Betrothed to Jack Frost: Fire's Fury **SOON TO BE PUBLISHED**

3)Hidden Protectors

Dedicated to _Athena_ for the amazing fan art!! <3

***

"HERMES! WE NEED TO TALK!" Elle screeched. She only spoke once she arrived at her grandparents' empty farmhouse. Elle was barely out of her Jeep when she started yelling. There was no worry of anyone overhearing her randomly screeching for a Greek god; she was the only one home. There weren't any nearby neighbors that Elle had to worry about overhearing her shriek to the sky. The closest neighbor lived miles away.

The houses were so spaced apart there wasn't a chance anyone would overhear her. Hurrying through the house Elle flicked on every light she found as she entered. It had been easy to dodge conversation with Jake earlier. He had been preoccupied filling out an order sheet for next week's inventory. Elle left the building after clocking out without so much as a goodbye. She wanted to avoid another encounter of him possibly asking her out. It was rude but Elle didn't think too much about it. During her drive home she didn't spend a moment wondering why her manager would want to ask her out; she had far more pressing issues on her mind. Namely, why had no one bothered to inform she had an immortal half-brother?

Elle knew where she would find the immortal she was looking for the moment she flicked on the light to her grandparents living room. Hermes usually appeared in the same place every time. Elle's Olympic God of a godfather was sprawled on his back with his hands behind his head in a comfortable fashion. He provided her a goofy smile as if to show he were laying about this entire time and he hadn't literally poofed into existence when she called. "Not so loud, Elle. Some of us are trying to nap."

Elle wanted to be happy to see him, but it was difficult. The times Hermes or Apollo came to visit her were becoming more spaced apart given passing time. Elle had been assuming they would eventually break off contact with her altogether. They were the only two immortals who still conversed with her; everyone else Elle had met had broken off communication the moment Jack banished her on the day they married.

"Who is Kane?" Asked Elle at once, not bothering with simple pleasantries or expressing she missed seeing her friend. Even though he was an Olympic God, Hermes resembled a Generation Z teenager more than an immortal god. His curly dirty-blond hair was always messy and falling into his eyes. His pants he wore were either too baggy or too skinny. Hermes often wore vintage graphic t-shirts that had a band or a funny saying on them. Today was no different. Hermes had on black skinny jeans, a black and gold pair of converses, and a graphic tee that had Led Zeplin's logo on the front. Upon Elle's question, Hermes gave a roll of his shoulders. "Are you talking about biblical Cane-"

"No," said Elle at once, her eyes wide as she gripped the fabric back of the couch that Hermes was still sprawled across. "He visited me today and said he's my brother."

This news captured Hermes full attention immediately. He effortlessly sat himself up to look at Elle in surprise. "You are Matthew's only child. I wasn't aware that Pele still had children among the living."

"What do you mean, Macaria and I aren't her only kids??" She had never bothered to ask anyone of her immortal mother even since discovering she had one. From Elle's experience of meeting Pele, she automatically decided she didn't like her.

"Well, no," confessed Hermes sheepishly. "Pele is quite old, she's had a few offspring the last couple hundred years. For the most part they died either at infancy or adulthood. It's not a surprise you have a brother, but it's strange I of all people wasn't aware of this."

Elle knew that was true. He was the messenger god; if out of anyone, Hermes would know more immortals than anyone else for how often he traveled to different realms. "Should I worry this is one more sibling wanting to kill me?"

Hermes sat himself straighter and frowned. "To be quite blunt, Elle, if this Kane wished you dead, he could have easily killed you on the spot. You're not immortal, he wouldn't need a dagger of Delphi to finish you."