Cyane finally glanced back at Cerberus; he was holding Melinoe’s hand, and the goddess was gazing up at him with adoration.
Cyane’s heart twisted.
Terrible thoughts seized her.
He never offered me more than protection.
Maybe being kept in his room had been a way to manipulate her? No one had harmed her since she’d arrived.Had he tricked me?Something didn’t feel right. Her chest squeezed tight, but her spine straightened.
I’m not crazy. I’m not.
Cyane stepped forward, forcing Cerberus to look at her.
The Day of Deviance
“We need to talk, please,”Cyane said.
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
“Please,” she begged, her voice softening. She refused to look at Melinoe even though the goddess stood next to him. It hurt too much. “Don’t make me beg. Not here.”
“Melinoe, leave us,” he ordered, and Cyane’s heart thudded with relief. The goddess bowed her head and moved away.
Cyane inhaled and waited until Melinoe was out of hearing distance before she spoke. “Something’s changed.”
Cerberus canted his head.
“Tell me what’s changed,” she demanded.
“I am, and always will be, Hades’s servant. Nothing has changed.”
“You held her hand.Herhand. You detest her, I know you do. I can’t stand it.” The words poured from her. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, why I’m even here,” she cried, “but I can’t stand this, any of this, not anymore!”
Cerberus grabbed her hand and roughly pulled her to a shady alcove of trees, deeper into the glade. She tripped after him. He released her just as suddenly and flung her around. His eyes sparkled with red fire.
“You make my life hard,” he growled. “Harder than it should be. You’re just a mortal.”
Just a mortal?Cyane gaped. “You think your life is hard? Fuck you. Fuck you! You don’t know the meaning of hard.”
He went rigid. Power bloomed from him, and she stiffened.
Cerberus stalked closer, and Cyane stepped backward, her back hitting against the tree. “Little human, you and I are nothing more than pawns to beings much more powerful, much greater than us. The sooner you come to terms with that, you’ll understand the meaning of hard.”
“Something has changed! I know it.”
Cerberus closed the distance, leaned close, and trapped her. Cyane eased back as much as she could, feeling the bark digging into her.
“Oh yes, something has changed,” Cerberus said. “Many things have changed, more than I can keep up with. I’m trying to protect you, but you make that so very difficult. I wonder why I even try.”
“I wasn’t going to accept Hermes’s deal.”
Cerberus’s hand came up to push into the tree near her cheek; the bark broke under his fingers. “What did he offer you? What did he offer you that I haven’t? That I can’t? Escape from this place? The affection of one of the beloved golden gods of Olympus? Flight?”
Information.Cyane lowered her eyes. But maybe the relief of having a single question answered would have been more terrible than its cost.
“What was it? Speak!”
“My parents,” she whispered. “He offered to find out who my parents are.”
