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I look up to see that I’m in the entrance hall to Posey and Xavier’s house. Posey is seated on a makeshift throne beside a bubbling fountain modeled after her naked body. Water shoots out of the likeness’s stone mouth and down her breasts while she raises her hands to the sky. Ostentatious doesn’t even begin to cover how vain it is for Posey to have a fountain…of herself…inside her home.
“Says the woman sitting next to a fountain of herself. What do you want, Posey?”
Posey doesn’t look as manic as she did the last time I saw her, but there is still a gleam in her eye that tells me she’s not quite right. She ignores my question and gets to her feet. Her stilettos tap as she crosses the marble floor to me. She reaches out to touch my belly like we’re old friends, and I step away from her even though pain flares in my hip. I should heal myself, search for the root source of the pain, but I need the be ready to focus my energy on an attack against her.
“I wanted to see how everyone is doing and make sure you’re getting used to the new world order.” She walks in a circle around me, no doubt taking in the hole in my leggings near my ass.
“You mean the world order where you rule with an iron fist and take away my T-bird because I had fun, fun, fun? What happened to wanting to rule side by side as queens?”
“Yes, but that’s the point. I gave you a chance, and you basically spat in my face. Now I’m the only option. Not Xavier. Is he still pining over that lost little mortal?”
“She’s not a mortal, in case you forgot. She’s a goddess you punished on a whim.”
She crosses back to her seat and settles in. “How could I forget my husband’s new plaything is a goddess? You know, I always wondered if you two ever…” she winks at me with a sly grin “…you know, did the deed behind my back.”
“Ineverslept with Xavier.” The very idea is offensive, and my stomach cramps. “Tell me what you want.”
“I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.” Posey does her best Brando impersonation. There’s certainly room for improvement.
“Right. And what kind of offer do you think you can make me that I’m going to find so irresistible? The last one wasn’t enticing, so I guess the only way from there is up. Please, go on. I’m actually going to listen to what you have to say.”
Posey stares at me, maybe surprised that I agreed. “You know what? I think I’m a little put out by your attitude,Daphne.You haven’t been very sporting.”
If I didn’t know her well enough, this might shock me. “Golly, I wonder what sort of things I have to be sporting about. You orchestrated my murder. You decided to play Fate and keep my best friend from being able to live her real life. You’ve kept me from my husband for over a thousand years. Pray tell, Posey, what exactly is it that I should be thanking you for? Should I thank you for killing Cassius?” I decide I’m not going to wait to hear her out. I form a sword in my hand and hold it firmly in front of me.
She looks almost bored by this. “You know, if you kill me, someone has to step in as the new Fate. Are you ready to do that? If you do, it means losing the life growing inside you. That tiny form can’t handle the amount of power you would have to absorb.” This gives me pause, and she senses my hesitation. “Besides, a normal sword isn’t going to kill me.”
“I’m willing to test that theory. Having your head cut off seems like a difficult injury to recover from.” I readjust my grip on the sword and step toward her, ready to lunge, but the sword vanishes from my hand.
“You’re right. Your former lover won’t be putting that smart mouth to use ever again. Did you know it took me almost thirty minutes to cut his head off with that dagger? It would have been a lot faster if I could have used a normal weapon, but I wanted his death tostick.Even though you’re an ungrateful bitch and turned your nose up at my last offer, I’ll give you another chance. I’ll grant you mortality, and you won’t have to worry about me hunting you down. This offer is for you and Essos and Xavier and everyone else, out of the kindness of my heart.” She gestures with her hand like she’s turning her face toward a camera, highlighting how amazing she is. “Andyou don’t have to bring Galen back to life. I know Mommy Dearest wants her favorite back, but I can save you from that trauma.”
I try to even out my breathing to make it obvious that I’m not considering what she said. The fact that she knows we’ve been talking with Octavia does not bode well for our plans.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, feigning ignorance.
“Daphne, please,pleasedon’t insult my intelligence. You’re much too smart for that. Don’t you know there’s nothing that gets by me in my kingdom? You’d know a thing or two about that if you actually, you know, tried to lead, but you don’t. Instead, you’re too busy trying to ruin things for me. So, I’m going to put this to you one last time. You all can be mortal. Live your sad little lives however you want to live them without my interference. And in exchange, you don’t have to bring Galen back to life.”
She leans back in her chair, pleased with her villain’s monologue. I try to pretend I’m actually considering this deluded woman’s offer. But there’s no way. There’s nowayI’ll allow her to be in charge. There’s no way I’ll let her get away with the things she’s done. Even if it means I have to work with Galen, even if it means I have to accept Octavia’s help. Even if it means giving away a little bit of my soul.
I’m not going to let her win.
“So, let me get these details straight.” The throbbing in my hip causes me to shift my weight to my other leg. “We become mortal, Galen doesn’t come back, or else…what?”
“I kill you all. I’ll start with your friend Catalina and work my way up to you, and I’ll give you the honor of dying last so you can watch your husband—sorry, yourlover—die before your eyes the way he had to watch you fade.”
Around us, the plants start to wither as my anger gets the best of me. I need to shove that feeling down, even if she’s making me want to level a forest. The name of the game is deception.
“You know, for this to be a worthy deal, you have to actually offer me an incentive.” I shouldn’t push, but I do it anyway. It’s what she expects.
What I don’t expect is the head that she rolls my way like a bowling ball. I don’t even know where she got it from, but I’m never going to get the image of Cassius’s foggy eyes and grimace of pain out of my mind. I thought seeing the act was bad enough, but this is so, so much worse.
“I can’t make this decision alone.” I let my voice quiver, try to seem genuine in my unease. I have to drag my gaze up to Posey. At least my revulsion and panic are genuine. She eyes me up and down as if trying to decide whether or not she believes my act.
Something about it must be convincing enough, because she tuts at me. “Well, I suppose you’ll have to talk to that traitorous husband of yours. I helped fix that problem you created for his old secretary. As I understand it, he loved the wicked things she would do with her mouth.” The twisted grin on Posey’s face is enough for me to want to do the same to her, but that’s a fight I will lose. “But if you know what’s good for you, do think twice before attempting further retribution against Ellie.”
“Enough,” I snap, glaring at her with enough force that the fountain sputters. “Enough of this insinuation that my husband is cheating on me with Ellie and Lucky and whoever else. I don’t care. He’smyhusband. What happened while I was dead happened while I was dead. Move on. I have.”
“Oh, dear. I’m not talking about old news. Well, I’m not talking aboutthatold news. I’m actually talking about something a fair bit more recent, perhaps this whole week.” When she looks at my blank face, she grins. “Oh, you don’t know where your husband’s been lying on his back? Well, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough. From what I understand, that’s his favorite position—girl on top.”
