Vulcan's Kittens (Children of Myth Book 1) by Cedar Sanderson

short black man, who was grinning at her. His hair and goatee were snow white, but he didn’t look old.
    “You’re the babysitter?” she blurted.
    He let go of her chin and took a step back, then swept her a flourishing bow. “At your service, Linnaea. I am Bes. Sometimes known as a god, although I prefer... cosmic clown.” He cut a caper.
    She laughed in surprise.
    “Don’t spill the milk, child.” He was back to being serious now. “Come in, you’ve passed the first test.”
    “Which was?” she asked warily, following him up the porch steps.
    “To see through the illusion, of course. And I was laying it on thick, being forewarned that you had seen through Mars' sleep spell.”
    “Which was why you almost blinded me with the power,” she said ruefully.
    “True. But you did see it truly before the Sight kicked in. You really will have to learn to control that.”
    “Grampa keeps telling me that.”
    “Keeps telling you what?” Her grandfather’s voice came from in the house.
    Linn headed for the sink with the milk pail. “I need to control my gift.”
    “I see you met Bes.” His suppressed laughter warmed his voice.
    Linn glared at them both over her shoulder, then turned back to her task, hearing Bes’s delighted chuckle behind her.
    “Feisty, isn’t she? She’ll do, Heff.”
    Linn blushed.
    Her grandfather laughed. “You’ll have your hands full with this lot, I’m afraid. The kittens are about ready to leave the barn.”
    “And the girl?”
    Bes and her grandfather walked out onto the porch. The last thing Linn heard was her grandfather’s voice. “Teach her to be sneaky...”
    She sighed. Her babysitter was a clown. Evidently a sneaky one, but still! She put the milk pail to dry and walked over to the bookshelf. She found Bes in the Standard Dictionary of Folklore. He was an Egyptian god, she read, known for his protection of children and pregnant women. His other aspect was the god of war and vengeance. She slid the book back in its place. It figured that Grampa would choose him, then . He has all the right characteristics , she thought , to protect us, and to teach me.
    The door opened, and she turned to see Bes and her grandfather come in. Her grandfather was carrying a cloth-wrapped bundle. He set it down on the table. Linn dried her hands and walked over to him. He wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly enough that she squeaked.
    She felt his chest rise and fall with an unheard sigh. “I hate to leave you, girl.”
    She looked up at him. “Go do what you need to. Just like I told Mom.” Linn frowned. “Is she safe, by the way?”
    “Linn, your mother really is a goddess,” Bes interjected. “She is a formidable one, too.” He looked thoughtful. Linn wondered what the story was, there, and made a mental note to pry it out of him sometime.
    Heff smiled at her. “Your mother is currently traveling around the world to volcanoes and calderas like the one under Yellowstone. She’s tapping and controlling energy to keep them from all erupting as the Olympians draw power from the Earth’s core.”
    Linn gaped at him. “Draw power from the core?” she managed. “But...”
    “I’ve told you enough for now. Your mother’s work is crucial to keeping this world’s ecosystem viable. That weapon was used once before, I won’t let that happen again.” He looked grim, and Linn remembered her promise about OpSec.
    “Yes, Grampa,” she responded quietly.
    “Now,” he let go of her and stepped back, “I have a present for you. Close your eyes, and hold out both of your hands.”
    Linn held them out obediently, palms up, and closed her eyes. She felt Grampa put something cool and heavy in them, and then his big, warm hands closed over hers. He was murmuring something, but she couldn’t hear the words. Then Bes was speaking, too, and touching her forearms. Linn felt a flash of heat travel through her.
    She gasped and opened her eyes. The Sight flickered and she saw a flare