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Cassandra looked up at Oleander, then at the mirror. “She had connections.”
I wondered how much Cassandra knew about our investigation and when she found out. The theory forming in my mind was that she’d somehow figured out we’d located the sex-slave auction’s IP origin, but since it was her plan to take down Mithras, she hadn’t informed him. Otherwise, we probably would’ve found the villa abandoned the night of the raid.
“I’m curious about Selene. Mithras nearly murders Xavier’s girlfriend? But didn’t you say he killed Mithras’ mother? I suppose if he were going for an eye for an eye, he would’ve killed you.”
“He tried to kill both Xavier and me. He was unsuccessful.”
“So he went after Selene instead. And then, when that didn’t work, he tried to kill Francesca,” Poseidon said rather than asked.
“Why did Francesca raise Xavier? One would’ve thought Cronos would want his beloved son closer. Or maybe it wasn’t Sheka who was beloved. It was always Mithras.”
“Nail on the head,” I muttered, watching Cassandra’s expression change. She’d gone from defiant to morose.
“You tried, all those years, to give Cronos a son, and then when you did, he didn’t want Xavier,” O said, picking up on the same thing I had.
Cassandra shook her head. “Of course he wanted him.”
“Then, it was Mithras who didn’t want him around.”
“Nail on the head once more,” said Magnet from behind me.
“What about your daughter? Mithras wanted her around?” Oleander went in for the kill. “Was he fucking her?”
Cassandra’s arm jerked as if she’d slap Oleander if her hands weren’t bound.
“When did it start? When she wasfourteen? Or did Mithras like them younger than his daddy did?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“What was it like, then?”
“They were close. Pharaoh protected him like she protected Eris.”
“But not Xavier?” O prodded.
“Sheka too. She loved her brothers and sister.”
“But when you ordered Xavier to kill Mithras, Pharaoh turned on you, didn’t she?”
“You’re wrong. She proved her loyalty when she allowed Eris to be killed.”
“I was there, remember?” Oleander seethed. “She didn’t allow anything. She ordered Eris to kill me. Instead, your loyal daughter and Cronos’ mistress’ kid were shot instead. Don’t try to play it like anyone was heroic, Ananke. In the end, everyone betrayed you.Everyone.”
“Guard!” Cassandra called out. “I amfinished.”
“Ask about Seshat,” I said.
“What about the other daughter?” O asked. “Did Xavier kill her too, or did you?”
Cassandra’s eyes scrunched, then it dawned on her who O was talking about. “I killed her and her fucking mother,” she said, raising her chin.“Guard!”she shouted again, this time louder.
When a man looked through a thin window in the door, O nodded and he entered, unshackled Cassandra from the table, and removed her from the room.
Oleander and Poseidon pressed a buzzer, and another guard let them through the door connecting to the room where Magnet and I were.
“She’s pathetic,” was the first thing Oleander said.
“I agree.”