Who better to blame for shaking the earth than Poseidon, God of the Sea and master of earthquakes?
The hunters were like a clutch of crabs, scuttling side to side, unsure of what to do. Hypsipyle’s face was pale. The queen was staring at Danae. So was Heracles, but after what she’d seen him do, she didn’t dare meet his eyes.
“What does he want from us?” asked Hypsipyle, her voice trembling.
“There will be no more bloodshed.” Danae paused. Her head was spinning. “He brought us to this island to help each other.”
The Argonauts looked as shaken as the hunters, many staring at her as though seeing her for the first time.
Then Heracles came striding toward her through the blood-churned sand. Could he tell she was lying about hearing Poseidon speak? Was he going to pull her apart too?
Her fear bled away as he fell to his knees at her feet, and when he gazed up at her, she saw with relief that his pupils had returned to their right size. There was a knowing in his gaze, as though they shared a secret. He took her hand and pressed his lips to her skin. Even after he drew away, she felt their imprint linger.
“I will honor the wishes of my uncle.”
Hypsipyle’s eyes widened. She muttered something inaudible to Peta.
“I too will uphold the will of Poseidon, as shall my men,” said Jason, quickly. He glanced at the bound Argonauts, who all nodded. Many still looked dazed after the quake.
“My hunters and I will do the same,” said Hypsipyle. The queen pointed at a couple of women, who set about freeing the rest of the Argonauts. “We will take you to our town, but first we must tend to our dead.”
“Let us help you,” said Jason.
“No.” The queen’s voice was sharp as flint. “Your men will not touch them.”
The Argonauts clustered together while Hypsipyle and several of the hunters collected their fallen sisters.
“Some of us should remain with the ship,” said Tiphys.
“No one stays.” Peta appeared behind them. “All must come.”
Castor squared up to her. “I don’t take orders from you.”
“No.” Jason put a hand on his shoulder. “But you do from me. And I say we all go.”
Castor scowled and shrugged him off.
A vein pulsed in Jason’s temple. “Look at it, theArgoisn’t going anywhere. Do you wish to anger the gods further?”
Tiphys shook his head, and no one else made any more arguments.
“Follow me,” said Peta.
As they traipsed after her, Danae glanced back. Heracles and Dolos were lagging behind the others. The hero’s head was bowed, and the healer was whispering fervently in his ear. She wondered what sort of man the fates had tied her too. The more time she spent in Heracles’s company, the more unpredictable he seemed to become.
“Stay close to the hunters,” said Peta. “The jungle is not kind to strangers.”
“It’s not the only one,” muttered Telamon.
The women led them through a path hidden amidst the tangle of branches. Danae tried to commit the route to memory, but it was useless, every twist looked the same. They had no way of getting back to the ship without the guidance of the hunters. The thought weighed heavily in her chest. The further they traveled from theArgo, the further she grew from finding Prometheus.
After shaking the earth, her body felt brittle, like a piece of coral beached on baking sand.
Her foot caught on a rock and without the strength to steady herself, she tumbled forward.
Hylas caught her before she hit the ground.
“I’m fine,” she said reflexively, secretly grateful for his sturdy frame behind her.
