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

Shoulders sagging, easing out of their tension, Mal looked forward at his bathroom door. He was fine, he was fine, he wasfine


Several minutes passed before Danny’s tentative voice called out, “Should I go?”


If it had been anyone else, Mal would have thrown them out by now, turned his panic into rage and directed it at them. But when he saw Danny shift on his feet out of the corner of his eye, he knew that the last thing he wanted was to be alone. 


Mal peered up at Danny standing there uncertain and small. The black mask was in his hands, cowl hair sticking up every which direction, mouth turned into a frown as he stared at the floor and then started to head for the stairs. 


“No.” Mal grasped his wrist. “Come here. Let me get that suit off you. Then you can make this up to me.”


Chapter 81