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 clap him lightly on the shoulder and nod. “Thank you. We’ll be back shortly. Wait here.” I don’t want any witnesses for whatever comes next. If it’s a trap, then Hera and I will pay the price for our arrogance alone.
Hera steps down into the boat, and I follow her significantly less gracefully. She doesn’t speak until I’ve started the engine and guided us away from the dock and onto the open water toward where Circe’s five ships linger. “It’s rather impressive how loyal your people are. They truly love you, don’t they?”
There’s no reason to think her question is a threat, but I bristle all the same. “What do you think you’re going to accomplish with this meeting tonight? If the rest of the Thirteen find out—”
“But they won’t find out, will they?” Her words go hard, her tone unforgiving. “Our intentions are the same, Poseidon, even if our methods differ. I need my family to be safe, and if that means I have to break every vow I’ve made and sacrifice a large number of lives, then I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”
I’ve heard her husband say something similar. I don’t say as much, though. She won’t thank me for the comparison, and she sure as fuck won’t thank me for pointing out that she and Zeus are remarkably well matched. I can’t leave her words unchallenged, though. “Our intentions are not the same, Hera. I’m not willing to sacrifice anyone.”
“So you say now.” She shrugs, her gaze going distant. “But when it comes down to your people or all the rest of Olympus, it won’t be much of a choice at all.” She turns to face the direction we’re traveling in, effectively ending the conversation.
The salty air of the wind whisking the mist into our faces fills my lungs and relaxes a tight muscle between my shoulder blades. We might be driving to our certain deaths, but at least I’m out on the water again.
Out here, even in the relative shelter of the bay, I’m reminded of how small my life really is. My people find the feeling disconcerting, but for me it’s a comfort. The sea doesn’t care that I’m one of the Thirteen; it will crush any arrogance I have as easily as the next person’s. I respect the destruction water and weather can come together to create, but I don’t fear it. There’s almost always warning and time to prepare, to minimize the damage.
The same can’t be true of people.
The relative peace of the moment is over far too soon. “We’re here.” I ease off the throttle and allow the boat to coast to stillness. Or as close to stillness as we can manage while ensuring the waves don’t wash us back to the shore. It’s too dark to see the ships blockading the bay, but I can feel their presence like a weight pressing down on my shoulders. There’s no true freedom on the water right now. There won’t be until we end this.
The faint sound of a motor declares Circe’s arrival. Squinting into the darkness, I’m shocked to find she’s held to her end of the bargain. There are only two people aboard the small vessel cutting through the waves in our direction before slowing to pull up next to us.
I get my first look at Circe—or my first look since that ill-fated wedding to Zeus. She wears the years well. Even in the darkness, I can see her straight spine and proud shoulders, her face a pale oval as the boat gets closer, her short brown hair seemingly impervious to the wind. There’re new lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes, but she’s no less beautiful than she was all those years ago. Her companion has their hood pulled forward and is bundled up with enough clothing that it’s impossible to tell anything about them.
She and Hera stare at each other, each appearing to weigh their enemy. To Hera’s credit, Circe is the one who speaks first. She crosses one long leg over the other. “I’ll admit, I was surprised to hear from you. It’s enough to make one wonder how you got my number to begin with.” Her gaze flicks to me and then back to Hera.
“That’s the least important part of the conversation we need to have.” Hera’s voice is cool and even, showing no sign of the strain she has to be feeling. We sit in the presence of the person who has orchestrated so much pain and suffering in our city. People have died because of the plans Circe put into motion. More will die before this is over. But none of that is evident on Hera’s face. “You’ve been sitting out here, so obviously you wanted someone’s attention. I chose to give you mine.”