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I ignore the rest of the room’s contents. I mean, I’m sure it’s all very impressive and amazing, but I don’t know how to use any of the weapons here, and even if there were guns somewhere in the pile, I didn’t know how to shoot. Plus, at least half of the armor looks too heavy for me to wear and still be able to walk.
Thankfully, there are no traps or alarms anywhere. I guess Ares figures no one would be able to break into his castle, and if they did, no one would have the balls to actually steal anything from him. Well, he underestimated me.
It’s a straight shot between me and the relic, and my hands tremble only a little as I reach out to take it. The instant my fingers touch the old, strangely warm metal, a little voice breathes through my ears.
Two days.
My heart leaps into a gallop, somewhere between terror and relief. I still have two days left. It’s hardly any time at all to get Janie, and then for both of us to flee back through the gardens, grab Adonis and then head the hell out of here. But it’s also a lot more time than I thought I’d have. With everything that’s happened already, I can’t believe it’s only been a day since I walked through a frozen pond in Morevna’s realm. I was half-terrified the relic was going to tell me I had like fifteen minutes left. And what if my time had already run out? Would I even find out?
I cradle the helmet to my chest. It’s surprisingly light, but then, I guess a helm wouldn’t be much good if it made it impossible to turn your head on the battlefield. I think about putting it on for about half a second before deciding against it. It might make it easier to carry, but it might also do something that catches attention. I never thought to ask the other Lords of the Underworld if they could feel it when I put their relics on or used them, but I don’t want to risk anything that might make Ares look a little too closely at the decoy waiting in my borrowed room.
I just need to find Janie. I know she has to be around here somewhere, close by. Ares didn’t drag me very far when he caught me in her room so that means her room has to be decently close. I’ll find her, and then we’ll get out of here, and this whole thing will be a mess for another day.
The helm tucked under my arm, I take a quick peek out the door and find the hallway deserted. I don’t even hear the clomp of the guard patrol and their boots. I haven’t heard them in a while, actually. Is that something to worry about, or does Ares just not bother having them do rounds in the inner palace, since anyone who made it this far would have to deal with Ares himself?
Whatever. It doesn’t matter. At this point, stealth is going to have to make way for speed. I duck out the door and move as quickly as I dare to the next cross hallway. Then I catch sight of a fissure in one wall, like someone took an axe to the stone, and my heart gives a little jump. I’ve seen that mark before! Unless there are a lot of identical axe marks in the walls, then that means I’m close to where Janie is being kept.
Maybe it’s the excitement of being in reach of my sister again that distracts me. Or maybe Ares was actually making an attempt to mute himself, however unlikely that is. Whatever the reason, I don’t sense him coming. Which means I’m taken completely off guard when Ares rounds the corner at the end of the hallway.
I freeze for a second. It’s just instinctive. The same way a rabbit goes still in the grass, praying the wolf won’t notice him. It’s a stupid instinct. There’s nothing else in the hallway, not even a stupid drape or a statue I could hide behind. So, I’m just standing there while a pissed off god stalks down the hallway towards me. His long stride eats up the distance between us rapidly, and he’s almost in arm’s reach of me before my self-preservation finally kicks me in the ass and tells me to get the hell out of there.
I spin on my heels and run.
TEN
ARES
It’s an uncomfortable situation, to be sitting in my throne, feeling furious and restless and wanting nothing more than to fight something. And, yet, my only company is Hades who offers me no relief—merely reclines on his stupid chaise, sipping his wine, and defending Aphrodite’s daughter as though she holds a special place in his nonexistent heart.
It’s especially aggravating because he’s not even worked up over the fact that she’s here, in his realm, where she doesn’t belong. He just calmly goads me, all the while swirling the deep red wine around in his ostentatious gold chalice.
The metal of my throne is denting under my grip, and the smell of iron and rust isn’t quite strong enough to drown out the rich grape smell of Hades’ drink. I shift, unable to stay still, and cast him a baleful look.
“You’re just defending her because you want her,” I accuse.
Hades actuallyyawns, the bastard.
“Not at all.” He pauses to take a sip, and closes his eyes to savor it. “I mean, yes, I would love to have her. But the same could be said of Aphrodite. That doesn’t mean I’d want to spend an afternoon in her company.” Then he chuckles to himself. “Penelope is rather a refreshing companion, I must admit. If only she’d fall for my charms.”
I’m not sure if I could win a fight with Hades, not while I’m bound to and sitting in the middle of his domain. But if he keeps up his even-voiced, reasonable chatter, I’m going to find out.
“Why do you even care,” I growl. “You were happy enough to help me with my plan in the first place, and now suddenly you’ve switched sides?”
“I have not switched sides, Ares.”
“Really?”
He grins at me and his expression says he’s absolutely switched sides.
“You believe I don’t’ deserve my revenge, my freedom?” I continue. “Because some brainless bit of Demi-goddess fluff batted her eyelashes at you?”
Hades actually looks up from his wine for the first time since we started this blasted conversation. He’s not wearing his usual lecherous mask, playing the dilletante. No, the look in his dark eyes is all old god, someone who saw the birth of the universe, and now is bored with it all.
My fists curl in anticipation of a fight. Something lodges behind my sternum at the prospect of imminent violence.
“You want to know what’s made me rethink things?” Hades gestures languidly with his chalice.
“I do.”
