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

“I only left the food and the note.” Danny held up his hands. “No peeping. I had some time to kill this afternoon and thought you’d think it was…cute.”


“Cute,” Cho repeated with his lilting voice. “Breaking into my house is cute?”


“You break into places all the time,” Danny said. 


He had Cho there, and the man’s amusement betrayed itself, but he didn’t gesture Danny inside just yet. 


“Plus, you steal things,” Danny pointed at him accusingly, “whereas I left something foryou. I think that should earn me some brownie points.”


“Yeah. How about we keep score as long as points can be traded for lewd acts in the bedroom?” 


Cho’s paltry front dissolved in lieu of a grin. Stepping back finally, he opened the door the rest of the way. “You’re lucky you chose dinner from somewhere I like because believe me, Sparky, the points are in my favor at the moment, and I plan to cash in all of them later.”


Chapter 43