Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon

laughed. “An eternity of them. Why?”
    â€œI need to know how to stop Dolor.”
    That got him to finally look up at her with a quizzical expression. “Dolor? When did he wake up?”
    â€œA couple of days ago. Now he’s after Aidan here to kill him.”
    Deimos tsked. “Poor you. It really sucks to be human.”
    Leta narrowed her gaze at him. “Demon…”
    He was unfazed by her chiding tone. “Don’t nag me, little cousin. I don’t want to hear it.”
    â€œYou’re a Dolophonos, a god of justice. Are you really going to sit there while an innocent man is put to death because someone has PMS?”
    Deimos gave her a droll stare. “I’m an executioner, Leta, hence my Demon nickname. They send me in to take the heads off people and gods who’ve stepped over the line, usually only because someone has PMS. You want justice, Themis’s office is down the hall on the left.” He flashed an evil grin at her. “You want death and dismemberment, I’m your man … or rather god.”
    She let out a long-suffering sigh. “So you’re not going to answer my question?”
    â€œI don’t have the answer for you. Just because I’ve been drinking buddies with Dolor in the past doesn’t mean I know how to stop him, especially since no one has ever sent me in to kill him. I only know he prefers double-shot lime-flavored tequilas with bourbon chasers. Sick, I know, but far be it from me to mock his tastebuds. I’m just glad they’re not mine.”
    Aidan stepped forward with a question of his own. “What about you? Could you stop him?”
    Deimos gave him a smug look. “No one stands before me for very long. Dread always trumps pain. Besides, I fight dirty. Chess isn’t the only thing I cheat at.” He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head before he returned his gaze to Leta. “If you really want the inside weakness on Dolor, I’d suggest you try his sister, Lyssa.”
    Aidan could tell by the look on Leta’s face that she’d rather not. “Who’s Lyssa?”
    â€œPersonification of Insanity,” they answered simultaneously.
    Leta gave Deimos a chiding stare before she elaborated. “She often works as a demon in conjunction with other gods, to incite madness in their victims so that the Erinyes or Furies can do their work. Because of that, she’s a little hard to handle and the madness she used to give to others has nicely taken root inside her own mind.”
    It figured. “Ooo, perfect. I do believe that in the last twenty-four hours she and I have become really good friends.”
    Deimos laughed. “I can tell you haven’t met her.”
    â€œMaybe not personally, but I’ve definitely been skating around her block a lot today.”
    â€œAround the block’s okay. Just don’t stop and knock on her door.”
    â€œWhy?”
    Deimos gave him a sinister smirk. “She’s special. We used to unleash her on ancient battlefields just to see soldiers chop their best friends into pieces before falling on their own swords.”
    Leta screwed her face up at his brutal imagery. “You’re so sick, Demon.”
    He shrugged nonchalantly. “Trust me, they deserved it or I wouldn’t have been so mean. Besides, my mother is a Fury and my father War. What more would expect of me?”
    â€œCompassion,” she said softly. “The Erinyes aren’t always cruel.”
    â€œTrue, but not for the wicked. Our job is to punish and that, my cousin, I’m more than capable of doing. Grisly though you may think it.” He indicated the door with a jerk of his chin. “See Lyssa. If Pain has a weakness, she alone would know it.”
    â€œBut will she share?”
    He shrugged. “You know her as well as I do. Depends on her mood and degree of clarity when you speak to