Page 248 of The Mortal Trials

Koda clears his throat. His foot nudges mine in warning.

“I’ve advised Elias that it was foolish of him to cast his lot in with you.” Her tone is biting.

I sit back, swilling the water in my glass. “Did you at least tell him who would make a better choice?”

Aphrodite gives a conspiratorial laugh. “She has.”

Elias tugs at the collar of his velvet jacket.

“Who would you suggest he align with?” I ask.

“Anyone else would be better,” Aphrodite leans in to loudly whisper. She punctuates her sentence with a wink.

I’m sure she intends her comment to be offensive, but I can’t help but laugh. The goddesses don’t know how to respond.

Just then, August returns with his dinner. As Aphrodite’s attention fixes on him, my grip on the stem of my glass tightens.

“Hello,” August greets, dipping his head politely.

“August Aymes,” Aphrodite purrs. “I quite enjoy your singing.”

August offers a quick smile. “Thank you.” He clears his throat, takes his knife, and smears butter over his bread.

“Athena was just saying how she thinks Elias should choose better allies,” I chirp.

August’s hands freeze, a torn piece of bread halfway to his lips. He stares at Elias and frowns. “Is that right?”

I nod. “Yep.”

“What will happen to Elias if he moves forward with our group?” Koda asks, folding his hands in his lap.

Athena turns to him, but her sharpness softens when he offers a curious, charming smile, disarming her in an instant. Koda’s impossible not to love. “If Elias wants to win, he’ll find another alliance before irreparably damaging his reputation. I think I’ve managed to salvage it by making excuses on his behalf.”

Koda chuckles like we’re having a polite dinner conversation. He gestures to the circlet on my head. “The group we’ve formed is a winning one. That laurel is the proof.”

Bracing her hands against the table’s edge, she leans in to address me directly. “No one who aligns with you will win this and you know it. He will make sure of it.” Her steely gaze is fixed on me. “If you care about any of them, you’ll consider my advice before you get them all killed.”

Pressure builds in my chest as her words grip my heart and squeeze. Because she’s right. The divine want their games. And while several of us will move on to compete in them, only one mortal will win their prize. Ares will ensure it’s not me, or anyone who fights alongside me.

August slaps the table so hard, I jump. Everyone’s attention snaps to him.

“Callalie didn’t bring us here, and she’s not the one who keeps us here, away from our families. She doesn’t conjure trolls or turn innocent men into monsters. And every mortal in this room knows who did,” August seethes at the goddesses. “We know who holds the blades to our throats.”

Aphrodite’s expression brightens at his outburst. She laughs in delight. “I’ve never seen you so angry! You’re willing to sacrifice everything for her, aren’t you? Are you hoping she’ll inspire another heartrending song? Do you think you’ll have time to sing it before the blade you feel at your throat cuts those beautiful vocal cords?”

A muscle feathers in August’s jaw as he stares at the goddess of love with unadulterated hatred.

She shakes her head, amazed. “How have none of the divine snatched you up yet?” She studies her cuticles. “If it weren’t for Ares, I’d reward all that pent-up passion by offering to champion you. But alas, he’s holding out for a different mortal.”

Her sultry gaze oozes to me.

“I’d rather die,” I breathe. August tenses beside me.

August isn’t finished. He addresses Athena directly. “Prove to Elias I’m wrong. Tell him what he’ll gain from your championship if he turns his back on Callalie and the rest of us,” he presses. “How will you personally shield him from Ares?”

Elias waits for her response.

August doesn’t wait for her reply, or her excuses. He goes for her jugular. “Will you heal him if he’s cut down like Akira was today? Or better yet, tell him if he survives the trials and games, you will publicly call him a hero and take him safely home? Tell him you’ll make sure he’s able to live out the remainder of his mortal life in peace, if he wins.”