“Yes,” I said carefully. “I’ve met Atropos.”
Athena turned to me, brow raised. “She gave you a prophecy?”
“That’s right. Did she give you yours?” I tried not to sound too eager in my question, but if Atropos had given Athena a prophecy relating to Zeus…that could only mean she might have an idea of when and how he could die. And that was the kind of information I wasdesperatefor.
Athena smiled again. “Nice try, but I’ve already said too much. Just…be careful what you do here. As unlikely as you might find it, I hold no ill will toward you or your mother. Not unless you do something to cause Nekros to fail. Do you understand?”
She said it with strong conviction without tipping over into sounding domineering or harsh, like Zeus would have with those very same words.
“Yes, I understand. Has anyone ever told you that you’d make a better Archon than Zeus?”
She cocked her head at me, then laughed. “A few. Unfortunately, I’m only Third Crown…well, I suppose I could be considered Second now that Hera’s dead. Things are going to change now that there’s no longer thirteen.”
“Second isn’t particularly far from First,” I told her.
With a sigh, Athena strode from the archway and started down the corridor. I fell into step beside her. “Zeus would never agree to it. If you haven’t noticed, he’s quite fond of power.”
The torches flared to life on the stone walls, lighting the path ahead. I didn’t respond. What was there to say? Zeus enjoyed being in control, and while Athena was clearly the better leader, he’d never yield to anyone other than his god. Not that it would matter in the end. Another Archon wasn’t the answer. The end of the Thirteen Crowns was.
Athena slowed outside a door along the west wing of the palace. “This is where I’ll bid you good night. I suggest you get some rest. Tomorrow is my night, and I’ll do my best to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible. It’ll still be tense, though.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Athena. For being decent to me.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank the Fates.” And with that, she pushed inside her room, leaving me alone with the roaring torches and the thunderous sound of my own thoughts.
24
ARES
“I’ll kill her. She should die for what she’s done.” Poseidon paced inside the megaron, storming from one end of the empty feasting table to the next, while Apollo, Demeter, and I looked on.
It was an odd assortment we’d gathered after that disaster of a sacrifice. Demeter tended to avoid Poseidon as much as possible, and I couldn’t remember the last time Apollo had sought my company. But he’d spotted me heading toward the megaron, and he’d jogged after me to catch up.
Clearly, there was something on his mind.
There was something onallour minds.
“Calm down, Poseidon,” Demeter said with a scowl. “You’re acting like a—”
“If you don’t like how I’m acting, you can get the hell out of here.” He pointed at the open door.
I sighed. “Demeter’s right. This isn’t productive.”
“I can’t believe you, of all people, are all right with this,” he countered, whirling toward me.
“Me?” I arched my brow, spreading my arms wide on either side of me. “Hera murdered Hestia. I ammorethan all right with her death. The punishment fits the crime, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh, come off it.” Poseidon scoffed. “Hera never would have killed Hestia. None of us would have. It was that Titan filth, and if none of you stand up for what’s right and kill the bitch, then I will.”
“You will not lay a hand on her,” I said, my voice growing cold.
Selene wasmine. Mine to kill and no one else’s.
Demeter looked at me strangely, then shifted her attention back to Poseidon. “Like it or not, she passed her trial. You can’t kill her without breaking the Thirteen Crowns, and—”
“The Thirteen Crowns is already broken. Selene saw to that,” Poseidon snapped.
“Shedid not see to it,” Demeter said with an exasperated sigh. “If anyone did, it was Zeus. He could have let the whole thing wait if he’d wanted. But he forced the issue now because he broke his own damn rules about frolicking around with mortals. So if you’re that pissed off, take it up with him.”
