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Ariadne shakes her head. “No, he wasn’t. His attacker was afterhim.”
She looks out over the river, except it isn’t visible through the fog. I can still hear the rush of water over rocks far below, but it echoes strangely. I press my lips together and debate whether to press her on this. Ultimately, that’s why I’m here. “How can you be sure?”
“Because. That’s why I couldn’t get out last night.” She turns those big dark eyes on me. “My father held a meeting with some person I’ve never seen before, and then they left. Less than an hour later, Triton was announced dead andtheywere photographedfleeing the scene. He wasn’t killed by an Olympus citizen who doesn’t understand the rules. He was assassinated by someone who answers to my father.” She hiccups, a little sound that’s almost a sob.
“Triton is one of the few who can ferry people through the barrier,” I say slowly. Anyone from Poseidon’s bloodline can, but that bloodline has gotten sparse in recent generations. Triton has a number of daughters, but he keeps—kept—them under lock and key. None of them worked for Poseidon. At this point, I think Poseidon’s down to a few distant cousins. He has no siblings or children of his own.
If the other cousins are killed, I don’t know who inherits the title once he’s gone. I don’t know ifanyonecan inherit the title. It passes down from parent to child, or in rare cases, to the closest in the bloodline. If there’s no one left…does the title of Poseidon die?
I shudder. “The barrier is failing.”
“That’s what I hear.” She tucks her hair behind her ear, but the wind immediately whips it free. “I don’t know why they’re targeting his family, but…” She stops short. “I really shouldn’t be saying any of this. I shouldn’t have come at all.”
From my interactions with Minos, I’ve found him to be a misogynistic pig. He covers it well enough with charm, but it couldn’t be clearer in how he treats his children. Ariadne because she’s a woman. Icarus because he doesn’t fit in with what Minos has arbitrarily decided a man should be.
I place my hand gently on her shoulder. I have to play this slow. Soft. “I know it’s not easy for you in that household.”
Her lower lip quivers. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t leave.”
I’m going to lose her if I’m not careful. It’s not even her fatherI’m worried about now, though I’m plenty worried about him. I’ve seen the way the Minotaur watches Ariadne when he thinks no one is looking. There’s a feverish quality to his gaze that raises every hair on my body. It reeks of obsession. She seems to be entirely unaware of it though. Or maybe not, because I doubt Minos is the one who’s put the hunted look in her dark eyes.
I have to get her on my side. No matter what it takes. “Ariadne.” I sink a bit of strength into her name. “People are dying. I know you’re in an impossible situation, but surely you can see that you have information that will save lives.”
She still won’t meet my gaze. “Is that the only reason you invited me out last night?”
Yes. It’s nothing personal. I like her a lot. She’s sweet and nerdy and a little awkward, but she’s got a good heart. I’m not sure how it’s survived her family, but it’s there shining beneath all the bullshit her father spews at her. But I wouldn’t be pushing her so hard if she wasn’t a Vitalis. I take a deep breath and tell the truth. “I like you, so I won’t lie to you. If I met you under other circumstances, I would want to be friends. But you gave Apollo a hint that you possessed some really important information. I’m the only one you seem willing to talk to, so I’m the one making the overture.”
She nods as if it’s nothing more than she expected, but her shoulders dip a little bit. “Right. That’s what I thought.”
“We’ll protect you.” I reach out tentatively and place my hand on her shoulder. “We’ll get you out and we’ll keep you safe.” I don’t imagine that her father—or the Minotaur—will take kindly to us spiriting her away, but if Eris can see the value Ariadne brings, thensurely the rest of the Thirteen can too. We have to get her out. Wehaveto.
“That’s what Apollo said.” She tries for a smile but doesn’t quite pull it off. Ariadne finally looks at me. “I have to think about it.”
Frustration blooms, but I do my best to keep it off my face. This was never going to be an easy win. She’s lived her entire life under her father’s control, and even if people are dying because of his actions, it’s hard to break that yoke. Understanding that doesn’t stop me from wanting to shake her until she sees reason. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
Ariadne nods. She looks frailer than she did at the house party. The last month hasn’t been easy for her, but I swallow down my sympathy. She has information that might save lives, and she’s not sharing. “If you know something…”
“I know a lot of things. I don’t know what’s important and what’s not.” She shakes her head. “Just be careful, okay? I don’t think the lower city is going to be any safer than the upper city going forward. I have to go before they realize I snuck out.”
Before I can come up with a response to that, she turns and darts away. The fog swallows her up before she’s more than a couple yards away, and I shiver. I don’t know if I made progress or not, but it was worth the risk. I turn back for my side of the river, mulling over her words. Do I tell Charon about the warning concerning the lower city? It’s very vague, and I’ll probably have to explainwhyI chose to meet Ariadne alone instead of bringing someone for protection, but surely the information is worth the uncomfortableness of talking with him so soon after last night?
I don’t have an answer by the time I reach the arches leading tothe lower city. Which is a damn shame, because they’re not empty any longer. A familiar shape separates himself from the shadow of the one nearest me, arms crossed and blue eyes furious.
“Where the fuck were you?” Charon grits out.
Oh shit. I’m in trouble.
5
CHARON
I do not, as a general rule, lose my temper. A year ago, that might have been different, but I’ve seen too much shit since then to allow my emotions to get the best of me. That doesn’t stop my fear and anger from damn near swallowing me whole at the sight of Eurydice walking toward the lower city across the Cypress Bridge.
I fight to keep it under wraps, but it slips through my fingers like the fog that blankets the ground around us. She nearly misses a step when she notices me, but I can see the exact moment when she decides to power through this on bravado alone.
She lifts her chin in a move I’ve seen Persephone do a hundred times and marches right up to me. “What are you doing here?”
“No.”
