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

“Thanks for the assist,” Zeus nodded at Oz, then at each of the others, and finally landed his attention on Mal, not knowing that Oz had acted alone. “Almost forgot we were enemies for a minute.”


Taking in a deep breath, Zeus summoned enough strength to lightning jump away and was gone in a shimmer of yellow. 


Oz took his mask off right there in the alley and never put it on again.


Now, Mal knew that the reason Danny was so good at solving puzzles was because he was a detective. He’d chosen to give Oz a pass despite having learned his identity. In this case, that gamble had paid off.


“I’ll go put that order in,” Carla said with a warm smile.


Mal watched her leave with fondness that he quickly covered up when Lucy grinned at him. Oz had introduced them to his nursing school friend when the trouble first started—or at least when Oz learned how bad things were. 


Chapter 39