Eris waved a hand, silencing them. “I’ll accept your challenge, Set. On my terms.” Pulling a knife from beneath her dress, she raked it across her palm. Red mist swirled around her before spreading across the room.
One by one, the nobles fell under her spell. Their eyes glistened as they turned toward her, awaiting her command. The guards marched to her side, forming a wide circle around me. Percy and Seraphim raised their weapons, joining the men opposing me.
Great.
“Single combat.” I raised an eyebrow at Eris. “You cannot command the entire room against me and expect anyone to honor it.”
“Who cares about honor?” Eris lifted her hand, and the soldiers raised their spears in harmony. “Nobody here will know the truth. They’ll accept what I tell them.”
My hand fell to my dagger. “Hoping to back me into a corner?”
“Youarebacked into a corner, Set,” Eris whispered. “Look around.”
The door opened again, and Aethra slipped in. She paused in surprise, noticing the unnatural hush hanging over the ballroom. Sensing something was wrong, she hurried to my side.
One of the nobles—a larger man dressed in bright silver—lunged for her as she passed. He grabbed Aethra’s arm, restraining her.
Snarling, I ripped my dagger across my palm and drew a blade from the wound. It soared across the room, digging into the man’s arm. Trapped under Eris’ spell, the man did not react, but his arm went limp, and Aethra slipped from his grip.
Closing the distance between us, I grabbed Aethra’s hand and pulled her to the safety of my side.
The guards moved, reforming their circle around us.
“There’s our maiden,” Eris said. “A bit . . . freer than I imagined.” She glared at Icelus, who looked to me and paled.
Aethra squeezed my hand and spoke in my mind. “Eleos and Phaedrus are fine. They wanted to stay out of Eris’ range.”
“But sent you into it?” I asked.
“Keep your mind guarded. Euthymia is a psyche.”
My head whipped toward the blonde concubine. Suddenly, it clicked—why she was here.
“Ah,” I breathed. “Father is keeping tabs on you, Eris. You hoped the ballroom would shield our conversation fromherprying mind.” I turned toward Euthymia. “What lies has Haimyx fed you to turn you into his loyal little lapdog?”
The concubine’s eyes flicked to Eris before returning to me. “Why do you keep the final Maiden hidden? Do you not understand her purpose?”
I tightened my grip on Aethra’s hand. “I understand it perfectly well.”
“She’s a mortal,” Euthymia insisted. “Merely a vessel for the blood she carries. To shield her is to condemn thousands.”
My belief that psyches needed to be good people had always been misguided. They only needed compassion—a trait that could manifest in many ways.
“Don’t,” I warned, “insult her again.”
Eris interrupted Euthymia’s following words. “Maidens must marry a member of the royal family. There’s no reason Set could not keep her.”
“No,” Euthymia spat. “Set has risked our destruction twice. He would do so again.” She glared at Aethra, and though she said nothing, Aethra’s grip on my hand loosened. “Step away from him.”
Aethra pulled from my grip and fled. I whirled around, reaching for her, but she had already darted behind the ring of guards. A strange light gleamed in her eyes.
The other psyche had wrested control of her.
Gripping my dagger tightly, I turned back around. Standing here, alone, it struck me how much I hated these people.Nobles. They were the same in every city, in every country. Wretches, undeserving of life.
Blood seeped from my palm. My eyes darted between Eris and Euthymia—choosing a target.
Eris’ death would free the room.
