The new arrival rolled his eyes, traipsed down the steps, and nudged the vampire guard out of the way. He stuck out a hand, his fingers pale and slender and as sleek as his long dark hair. “I’m Dion. You must be our new High Queen of Troy.”
Ah, Dionysos. My mother—and Orpheus—had told me many tales about him. He was prone to revelry and enjoyed wine as much as most vampires loved blood. And while he was an Olympian, he didn’t have a lot of affection for Zeus.
I shook his hand, eyeing him warily. Despite being a potential ally, I knew better than to trust any of these monarchs. “Yes, my name is Selene.”
“Selene is a lovely name. Just as lovely as your hair.” He cast me a lopsided smile.
“Is that wine?” I pointed at the chalice he held at his side, sloshing a red liquid onto the marble floor. It definitely wasn’t blood—I would be able to scent that—but the spicy tang didn’t smell much like the wine back in Troy, either.
He held up the cup, grinning. “Oh, yes. Hephy made it from his kingdom’s grapes. Far stronger than the normal stuff. Strong enough to make a vampire feel drunk.”
Hephaestus was another monarch, though rumor had it he preferred to sit in his forge creating weapons. That and wine, apparently.
“Would you like some?” Dion held out the chalice until it was only an inch from my mouth.
I gently pressed against the golden lip. “Thank you for the offer, but I’d rather get settled into my rooms first.”
“Well, you might as well drink up because you won’t be going to your rooms until after the feast. Achilles is annoying, but he’s right. Zeus’s orders trump all else, and he’s ordered the feast to start immediately upon your arrival.”
I let a heartbeat pass before answering. “Right.”
He handed me the chalice, then motioned toward the archway leading into the palace. “After you. But…before you walk into that den of vipers, mind if I give you some friendly advice?”
Friendly or hostile? I knew better than to assume it was the former just based on his jovial personality. Orpheus had told me to view Dion as a potential ally. He’d been friendly with my mother for many years. But he was the only Olympian she’d told about her loyalty to Gaia.
So it seemed possible that he’d been the one to tell Zeus.
He leaned close without waiting for my reply, and he whispered, “Be careful in there. Those Olympians don’t like Titans. And when they don’t like something, they bite.”
You’re an Olympian, I wanted to say, but I held my tongue. If he wanted to play at ally, I’d join the game.
“Then surely I shouldn’t dull my nerves with wine,” I replied.
“Ah, but a little will soothe them.” He dropped his voice even lower. “Your face is a mask of calm, but I can hear your heart beating. It was smart to feed on a human before docking your boat, but the blood is heightening your emotions. And if I can hear it, Zeus will, too, the second you step foot in that megaron.”
He pressed the chalice into my hands, then stepped back.
I flicked my eyes to the darkened archway, wondering if he was trying to trap me into saying something. But I could see no one. I couldn’t smell anyone else, either. Only the scent of Achilles lingered in the salt-thick air.
“You’re right to be suspicious,” Dion said. “One of us just went to a great deal of trouble to ensure your mother’s death, but trust me when I say Zeus and I are not the same.”
“You’re an Olympian.”
“Against my wishes.” He rubbed his thumb against the base of his neck, closed his eyes, and sighed. “But you need not bother yourself with that. Just drink the wine, Selene.”
I arched a brow. “One might wonder why you’re so intent on having me drink this mysterious liquid that smells like the acrid fire of Mount Olympus.”
Dion’s lips curled, and he surprised me with a laugh. “I’ll be sure to tell Hephy you said that. He actually tried to make it smell like that fire, despite all my attempts to convince him otherwise. Why not flowers instead? Bloody fool.”
I eyed him warily. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Hmm, we’re not all bad. I promise you.” Dion turned and jogged up the steps. “Come. I’ll have Achilles show you to your rooms. Zeus won’t like it, but I can’t make you go to the feast, even if it’s the only option you have to prove your loyalty to the Thirteen Crowns.”
I frowned and glanced back at Orpheus. He inclined his head toward Dion, pursing his red lips. A silent suggestion to listen to the Olympian vampire, despite the bad blood between us.
Brow furrowed, I followed Dion up the steps and through the archway. As soon as we stepped between the pillars, a line of torches along the marble walls flared to life. The fires burned hot, and their flickering tongues cast brilliant light down the long, empty corridor before us.
I stared at the torches, transfixed. Despite the witches’ presence in my kingdom, I knew very little of magic. Most of the world’s power had been contained here, on this island. There were only a few spells Medea and Circe could cast, and none of those could conjure fire from thin air.
