“Yes.” Dion loosed an exasperated sigh and threw up his hands. “What did you think we were doing?”
Ares continued to frown, but he took the offered chalice.
This night had taken a rather peculiar turn. Ares had appeared again, seemingly to protect me from harm. Again. But nothing about his actions made any sense, and I was beginning to suspect there was far more to it.
He wanted something. There was a goal in all of this. What it was, I had no idea. Was he trying to get me to trust him? If so, for what? It couldn’t be good, whatever it was. A man didn’t just go from wanting you dead to saving your life in the span of three days—not unless he had a reason.
Ares left not long after, and I shared another drink with Dion and Hephaestus before retiring to my rooms for the evening. When I closed the door behind me and shook off my cloak, I was surprised to find I was breathless. I pressed my hand to the lacy bodice of my gown and felt the tremor of my heart. Being in the presence of all these Olympians was clearly getting to me.
I couldn’t wait for Nekros to end.
Beyond the windows, pale pink rays caressed the skyline. I gathered my journal from the desk and padded into the bedroom. Time to curl up beneath the covers and jot down my thoughts before trying my damndest to find some sleep. I hadn’t been able to rest much since I’d arrived here, far too on edge.
Hector rushed toward me from the balcony as soon as I pressed into the bedroom. He cawed emphatically, flaring his wings. I frowned and turned as he darted toward the door. The raven landed on the doorknob and pecked at the wood.
“What is it, Hector?” I lowered my journal onto the bed and trailed after him.
He smacked his beak against the door again. Three times in quick succession. It was a code we’d established years before. There was something he wanted me to see—neededme to see, really. Whatever he’d found, it was important.
And so I grabbed my cloak and tossed it around my shoulders once more. Sleep would have to come later. Duty called.
INTERLUDE
The woman’s steps were soft and silent on the muddy ground. Her boots were sturdy, helping her traverse the rain-soaked island. She’d come prepared, of course. This she’d seen—the mud, the water droplets glistening on the vines, and the full moon hanging low in an angry sky.
And the death. She had seen so much death.
It was unfortunate that Paris and Hecuba had not believed her. They should be here to witness the end of the Olympians. All the plotting, the scheming, the lying…it would be worth it to see the ash melting into the mud.
As she crested the hill, the gaudy palace rose before her with its white marble columns drenched in vines. She slowed, her heart thundering. A black liquid oozed down the stairs and painted the archway. It was a sickening kind of blood, and the scent of death clogged her nostrils.
The woman nearly retched, her eyes watering.
She pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, horrified by the sight of all that blood. It covered everything.
Everything.
She’d warned them this would happen. She hadtoldthem.
Swallowing, she crept back and hid in the shadows of a nearby tree. Gazing around her, the woman sought a familiar head of hair, though she knew she’d find nothing. No one else was nearby. No one living, anyway.
This was where her visions failed her. There was someone she needed to find. If she did, all would be well. And if she did not…far more of this blackish blood would soon follow.
“Where is my monarch?” the woman breathed.
As if in answer, an animalistic scream rent the night.
27
SELENE
The sunlight was nearly blinding. I tugged my hood over my face just to block out the glare. It had been months since I’d ventured outside during morning hours, and the low winter sun cut straight into my line of sight. The heavy clouds had transformed into wispy fingers, and the chirping of birds rang out nearby. The vines that curled up the palace columns were heavy from the rain, and mud squelched beneath my boots.
I followed Hector to the rear of the palace, in the opposite direction of the amphitheatre and the steps leading down to the cove. He flew with furious attention, not bothering to check that I kept up the pace.
Behind the palace, a narrow path cut through a broken section in the fortress wall, surrounded by brush. I pushed my way onto it, thorny branches snatching at my cloak. And for a brief moment, I swore I could feel a pair of eyes on my back. I cast a glance behind me at the palace. Darkness filled the windows.
Unease churned my stomach. If anyone was watching me, I wouldn’t be able to see them from here.
