“Interesting,” was the last thing he uttered before he dissolved into nothingness.
As if summoned by his departure, the mahogany door, covered with various maps, creaked open. My breath caught in my throat.
“Give her time. She’ll help us.” As the words slid into the room, the goddess’s palm tightened on the door handle. Her free hand moved to the dagger tucked at her waist, gaze scanning the surroundings for a potential intruder.
She was beautiful—long black hair tucked in a braid that snaked down her back, glacial blue eyes that reflected a frozen lake. Her leather clothes, the color of obsidian, clung to everycurve and angle of her frame. Hidden beneath the folds and seams of her clothing, daggers were strapped securely, their sharp edges a silent promise.
The Goddess of the Hunt and the Wild.
I lifted my chin—not in defiance—I wasn’t that stupid, and I didn’t have a death wish either—but to show I wasn’t intimidated. In response, her brows lifted. She tapped her long fingers on the hilt, and moved into the room, making space for the others to come in.
This threat I understood.Give me a reason, and I’ll cut your throat without hesitation.Message received. Loud and clear.
When the next god, with the steps of a predator, stopped beside Artemis, it didn’t take more than a glance to realize who stood before me.
The God of the Underworld, Death, and the Lord of the Dead.
His rugged features were as harsh as a sharpened sword. With a lazy gaze, he surveyed me, blackness filling his eyes. Hades’ lips set into a thin, unforgiving line, devoid of any warmth or welcome.
Another threat.
Stories were told that he could predict someone’s death and a part of me shivered at the thought. While the truth about that statement was surely somewhere in the middle, I was certain he didn’t need to foresee my death in order to cause it himself.
At last, Eros, as if afraid to learn what was waiting for him on the other side of the door, walked inside. For a moment, his eyes widened before they restored their usual impassivity, but not until they trailed over every inch of my body, scanning for injuries. His fists betrayed his unease, the sound of his knuckles cracking filling the otherwise quiet room.
I gulped, not sure how to read his reaction.
The silence stretched and growing uncertain, I finally spoke, my voice the first to disrupt the quiet.
“I can help you.” I winced at how foolish it sounded and didn’t miss the way Hades’ lip twitched upward. “If you want to nullify his powers, you need someone on the inside to get you the relic. If one of you shows up on the trial grounds, you’ll no doubt raise some questions, and you’ll be caught before you even have the chance to act against him.” The air I was holding in rushed out, emptying my lungs before I drew in another breath.
Once again, the gods only exchanged looks.
“Zeus won’t suspect anything. I’ll go on as usual, pass through the trial, and before he figures out what I’m doing, you’ll be in possession of the relic and negate his magic,” I said as their stares continued. I gulped, feeling the need to clarify. “I’ll get the relic for you.”
“How did you gain this knowledge?” Eros inquired, inching closer.
My pupils danced. Greek was one of the many languages I knew, and until this day, I hadn’t realized how helpful it would prove to be.
“It’s in the book.”
“Where did you learn Ancient Greek?” Artemis demanded. “The language has been lost for centuries.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” I flipped it open, skimming through the pages. “This is modern Greek.”
Artemis’s fingers grasped the book, swiveled it toward her, and her index landed with a loud smack over a paragraph. “This”—she pointed—“is not transliterated. It’s Ancient Greek.”
Driven by an insatiable curiosity, I abandoned my safe spot behind the table, approaching the Goddess of the Hunt and the Wild to get a closer look at the pages. The words swirled, transforming into foreign letters before snapping back into a language I understood.
I blinked, taking a step back. How was it possible I had read such an old dialect without even realizing it? Could that be connected to the thread of powers I had inherited from Eros?
Eros inhaled before speaking. “I will handle the matter.”
At that, I pivoted.Handle the matter? What is that supposed to mean?
Eros nodded at the two gods, his fingers drumming on his leg. His palm folded over my elbow, but before his warm touch could settle, I stepped back from his grasp. “I’m not some kid you canhandle,”I spat out harsher than I intended. “You all know you can’t do this without a human, and I know it’s probably a rarity for you, since you’re used to not needing one—but that’s the situation. Act like the big boys you are and accept it.”
Artemis snorted, crossing her arms over her chest as her foot patted on the ground while Hades remained unflinching.
