2 The Minotaur

2

The Minotaur

Two Weeks Ago

I know something's different the moment I walk through the door. I'm not one to jump at shadows or let nebulous feelings override reality, but I know Ariadne's not here. This place feels empty without her. Dead.

Icarus is nowhere in evidence as I walk down the hallway to Ariadne's room. At first glance, it's exactly the same as it was yesterday. I've given her space since that day in the maze. It obviously freaked her the fuck out even as it settled something inside me. Minos can keep acting like she's up for grabs. She knows she's not. That's enough for me to wait until she makes her peace with it. My girl's been skittish as fuck, and giving her time to settle is a small enough sacrifice.

I look around her room. It's as familiar as my own, even if I haven't spent as much time in here lately. Ridiculously soft mattress, four-poster bed, clothes and random shit scattered everywhere in what she's strongly protested is not a mess . She knows where everything is. Gotta watch my step.

But the room is missing something . I move on instinct to the closet and shove the clothing aside. Sure enough, the prepacked bag she keeps hidden in there is gone.

Which means she's gone.

She's too smart to have left anything to track her with, so I head to my room. I'll need my shit before I go after her. I stop short at the glimpse of pale-purple paper shoved under my pillow. She didn't bother to hide the note well, but she knows no one comes in this room except me. Not even Minos.

I stare at the thing like it's a fucking snake. I knew something was wrong with Ariadne. She's been acting strange for days. Stranger than normal, anyway. Even more skittish, jumping at shadows and hunching her shoulders like she expects a blow. As if I wouldn't rip the arm off anyone who tried.

I thought the change was because she's been sneaking around with Eurydice Dimitriou, slipping information to the other side. Ariadne has too much heart, too much guilt. She's too fucking good for this world and sure as shit too good for this fucking family. Her old man has no idea what she's up to. It doesn't matter to me. I have no dog in this fight, and I don't give a shit about the city or any of the people in it. Except her.

And now she's gone.

I pull the note from underneath my pillow and read through it, each line stoking my disbelief and rage. I knew the shit at the party fucked with her. I knew better than to let my control slip its leash in the maze. But this thing between us has been simmering for most of our lives, and she wanted it just as much as I did. We have forever; I haven't been in a rush to corner her again. I thought she'd come to me on her own timeline. She likes to think about shit until she turns herself into knots, but I knew she'd reach the same conclusion I did years ago.

She's mine. I'm hers. Nothing else matters.

But that's not what this fucking note says. I read it again, as if this time, the words will change into an order that makes sense. They don't.

Asterion—

You deserve more than me telling you this in a letter, but if I say it to your face, then I won't be able to do what's necessary. I know the loyalty you hold for my father. I respect you too much to ask for you to choose between us, but I can't stand by while more people die for petty politics and the illusion of power.

No. That's the truth, but it's not all of the truth.

The real truth is that I'm scared, Asterion. I'm fucking terrified. I'm sitting in the bathroom staring at two pink lines, and I can't do this. If he finds out I'm pregnant, what little choice I have will be gone. And as for you…I might care about you, but I have no illusions about the kind of man you are. You'd lock me away from the world in order to protect me, but you might as well kill me instead, because my soul would wither away to nothing as a result. I can't risk that. Not even for you. I'm getting an abortion, Asterion. I'm sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me for this or what I'll do afterward.

I know this makes me your enemy now. And I'm just selfish enough to ask you for mercy that I don't deserve if we ever meet again.

Goodbye,

Ariadne

I sit on the edge of the bed and I let the knowledge roll through me. She's gone to them, to the Olympians. She wouldn't trust Icarus with this; and as much as her brother loves her, he's no match for me and her father. Even now, she's trying to protect him. My girl's got too good a heart. Can't stand the thought of innocents dying. She'll try to work with the Olympians to save people. I could have told her it's a lost fucking cause. It doesn't matter what information she hands over; it's too late to stop what's coming.

The Olympians have no reason to honor their promises to her. No matter what their origins, powerful people think the rules don't apply to them. How long has Minos been dragging out his promise to me? He says it's because I haven't fulfilled my part of our bargain, but the truth is that he's never going to allow me near his daughter. The Olympians sure as shit aren't going to stand aside and let me come for her.

I crumple the note in my fist. I don't give a shit about her being pregnant or about her getting an abortion. That's her choice. It's always been her choice. But she's running from me, from us, and that I won't forgive.

Ariadne knows me. She should fucking know better than to ask for mercy. I meant what I said in the maze all those weeks ago. She's mine. I'm never going to let her go.

Even if I have to hunt her down to prove it to her.