Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 89763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“Did you convey my message?”
Shit. I completely forgot. I want to say it was panic that made it happen, but the truth is that as soon as Asterion touched me, I wasn’t thinking about anything but him. I take another hasty sip. My head feels just as full of bubbles as my stomach. “No. I wasn’t able to get the blueprints. It was a rookie mistake, but I was looking for them in the wrong place.” I debate leaving it there, but if she’s following me, then she’ll figure it out anyway. “I have a meeting with him in three days—two now, actually. I’ll have the blueprints by then and be able to deliver them with your message.”
“Three days,” Hera says slowly. “That fucks our timeline.”
“It will still work. We’ll miss the scheduled sweep of the building, but we can come up with another reason to get everyone out.” Poseidon shoves to his feet, nearly taking out the table in the process. “Are we done here?”
Hera’s gaze sharpens and she lifts her face slowly until he wilts in response. “We’re done when I say we’re done, Poseidon. But yes, scurry off to your shipyards for now. Just be ready to move as soon as he’s dead.”
“I’ve got it. You’ll have your way.” He turns and stalks out of the restaurant, but I don’t miss the fact that he pauses just long enough to make sure he says goodbye to Dolores. He might be scary, but apparently he does have some manners.
I turn back to find Hera watching me. It’s easy enough to connect the dots. Zeus dies, Hera declares her unborn child the next Zeus and herself regent, and Poseidon steps up as one-third of the legacy roles to take over leadership. “Is Hades also in on this?”
“No. My brother-in-law has enough to worry about with Persephone pregnant.”
Dionysus snorts and pours enough syrup on his waffles to drown them. “Not to mention he’s too nice to plot cold-blooded murder. Otherwise, he would’ve taken care of the last Zeus years ago. Then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.”
Hera shakes her head. “He doesn’t need to be part of the initial planning because he’ll do the right thing once Zeus falls. For the first time in Olympian history, the three legacy titles will be in agreement. With us standing together, we have a decent chance of not crumbling the moment Circe knocks at our door.”
I don’t like the idea of cold-blooded murder, either. But knowing what I do of Olympus and the Thirteen, I can’t say she’s wrong. The rest of the Thirteen might indulge in petty conflicts and social backstabbing, but they take their guidance from the three legacy titles. With Hades essentially a boogeyman until recently and Poseidon having chosen to abstain from any kind of politics, that only left Zeus. And the last Zeus was heavily invested in the Thirteen being as fractured as possible so as to not challenge his personal power.
This Zeus, however, seems interested in unification. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the charisma to pull it off. The fault lines go too deep. But Hera? Along with Hades and Poseidon? She might actually make it happen.
I just don’t have the heart to tell her that it might not be enough to save them from Circe.
13
The Minotaur
Minos isn’t around when I stop by the apartment that afternoon. It’s just as well. I don’t have anything to report, and he’s not likely to take that kindly. Since I’m not in the mood to kiss ass, it would be a confrontation I don’t want to deal with.
Unfortunately, it seems I don’t get a choice in avoiding confrontation entirely. I’m in the middle of throwing clothes into a bag when I hear movement behind me. I turn to find Icarus standing in my doorway. I’ve never had much use for him, but Ariadne cares about him, so I don’t go out of my way to make his life more miserable than it already is.
He doesn’t quite tremble as he forces himself to meet my gaze. He’s learning. Not fast enough, but I guess it’s better than nothing. “Leave my sister alone.”
“You heard my orders.” I say it mostly because I’m curious about what he’ll do. How far he’ll push this.
“Yeah, I did.” He actually steps into my room and closes the door behind him. He’s a slight guy, almost delicate. I could crush him with one hand tied behind my back. The fact that he’s willingly shutting us in a room together is mildly impressive. He leans against the door, but his posture is too tense to quite pull off the intimidation he’s attempting. He lifts his chin. “But I also know your little secret. I know that you had sex with her in the maze at the party. Just like I know that she ended up pregnant as a result. What do you think my father will do if he finds out?”