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 take it gingerly. It’s tempting to duck back into the bathroom to make this call, but I’ve been cowardly enough. Over and over again in the last few days, I’ve shown Poseidon the absolute worst version of myself and he hasn’t flinched away. What’s one more?
Deo is the first number I dial. He answers quickly, likely waiting by his phone for this exact outreach. “We’ve considered your offer.”
Offer. Interesting term for blackmail. As much as I don’t want to show my ugly underbelly to Poseidon, I put the call on speaker and force a smile to my lips and a coquettish tone to my voice. “Darling, it means the world that I’ve been on all your minds. I hope we’re in agreement about the right course of action.”
Deo and the others have already made their decisions, but he’s a stubborn bastard and the idea of plucking Olympus is tempting. “I could simply kill you, you know. Your father isn’t the only one who has pet assassins.”
I shiver. My father isn’t, not wasn’t. Circe and her people don’t know Minos is dead. That is a clever move on Olympus’s part. I glance at Poseidon, but he hasn’t so much as twitched since this conversation started. He’s watching me closely, but it doesn’t feel like he’s ready to launch himself forward if I do or say something to betray him. More like I’ve just revealed a new facet to him and he’s analyzing it and fitting it into the puzzle in his head that represents Icarus.
“You could,” I say breezily. “I still like the odds of my being able to push a button and send all this damning evidence to Circe and the rest of Aeaea before they can cut me down.”
“How do we know you won’t release the information anyway?”
“You don’t.” There’s no point in pretending otherwise. There’s no foolproof assurance I can offer, so I don’t bother. “But I’ve managed to keep these secrets just between us for nearly ten years. You don’t think I’m going to spill it out of spite, do you? You all weren’t that bad in bed.”
“Fuck you, Icarus.”
“I already did, darling. I even have videos.”
“You—”
“You’re just going to have to trust me, Deo. Promise to sail away and never return, and none of this juicy evidence will ever see the light of day.” He truly doesn’t have a choice. Circe won’t tolerate this kind of rebellion, and a good portion of the sailors on those ships are conscripts. They won’t stand between him and someone out for his blood. He has to know that. This plan of attack only works if Circe and the Aeaeans have surprise on their side.
So why haven’t they actually attacked?
I can’t ask. Showing any kind of ignorance will put me in a position with less power. Deo and the others need to believe I’m unassailable.
Finally, he curses. “Fine. We’ll do it. We don’t have any other choice.”
“You really don’t. I want you to sail away at…” I glance at Poseidon and he holds up ten fingers and then two. “Midnight. It’s suitably dramatic, but also late enough that Circe won’t have time to pivot to a different defense. Douse the lights and take off.”
“So be it. I’ll text you when we’re leaving.” He hesitates a long moment. “Circe’s ship is run by a skeleton crew. If you’re quick and quiet, they won’t see you coming.”
He truly is helpful when he gets out of his own way. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Do whatever you want. Just hold off your damn attack until we’re out of the way of crossfire.”
“Good boy.” The words taste foul on my tongue.
“Icarus, if you’re fucking me over, I won’t kill you,” he says calmly. “I’ll hunt down that sister of yours who sailed away a few days ago and slit her pretty throat.”
It takes everything I have to keep my voice cheery. “It’s been a true pleasure doing business with you, Deo. I’ll be waiting for your text and watching for your retreat.” I end the call.
I’m shaking and I can’t seem to stop. I toss the phone onto the cushion beside Poseidon. “There. Done. All four of them will abandon Circe at midnight tonight.”
Instead of appearing victorious, he just seems worried. “Deo’s threats were…convincing.”
“It goes with the territory.” I shrug, though the motion is too tense to fully pull off. “If any of them really had assassins in Olympus, they would have already tried to kill me after the call last night. It’s been hours, and even without MuseWatch reporting on my whereabouts, any assassin worth their salt would have figured out where I am. We haven’t exactly been hiding.”
“True,” he says slowly, his amber eyes still worried. For me. “But that doesn’t mean Deo didn’t do harm.”
I laugh. I can’t help it. “You truly are too pure for this world or any other. Harm is a reality of life, Poseidon. The powerful harm the weak. It’s how they stay in power.”