Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Achilles keeps going, watching me carefully as if he expects me to burst into violence. “This is shitty. I don’t like repaying loyalty with what is essentially exile.”
That draws a bitter laugh from me. “I’m not loyal, Achilles. That’s the whole point of this. I don’t kneel before the Thirteen. I think they should be abolished.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He shrugs when my jaw drops. “What? I listen when Patroclus talks, and he’s had his doubts about the system for a while, though he put them aside for me—and for Helen. Getting to see how the sausage is made?” He looks away. “When Helen became Ares, we got access to a number of files about past members of the Thirteen. It’s not as extensive as what Apollo and Athena must have, but it’s damning enough on its own.”
I have a moment where I almost ask for more details, but I already know what he’ll tell me, don’t I? Cheating, stealing, abuse, assault, murder—the Thirteen have done it all, and those are the stories I do know. I imagine the things they’ve covered up are even worse. “If you understand—”
“I will back Helen until the day she dies or steps down.” There’s no give in his tone, all the softness gone from his face. “This whole thing is fucked, and while I’m sure as shit aware of the role you’ve played, you haven’t killed anyone unsanctioned, and I don’t like the idea of tossing you to the wolves. Helen and Patroclus agree.”
I blink. “But why? They have no reason to help me. None of you do.”
“We competed together. You helped Helen when you didn’t have to. If you hadn’t allied with her to get through the first trial, maybe things would have turned out differently and the three of us wouldn’t have ended up together.” He shrugs again. “The why doesn’t matter. We’re wasting time. I’m your escort back to the upper city. Take this.” He presses something into my hand.
I look down and frown. It’s a key. “What is this?”
“You fought Circe. She’s smart enough to have figured out who you are—if she didn’t already know—and she’ll be watching your place to snatch you up if you are fool enough to try to go home.”
“I don’t understand,” I say slowly. My brain feels like it’s turned to taffy. I shake my head sharply. “It’s a nice thought, but I don’t see how offering me a place to stay helps. She’ll have people watching all of the residences of the Thirteen and legacy families. Going to your place is as dangerous as going to mine.”
“I know.” He grins suddenly. “It’s not my place. It belongs to a friend, but she won’t be using it. She got the fuck out of Olympus the day after the barrier fell. She’s also not a legacy family, so no reason for anyone to pay attention to her place.”
A…friend. Athena’s intelligence on the Ares trio mentioned they were in an open relationship, but they’ve been very careful to keep it out of MuseWatch. “Is she one of your lovers?”
Achilles laughs. “A friend who I also fuck on occasion, yeah. Are you done asking questions? We need to leave.”
“Almost.” I heft myself off the bed. As I stand, there isn’t even a hint of dizziness. Good. I’m still going to be off while I heal, and I’ll have to be careful not to tear my stitches, but this is the best-case scenario after being stabbed. “You might as well toss me in the River Styx as escort me to one of the bridges. There’s a crowd on the Juniper Bridge, and they were rapidly whipping themselves into a mob when I came through before. They busted up my windshield. I’m sure that hasn’t calmed down in the last few days.”
“It’s gotten worse,” he says simply. “There’s also one on the Cypress Bridge. It’s a mess.” He moves to the door and pulls it open. “That’s why we’re not taking a bridge.”
My stomach drops out. “Achilles…”
But he’s already on the move, exiting the room in long strides and leaving me to scramble after him. We walk downstairs to the garage. Within a few minutes, we’re in an SUV and driving toward the river. He ignores every attempt I make to get more details about the plan, and the asshole is clearly enjoying my agitation.
That agitation reaches its peak when he pulls into a dirt parking lot down by the bank and I follow him to a small building that houses—
“Absolutely not.” The boat is barely large enough for three people with a single motor. That’s not the problem, though. The barrier is.
“It’s this or the crowd of angry people.”
I have to close my eyes and count to ten to keep from punching him in his perfect face. “A boat is not going to be able to cross the barrier any more than a car can. You want me to swim in the River Styx in late October with a stab wound? Might as well put a bullet in my brain right now. At least it will be a fast death.”