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

“Ichabod Crane, beware!” Andre boomed in a deep voice, spreading his arms to show off his currently headless form, save the longer braids still hanging over his shoulder.


Danny laughed harder. “That is awesome. And seriously creepy. Please take it off and never wear it by itself again.”


A scream erupted from behind them, and Danny and Andre both jerked toward the door. Lynn stood with a panicked look on her face and a hand to her chest, while her other hand clutched knuckle-white at a crumple of papers. Just as quickly, her shock dissolved into furious anger. 


“Andre!” she scolded. “I told you not to put that thing on again!” 


A disembodied—or at least disem-headed—voice snickered, and Andre pulled the mask off with a guilty grin. When the fabric wasn’t stretched, the mask distorted his fingers with a faint flicker. “I may have already surprised Lynn with my accomplishment when she came down this morning.” 


Chapter 35