“Did you figure it out?” Patro repeated as he looked down at me expectantly.
“Yeah, I did,” I said with a gasp. “I can talk to sentient creatures in their language. I can talk to sirens, and some... other creatures I’ve met.”
Patro’s face transformed with excitement, something he’d never done around me.
I choked again. He was breathtaking when he smiled.
The longer I survived the crucible, the nicer he seemed to get.
“Wait—that’s actually amazing!” Patro said. “That’s the least lame Olympian power I’ve ever heard of, congrats.”
I nodded exhaustedly.
Patro slapped my back. “We’re gonna make a Spartan out of you yet. I always knew we got lucky when we got you as our mentee.”
Achilles made a sound of disbelief in his muzzle, and from his narrowed red eyes, he was notfeeling grateful to have me around.
Sure.
We’ll pretend that’s what happened.
A thought hit me. I took the opening. “Patro,” I asked between pants, “what’s your power?”
Green eyes glowed bright as snow whipped between us.
For a second, I thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he said softly, “If I’m touching someone, I can tell if they’re lying or telling the truth.”
My stomach twisted into knots. That was why “Liar” was tattooed across his knuckles. He was theLinWSDL.
He could easily uncover all my secrets.
I feigned casualness. “That’s cool.”
He winked down at me, and my breath caught. “So,” I said awkwardly, “do you and Achilles know who you’re going to marry when you turn twenty-six?”
The two of them straightened and looked at each other. “We have an idea,” he said cryptically.
I nodded and resumed focusing on running.
He cleared his throat.
“I just want to thank you,” Patro said, his expression uncharacteristically solemn. “For not—coming on to Achilles.”
I coughed.What?
“A lot of women and men,” he said bitterly, “harass him because of his muzzle and inability to talk. We assumed because of how you’d grown up that you would be like the other human girls we’ve met.”
I grunted and nodded, unsure of what to say.
“We’re together,” Patro blurted. “But since we’re bisexual—no one seems to fucking respect that we’re a couple. So, thanks again.” He nodded down at me, then looked away, like he was embarrassed.
I shrugged (tried to move my shoulders but failed).
“We’re usually not interested in other people,” Patro continued with a blush. He glanced at me like he was trying to convey something important. “Butwe’ve recently...”
Achilles shook his head.
I waited, but Patro never finished his sentence.
