“A god called Loyalty. I wouldn’t mind that.”
“From everything I’ve seen in you, you’d serve him well.”
His lips quirked up in the corners, and his eyes raked across my face, dipping a little lower—but not past my neck. “You look fucking beautiful like this, you know. I know I shouldn’t say it, but it’s true.”
A wave of heat rushed through me. And for a long moment, all I could do was stare at him, certain I’d heard him wrong. But then he reached out and gently pushed a tangled lock of hair behind my ear. I shuddered against his touch, barely noticing the sting of the wet strands against my skin.
“Surely you don’t mean that,” I whispered. “We…you…”
“Are enemies? Yes. And I can’t see how that will ever change. That’s the cruel twist of it, Selene. In another life, I think things could have been different for you and me.”
32
SELENE
After our clothes dried, I dressed and padded over to the door while Ares explored the rest of the building. Leaning against the stone wall, I gazed out at the rain-soaked world. I couldn’t get his words out of my head.
In another life, I think things could have been different for you and me.
I didn’t know why it had me so rattled. It didn’t mean anything. Because at the end of the day, we didn’t have options for another life. We weren’t like the Muses, able to shift through realms and choose a different fate. And even then, his words were likely nothing more than the result of us taking shelter together, naked. A little lust drove most men to say things they never meant.
The way he’d looked at me, though…with those piercing eyes.
I shuddered, my breath catching.
“Looks like the rain is finally letting up,” he said, coming to stand beside me.
It was nothing more than a drizzle now, and a light haze crept through the forest. The clouds were starting to clear. Soon we could take off for the palace, though I was reluctant to return. Zeus might not yet know about the rain, but if he did, I did not look forward to his reaction.
It didn’t matter how close he and Ares were. He’d blame us both.
Ares tossed a patchy woollen cloak around his shoulders. “I found some rooms back there. There was a trunk full of these cloaks. This one had the least holes, if you can believe it.”
I nodded. “It’ll do.”
He gave me a strange look. “Are you all right? You seem—”
“We’re enemies, Ares. Isn’t that what you said? Nothing will ever change that, so I don’t see why we should share small talk.”
He pressed his lips together, then said, “You’re angry about what I said. I wish we could change our fate, but we can’t.”
I looked at him, and the voice of Atropos echoed inside my mind from my distant past. She’d come to my mother when I’d been no more than an innocent child of six, and she’d insisted on imparting my fate to me.
Listen close, listen well, for your fate keens like a death knell. You must be aware of Olympians who draw you into their web, for one will attempt to take your life. He is death and fury. He is hate. Three times he will try. And on the third, on the third…on the third, only one of you will survive. Good luck, little moon.
According to Orpheus, Atropos had gifted my mother a fate the same day I’d received mine, though he’d never told me what it was. So young, I had few memories of my life before that day. But I remembered sensing a change in my mother. She grew more distant, more duty-bound. Before, she would play games with me for hours at a time. Those stopped shortly after Atropos visited us.
Ares was right. We couldn’t change our fate. This time together had made me forget, but I wouldn’t again. Once we reached the palace, I’d do my level best to speak to him as little as possible. Nekros was likely over now, and we’d go our separate ways. And I would prepare for the day he’d come for me with a dagger aimed at my heart.
Soon enough the rain stopped. We ventured outside, careful where we stepped. It took several hours for us to reach the silent palace. As we slowly climbed the steps, I listened for the rustle of clothing or the scuff of boots against the ground. But there was no sign of anyone.
Inside the corridor, the torches flared to life, lighting the way. Still, no one leapt from the shadows. Everyone was presumably asleep or resting. My chest tightened as we continued down the corridor, our footsteps loud against the marble. I almost wished they weren’t asleep. A part of me wanted to face the storm now and get it done with.
Suddenly, Ares stopped and grabbed my hand. A burning sensation went through me, even at the slightest of touches. For a wild, reckless moment, I thought he’d changed his mind, that he wanted to cast aside the animosity between us and embrace whatever it was we’d found out there in the woods. I even went so far to wrap my hand around his biceps, leaning into him.
I didn’t think when I did it. It wasn’t something I decided to do. It justhappened.
He dropped his lips to my ear, and his breath tickled my skin. “Footsteps are heading our way. We need an excuse for why we missed the ceremony, and I don’t want to mention Hestia. So just follow my lead.”
