31

31

Apollo

I know something’s wrong the moment Cassandra walks back into the room. She’s the kind of white that’s leaning green and her eyes are too wide. In all the years I’ve known the woman, I’ve never seen her panic—not even when we found Pan—but I have a feeling that’s what I’m witnessing now.

My body takes over even as my mind processes the little details. Her hands are damp, and her feet are dusty-looking in her heels. I reach her in two strides and take her hands. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s bad,” she whispers.

It doesn’t occur to me to make excuses. I simply slip my arm around her shoulders and guide her out the door. This close, I can feel little tremors working their way through her body, and I grit my teeth against the questions piling up.

She was gone less than fifteen minutes. I know, because I couldn’t help watching the clock even as I chatted with Charon and Dionysus about a new batch of wine the latter had created over the winter. It isn’t in distribution yet, and Charon wanted to negotiate something close to an exclusive deal for the lower city.

In that time, something happened to shake Cassandra up this terribly and I wasn’t there to protect her. I hug her closer to me as we reach the stairs. “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

That’s enough to keep me quiet as we make the rest of the way back to our room. I shut the door and she staggers to sink onto the edge of the bed. Now that I can see her clearly, she looks even worse. It frightens me.

I cross to her and sink to my knees before her. “Tell me what happened.”

“No one’s going to believe me.” The sorrow radiating off her makes my chest hurt. I would do anything to dispel it.

I cover her hands with mine. “I will. Tell me what happened,” I repeat firmly.

She won’t meet my gaze. Her eyes dart around the room and her lower lip quivers. “I don’t know if I believe me and I actually heard them talking. It’s too wild, too much.”

I think back over the last little bit and make a few connections. “Hermes and Minos.” It has to be. Surely the staff talking wouldn’t shake Cassandra like this. From there, it’s another leap in logic to guess what scared her so badly. “They were talking about the real reason he invited everyone here. It’s worse than we guessed.”

“Pan was a mistake.” She closes her eyes and her shoulders slump. “Minos is going to kill one of the Thirteen and take their place.”

Impossible. I barely keep the word inside, but she somehow knows. She opens her eyes and stares down at me. “I know it sounds unbelievable. Trust me, I’ve already gone through the denial phase, but the fact remains that Minos plans to use the same law that my parents attempted to exploit to set himself up as a member the Thirteen.” She gives a bitter laugh. “He certainly has his pick of options at this party.”

Again the denial nearly gets past my lips. I tighten my grip on her hands. “How could he possibly know about that law? Most of the city is unfamiliar with it. They kept your parents’ attempt under wraps. It’s in no one’s best interest for every ambitious person in Olympus to start sharpening their knives.” No one has successfully ousted a member of the Thirteen in this way in generations, well before we became the center of a culture of fandom and social media and gossip sites.

“He knows because Hermes told him,” she says simply. “I don’t know the details, but she’s working with Minos in exchange for information on his benefactor—the person who’s the real threat against Olympus. You were right in suspecting that he held back information, but Hermes is after it for her own reasons. She admitted it to me herself afterward.”

I tense. “You spoke to her after? She knew you overhead?”

“Yes.”

Hermes could have killed Cassandra. It would have been the wise move to ensure her and Minos’s plan stayed secret. Or, at the very least, she could have locked Cassandra up somewhere and pretended she went back to the city. I might not have believed it, but I’d have no way to prove otherwise. Most of the rest of the party guests wouldn’t care enough to be suspicious. “Why did she let you go?”

“I don’t know.” She looks so wretched, I want to hug her, but if what she’s saying is true—and no matter how much I don’t want to believe it, it must be true—then we need to move. Now.

“If he tries this, he’ll be making it unsafe for everyone,” I mutter. “I can’t believe Hermes would hand him that kind of dangerous information. It has the potential to hurt her, too.” We might—might—be able to keep it under wraps again, but the city has its attention on Minos.

Zeus ensured that when he made the man and his family citizens in a public ceremony. If Minos is successful, then it will destabilize Olympus more efficiently than literally anything else. Marriage or politicking or the normal ways of gaining power will forever be second to murder. I shudder. “We have to move now, before everyone scatters. We have to warn them.”

“They won’t believe you. Not when the information came from me.”

“I’ll make them believe.” I rise to my feet and tug her up with me. “Change your shoes to something you can move easier in. Hurry.”

“Apollo…”

Even with the urgency clamoring in my veins, I can’t ignore the misery written across her face. I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly. “I believe you, love. The rest of them are too invested in their own safety to disregard a threat to their lives. I need you to trust me on that.”

She nods against my chest. “Okay.” Another pause. “Okay.” Cassandra pushes away from me. “Let’s move.”

I wait for her to change her shoes, my mind already going to what comes next. No matter what I told Cassandra, there will be resistance from some of the party guests. It’s the nature of the fractiousness of the Thirteen that if I say the sky is blue, several other members will shout that it’s green. I hope that their self-preservation will override the instinctive desire to dig in their heels simply because I’m the one delivering the news, but I’ll deal with whatever waves arise as soon as we get back down there.

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?

“No.”

She grabs my arm. “Apollo, it’s the only way.”

“No,” I repeat harshly.

“If one of them becomes a member of the Thirteen—”

“I don’t care!” I stop short and lower my voice. “I do not give a fuck, Cassandra. I will not risk you.” Not for Olympus. Not for anything. “I love you, and I will let this city burn before I intentionally put you in harm’s way. We go for Artemis first. Together.” She’s the closest and while she’s fierce and capable, against the Minotaur, I can’t guarantee that she’ll prevail.

Cassandra’s jaw drops. “Apollo—” She shakes her head. “Right. Artemis. Okay.”

We hurry out the back door and down the path toward the duck pond. I’ve stopped checking my pace, but Cassandra keeps up well enough as we sprint past the maze. It’s only as we round the corner that I realize we have nothing resembling a weapon. Sheer numbers will have to do.

The path opens up and we get a view of the pond. Artemis is leaning over the water, looking at something the Minotaur points at. She doesn’t see his big hand coming for her back. Once he gets those strong fingers around her throat… “Artemis, run!”

Too far. We’re too damn far away.

The Minotaur surges forward, reaching for the back of her neck, but thank the gods Artemis is already moving. His fingers barely brush her long hair as she ducks. He’s fast, though. The same speed that served him in the Ares competition serves him now.

She barely has time to take a step back when he strikes, plowing one of those massive fists into her stomach. Artemis crumples.

“No!” Cassandra shouts.

The Minotaur glances at us. It’s the briefest hesitation, but Artemis isn’t some helpless civilian. She claimed her title through the violence of a hunt, and she’s obviously kept her skills sharp in the intervening years. She may not understand the full scope of what’s happening yet, but she’s ready to defend herself.

She lashes out with her feet. The blow appears aimed for the Minotaur’s knee. He takes a step back, but she’s ready for him, sweeping his legs out from beneath him. A bait and switch.

He hits the ground with an impact I’m certain I can feel even at this distance, and Artemis doesn’t hesitate. She leaps to her feet and launches herself into the pond. She hits the water nearly six feet from the shore and is already swimming deeper. She’s fast enough that the Minotaur will have no hope of catching her and smart enough that she’ll disappear into the countryside the moment she hits the far shore.

Artemis is safe, for now.

I stop several yards away and hold out an arm to stop Cassandra from passing me. The Minotaur sits up and watches his prey escape him. “Lucky timing.” For the life of me, I cannot decide if he’s angry or disappointed to have been interrupted. His face and voice give nothing away.

“You won’t get another chance. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Not today.” He gives a slow, feral smile. “Will you be able to stop my brother though? I doubt it.” He gives a dry, raspy chuckle. “We’ve already won.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.