Rafael moved toward the barn door, and I followed. Before we stepped outside, I looked back at the seven kids. They were watching us with those too-old eyes, already calculating odds, already preparing for the worst.
"We'll handle it," I said. "Just stay inside."
The taller boy with the baseball gripped it like a weapon. "What if you don't come back?"
"Then Hades will take care of you." I met his eyes. "But we're coming back."
I didn't know if that was true, but I said it anyway.
Rafael and I stepped out into the Montana sunlight. Across the yard, Hades had set up a table between the house and the barn. Rhadamanthys stood beside it, his Stetson shading his eyes as he looked toward the ridge.
The black sedan appeared on the ridge, crawling down the dirt road. A shudder ran through me as I thought of the disgusting mockery of a tea ceremony Constantine had set up for us in New York. This was too similar. Had he known it might come to this?
Get it together, Lorenzo. He’s an evil bastard, not clairvoyant.
Rafael stood beside me, jaw clenched. I'd seen him face down Cerberus operatives, survive Constantine's eagles, and walk through the Vatican covered in blood. But now, he was clenching his muscles tight to keep from trembling.
"Steady," I said quietly.
"I'm fine," he lied.
More than anything, I wanted to whisk him away and lock him up somewhere safe where there were no eagles, no Constantine, no labyrinth. Rafael deserved to be safe and happy. But that wasn’t who he was. He was too much like me. Too much of a fighter to ever accept peace that didn’t come hard-earned at the edge of a blade.
The sedan stopped, and the driver got out to open the rear door. Constantine stepped out wearing an immaculate ivory suit, not a gray hair out of place. He looked like someone's eccentric rich grandfather, the kind who'd slip you candy and tell you stories. Not the kind who'd nail a man's hands to a table and force him to hunt his own father's killer.
Then I saw Caesar.
The bird was massive, bigger than Augustus had been, with golden brown feathers, a sharp beak and even sharper talons. It hovered in the air near Constantine like they'd been practicing this for years.
Rafael's breathing quickened.
Constantine crossed the yard with Caesar beside him. His smile never wavered.
"Judge Rhadamanthys," he said warmly. "Director Hades. What a pleasure to see you both." His eyes moved to Rafael and me. "And the men of the hour. Lorenzo. Rafael. I must say, I've been looking forward to this."
"Judge Minos," Rhadamanthys said with a tip of his hat. “Or would you prefer Prince and Grandmaster Constantine?”
“Oh, let’s not get all tangled up in titles now.” Constantine patted Rhadamanthys on the back like they were old friends. “It gets messy.You call me Grandmaster, I call you the adopted son of the same director who nominated you for your position…” He shrugged. “First names are less complicated than nepotism, aren’t they, Santino?”
“If that’s your preference, Baron.” Rhadamanthys gestured to the table. "Shall we begin?"
"Of course." Constantine pulled out a chair and sat. Caesar settled on the corner of the table, head swiveling to track movement. Those eyes locked on Rafael. The bird remembered. Or maybe it was just trained to recognize weakness.
Constantine folded his hands on the table. "The scarring,” he began, staring straight at Rafael. “Seems as if it will be quite extensive. I’ve had a few run-ins with their talons over the years during training but never something quite so…grotesque. Is it painful?”
“Excruciating,” Rafael admitted through clenched teeth.
Constantine let the word hang in the air for a moment before smirking. “Good. Caesar took his brother's death rather hard. Eagles bond for life, you see. When one dies, the other grieves."
He looked directly at me.
"But Caesar understands. Grief makes us stronger. Sharper. More focused on what needs to be done." Constantine's voice stayed pleasant, conversational. "I promised him he could have all the time he needs with you in the labyrinth. The space is quite large. Plenty of room for him to work."
Rafael's hand closed into a fist on the table.
Rhadamanthys cleared his throat. "The challenge has been issued. Three Director seals have been presented. You are bound by ancient law to answer."
"And so I have." Constantine leaned back in his chair. “Let’s get on with the ritual then, shall we?”
