Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Guilt pricks me, seeming to grow strength with each time I’m reminded that I killed Eros. I can say he wasn’t part of the plan until I’m blue in the face, but the fact remains that my miscalculation led to his death. There’s every possibility that Psyche would have been able to keep him calm if they hadn’t had a literal front-row seat to his mother’s death. I…regret…killing him. It hurt Hecate. It damaged my plans in a dozen different ways. It was a mistake.
I clear my throat. “I wish her all the best.”
“I’m sure.” She turns with a swish of skirts. “I trust things have come along smoothly in my absence.”
“Smoothly enough.” I follow her deeper into the room, to where I have an electric kettle waiting. “Tea?”
“Yes, please.” She sinks onto one of the chairs and watches me prepare two teacups. I only go through the extra effort of doing it properly when I’m entertaining. If left to my own devices, I’m just as likely to grab a grocery-store teabag as I am the fancy stuff. Obviously the latter is a more pleasurable experience, but the former is nostalgic in a way I’m too sentimental to completely give up.
“We’ve secured Artemis, as well as a number of her family members.” The vast majority of them chose to stay in the upper city rather than seek refuge within Hades’s borders. Fools. I don’t believe in sins the way so much of the greater world does, but even I can admit that pride is an intoxicating drug. “We have also brought in the Cassas families.” Again, I think of the children, huddled against their parents who are trying to hold their fear in check…and doubt creeps in.
It’s an insidious little beast. I’ve worked very hard to have contingency plans for my contingency plans. Every element of the Olympian assault has been planned down to the smallest detail. I just didn’t plan on me faltering. Not in the overall goal—the Thirteen must fall, and their allies with them—but in the sheer level of scorched earth I’d intended to take. It was all well and good to make plans with rage and hate in my heart when the city that spawned it was hundreds of miles away. But I am not capable of looking into the faces of terrified children and feeling nothing.
Later. I’ll come up with a plan to pivot regarding the legacy families later.
Demeter accepts her cup and sips her tea without hesitation or concern that I might have poisoned her. It makes me respect her more. This is a woman who understands the truth of the world: Every interaction is one where you have the opportunity to come out on top. I don’t imagine Demeter loses many of these little power plays.
She waits until I sit on the couch across from her to say, “So few.” Her tone is perfectly mild, which only makes the accusation beneath the two words sting all the more.
“Athena is a fearsome enemy. She and her people coordinated in a truly impressive way and managed to convince a good portion of the remaining Thirteen and various families to seek sanctuary with Hades.” I shrug. “It won’t matter in the end.”
“Because you intend to bring down the secondary barrier.”
I’m not surprised she managed to figure out the next step of the plan. Demeter is smart enough to side with me; she’ll have considered what my plans are before making that decision. It’s honestly pleasant not to have to spell out every little detail—not that I would.
“All in good time.” I take a sip of my tea. It’s got a faintly pungent flavor that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s strangely pleasant. “First, Artemis will stand trial for her crimes.”
Demeter sits back. “So you’ll continue the farce.”
It feels a little bit like a farce after how poorly Peitho’s execution went. I don’t regret the trial and execution of her, but… Damn it, Hecate got into my head. I can’t afford to doubt. Not when I’m so close to victory. “It’s not a farce.”
“Circe.” She gives me a severe look. “It’s very much a farce. You want the city and your vengeance, and you’re conflating the two for appearances’ sake.”
“Demeter.” I match her vaguely patronizing tone. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can manipulate me the way you do everyone else around you. I may have personal goals regarding who we bring down, but this is for the city.”
“I have no doubt.” She studies her tea. “With that said—”
The door flings open, cutting her off, to reveal Nerissa. Her bruise has bloomed into a truly outstanding array of colors, but she refused to take more than the first night off after the incident. She sees Demeter and checks her stride, but only barely. “Circe, I have news about…” She glances at Demeter again and clears her throat. “Atalanta was spotted on our side of Cypress Bridge. She’s back in the upper city.”