The knowledge that Gil was Hermes nearly breaks Lore. All the years she thought she was free of the gods, she lived with one. Hermes protected her because she knew where the aegis was, and Dionysus only figured it out because he could see something was missing in the house, which meant Hermes had “turn[ed] you invisible to all us gods” (246).

In the middle of their argument, an arrow strikes Dionysus in the throat. Kadmides attack. Castor disables them, and Athena kills the mortally wounded Dionysus. Outside, Lore sees a hunter drop from the roof and run. She follows, trying and failing to not think about Gil. After a chase through Central Park, the hunter unmasks himself. It’s Belen Kadmou, Wrath’s bastard son.

Belen hasn’t changed since the last time Lore saw him—he’s still blindly obedient to Wrath. The two grapple in the park, Lore eventually gaining the upper hand. She goes in for the killing blow but pauses, realizing that killing him “would do nothing but bring Belen glory” (257). Instead, she cuts off his thumbs so he can’t wield a weapon.

Castor arrives and chastises Lore for what she’s done, telling her she isn’t a killer.