No, Medea’s powers were much darker than that.
“Oh, the torches,” Dion said, noting my reaction. “It takes some getting used to.”
I turned to him. “You aren’t controlling it?”
“The torches have a mind of their own. Anytime someone draws near one, they turn on. So if you prefer the dark, I’m afraid they won’t let you have it.” A wolfish smile crested his lips. “Though I suppose a Titan prefers to walk in the sun.”
“I walk at night, same as you,” I said stiffly. In fact, I’d spent months transitioning my sleep schedule to suit the Olympian vampires. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stood outside in broad daylight, basking in the sun.
At first, I’d missed it terribly, but over time, I’d grown to appreciate the night sky. There was so much to love about the inky darkness, speared through with thousands of brilliant stars. And the moon. Oh, how the moonlight made me come alive.
“Clever, but an appropriate sleep schedule won’t be enough for Zeus,” Dion said.
“Not that I trust a word you say, but whatwouldbe enough for Zeus?”
Dion regarded me carefully for a moment before he said, “He sees humans as cattle and believes there’s no need to keep them alive once they’re no longer useful. To him, that’s the Olympian way, where you Titans have always had softer hearts. You treat your humans like citizens and feed sparingly. Frankly, I run my kingdom like yours, but for Zeus to trust you, you’re going to have to kill your sacrifice without hesitation.”
I pulled in a sharp breath. Dionysos was more of an ally than I thought he might be. He didn’t follow Zeus’s ways. There was so much I wanted to say in response, so much I wanted to ask him. But I felt like we were being watched.
And I merely smiled. “Luckily, that won’t be a problem.”
9
SELENE
“So, to your rooms?” Dion asked, glancing around. “I’m not sure where Achilles has wandered off to, but I’m sure I can find him. He’s the one who knows what room you’ll be taking for the fortnight.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “No, nevermind all that. I’ll head to the feast first if that’s what’s expected of me.”
Duty above all else, after all.
“Good girl.” He patted me on the shoulder, and I fought the urge to hiss. I was not some pet to be praised for obediently following along. But I masked my emotions. As always. Already, it was grinding on my nerves.
As we started down the corridor, Achilles reappeared—or at least, I assumed it was Achilles. He smelled vampiric, but the armor blocked the specifics of his scent. Without speaking, he motioned Orpheus and the human sacrifice in the opposite direction, leading them to gods knew where.
I tried to still my worry. I was fairly certain they wouldn’t harm Orpheus, but I hated not knowing where Achilles was taking him. Orpheus wasn’t considered a true Titan, not like me. I’d been born, carried in my mother’s womb until I’d emerged into the world. Orpheus had once been human, then turned by my mother. She’d tried to save his mortal lover, too. And even though she’d failed, he’d loved her dearly for trying.
“Did your mother do much to prepare you for what happens during Nekros?” Dion asked, his boots clicking against the marble floor as his voice echoed eerily. “How much do you know about what happens here?”
I chose my words carefully. It was a delicate balance—I needed to appear strong and in control, but there was something to be said for keeping a few cards close to one’s chest.
“What she didn’t tell me before her unexpected death, Orpheus did.”
Dion cut his eyes my way, and something flashed across his expression—aknowing, like he understood exactly why I’d chosen the words I had.
“Your mother and I were friends, you know. I truly am sorry about her death,” he said when we reached a split in the corridor. He motioned us to head left, though he jogged a few steps in front of me. “She was a good soul.”
Heart pounding, I followed him around the corner. At the end of the hallway, two closed doors embossed with gold glimmered against the torchlight.
“Ah, here we are,” Dion said when we finally reached it. Soft music spilled through the cracks in the door from a harpist playing inside the grand hall—or the megaron, as the Olympians liked to call it. Dionysos palmed the golden door handles, then glanced over his shoulder with an arched brow. “Are you ready?”
No!I kept my face a mask of calm, but inside, I was screaming. My every instinct was at war with my mind. For the first time in my life, I imagined I felt an awful lot like humans did—likeprey. My bones itched inside my skin. I wanted to run and hide and never come back here. Instead, I had to walk inside the room where my greatest enemies waited to rip me to shreds. Whether they did it now or later, it hardly mattered. One day, they would try.
The Fates had told me as much.
I never thought they’d do it here, but after the way Ares had threatened me outside…
“I’m ready,” I said in a measured voice that betrayed none of my fear.
