13

13

Cassandra

I don’t mean to get separated from the group. I was walking next to Dionysus and realized my shoe strap was coming undone. In the fifteen seconds it took me to fix it, the rest of the group cleared out, leaving only the hulking Minotaur behind. I don’t know why it surprises me that he keeps his deep-red hair long enough to brush his shoulders, but it does. It’s startlingly beautiful, glossy and thick, and only contrasts with his harsh features and the scars that cover his face. There’s a new one healing from where Helen—Ares—cut him in the last trial.

I tense, waiting for him to say something biting, but he just looks up and eyes the clear night sky. “Walk with me.”

Under any other circumstances, I would decline. He’s a strange man and obviously dangerous, and I have no intention of getting murdered before Zeus can pay me. If I do, he’s likely to say my side of the bargain isn’t fulfilled and then Alexandra gets nothing.

But he can make the same argument if he finds out I turned down a prime opportunity to get close to one of Minos’s family members.

Really, I only have one option. “Sure.” I can’t make myself sound happy about it, but I turn and head back toward the maze. The Minotaur is huge—he’s got to be nearly a foot taller than me, if not more—but he matches his stride to mine without any apparent effort.

I have absolutely no interest in entering the confined quarters of the maze, so I veer when the path branches, walking farther away from the house. I keep waiting for him to say something, since he’s the reason we’re out here, but he doesn’t speak.

I catch sight of a body of water in the distance. A pond, judging by its size. I stop short. “If you’re planning on trying to murder me, you’ll probably succeed, but I am an excellent screamer and you won’t get away with it.”

The Minotaur stops and looks at me. I can’t see his eyes clearly. The lights that made the maze navigable don’t stretch out to here. I only have moonlight to judge, but it sure seems like he’s amused. “I’m not going to murder you.”

Did he put an emphasis on you or is the adrenaline surging through my body making me hear things? “That’s what a murderer would say.” I don’t know why I’m arguing. There’s something akin to panic fluttering at the back of my throat. I am not equipped to deal with this. The backbiting and politics, maybe, but this man went after Achilles Kallis, one of the best warriors Olympus has to offer, like he wanted to kill him. Like he’d killed before. “Why did you bring me out here?”

“Cassandra?”

I spin around as Apollo strides down the path. He looks calm and collected, but he’s moving fast enough to almost be running. He doesn’t slow down when he sees us, either. He narrows his eyes. “It’s time to go in now.”

“Until next time, Cassandra.” The Minotaur turns in the opposite direction and stalks into the darkness.

I stare after him. What the fuck was that? I open my mouth, but Apollo shakes his head sharply. “Let’s go back to the room.” He practically hauls me off my feet, moving too quickly for my shorter legs to keep up.

I finally have to dig in my heels and force him to stop entirely. He growls at me. “Move, Cassandra.”

“No.” I pull back, fighting down a shiver that’s certainly not desire when he doesn’t release my wrist. “Either slow down or let go, because I’m tired of you dragging me along.”

For a moment, it looks like he intends to argue with me, but he finally huffs out a breath. “I’ll slow down.” He maintains his hold on my wrist as he turns back toward the house, but this time, he checks his pace so I can keep up without struggling. We still make it back to the room in record time. Apollo hustles me through the door and slams it behind him. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Of all the things I expected him to say, this wasn’t on the list. “Excuse me?”

“The Minotaur is dangerous. Everyone at this party is dangerous. You can’t simply waltz off into the dark with them without telling someone where you went.”

I know this is fear. Apollo would never yell at me without good reason, but my own residual fear gets ahold of my tongue. I don’t even try to stop it. “I don’t need a babysitter, Apollo. You brought me here to do a job, and I’m going to do it.”

“Not at the expense of your safety.”

A bitter laugh erupts from me. “Right. As if I’ve ever been safe in Olympus.”

He focuses in on me, narrowing his dark eyes. “This isn’t harsh words and gossip, Cassandra. This is dangerous.”

Oh good gods, he’s like a dog with a bone. I throw up my hands. “You don’t think I know that? The Thirteen murdered my parents and then covered it up to look like an accident.” I’d been young and naive and too shell-shocked to think clearly in the aftermath. It’s the only excuse I have for going to the police. Not that it helped. They all but laughed me out of the station.

Apollo narrows his eyes. “Then you have no excuse for wandering off with the Minotaur. He could have killed you and shoved your body somewhere on the grounds, and I wouldn’t have known any differently.”

Like Hermes’s plus-one?

I shut that thought down fast. We don’t even have confirmation that there was a plus-one to begin with, let alone that they’re missing. Dionysus might have misunderstood or not been informed when the plan changed.

Either way, it has nothing to do with this conversation. “I knew the risks when I agreed to come here. So did you.” I’m done with this conversation. As grateful as I am that he hunted me down to ensure I was okay, I don’t need to be lectured on the dangers of Olympus by a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth. A man almost universally beloved by both the public and those who hold power.

“Don’t walk away from me, Cassandra.” He doesn’t move from his position, but his firm voice stops me cold. “If you want to be done with this conversation, then say so. But don’t storm out in the middle of it.”

The rebuke stings. I spin to face him. If he wants a report, I’ll give it to him. Honestly, this should be a relief. For a little while there, I almost forgot that Apollo is nothing but my boss. I should thank him for reminding me.

I straighten my spine and stare at a point just off his right ear. “I don’t need you to protect me, Apollo. I’m here to do a job. Dionysus shared no useful information during the maze, aside from the fact that Hermes may or may not have invited a guest and they haven’t shown. I’m still considering information about why everyone is here, but based on the party guests and the prize, I would wager Minos plans to set up at least one of his children with single members of the Thirteen. I did not gain any information from the Minotaur, which seems to indicate that whole performance was for your benefit and you walked right into it.” My voice trembles, and I concentrate on firming it up. “That’s all I have to report. I’m going to wash my face and change.” When he doesn’t speak, I snap, “That means I am, in fact, done with this conversation.”

He doesn’t call after me again.

I close the bathroom door and slump against it. My adrenaline is already draining out of me, leaving a stark kind of clarity. Apollo was worried about me. He thought the same thing I had—that the Minotaur meant me ill.

I push off the door and, after the barest hesitation, start the shower. I need to wash the maze and the fear off me. As it heats up, I consider my theory. Minos strikes me as a smart man. No one is leaving this party engaged, and if he wanted to play matchmaker, why allow plus-ones in the first place? Something isn’t adding up. Drowning me in the duck pond might remove me, but he has to know Apollo is too smart to consider it an accident. It would eliminate any chance of pairing Apollo with one of his children.

But that logic only holds if the matchmaker theory holds. If something else is going on, I can’t assume I’m safe.

I sigh and strip out of my clothing. I’m going to have to apologize. Storming out in the middle of an argument was childish. I’m better than that. Especially since I know he’s not just snarling to be a dick. He’s genuinely worried about me. There’s a good chance he is right to be, too.

It doesn’t take long to shower and go through my nightly ritual. It’s only when I’m done that I realize I didn’t bring my suitcase into the bathroom. Which means the pajamas I bought solely for this trip are out in the bedroom.

I eye the dress I was wearing before, but it’s silly to put it back on. The towels are all oversize and ridiculously fluffy. One of them will cover me well enough for the thirty seconds it will take to grab the pajamas.

It feels like a much bigger deal than it is. Before I can talk myself out of it, I open the door and step into the bedroom. Apollo sits on the edge of the bed, his elbows propped on his knees, his head hanging. “I just talked with Hector. He was able to hack the system and shut down both the cameras and the microphones planted throughout the house. When they figure out what happened, they’ll likely try to lock him out, but he’s got a good handle on the system for now. He’ll keep us updated.”

“Oh.” I should have asked about that before I stormed off.

“I already searched the room again for bugs. It’s clean. The rest of the household should be settled down soon and then we can see about mapping out the second floor. Once we finish that, we can either see about the third floor or finish up the main level.”

The reason we’re here. Right. “Okay,” I say meekly.

“Cassandra, I—” He lifts his head and, though his mouth keeps working, his words dry up.

I’ve been able to convince myself that Apollo wasn’t looking at me like that up to this point, but there’s no denying it now. Not when we’re the only two people in this room. There’s no reason to pretend, no one to perform for. He stares at the point where I’ve tucked the towel in over my breasts like he can will it to untuck through sheer force of concentration. As if he wants to see me without anything at all.

As if he…wants me. A lot.

I have the most absurd urge to drop the towel. To see what he’ll do, if he’ll cross the distance between us and fulfill the promise alighting his dark eyes. Will he be gentle? Even better, will he use that deliciously firm voice with me as he instructs me on what he wants me to do? I shiver.

That seems to snap him out of it. He shakes his head roughly. “If you’re done with the bathroom, I’ll take a shower.”

The sinking feeling in my stomach most certainly isn’t disappointment. I step aside. “I’m done.”

Apollo doesn’t move until I make my way around the edge of the bed to where our luggage is. I’ve hung up most of my dresses, but there are still a few things in the suitcase itself. I hear the bathroom door shut and turn around to find him gone.

We haven’t talked about the details of how we’ll do our after-hours snooping, and it belatedly occurs to me that we have a problem. Once Minos realizes the cameras aren’t doing their job, surely he’ll set up some kind of security patrol. I haven’t seen any on the grounds but…

I stop short.

I haven’t seen any security on the grounds. That doesn’t make any sense. We have six of the Thirteen here, and they never travel without teams, even if those teams excel at subtlety. Why in the gods’ names would they agree to come to the country without their security in place? I know why Apollo did, but the rest of them?

There’s no way they’re that arrogant, right?

I shake my head. Yes, they definitely are that arrogant. They all believe they’re untouchable. Even Apollo, though he’s less obscene about it. I dig through my suitcase. Normally, I sleep in the nude, but obviously that’s not an option for this trip. I shouldn’t have let Psyche convince me to add pajamas to the list of things we bought from Juliette, but after she bullied me into trying them on, I couldn’t resist.

Not to mention Hera insisted on my purchasing one of everything. Not even I was willing to argue with her when she had that glint in her dark eyes.

There are several shorts-and-tank-top combos that seem innocent until I put them on. The way they hug my curvy body makes me feel so sexy, they should be illegal. And then there are the other ones. They’re a short shift-dress style that, again, looks chaste enough until I put it on. I don’t know what clever magic Juliette pulled with the sewing, but they fit as if made for a body like mine. Not clinging where they shouldn’t and gaping elsewhere. The damn things were created for seduction.

I should have said no. I should have stopped on the way home and picked up some fleece pajamas that cover me from neck to ankles. Or at least leggings and a T-shirt. I even packed some of the latter in case I chickened out.

I run my hands over the pajamas. I’m not quite brave enough to go that route, no matter how hot Apollo’s gaze felt on me. But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to make him squirm a little? He did yell at me, after all.

The excuse feels flimsy at best, but I quickly pull on one of the sets, a matching black one with red lace at the top of the tank and the bottom of the shorts that is almost the same color as my hair. I braid my hair back from my face and am just wondering what I should do next when Apollo steps out of the bathroom. He’s wearing a pair of lounge pants…and nothing else.

I try to look at his face, but I don’t try that hard. How can I when he’s shirtless for the first time since I’ve known him and he’s been hiding that body beneath his perfectly tailored suits? Oh, I knew he had muscles; I felt them every time I pressed against him in the name of our fake relationship.

But seeing them is another experience entirely.

He’s not absurdly carved or anything. But his chest is defined and I kind of want to take a bite out of his biceps. I give myself a shake and drag my eyes to his face. He’s not smirking at the fact that I’m practically drooling on the floor, though.

No, he’s staring at my thighs.

I tense, fighting the urge to cover myself. Not out of shame or discomfort. More like in instinctive need to retreat, to see if he’ll stalk across the distance between us and rip my hand away so he can look his fill.

I lick my lips. Focus. We have to focus. “Apollo.” His name comes out too low, too intimate. I can do better than this. I know I can. I reach for something logical and reasonable to say that isn’t “Take off your pants right now.” I clear my throat. “We can’t just wander around in the dark, obviously casing the place. Do you have a plan?”

“I did have a plan. It was a very good plan, but then you put on those pajamas.” He clears his throat and subtly adjusts his pants. Holy shit, Apollo is hard. For me. “Now I’m having a hard time remembering what it is.”

Lust clogs my brain, threatening to wash away what’s left of my good intentions. A surge of desire rushes through my body and my nipples pebble. “I can’t think when you look at me like that.”

A flush creeps over his chest and up his neck. “We have a job to do.”

He’s right. I know he’s right. I lick my lips. “What if… We’re dating, right? Or that’s what they believe. If we’re caught, we can just say we’re, uh, exploring the kinky rooms for kinky purposes. Exhibition. That sort of thing.” I can’t believe how normal my voice sounds. As if my heart isn’t trying to beat its way out of my chest and closer to Apollo. As if I’m not about to go to my knees before him and beg for him to touch me.

“We were explicitly told they’re not kinky anymore.”

“Maybe we forgot.” I don’t know what I’m saying. This isn’t furthering the plan to explore the second floor. It’s pure, selfish desire. I stare at the line of his shoulders. I want to trace it with my tongue. “I’m feeling very forgetful right now.”

“Me too.” The words come out lower. Deeper. He holds my gaze. The Apollo I know is there, of course—even when he was yelling at me earlier, he was so purely Apollo—but I’ve never seen this side of him before. He feels almost…dangerous. He seems to force himself to look away, his jaw tight. “Cassandra.”

Oh no. He’s about to do something honorable. “Apollo, I—”

“You don’t have to do this. By inviting me, Minos all but dared me to find out what he’s really about. Once he realizes the cameras are down, he’ll know who’s to blame. If you want to keep things…simple…we can say we’re going to get you a glass of water or something of that nature.”

I should go with that option. It’s a flimsy excuse, but a much safer one for me. My emotions are already compromised, have been compromised since before I agreed to Zeus’s bargain. I’m leaving the city as soon as I possibly can. Giving in to the lust saturating the air between us all but guarantees I’ll be leaving Olympus with a broken heart. I might be able to separate sex and emotions well enough in normal life, but this is Apollo.

Fool that I am, I don’t care what pain I’m guaranteeing myself. I want this too badly to say no. It’s supposed to be the kissing and stuff that is designed to excuse the snooping, but right now it feels like the snooping is giving us the excuse we need to do a whole lot more than kiss. I take a step backward, toward the door. “Come on, Apollo. Let’s go see the kinky rooms.”