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And then there’s Charon. He’s a new component to the entire situation that I didn’t anticipate. He’s not trying to take charge. It’s more that he’s supplementing Eurydice’s dominance. It’s hot. I never thought that I would be happy on my knees, but there’s something so incredibly peaceful about handing over the decision-making process.
For the first time in my life, I’m not thinking about what comes next, at least in those moments where I’m following orders. I’m not stressed about living up to the legacy my mother has created as one of the top models in the industry. I’m not worried about following my father’s advice to live my life to the fullest and compromise nothing, because youth is fleeting and it’s something he always regrettedletting pass him by. He isn’t quite trying to live through me, but it’s close enough that he’s always advising me to take the least stable path because “there’s plenty of time to settle down—emphasis onsettle—later.”
That’s not even getting into Apollo. He’s a good brother, but he can’t conceptualize how challenging it is to live in his shadow. He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s not greedy, or selfish, or malicious. He’s a fucking paragon of virtue, and he casts a long shadow as a result.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to go back. There’s a clear line dividing my life—before last night and after last night. There’s every chance that Eurydice will use me until she’s purged every part of her that ever cared about me, and then she’ll cast me out for good. It’s even likely. I don’t know what happens then. I feel adrift, floating mindlessly except for the tether that connects me to her.
My knees ache pleasantly as I kneel on the tile floor and watch her get ready. It’s a ritual that I know by heart, and yet somewhere along the way I stopped appreciating the experience. I’m sure as shit appreciating it now. The long line of her throat as she tips back her head to put her hair into a high ponytail. The smooth curve of her shoulders, left bare by the tank top she pulls over her head. Her dainty feet, with that damned yellow nail polish.
My fingers twitch. The sensation catches me by surprise, and I stare at them as if I’ve never seen that before. Do I…want to paint? The question almost makes me laugh, but not in a kind way. Maybe Eurydice really is my muse. What a horrifying thought. Better to spend the rest of my life with that hollow spot where my creativity used to be than to get a glimpse of the way it could be again, only to have it ripped from my hands a second time.
I did it to myself. I know that, and yet it doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.
Charon steps out of his closet, breaking my spiral. He’s dressed in the way I’ve always seen him previously, his broad form clothed in a perfectly tailored suit. This one is a pleasant gray that manages to make his eyes look even stormier than normal. His gaze flicks to me and away. Does he feel as conflicted about this sequence of events as I do?
I want him. Of course I do. He’s sexy as fuck, and there have been plenty of times in my past where I’ve enjoyed the particular kind of seduction that comes from coaxing the restrained partner into wild abandon. Charon would be a challenge. Heisa challenge.
But this isn’t a mere seduction where pleasure is the only thing on the line.
He drifts a big hand down Eurydice’s spine. It’s not quite a possessive gesture—more that he is amazed he’s allowed to touch her at all. It makes my chest ache. Charon leans against the counter at her side. “What’s on the agenda today?”
“I’m meeting up with Persephone for lunch.” She lifts a hand. “Yes, we’re going to the upper city. If the security is good enough for Hades, then I think we can both agree that it should be good enough for you.”
He makes a face. “That’s not a fair argument.”
“What makes you think I have any interest in being fair?” Eurydice smiles at him in the mirror, her expression soft. “We’re not doing anything particularly wild. We got word that Pan is out of the hospital and back in the Dryad. We just want to check up on him, and going to lunch seems the least pushy way to do that.”
He looks like he wants to argue. I watch in fascination as he obviously talks himself down. His attention shifts to me again. “What about him?”
Eurydice takes a shuddering breath and turns to look at me as well. “Well?”
It takes me a few moments to realize she’s talking to me. I roll my shoulders, trying to get my thoughts in order. For better or worse, the last twelve hours have created a strange little bubble around the three of us. Eurydice might not be willing to throw me off a bridge, but the same can’t be said for the rest of her family. I have absolutely no desire to see Persephone, but this isn’t about what I want. Not right now. “What do you want?”
She crosses her arms. “Listen, I know you’re all about paying penance right now, and while I find immense satisfaction in having you crawl for me, you are still a person with thoughts and feelings and needs. Scenes end, Orpheus. Would you like to come with me, or would you rather stay here and wait for us to return?”
Part of me wishes she would make the choice for me. She’s already made it clear that she won’t though. I take a deep breath. Maybe it’s foolish, but I can’t shake the feeling that if I let her out of my sight, this will all end. Dealing with her sisters and their blatant hate is a small enough price to pay for spending time in Eurydice’s presence. “I would like to come with you, if that’s all right.”
She studies me for a long moment and finally nods. “Okay.”
Charon has his phone out and is typing away with his big fingers. “Medusa will be on your security detail. Are you going to see your mom as well or coming straight back?”
Eurydice sighs, and although the sound has plenty ofexasperation, there’s more than a little fondness. “I was planning on coming straight back afterward.”
“Then I’ll send Minthe too.”
“Charon.”
He hesitates without looking away from this phone. “You know I worry about you.”
“Medusa is more than formidable enough to ensure I’m safe. If you put too many people on my security, you might as well signal that I’m someone important. You’ll make a target of me.”
She’s…manipulating him. She’s not exactly lying, but it’s clear that she has an agenda, and it’s equally clear that hers is at odds with what Charon wants. I can’t see a good reason not to have more security. As best I can tell, Eurydice hasn’t spent much time in the upper city in the last year, but she has access to all the same sources of news that we do. She has to know how dangerous it is.
Why is she trying to have less security?
I open my mouth to ask, but Eurydice shoots me such a venomous look that I snap my jaw shut. Oh yeah, she knows exactly what she’s doing. Curiosity unfurls inside me. She’s up to something, but she’s still willing to let me tag along.
Finding out what Eurydice doesn’t want Charon to know is more than worth the price of an uncomfortable lunch.
