“Gods,” Seth muttered, wrapping his arms around her. “Don’t do that to me again.”
“I don’t intend to.” Aethra sank against him.
Sudden anger rushed over me, and I rubbed my eyes. “Great. You couldn’t be bothered to stop and think, and noweveryoneknows you’re here.”
“I don’t care,” Seth said rigidly.
“Well, maybe you should.” Phaedrus pushed back his hood. “You just tortured a noble—a god—in public. This insurgency hasescalated far beyond what it can handle. When retribution follows . . .” He lowered his voice. “This city might not survive.”
20
Seth
Guard presence in the city had increased tenfold since yesterday. Leaning on an upstairs window, I watched another troop of soldiers pass by the quiet, unassuming bunkhouse.
No one knew we were here. Not yet. Cerys’ portal had dropped us into the basement where members of the insurgency’s southern cell met to discuss plans.
A wise choice of hideout. Nobody thought twice about people coming and going from an inn.
Letting the curtain fall over the glass, I turned as Percy entered the room, his attendant’s mantle still draped around his shoulders.
“Cerys wants to see you,” he announced.
“Are you her personal messenger now?” I asked, pulling my hood up.
“More or less,” he confirmed, eyes flicking left and right before he smiled and stepped into the hall.
Cerys was going to be furious with me.
Stepping outside, I peeked into the common room at the end of the hall. Eleos leaned over a table, several herbs splayed before him, piled atop old tomes. Aethra sat beside him, dozing on his shoulder.
My gaze lingered longer than I intended. An unpleasant twist of jealousy surged up my throat, and my jaw clenched. Aethra and I had not spoken in private since the night we trained together.
Looking down, the jealousy faded. Maybe Aethra deserved someone like him. Reliable, caring, kind. Nothing dark and dour hid in Eleos’ past—she could trust him.
Why should she forgive me and the shadows I carried around?
“Seth?” Percy asked, waiting at the end of the hall.
“Coming.” Tearing my eyes off Aethra, I followed him downstairs and out into the city streets. Night had arrived, blanketing the oasis in darkness. Pulling his hood up, Percy covered his face with the mask-like cowl and peered left and right before beckoning me to follow.
Toying with a strand of my hair, I leaned toward him. “How’s it going?”
“Hm?” Percy started. “How’swhatgoing?”
“You and Cerys.”
“Ah.” Percy reached to smooth back his hair, but only messed up his hood. “She’s . . .ethereal.” Wonder swam in his eyes. Blinking it away, he looked at me. “Cerysis quite different from the Oracle, though.”
“We’re all expected to act a certain way.”
“Really? And how wereyousupposed to act?”
“Mm.” I trailed a hand along the rough sandstone buildings. “Aggressive, but obedient. An echo of my father’s power that did not surpass his.”
“The perfect little heir?”
“More or less.”
