Page 38 of A Crown of Hopes and Sorrows

Zephyrus studied me for a moment before shrugging. “She’s fine enough, I suppose.”

I pulled in closer to him though my skin crawled. “And does she take issue with whom you invite to your bed?”

“I can’t say I’ve asked her opinion on that. For one thing, I doubt it would bode well for marital felicity.”

I chuckled and ducked my head.

“What would you do in my place?” he whispered. “If you were married but ran across someone so beautiful you couldn’t take your eyes off of him?”

I met those eyes, the intensity of his gaze, and forced another serene expression on my face. “Well…” I shrugged and stepped away. “I can’t say I would ever marry a woman.” I smirked. “So, I probably don’t know.”

He huffed a laugh that clouded the sky like mist. “My marriage is political. Not romantic.”

“Political?”

He hesitated, shifting back towards the sun that stretched out over the valley. It was as though Apollo watched us, and I fidgeted my fingers inside my gloves. Gods, if he was hearing this conversation, he would not like it. I’m not sure if he’d be more hurt or angry, but either way, it ached through me again. Perhaps this entire idea had been a mistake.

Zephyrus sighed. “Not every god wishes to patronize Zeus and his continuous greed for power and hunger, you know.”

A zip of energy slid down my back because this was exactly the information we needed, and I took a slow breath to pace my words before speaking. “I hear not every human does either.”

Zephyrus side-eyed me. “An interesting opinion for someone who has allied himself with Zeus’ son.”

“Certainly, you’re aware Zeus and Apollo do not get along.”

He huffed a laugh, with no humor. “That’s the damned truth, isn’t it?” His expression soured as if he’d taken a bite of something putrid.

I tapped my thumb across the lapel of my coat. “But, who would lead if Zeus didn’t? I suppose there must be a hierarchy of leadership, even amongst the gods?”

Zephyrus’ fingers curled up into his palms. “Who deemed Zeus the ruler, though? He grabbed it for himself. Killed others to achieve it, in fact. Is that leadership you might admire?”

“Well, it’s not how I intend to lead.”

“No.” His voice softened, and he pulled in closer to me, trailing his gloved hand over my jaw. “You’re a far kinder leader than that, aren’t you?”

I smirked but took a step back, my boots sinking in snow. “I suppose a god might see that as a character flaw?”

“I doubt I could see any flaws in you.”

He drew in closer again, his lips parting, and I laughed, turning towards my horse. “Let’s see if I can best you in returning to the palace, and we’ll discover if that remains true?”

Zephyrus frowned at me for a moment, as if he saw past the veneer and bright smile. Then he clicked his tongue. “These horses are my creations, Prince Hyacinth. You won’t have a chance.”

“We’ll have to find out.”

He shook his head but climbed onto his mount, urging it into a gallop. I cleared my throat and rubbed my shoulder over my jaw where his fingers had trailed along my skin. Logically, I shouldn’t have cut that conversation short. He was sharing exactly the information we came here for.

But I couldn’t let him touch me. Beyond my personal revulsion, it felt like a betrayal to Apollo. I had to figure out some way to find out what plans he knew about, though. It sounded as though there were gods who wished to dissent from Zeus, and Zephyrus had connections with them. But I wasn’t sure what cost that information might come at.

Another cringe ran down me, but I leaned in closer to the horse and took a deep breath. A few more days. I could manage it.

16

Epiphany

I took a deep breath and rolled over, rubbing my eyes. Morning light poured in wide, open windows, the sweet smell of hay filling the air. I didn’t know where I was, and panic bubbled its way through my veins. My fingers pressed into the straw beneath me, and a horse nickered. I was in the stables somewhere. The last thing I remembered was the dinner with Sappho, the blaring music, the smoke, and feeling woozy.

“Epiphany.” Valerian dropped to his knees beside me, dust jumping with his motion.