Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 101264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Cassandra pulls on a pair of flats and rushes to the door. I’m right on her heels. She keeps up well enough as we start down the hall, but I still have to check my stride to accommodate her shorter legs. She huffs out a breath. “Just go.”
Under no circumstances am I leaving her alone. Hermes might have spared her, but if Minos discovers that she knows his plan, he won’t. “We go together.”
Another huff, though this one sounds almost fond. She frowns as we hit the stairs. “What will happen to Hermes?”
“Likely nothing. She broke no laws.” Even if inviting an enemy into our city is traitorous from where I’m standing, it’s not technically illegal. The most unforgivable thing is that she endangered Cassandra in the process. I can’t say as much aloud. Cassandra won’t thank me for feeling so protective of her, and Hermes couldn’t have known that I’d bring Cassandra here.
Which is enough to make me wonder… Did Hermes plan on me being one of the victims?
We race down the stairs and through the hallways to the living room. I barely manage to keep from bursting through the doors. The sight that greets me makes my stomach sink.
The room is half-empty. We’re missing five people. Minos, Theseus, the Minotaur…and Artemis and Hephaestus. “No.” I spin to pin Hermes with a glare. She’s reclining on the couch, her head propped on her hand, picking at a loose thread on the cushion. “Where are they?”
“How would I know?” She shrugs a single shoulder. “I’m no one’s keeper.”
“Hermes.” Cassandra comes to stop next to me. “Please.”
Aphrodite rises, looking between us. Her sharp dark eyes narrow. “What’s going on?”
It’s too late to play this hand close to my chest. “Minos intends to utilize the assassination clause.”
She flinches, her golden skin going pale. To her credit, she doesn’t flounder long. She spins to where Ariadne, Icarus, and Pandora are huddled together on the couch across from Hermes. “Is this true?”
Ariadne won’t meet anyone’s eyes, but Icarus lifts his chin. “Ask our father. He’s the one making plans.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Aphrodite says acidly. She turns for the door, but Adonis is there. He moves quicker than I expect, catching her arm. She tries to shake him off. “Let go.”
“We’re getting out of here.”
She blinks. “Excuse me?”
Adonis shoots me a look and then focuses on her. “It’s not safe, Eris. You can call for Minos’s head later if you want, but right now my priority is getting you to safety.”
Her gaze goes flinty, and for a moment, I think she might argue, but she finally nods. “Let’s go.” They hurry out of the room.
As much as I’m not keen on the group splitting further, Adonis was trained by Athena. He might not have stayed with her special forces, but he’s more than capable of keeping Aphrodite safe. Just as well. If something happens to Zeus’s sister, I can’t guarantee what he’ll do. His father wouldn’t let a little familial murder get in the way of his ambitions, but Perseus—Zeus—is a different kind of man. Harsher, yes, but he cares very deeply for his siblings.
He might raze the city to the ground to get to the person responsible for harming his family.
I turn to find Charon ushering Eurydice to her feet. “You’re safe enough.”
“Safe enough is not safe.” He starts guiding her to the door. “Besides, Hades and Persephone need a report on what’s happened here, even if we don’t know the final outcome. Good luck.” Then they’re gone.
There’s only Dionysus and Hermes left. I eye them. “Where did Artemis and Hephaestus go?”
She tugs the string on the couch again, freeing another few inches. I clench my fists. If she won’t tell us, we’re at a severe disadvantage, but we can’t afford to wait much longer. Finally, she looks up, though she isn’t looking at me. “The Minotaur offered to show Artemis the duck pond. Hephaestus went with Theseus to the garage,” she says to Cassandra.
“Thank you,” Cassandra whispers.
No one moves, which means no one else will help us prevent what’s about to happen. Maybe I’m being foolish. It’s entirely possible Minos intends to wait and not strike in this specific moment.
But I can’t be sure.
I rush out of the room, Cassandra on my heels. Where to go? The locations are too far flung to reach them both in a timely manner. I have to pick. I drag my hand through my hair. “This is fucked.”
“We split up.”
I turn to look at her. Her eyes are too wide, but she’s got a determined set to her chin. “It’s the only way to warn them both. You take Hephaestus and I’ll take Artemis.”
She’s right, and I know she’s right. But even now, there are no guarantees that we’ll get there in time. If I send Cassandra to warn one and she gets there too late, the Minotaur might decide she’s a loose end in need of tying up. I can’t forget how large and menacing he looked next to her that night by the duck pond. He could claim it an accident. Hadn’t I thought as much then?