I wonder if the gods standing in front of me are going to proceed with their scheme, considering its outcome?
The part of the vision that contained Hestia’s presence sparked Shadow’s interest. It was something he knew he would return to, but now his attention was solely focused on observing the next moves of the gods, considering their scheme had disastrously backfired.
“What are we going to do?” Artemis began to speak, her words shattering the silence that everyone was afraid to break.
“Nothing,” Hades declared, lifting his gaze to Eros, and then moving his attention toward Artemis.
The sight of the God of the Underworld, Death, and the Lord of the Dead, devoid of his typically assured confident demeanor, was a difficult sight to take in, even for Shadow. However, he was well aware that the seed of fear was rooted in their souls. Now that they knew, they must confront the reality of their eventual disappearance.
“Should the death of Zeus cause our plan to fail,” Eros started, pausing briefly and resting his hands on the back of his head. “It is then necessary to change the plan’s goal.”
Hades cocked a brow at him, his dark eyes narrowing as he analyzed his words.
I’m listening, God of Love. Perhaps you are skilled not only in the art of romantic persuasion, but also in turning a scheme into a success?
“What are you trying to say?” Artemis began as she started walking in slow circles around the table.
“Rather than killing him, there must be a method to curtail his powers,” he responded, and Shadow observed a glimmer of optimism in Artemis’s expression.
“We have to ask Athena if she found anything that could help us achieve this while reading the book,” she replied, and in a matter of seconds, she immediately exited the room with the two gods following her.
A very intriguing change, indeed.
Even after they left the room, the tension that grew between them still lingered in the air, and Shadow was able to sense it deep within his void. Everyone was shocked. They had never considered that Zeus’s death would mean the death of everyone else—and to Shadow’s own amazement, neither had he.
Deciding to follow the gods, he glided toward the door but was confronted by the hushed breathing of someone in a crouched position.
Charisma Sinclair.
What brings you, my dearest mortal, here at this late hour? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?
The scent that permeated the room caused her to furrow her brows, and Shadow realized that she had indeed sensed him. He was close enough to make it impossible for her to avoid noticing.
Even though he wanted to overhear the gods’ conversation, he found Charisma’s unexpected appearance to be far more captivating. However, he couldn’t stop himself from wondering how she was able to find the room and sneak up on four gods.
I am consistently surprised by your abilities, Charisma Sinclair. Perhaps there is something about you that helps youfit in right with the gods, since fooling them clearly isn’t a problem for you.
As she moved forward across the wooden floor, she took each step with extreme care and caution. Her shoulders hunched forward, instinctively shrinking her tiny figure to blend within the darkness of the room.
Shadow noticed how quickly her eyes moved, carefully examining all the objects placed on the table. When she got closer, her eyes focused on the only book opened. Her hands shook and she bent over the table, delicately putting her fingers on the aged pages.
Her lips parted as she darted quick glances around her, paying attention to each sound that might announce the return of the gods.
Given that she had successfully snuck into this room, she might have overheard the gods’ talking and realized that she must locate this book.
Very clever of you, Miss Sinclair.
She held the book, running her fingers over the damaged, darkened leather cover, and Shadow found himself moving closer to her, curious about what held her interest. Charisma pressed her index finger against a drawn rune on the right page.
The instant that Shadow’s void skimmed over the words on the page, he was taken aback by what he saw. Every word was written in Ancient Greek—the forgotten language of the gods, which should’ve been a mystery to a mortal like Charisma. Although Athena had unlocked the words, they should have remained a jumble of letters to Charisma.
Yet the expressions that were rippling across her face betrayed that she did indeed understand everything she read. The speed at which she flipped through the pages was astonishing, which shocked Shadow even further. Her fingersdanced over each rune and scribbled notes in the margins, as if she was analyzing them.
This is unthinkable.
It is absurd for her to be able to know . . .
Charisma’s voice interrupted Shadow’s train of thought. “Three relics,” she murmured, instantly frowning when she realized she had spoken aloud.
