Heroes aren't meant to act like their villains -- or fall in love with them. The elements touch everyone on Earth -- Fire, Water, even Light -- but every so often someone becomes more attuned to their elemental leaning and develops true power. When an evil Elemental known as Thanatos arrived in Olympus City, it saw the rise of its first hero -- Zeus. But the death toll caused by defeating Thanatos changed Zeus, who by day is young detective Danny Grant. It's been six months since Thanatos terrorized the city at the start of Lovesick Gods. Danny should be used to his duty behind the mask, but the recent past haunts him. His girlfriend left him, he snaps at the barest provocation, his life feels empty -- he needs an outlet, any outlet to pull him out of his depression. Enter notorious thief Malcolm Cho, the Ice Elemental Prometheus. There was a time when Danny welcomed a fight with Cho, filled with colorful banter and casual flirtations that were a relief compared to Thanatos. Even as a criminal, Cho had recognized the threat Thanatos posed and promised to help Danny stop him, but the day Danny needed Cho, he never showed. Cho was the reason so many people died that day -- including Danny's mother. Danny decides to teach the man a lesson and fan the fire of their attraction into something more. At worst, he'll get some no-strings-attached sex out of the deal and finally blow off steam; at best, he'll get Cho to fall in love with him and then break his heart to spite him. Danny doesn't expect to fall for Cho in the process, and he certainly can't predict the much darker threat on the horizon.

Lovesick Gods

Cocking his head, Mal licked his lower lip. “Yes. You did. And I’m looking forward to round two.” 


Danny chuckled as he finished putting on his shoes and stepped into Mal’s space, close enough that most people would have backed up a step. Mal didn’t. “And three and four and…however much higher you can count.” 


“I can count pretty high.” In truth, Mal could win most games of pool by doing geometry in his head, calculating force and angles with adept precision. But Danny didn’t need to know that. 


“I’ll call you.” Danny leaned closer. 


“Maybe I’ll answer,” Danny bantered back. Then he kissed Mal, all heat and power and promise, with a gentle tug at Mal’s bottom lip with his teeth. “Be seeing you, Ice Man,” he said as he backed toward the door. 


Oh, Mal could definitely get used to this, for however long it lasted. 


Chapter 33