Orpheus nodded. “It certainly looks that way, which is why we need to get you to safety.”
“He said he wanted to give me a trial by Erebus…”
“The Olympians cannot demand answers from a god. He bestows them when he sees fit, and there is no guarantee he’ll do anything but remain as silent as he always is. And if he does stay silent, Zeus will no doubt take that to mean Erebus condemns you. No, I won’t risk your life, Selene. Please. I won’t lose you, too.”
I released a breath through clenched teeth. Fleeing felt wrong, but Orpheus was right. What other choice did I have?
“All right.” I went to grab one of my trunks, but Orpheus put a hand on my arm to stop me.
“We have to leave those behind. If anyone sees us, it’ll just slow us down.”
An ominous thought, but one I couldn’t ignore. Achilles wore plated armor, including a helmet. He might patrol the grounds during the day, along with other guards that wore similar. So I left all my things behind and followed Orpheus into the corridor.
Hector flew ahead, scouting the way. Every now and then, he emitted a soft caw to signal it was safe. Eventually, we made it out of the palace and into the dull light of day. Heavy clouds engulfed most of the sky, transforming midday into dusk. A harsh breeze gusted in from the sea, bringing with it a biting cold. I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders and hurried down the steps. It was difficult to imagine this place had ever been hot and dry, back when Circe had lived here.
Hector continued clearing the path ahead, and the palace soon vanished behind us. But even as we trailed down the side of the hill, I expected angry shouts to fill the air at any moment. Someone would spot us. Ares and Zeus would appear. A stake would go through my heart, and everything that I was—all my loves and hopes and fears—would vanish into a cloud of ash.
I’d be gone from this world forever.
But we didn’t encounter anyone on the path. We made it down the mountainside steps and crept closer to the cove. The rushing sound of waves drowned out the heavy beating of my heart, and the scent of brine grew stronger.
I held a hand over my eyes to scan the cliffside. We needed to find our crew if we wanted to sail out of here, but they’d be resting inside one of the buildings scattered along the shore. By my count, there were at least six of them.
Orpheus let out a low whistle.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We can send Hector. He knows the scent of our crew and should be able to find them quickly.”
“It’s not that, Selene,” Orpheus said in a strained voice. “Look at the cove.”
I shifted my attention from the stone buildings to the rough waters. Shards of wood floated along the surface. Broken planks had washed up onto the rocks, the waves tossing them into a pile. My hand moved to my mouth. I stared, my mind struggling to make sense of the sight before me.
“The boats are gone, destroyed,” Orpheus said.
“But…” I shook my head. It defied logic. Yes, the waves were rough, and yes, the clouds were brewing with rain, but it hadn’t stormed that fiercely. And even if it had, our boats were resilient, especially in a cove protected on three sides. How could the sea have done this?
“We are stuck here. Until we can get word to the mainland to bring another boat.” He looked at Hector.
“No.” I shifted in front of Hector. If he flew all the way back to the mainland, I wouldn’t see him for days. And right now, I couldn’t bear the thought of it. “We need to think this through. Perhaps we could…paddle away on one of the planks…”
“Yes, what a grand idea. We can justpaddlemiles and miles back to Troy.” Orpheus folded his arms.
I sighed, looked out at the wreckage. Not a single boat had survived the onslaught of…whatever had caused this. A prickle whispered across the back of my neck. There was something unsettling about this, beyond the destruction—beyond being trapped here when we were desperately trying to flee.
What were the odds Hestia had died on the same day the boats were destroyed?
It was almost as if the same person had done this. To prevent anyone from leaving.
But that was ridiculous.
Or…was it?
“I’ll have to return to the palace, Orpheus,” I eventually said.
His eyes widened. “And go through with that blasted trial? No, they will kill you, Selene.”
I put a hand on his arm, squeezed. “It’s all right. I have to be strong enough to handle this. I know you often still see me as the little girl running through the castle corridors in her bare feet, chasing Hector. And I do understand that. But now I am a queen, and I must do what queens do. We both know the only option is to face Erebus and his judgement. And since I’m innocent, I have to believe everything will be fine.”
“You could hide in a cave…” He trailed off, his voice fading.
