.