I kicked the door shut with my boot. “Careful, don’t say that here.”
“Yes, of course, of course.” He pulled back and patted down his shirt, seemingly to get himself together. “I’ve just been worried sick about you. Whathappened, Selene?”
I hadn’t thought about what I might tell Orpheus about my little adventure. Everything? I wasn’t sure. It pained me that I had any hesitation at all, but…
Someone on this island was plotting against the Olympians. The most plausible explanation, of course, was that it was one of them. But if it wasn’t? It had to be an advisor or a guard. Because there was no one else on this godforsaken island other than us.
Orpheus had reason to hate them as much as I did, after what had happened to Eurydice. I’d barely seen him since we’d arrived, and I didn’t doubt he could scheme like the best of them. On the other hand, he was frail for a vampire. I couldn’t see how he’d carry an abducted Hestia out of the palace, let alone halfway across the island.
And I would hope that he would tell me if he planned to do something like this.
Still, I let my instincts guide me and only told him what everyone else in the palace presumed. “I went on a walk with Ares, and we got lost in the woods. And when Erebus sent down that poisonous rain, we had to take shelter for a while. I am sorry, Orpheus. I know my actions have threatened the success of Nekros, which could prove to be a problem with the Olympians.”
“A walk with Ares,” he said, frowning. “The vampire king who threatened to kill you the moment we stepped foot on this island. That Ares?”
“I know it sounds odd, but—”
“I fear you have truly lost your way, Selene.”
I ground my teeth, turned away from him. “You told me to ingratiate myself with them. That’s what I’m doing.”
“Then what in Hades’s bloody name are you wearing?” A finger plucked at my blouse. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this outfit on you, but don’t think I don’t know what it is. Your mother told you not to wear it unless the world turned on its head. Has the world turned on its head, Selene? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
When I turned toward him, I dropped the mask. Gone was the Selene he and my mother had trained me to be. I did not smile. I did not demurely blush. I stared him right in the eye, my heart burning with rage.
“I am no longer following the orders my mother gave me. From now on, I will handle the Olympians the way I choose, and that meansthis. I appreciate your loyalty to my mother’s wishes, but I’m the High Queen now. And I make my own decisions.”
Orpheus just blinked at me. I’d never spoken to him like this, and most of the time, I knew he didn’t see me as the thirty-year-old queen. To him, I was still a little girl with wild dreams in her head.
After a moment, he inclined his head. There was a glint of pride in his eye. “If I may just make one slight suggestion, Your Majesty.”
“All right, Orpheus. Go ahead.”
“If you need to kill one of them,” he said, “make it as painful as you can.”
I smiled. “That I can promise you.”
Orpheus spent a few moments fussing around with my clothes, ensuring the ribbon hid the seams between the blouse and the skirt. He even poked at the bones in my corset. When he seemed satisfied, he wished me good luck and left.
He’d taken it better than I’d expected, which only heightened my suspicions. Wouldn’t he want me to stick to the plan and do my duty for Troy?
Sighing, I motioned for Hector to follow me onto the balcony. The night was young, and the edges of the horizon still held a faint light. A few clouds had gathered above the palace, blotting out the blood moon. Crimson dashed across the sky. In the distance, thunder boomed.
I closed my eyes and breathed it all in. The earthy scent of moss. The sea salt air. And the rich amber perfume cutting through it all, drifting from someone else’s open window. The chill in the air prickled my skin, but I welcomed it. Tonight would be tense, at the very least. Zeus had accepted Ares’s explanation, but Poseidon had made it clear he didn’t want me here. My death would bring him great satisfaction. What was more, I’d seen the glint in his eye. He was considering it, if nothing else.
And if he made any attempt to stab me, I would be ready for him. I would be ready for all of them.
37
ARES
The clouds blocked the troublesome light of the blood moon, drowning the northern side of the island in shadow. I leaned against my balcony’s curved stone railing, the breeze snapping at my shirt. My eyes were resolutely focused on Selene.
She threw back her head, and her ginger hair tumbled across her back. I could tell she was relishing the night and the salt-thick air and the distant hiss of waves against the shore. There was something different about her tonight. Her gown flared from a tiny waist, far smaller than usual. It seemed she was wearing a corset for once.
Odd. But she still looked goddamn gorgeous.
I could stand here staring at her all night.
