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)
Bellerophon gives her a faintly put-upon look as Atalanta sips the coffee that looks too thick to be termed liquid. They turn back to Poseidon and hold up a tablet. “I have a map to go over our plan of attack.”
Athena crosses her arms over her chest. For once, she’s not wearing an impeccably tailored suit, choosing to forgo that in exchange for cargo pants and a formfitting long-sleeved shirt that shows off a lean body. She’s also bristling with guns. I count four in various holsters, and I’m sure there are a few extra tucked away. She’s held her title for quite a while and survived multiple assassination attempts in the last couple weeks; it’s clear that she is just as capable of murder as the people who work under her. Of course she is; this is Olympus, after all.
She catches me watching her and raises a brow. “If you go for one of my guns, all you’ll get for the effort is a new hole in your head.”
“Enough, Athena.”
She snorts and turns to Zeus. “Hades isn’t coming. We shouldn’t wait.”
“He’s coming.” He sits down in a rickety chair, somehow transforming the impression of it into a throne. It’s a neat trick. I don’t understand how he can be so calm, but I suppose he’s been raised to the role. Unlike me, this man wasn’t a disappointment to his father.
We mill around in somewhat awkward silence. Poseidon hovers at my shoulder, all his earlier relaxation gone. It makes me want to stand between him and the rest of them, but that will only make things worse. Still, the impulse is a new one and I marvel at it. The big guy has me acting against type. I really have gone and fallen for him, haven’t I?
I reach out tentatively and press my hand to the center of his back. I actually feel his exhale. He gives me a brief smile, but then his gaze lands over my head and he freezes.
There’s nothing to do but turn around. I almost wish I didn’t. A group of black-clad people walk into the room as if they own it, fanning out almost as if they intend to block off the exits.
Hades is here.
32
Poseidon
It doesn’t matter that I had a conversation with Zeus and Hades just a short time ago. It feels different having them here, in my space, not bickering over a fancy boardroom table but actively planning an assault on our enemy. The coup is in action. We’re gathered around the digital map Bellerophon projects onto the blank wall. It depicts the five ships and our coastline.
“We launch from here, here, and here.” Athena points to each spot in turn. “Even if the jammers work on their radar like you say, we don’t want to gather and present a pretty target for them to shoot at if someone happens to see us.”
Hades stands with his arms crossed over his chest. Like Athena and the rest of their respective people, he’s dressed for war, not for the boardroom. I don’t know what Zeus was thinking, showing up in a suit.
Hades leans over to speak to the white woman with short blond hair at his side. Medusa. Normally, his ever-present shadow is Charon, who I fully expected to accompany him. When Charon ferried Hades across the river, I assumed rumors of his injuries in the recent attacks in the lower city were exaggerated. Apparently not. I do question the decision to bring Medusa, though. She’s got a reputation for being dangerous—because she used to work for Athena. At least until that mess with Odysseus and Calypso. I would have expected her to avoid coming back to the upper city, especially since this meeting requires Athena’s presence.
“Don’t be shy, Hades,” Athena says drily. “Share it with the class.”
He gives her a long look, expression carefully blank. “Normally, I would recommend splitting our respective forces to be represented on each of the boats, but in this case, I think it would do more harm than good. We don’t have time for the potential pissing contests or the slightest hesitation.”
Athena’s lips thin, probably at the insinuation that any of her people would let a silly thing like loyalty get in their way of obeying an order. She runs a tight ship, so to speak, but surely she realizes he’s right. The Thirteen, myself included, have spent too much time ensuring our people are loyal to us, not the Thirteen as a whole. It’s the only way to sleep soundly at night, even as a legacy title. For someone like Athena, that’s doubly true; her title can be claimed through the assassination clause. Since that knowledge became public, she’s fielded no less than three attacks…that we know about.
“He’s right,” Zeus cuts in. “We can’t afford to waste energy ensuring we all play nice. We have to make this work the first time.”