Sleep came easily, though my dreams were full of darkness and death. My mother’s song echoed through my head, but the roar of fearful screams soon drowned it out. When I awoke, I was sweating profusely, and strands of my hair were plastered to my face. My heart was pounding, and it took me several moments for me to calm my breathing.
And then Hector poked me in the cheek.
“Ouch,” I said, rubbing my chin. “What was that for?”
He flew over to the boards that covered the windows and pecked. Three times.
Frowning, I climbed from bed and padded over to the window. Pressing my ear to the wood, I held my breath, fearing what I might hear. But there was nothing but silence. Sweet, sweet silence.
“The rain has stopped,” I murmured, my heart lifting.
This was good, though I wished it had waited until dawn. I could emerge from the palace and hunt for the lycanthrope now, but so could all the other vampires. And together, they would no doubt rip the beast to shreds.
I needed to talk to him first.
Quickly, I dressed, pulling on the same trousers as the night before. This time, I didn’t bother with the skirt. Everyone knew I was armored now, and a skirt would only impede my movement if I needed to fight. After jotting down a few notes in my journal, I hastened for the megaron.
The room was empty. Wine glasses and dirtied plates were scattered everywhere, and no one had bothered to remove the leftover food from last night’s feast. Several loaves of bread remained, along with chunks of meat and cheese. Flies buzzed around it.
Voices sounded from nearby. I backtracked into the corridor and found the vampires hovering by the archway, staring out into the courtyard. Every face was tense.
Dion was near the back, fidgeting with the bottom of his ruffled shirt.
“What’s going on?” I asked him.
He winced. “The wolf is out there again. Zeus wants you to lure him inside.”
“He wants me towhat?” I hissed.
Dion’s face paled. “It’s that dagger you have. Zeus thinks the wolf won’t come any nearer because it knows you have it in the building. So he wants you to go outside, pretend to drop the thing, and then run back inside. He thinks the wolf will follow you.”
“That is aterribleidea,” I whispered.
The lycanthropes were feral in this form, and I didn’t know to what extent. They couldn’t control their bloodlust, but I didn’t know if they would actually attack someone they knew. If he really was one of Medea’s creations, that meant he was a citizen of my kingdom. He wouldknowme. And a mortal of Troy would never attack his queen.
If I went outside and the beast refused to attack me, Zeus would wonder why. It wouldn’t take long for him to connect the dots.
“There’s no room for negotiation.” Zeus’s booming voice nearly made me jump. The monarchs parted to reveal him sitting near the steps. He rose from his chair, turning toward me. “It’s a blood moon tonight. Again. And there’s not a cloud in the sky. You’re going outside, Selene. And if you argue, I will collect your advisor from his quarters, and I’ll toss him out there instead.” He smiled when I flinched. “So what’ll be?”
41
SELENE
Athena grimly patted me on the shoulder as I readied myself. She didn’t offer me her sword, and I didn’t ask for it. Against the beast, it would do little good. I didn’t plan to fight him, anyway.
Behind me, I could hear Ares bickering with Zeus. He demanded we try something else, but Zeus wouldn’t budge. Ares bit back with something about him holding Hera’s death against me. Zeus responded with a bitter laugh, then mimicked Hera’s dying screams.
I focused on the courtyard, blocking them out.
Deep crimson light painted the marble steps. At their base, standing water stretched across most of the garden. The lycanthrope paced back and forth, his paws sinking into the mud. He kept his gaze locked on me. Even in this form, he knew I was the one who was coming for him.
Dionysos pushed through the crowd and pulled me against him. Surprised, I hugged him back, but then his mouth found my ear. “Don’t drop the blade. The silver can kill it in only one blow. Stab it once, and it’s gone.”
Then he was gone just as quickly as he’d come, vanishing behind the other gathered Olympians. I frowned after him, my heart thumping. Dion knew more about the lycanthrope than I did. My mother had told him about this, too. She’d told himeverything.
But why? Why would she tell him this? She’d tried so hard to keep Medea’s beasts a secret, more so than even her worship of Gaia. She’d hated what Medea had done, saw it as corrupting mortal life.
“Enough stalling!” Zeus shouted. “Get out there and lure the damn thing in here before the rain comes back.”
