“So, I wasn't imagining it.” I looked back too.
Cy turned back to me. “From now on, report any threat to us, Salina. Even if it seems silly.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“Who uses crows?” Cyrus looked at the other two.
“I assumed it was from Hades,” I said.
“Hades doesn't send crows. Even if he was associated with them, sending a bird isn't his style. He's more direct.”
“Hecate,” Lex said. “And Athena. They're both associated with them.”
“I thought Athena was all about the owls?” I asked.
“Crows too. But you know who's most known for his power over crows.” It wasn't a question, more of a prompt.
“Fuck!” Cyrus growled. “Hades is right.”
“Hold on.” Lex waved his packmate down. “We could be seeing a relationship where there is none.”
“Hades already suspected Apollo,” Cyrus said. “Now, we've got a crow following us.”
“FollowingSalina,” Lex corrected. “Apollo may be interested in her for another reason entirely, something that has nothing to do with Silas.”
“Then why was Silas watching her?”
“Because of us.”
“Wait. So, you're saying that Silas was watching Salina because he suspected that she's our mate and at the same time, Apollo, who Hades suspects is the Olympian backing Silas, justso happens to be interested in our girl for an entirely different reason?”
“Yes.”
Lex grimaced. “That's a hell of a coincidence.”
“We're talking about gods.” Cyrus lifted his brows. “Their plots often cross, weave together without intention.”
I hurried into the pause before they could get going again. “You guys need to explain the Apollo thing to me. Hades suspects him of supporting Silas?”
“Yes,” Cyrus said. “Silas was almost killed by a Cerberus mate in Washington, but divine magic protected him in a bright light.”
“And no other god's magic manifests as light?”
“It wasn't ordinary light.” Cyrus waved away my question. “It's just a single clue, so Hades couldn't be sure, but now there's the crow.” He glanced back before continuing, “Apollo is credited with turning crows black. The myth is that he sent a white crow to watch over a lover and when the crow reported that she was unfaithful, he turned it black.”
“Instead of shooting the messenger, he gave it a makeover?”
Jake snorted.
Lex took over. “It's just a myth. Most myths aren't real, but they usually have some basis in fact. The fact here is that Apollo has power over crows. There's no reason for Hekate or Athena to be. . . wait. Now I'm doing exactly what I warned against. We shouldn't jump to any conclusions. Let's exploreevery possibility. Salina, are you sure it was a man who murdered you in that past life—the life with Ace?”
I thought back. Before I could summon the memory, another rose. I guess I was thinking too much about my last life. Being in New Orleans already brought things to the surface, but seeing my grave with Eddie buried beside me had really shaken me. So instead of my mind presenting the past life I was interested in, it brought up another. Or another death, rather.
I was sitting on the porch, admiring the garden, pleased with myself. It had taken a lot of work, patience, and artful flirtation to get hitched to a merchant who was rich, young, and handsome—the trifecta. I had also made sure to choose a malleable man who was inclined to indulge his wife. A man I could rule.
Edouard Marteau was the perfect choice. He married me and plucked me out of the mud of New Orleans to give me this grand home in Virginia. It was beautiful and peaceful. I was even making friends with our neighbors. For the first time since I'd woken in the hold of that ship, I was feeling hopeful and happy.
“You don't deserve this,” a deep voice growled.
