Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
I know how to show him, though. I’m very good at it. “I can kiss you?” The sentence flickers a little, becoming one that I don’t dare speak aloud: Can I keep you?
I know better than to ask. The answer is always the same.
No.
Never.
Why would you ever consider that I’d want to be kept by a fuckup like you?
For the first time in my life, I want something different. Something…more. Too bad the person inspiring that feeling is the same one who will kick my ass to the curb the moment this conflict with Circe is over.
24
Poseidon
Icarus is breaking my heart. I want to shake him until some sense rattles into that beautiful head of his. I want to walk away and never look back because that’s the only way to prevent myself from falling harder for him. I want…I want everything to be okay.
He’ll see anything but a kiss as a rejection, no matter how I intend it. There’s no right answer, and that makes me want to crawl into a quiet, dark space and hold perfectly still until the world makes sense again. I press a light kiss to his lips and retreat before he can deepen it. “We need to sleep.”
“But…” His voice trails off and he ducks his head. “Yeah. Sure. Okay.”
“Icarus.” I wait until he looks at me. It takes a while. Only then do I continue. “I’m not angry at you. I’m not disappointed. You’re doing what you think is best, and I’m not even sure you’re wrong. Just…give me a little bit, okay?”
He swallows visibly. “Sure. Of course. Anything you need.”
It’s horribly awkward as we lie down next to each other. He can’t quite bring himself to move away from me, but he’s not doing that careless sprawl he was earlier. I finally haul him over my chest, keeping my eyes closed so I don’t see rejection on his face.
Except he doesn’t reject me. He’s only tense for a single breath before he goes completely lax. It doesn’t take long before his breathing evens out in true sleep. I still wait a little longer before I relax. Understanding his motivations and actions doesn’t mean I fully trust him. I’m not a complete fool, no matter what the other Thirteen seem to think.
My heartbeat finally calms and my thoughts lose the numbness that always signals complete overwhelm. Too many surprises, too fast. I was already worried about the situation with Hera spinning out of control, and now Zeus is in the mix as well with a fucking coup. The ridiculous thing is that I don’t trust either of them to hold the same priorities I do. If push comes to shove, both Zeus and Hera will choose their family over Olympus as a whole. I’d bet my life on it.
The question remains which of them is the better bet to actually protect the city.
I still don’t have an answer when sleep finally takes me. Or when I wake up to early-morning light streaming through the window and Icarus sprawled next to me, one arm outstretched as if reaching for me.
I tense, but he doesn’t immediately open his eyes and his breathing remains even. It feels a little strange to watch him while he sleeps. He’s removed all the bandages on his chest but one, and the cuts have scabbed over, even with the…energetic physical activities we indulged in last night. Still, I should have considered that he was still injured when we started talking about safe words.
“You’re staring.” Icarus speaks without opening his eyes.
I don’t jolt, but it’s a near thing. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
I know what he’s going to say even before he opens his eyes. “I’m sorry about last night.”
“Yeah, me too.” It’s the truth. He didn’t act outside the range of expectations. There’s no point in being mad at a dog who bites when they’ve been kicked their entire life. Icarus has no reason to trust me, so the fact that he’s telling me what little he is should be counted as nothing less than a miracle.
My phone vibrates on the nightstand. I don’t exactly lunge for it, but I move fast enough that it’s probably clear I want to get out of this conversation. Any relief I might feel is gone the moment I read the text.
Zeus: Be here in an hour. Hades has agreed to meet.
He doesn’t send an address, just a screenshot of a map with a spot circled near the river just south of Juniper Bridge. Hades might be attending this treasonous meeting, but he’s not taking any chances by coming farther into the upper city than strictly necessary. The fact that he’s showing up at all defies belief—or maybe it just highlights the fact that he’s as worried that his wall will fall as the rest of us.