“I’m going to head back to the boat and fill Logan in on what we’ve learned,” I say, sounding way steadier than I feel.
Evie’s eyebrows lift. “Right. Fill Logan in. That’s definitely the reason.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” She exchanges a glance with Kieran. “Just that Callie’s been alone with him for a while now.”
My face burns. “That’s not why I’m going back.”
“Go,” Kieran says, sheathing his dagger. “We’ll handle the search.”
Shame burns hot in my chest.
“Just be careful, okay?” I say, mainly to Evie, since Kieran has enough weapons on him to kill anyone who gets within a ten-foot radius—and that’s not counting how far he can throw the knives strapped to his forearms. “When you get back, we’ll figure out how to get past the three-headed judgment monster.”
“Threeaspects,”Evie corrects. “Not three heads. Although, given the mythology surrounding Geryon, the distinction might be significant. The original texts describe?—”
“Evie.” Kieran puts a hand on her shoulder. “Research later. Search now.”
She nods, blinking a few times like she’s recalibrating her brain. “We’ll meet you at the boat in an hour. Two at most.”
“Be safe,” I say, because it’s all I can manage.
They head to the door, following the fox who guided us inside. At the threshold, Evie pauses and looks back.
“Jade?”
“Yeah?”
“Whatever’s tangling your thread...” Her eyes are soft and concerned. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Thanks,” I hear myself say. “Sounds good.”
Then she’s gone, leaving me alone with an ancient sorceress and the weight of all my secrets.
JADE
Circe moves backto her loom, her fingers brushing the damaged threads.
“Since you have so many unanswered questions, I’ll be kind and warn you about what lies ahead,” she tells me. “Soon, you’ll need to navigate the strait of Scylla and Charybdis.”
The names tickle my memory. Greek mythology. A rock and a hard place. A whirlpool and a cave monster.
“Let me guess.” I cross my arms. “They’re also way deadlier than the myths suggest?”
“In this case, the myths are fairly accurate.” Circe’s expression shifts, and she gazes back out the window to her gardens. “Charybdis is a whirlpool that devours ships whole. Scylla...” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “She’s a creature with six heads, each one capable of snatching a sailor from a passing vessel.”
“Great. More monsters. Just what we needed.”
“Scylla wasn’t always a monster,” Circe says, soft and distant. “Once, she was a beautiful nymph, and I was young and in love with the sea-god Glaucus.”
I blink. “You were in love?”
“Even immortals have hearts that can break.” Her gaze drifts past me, unfocused. “Glaucus preferred Scylla to me. So, I poisoned the water where she bathed, transforming her into a monster that matched the ugliness I believed was in her soul.”
Holy shit. Circe created Scylla out of jealousy.
“I’m not proud of what I did.” The sorceress finally meets my eyes. “But Scylla’s rage has had millennia to fester, and she cannot be reasoned with. She can only be survived.”
