Page 15

15

Icarus

Falling asleep with Poseidon was strange. Waking up alone should put me right back into familiar territory. It’s what I’m used to, after all. There’s absolutely no reason for the odd ache in my chest. I take a leisurely shower, but it only eats up an hour of what promises to be a long and boring day. By the time I’m done and dressed in a set of clothes that belong to someone taller and thicker than me, my stomach is making loud and unhappy noises. I try the door and, once again, the knob turns easily against my palm.

No one leaps out to stop me, so I carefully retrace my steps to the front door. The house feels empty in a way that makes me shiver. Surely if there was danger, Poseidon would have locked me in or let me know. My stomach grumbles again, deciding for me. I push through the front door and follow the path to the hulking main house.

Every step, I expect to be accosted, but no one leaps from the bushes to tell me to get my captive ass back to my room. It’s a relief to step into the main house and walk into the kitchen…until I see her .

Hermes sits cross-legged on the kitchen island, a giant bowl of marshmallow cereal cradled in her lap. She pauses, a spoon halfway to her mouth, and studies me. “You look pretty well for a captive.”

Against all odds, I find myself blushing. I’d like to think she didn’t know what Poseidon and I were up to last night, but in our short acquaintance, Hermes has always seemed to know more than she should. The Olympians treat her as if she’s one degree removed from magic itself. I suspect it’s something far more mundane—excellent surveillance, a connection to whatever system Olympus relies on for its cameras, and a twisty brain in that gorgeous head of hers.

I can’t help glancing over my shoulder, wondering what Poseidon would think of her presence. There’s absolutely no way they’re on good speaking terms, not after everything that’s happened. Not after she brought down the barrier . Personally, I haven’t seen her since the party my father…

Just like that the reality of him being gone crashes over me. I still don’t know if I’m relieved or grieving or something else altogether. I haven’t had the space to untangle my complicated feelings about his death. I suspect I won’t have that space anytime soon. It seems to defy belief that sometimes I forget he’s dead.

I stumble to the fridge on sheer instinct. Showing weakness is never an acceptable option, but doubly so when in the presence of this woman. My father’s secret informant. It’s still up for debate on which one of them came out on top in that little agreement. Except, I suppose it’s not. He’s dead.

As for her? The barrier has come down and Circe is at Olympus’s figurative gates.

I pull out a container labeled as breakfast and pry the lid off. I’m not even certain what I’m looking at—some kind of hash maybe? It doesn’t matter. I’m starving and I need to keep my hands occupied while in the presence of Hermes. I shove the whole container into the microwave and turn to face her. “What are you doing here? I would think you’d be cozying up to Circe now that there’s not a barrier between you.”

There’s a tiny twitch at one corner of her lips. Grimace or smile? Impossible to say. She dips her spoon back into her bowl. “Come now, my boy. You must know that things are always more complicated than they seem. Circe and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms.”

She has to be lying. I eavesdropped on her deal with my father, and later Ariadne hacked into his computer and got secondary confirmation: Hermes agreed to sponsor my father so that the family could come into Olympus for the Ares trials, then she sold him her house and lent her presence as an element of respectability, such as it is. All along, she knew he intended to set Theseus and the Minotaur after members of the Thirteen, killing them to trigger the assassination clause then take their titles. For that alone, I suspect most Olympians would label her a traitor. And she did it all in the name of getting more information about my father’s benefactor: Circe.

Why do that if not to seek her out? It doesn’t make sense.

I stare at Hermes until the microwave dings, startling me out of my confusion. “Then why go through all this trouble?” Without her help, my father would have had a harder time getting into the city and digging his roots in so deep. No doubt Circe had backup plans in place, but that doesn’t change the fact that Hermes made it easy .

She waves her spoon at me. “Normally, I would remind you that I’m a lady and a lady never tells, but we’re in the endgame now.” She tilts her head to the side, her braids sliding over one thin shoulder. Truly, she is one of the most beautiful of the Olympians. She’s a Black woman somewhere in her thirties, or possibly older, or maybe younger. It’s really hard to say because her features are so youthful. She’s worn her hair in a number of styles since I’ve met her, but currently it is in box braids that hit the middle of her back. It leaves her high cheekbones and generous lips on full display. She’s stunning.

“The endgame,” I repeat slowly. “But why ?”

“You’re from Aeaea.”

I blink. “You know I am.”

“Mm-hmm.” She takes a bite of her cereal and chews slowly. “You like the way they run things there?”

It’s an effort not to tense. Of course I don’t. I grew up in relative privilege, but the cost was so damned high. It’s still nothing compared to what the Minotaur experienced, to what Theseus and Pandora survived. I might not like any of them all that much, mostly due to my father’s favoritism, but I’m not a complete fool. I know their stories are just three of many. “No.”

“That’s how I feel about Olympus.” Her deep-brown eyes are shadowed with the past—or maybe the future. “Just because something’s always been this way doesn’t mean it should continue to always be this way.” She shrugs. “Sometimes you have to blow up a few eggs to make an omelet.”

I don’t point out that that isn’t how the saying goes. I’m too focused on the fact that I’m apparently having a frank conversation with the Queen of Secrets herself. “But you’re one of the Thirteen. You’re one of the most powerful people in the city. If you don’t like how things are run, then change it.”

“Been there, tried that, bought a shitty T-shirt. The corruption goes too deep.” She surveys me. “You should get out of the city, sooner rather than later. Traitors to both sides don’t tend to have long lifespans.”

“I’m aware.” I’m so focused on her, I don’t realize Poseidon has joined us in the room until he’s glowering from the doorway I entered through a few minutes ago. He crosses his arms over his chest, seeming to fill the space even more. I glance at his face and shiver. He’s fucking furious .

Hermes tenses, almost as if preparing for flight, and then makes a visible decision to relax. Her brows rise and she takes two bites of her cereal while he glares at her. She doesn’t rush, and I can appreciate her audacity even if the tension in the room becomes so thick, I want to part it with my hands just to get some relief.

Poseidon is the one to speak first. “What are you doing here? Zeus has been looking for you. Everyone’s looking for you.”

“And here I am. You found me. Well done, you.” She lifts the bowl to her lips and drinks the milk. When faced with that look on Poseidon’s face, I might piss myself in fear—and that’s being relatively assured he intends me no harm. I doubt Hermes can say the same. She’s been labeled an enemy of the city, a traitor, guilty of treason. At least according to MuseWatch.

From what she just said, it’s all true.

Poseidon watches her closely as she leans over and sets the bowl in the sink. He’s doing that thing where it’s as if he can reach past the carefully curated external expressions and delve right into the thoughts of a person. I don’t know if that’s really a skill he has, but it certainly feels like it when I interact with him. “You haven’t been missing in action for so long only to come here for food. You have your own house—several of them. Why are you here? ”

“Oh, that.” Hermes hops to the floor and stretches, her fingertips reaching toward the ceiling. I’m always shocked to find that she barely comes up to my shoulder. Her energy fills the room every time I’ve ever interacted with her. Something in her back pops and she gives a sigh of relief. “Much better. Now, where were we?”

Poseidon leans on the doorframe, and I could swear I hear the entire house creak in response. “You were telling me what you’re doing here and why it appears you’ve committed treason.”

“‘Treason’ is such a strong word.” He makes a sound shockingly close to a growl, and she shifts to put the island between them. “Now, now, Poseidon. I came here because you’re the most reasonable of the Thirteen. I expect you to be reasonable. On the other hand, you are keeping the delicious Icarus captive, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s the scent of sex about you. What a horrible abuse of power.”

“ Hermes .”

“Fine,” she says flatly, all charm disappearing between one beat and the next. “You can’t trust Circe, no matter what she promises you in late-night meetings on the water. She won’t rest until this city burns and every member of the Thirteen and the legacy families are dead. While we’re on the subject, you shouldn’t trust Hera, either. Those two are more similar than is comfortable.”

Poseidon narrows his eyes. “I have a question for you, and I want you to answer honestly. Are you the reason the barrier fell when it did?”

I jolt. How did he make that leap? The barrier in Olympus has been failing for a very long time—something like thirty years. It was always going to come down; Circe made sure of that. Before Zeus attempted to murder her on their honeymoon, she somehow managed to steal a key component that kept the barrier in place. Ever since then, it’s been slowly weakening. Faltering.

Hermes taps her fingernails against the counter in a rhythm that I almost recognize. “I made a promise to someone. Several promises, in fact. The barrier was coming down regardless. It served my interest that it came down when it did.”

“What interest?” For the second time since I met Poseidon, his voice raises in anger. He slashes a hand through the air. “Because even now, while you claim to be telling me the truth, you’re still talking in circles. Everyone in this fucking city talks in circles. None of you ever say what you mean. So, for fucking once, tell me what you mean .”

She shifts back on her heels; she’s going to bolt. A quick sweep of the kitchen makes her intended exit clear—the small window over the sink that’s cracked to let in the late fall air. I move before she can, sliding my body between hers and the sink. Now, if she wants to get to that window, she has to go through me.

Hermes glances over her shoulder at me and glares. “I thought we had an understanding, Icarus. That’s just rude.”

Poseidon slams his hand against the doorframe. “Leave him out of this.” He leans forward like he’s going to vault the island if she doesn’t speak up. “Answer the fucking question.”

She tilts her head to the side, and I can’t see her face from this angle, but it seems like she’s studying him just as closely as he studied her previously. “I want what I’ve always wanted—what’s best for this city.”

“Ten people were killed in the explosion that brought the barrier down. I highly doubt they agree with you.”

“Probably not.” She sighs. “But if you’d stop reacting and think , you’d come to the same conclusion I—and others—have. This system is broken and the barrier was allowing the system to stay broken. If it didn’t come down, then nothing was going to change. Things have to change, Poseidon.”

His mouth works, and I can tell that part of him agrees with her, even if he doesn’t want to. He clears his throat, his tone lowering but becoming no less angry. “What makes you the best person to make this decision?”

“I’m the only one who has the audacity to actually get shit done. Well, me and one other. Consider us an army of two. You and Hades and the few who actually want change just sit around and wring your hands while the very people you’re supposed to be protecting are harmed by the very system that you benefit from. I’m not willing to do that. Not anymore.” She takes a deep breath. “Join us. You’ve watched the Thirteen play at being gods in this city for too damned long not to recognize the cost. Help us change things.”

“No.” He shakes his head slowly. “You might be right that things need to change, but we need to focus on Circe. The rest of it can wait until that threat is dealt with.”

“I had hoped you would understand. Oh well. I told her you wouldn’t listen, but she insisted.”

“You told who — godsdamn it! ”

She doesn’t wait for him to finish questioning her. She spins and punches me in the stomach. It happens so fast, I don’t have time to brace for it. I crumple like paper. I hit the floor on my side, curled up with my knees to my chest. Fuck, that hurts. Worst of all, I don’t stop her from leaving. I don’t even slow her down. I don’t see her jump over me and shove through the window, but I hear it slam open and feel the wind of her passing. I failed.

“Icarus. Icarus, talk to me.” Poseidon crouches next to me, his hand rubbing soothing circles on my back. “Did she reopen one of the cuts?”

“No. Wind…knocked out…of me.”

“Okay.” He exhales shakily and keeps rubbing my back. “Try to relax. Your breath will come.”

As if his words summon reality, my body slowly unclenches and my lungs allow air to move through them. I gasp in a breath and start to sit up, but Poseidon shifts his grip to my shoulder, keeping me on the floor. “Slowly.” He helps me sit up and urges me to lean against the cabinets.

“I kind of hate her,” I wheeze.

“I kind of do, too.” He gives my shoulder one last squeeze and rises to shut and lock the window above the sink. It’s a foolish thing to do, more to comfort us than anything else. Hermes has long since proven that she can get in and out of nearly any residence. I used to think that was pure rumor, but it’s obvious that it’s true. Fuck, she was fast.

Poseidon slides down to sit next to me, his shoulder pressing against mine. After several beats, I finally force myself to speak. “What do you think about what she said? About Circe and Hera and Olympus and the rest?”

“I don’t know. I might not like her methods, but she’s not wrong about the system being broken.” He taps his middle finger against his thigh, his expression distant. “But I don’t see how this helps the city. The barrier protected us from the outside world. It ensured foreign nations couldn’t meddle and use us. Now it’s gone and Circe is poised to invade. People are going to die. A lot of people. How can that be a good thing?”

That’s the question, but I don’t have the answer—or at least not an answer that’s comforting. “Maybe Hermes means to take the city for herself. Maybe that’s how she’ll break the system.”

Poseidon sinks down to sit next to me, his big shoulder pressing to mine. For just a moment, I can almost believe it’s us two against the world, rather than simply a captor and his captive, sharing a moment of mutual misery.

He sighs. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”