Chapter 36

36

SELENE

R eluctantly, I pulled away from him. As soon as I gave the smallest tugs, he extracted his fangs and dropped my hand. It took me a moment to steady myself. Ares had not taken much of my blood, but the small loss left me light-headed. That and the soft caress of his tongue and the desire I swore I could scent in him.

“I think,” I said, my breathing shallow, “I’m clean enough now. I would like to go to bed.”

He searched my gaze. “All right, Selene.”

A part of me had expected him to argue or even question my sudden change of heart. I’d invited him to drink from me, after all. But he merely returned to his side of the bath and said nothing.

“I put a towel on the floor next to where you entered the bath,” he called out when I swam to the other side again. And sure enough, when I reached the edge, I spotted a folded towel waiting for me.

It was so unexpectedly thoughtful. But it was also a lie.

I couldn’t forget that it was a lie.

After I exited the bath and wrapped myself in the towel, I padded out of the bathing chamber and through the main room before venturing into the bedroom. I swallowed as I looked at the bed. The silk sheets were sensuous, and the moody lighting caused my mind to stray again, wondering what Ares would look like beneath them.

But I shook off those thoughts and rustled around the armoire. He’d brought only a few shirts with him, all varying shades of gray, black, and white. I took one out and tugged it over my head, letting the towel drop to my feet. Then I climbed straight into bed.

The firm mattress enveloped me, and pillows clouded my head. The spicy scent of Ares was stronger now. Sighing, I closed my eyes, and let my body sink into the bed. Only seconds passed before sleep fully embraced me.

A bell tolled from beyond the darkness of my mind. The bed creaked a moment later, and the mattress shifted. Gently, a finger brushed my cheek. But I was just so tired. I’d been dreaming about Troy and the scent of rain-soaked stone. I’d heard my mother singing her song about me, calling me her little albatross. And I’d been picturing the way the blood moon transformed my mist-shrouded city into a thousand shades of glowing red. It was beautiful. Terrifying to mortals, but so, so beautiful.

“Selene.” The steady voice of Ares pushed aside those dreams, beckoning me to return to the land of the restless. “I hate to wake you, but the final bell just rang. Zeus will be expecting us in the megaron within the next half hour.”

I emitted a frustrated groan and tossed my arm over my eyes as dramatically as possible. Now that I was finally in bed, I never wanted to leave.

“I know. I’m tired, too. But we can’t be late after our little adventure.”

At that, I peeled open my eyes. Ares perched on the bed beside me, fully dressed in a clean black shirt unbuttoned halfway down. He held a goblet of blood in one hand. Rings glimmered on each finger.

“Have you even slept?” I blinked up at him.

“I thought I’d leave you to it.” He turned away, swirling the goblet of blood. “It seemed like you wanted privacy.”

A twinge of guilt tightened my stomach. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“It’s fine.” He took a sip of his goblet. “Zeus sent by some blood to help. It’s done wonders.”

He was lying. And this time, he was terrible at hiding it. It was in the way he held himself, the slight wince he made when he shifted on the bed. The hollowness in his eyes. Ares was as exhausted as I was. Worse, in fact, because at least I’d had an hour of sleep now.

Rising from the bed, he walked over to the curtains and threw them wide. An unsettling crimson light seeped inside from another blood moon night. Ares remained in the shadows, frowning up at the cloudless sky. If Erebus didn’t provide some cover, I wasn’t sure how the Olympians would go through with the sacrifice.

“It’s so odd, don’t you think?” Ares asked.

I sat up and tugged the sheets around my shoulders. “What, the blood moon? It seems like Erebus is displeased.”

“Hmm.”

After making sure I was mostly covered, I climbed from the bed, still wearing Ares’s shirt. “I’m going to go get dressed. Thank you…for the bath and the bed.”

And the blood. And the touch and all of it. I hated that I couldn’t trust him and that it couldn’t be more. Why did it have to be him ?

He didn’t turn. His gaze remained locked on the glowing moon, and he nodded absently. “I’ll see you soon.”

I backed out of the bedroom, drinking in his silhouette. One day, I would have to kill that man or he would kill me. With a frustrated sigh, I walked away.

I t seemed surprisingly fortunate that I didn’t encounter anyone on my trek to my rooms. Even when I passed the megaron, no one was inside yet. Wearing nothing but a shirt that was undeniably not mine, running into an Olympian would have been a nightmare. I’d never hear the end of it.

As it was, I made it to my rooms without incident. Hector was waiting for me inside and greeted me with great enthusiasm. I cooed over him for as long as I could, then quickly dressed. Tonight, I’d chosen a slightly different ensemble than my usual garb. Gowns were beautiful but impractical. They were fine for sitting and looking pretty, but I was done with that. Now I dressed for war.

I’d only packed one pair of trousers for my journey. They were a charcoal color and fitted snugly around my legs, and they were short enough that the bottom hem hit my calves well above the top of my boots. Over it, I cinched a leather scabbard on either leg. One got my wooden dagger. The other got steel.

The skirt came next. The rich blue velvet had a built-in crinoline that created a bell-like shape around my legs. It hid any lumps and bumps that might show from my daggers. On top, I pulled on my corset, tightening the strings myself. I’d practiced this a hundred times back in Troy. As difficult as it was, I managed it. I topped it all off with a blouse that matched my skirt, then wrapped a colorful ribbon around my waist. From a distance, the ensemble wouldn’t look much different from one of my usual gowns.

That was the brilliance of it.

As I ran a brush through my hair, there was a knock on my door.

“Selene,” Orpheus called from the corridor. He sounded frantic. “Selene, are you in there? Please, I need to talk to you.”

When I opened the door, he rushed inside with pure panic written in every line of his face. The indentions between his brow had multiplied. He took one look at me, then threw his arms around my shoulders, clutching me so tightly it knocked the breath from my lungs.

“You’re all right. Thank Gaia. You’re all right,” he said, nearly whimpering.

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. What happened , 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 means this . 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.”

O rpheus 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.