Strong hands grabbed me and shoved me underwater. I pushed against the force holding me. Then those same hands let me up for air. I gasped, and they drove me under again. I came up a second time, sputtering and coughing but more clearheaded.
Theo clutched me against him, and those hands now stroked the back of my head.
“Althea Lambros,” he said firmly, “get in the boat.”
I climbed in beside Zeus. My wet clothes clung to my cold, shivering body. Theo pushed the boat into the water, fighting the incoming tide.
A dozen or so liege men ran out of the woods toward us. Theo, still in the water, shoved us farther out until the surf picked up the boat. The rising tide propelled us back toward land. Theo pushed harder, but the sea was unrelenting.
The soldiers caught up, wading into the shallows, and attacked. Theo cut the first soldier down with his sword, then the next, staining the water crimson with blood.
I grabbed oars and rowed against the current. The tag on my neck sent a spike of searing pain deep into my skull. A moment later, Decimus emerged from the trees.
“Traitor,” Decimus yelled. “The Almighty asked for your head, Colonel!”
“He’ll have to wait until I’m done with it,” Theo replied.
Decimus prowled toward him. “You haven’t inquired about your mother.”
Theo paused attacking the other soldiers, reverting to parrying their blows. “She’s still in my service,” Decimus went on. “But I would trade her for Althea. Get her for me, and your mother goes free.”
I rowed harder, my arms trembling. Should Theo accept, I would not have the strength to fight both him and the curse tying me to Decimus.
“Your word means nothing,” Theo said.
“This from a traitor,” Decimus snapped. “I suppose I could trade your mother back to the Almighty. He’s looking for a new slave to wash his dusty feet.”
Theo raised his sword and started toward Decimus. He cut through five liege men, working his way toward the general. Despite my rowing, the boat continued to drift down the beach, the gap between Theo and us widening.
Decimus waded into the water, joining his comrades in their assault. There were so many soldiers approaching that I could hardly make out Theo among them.
Archers lined up on the beach.
In one last attempt at retaliation, Theo threw his sword at the general. Decimus stepped aside, and the blade hit the water.
Theo swam to the boat and hauled himself in. The first volley of arrows sank down around us, most disappearing into the sea, some striking the boat. Theo threw himself over Zeus, and an arrow sank into Theo’s shoulder.
I opened the sail and tied it off like I had seen Theo do. Sea winds swept us up, carrying us away from shore. The next volley of arrows came close enough for me to hear them whizzing toward us, but they fell short.
Theo rolled off of Zeus with a groan. I tied off the rigging and then went to him. It was a clean shot; the arrow had pierced straight through his shoulder and out his chest.
“Remove the arrowhead,” he said, handing me his knife.
I cut the head off.
“Now pull the stock out from the back with both hands.”
Gripping the arrow so hard that my bandaged hands hurt, I yanked. Theo sank forward with another pained groan, clutching his shoulder. The wound was bleeding freely. In seconds, he, too, lost consciousness.
My body broke out in a cold sweat. The urge to go back to shore, to Decimus, writhed within me. Defying it ignited a pain so hot it burned like a bitter chill. I held myself firm and our course true until the isle sank away into the horizon. Exhausted and shivering, I lay down in the sunshine, hoping it would warm me. The day grew brighter and brighter, blindingly so, yet the icy agony worsened until, at last, I succumbed.
20
Sunlight shone through my eyelids, waking me. The most unique-looking woman I had ever seen hovered beside my bed.
“You’re awake,” she said, her voice silky.
She was so . . . pink. A cascade of rosy curls spilled down her back and over her willowy shoulders in soft tendrils. Her heart-shaped face was graced with satiny, puffy lips; catlike golden eyes; and wide-set cheekbones stained cerise. Her skin seemed to change colors, depending on what angle she tilted her head, shifting from a rose to a golden shimmer that felt hypnotic. Her blush-colored robes draped her slender upper body and thin waist and clung to her full hips before cascading to her heels. Looking at her gave me that same strange, floating sensation one experienced in the peaceful moment between dreaming and wakefulness when neither slumberland nor the physical world felt quite real.
“Who are you?” I asked. “Where are Theo and Zeus?”
“I’m Eos, Zeus’s cousin. He’s with the colonel and Metis, his betrothed. They’ve been waiting for you to wake. My brother, Helios, found the three of you drifting out at sea and brought you here to the Midnight Mansion.”
The goddess of the dawn fussed over my blankets. So many layers of bedcovers were piled on me that I was toasty warm, everywhere except my lips, which felt as though they had been pressed against ice for hours.
This was Helios’s home in the west, his place of rest after dragging the sun across the heavens in his chariot each day. The bedchamber was swathed in rich ivory fabrics and accented by lush potted greenery. A wide archway opened to a spacious balcony that overlooked a fountain courtyard, the azure sea, and swaying palms. The sound of cows nearby drifted in on a tepid breeze, and the late-day sun cast gold light across the marble floors, which reflected it and gave the chamber a coziness.
I pushed off the blankets and set my feet on the floor. A shiver pulsed through me. “Why am I so cold?”
“Your inner chill is a consequence of defying the curse that was put on you,” Eos said. “You have a stubborn, restless soul, Althea. Most mortals are helpless against such a curse.”
“I don’t have time to be helpless.”
“Time,” Eos said wistfully. “What a convenient incentive. We Titans forget how motivating the hours can be.”
I got to my feet. My bones felt brittle, as though they had been left out during the first autumn frost.
A knock sounded at the door, then a boy slave entered.
“Mistress Eos,” he said. “Master Helios will return soon. He wishes to see all the guests in the receiving room before supper.”
“We’ll be there soon,” Eos replied, dismissing him. “Are you well enough to attend, Althea?”
The sensation of icicles in my lungs made it hard to breathe, but I wouldn’t let her know. “I can come.”
Eos gestured at clothes and sandals that had been laid out for me. “I’ll leave you to dress.” She swept out of the room, leaving a cloud of pinkish glitter in her wake.
I wandered out onto the balcony. The terrace overlooked the verdant oasis, boasting undisturbed views of palm trees and sand in every direction. I wished my sisters were here to share the view with me. My homesickness rose to a simmer, and my eyes brimmed with tears. I returned to the room and changed clothes, my movements numb and hollow.
A rap came at the door. I bid the knocker enter.
Theo stood in the threshold wearing clean clothes as well. His long hair was slicked back and wet, and he smelled strongly of soap. His right arm was in a sling to protect his shoulder where the arrow had struck him.
He noticed my red-rimmed eyes and approached. “Your sisters will be all right, Althea.”
The fact that he knew why I was upset brought more tears.
“The soldiers invaded Crete because of me,” I whispered. “It’s me Decimus wanted.”
Theo drew me into his arms. “Eos told me you’ve been cursed,” he said. “Was it Decimus?”
“That’s why I had to struggle so hard to resist him. His curse compelled me.”
Theo’s finger trailed up the back of my neck, tracing my tag. “The next time you feel him calling you to him, remember what you told me: you shrink for no one.”
>
I rested my head against his uninjured shoulder. Outside, dusk dropped a navy haze over the mansion and grounds. Slaves lit torches to brighten the stone pathways and corridors. The bedchamber had no such light, so we stood in the falling darkness, swathed by the accession of eventide.
“You’re finally warm,” Theo said, his voice husky. “You were freezing before when I visited while you were sleeping.”
“My lips are still cold.”
His gaze dropped to my mouth, his eyes heavy lidded. I told myself I wouldn’t kiss him again, yet when his lips brushed mine, I melted forward, seeking to forget my worries, but the opposite happened; his kiss heightened my sadness. My lower lip quivered, and more tears rose. I didn’t deserve this comfort, this escape. Not when my sisters were prisoners.
Theo sensed my fluctuating emotions and bundled me against his strapping chest with the utmost care. I burrowed into him, mindful of his injured shoulder, and let his embrace smooth the sharpest edges of my grief. I wasn’t affectionate with anyone other than my sisters, but touching Theo was a balm I hadn’t known before, and now it was the only one I wanted.
Someone cleared her throat in the doorway.
“My apologies for interrupting,” Eos said. The goddess’s eyes danced. She wasn’t sorry at all for catching us in an embrace. “The others are waiting.”
Theo ran his hands down my arm, reluctant to let me go. “It will be all right, Althea.”
It may have been naive, but I believed him.
We followed Eos out of the bedchamber and down torchlit corridors that lay open to the balmy evening through grand columns and archways. Slaves in the gardens waved torches, the smoke scattering the buzzing insects and fogging the air with a slight dreaminess. Cicadas serenaded us, their song growing louder as twilight deepened to night.
We arrived at the dazzling receiving room. Decorated in golds and silvers, the open space boasted a stunning view of the gardens and coastal waters. The walls were painted with floor-to-ceiling murals of the sky in its phases, blending seamlessly from daybreak to midday to sunset to midnight. The artistry was so precise, rendered with such care, that the room felt lodged in the heavens.
Helios and Zeus sipped from chalices and sampled tiny pastries from a platter. They were accompanied by two women who could not have been more different in appearance. One of them had long, straight, ashy hair with luminous silver eyes and ivory skin. Her fitted gown gleamed as if moonshine were caressing her curvy figure. The second woman had skin as dark as Helios’s. Her short, raven curls were a soft backdrop for her startlingly blue eyes. Her plain robes hung loosely around her body. Zeus’s hand rested on the small of her back, whereas the woman that shone like a moonbeam had no male companion. I speculated that she was Selene, goddess of the moon, and the woman with Zeus was Metis, his betrothed.
A slave offered wine to me and Theo. I passed, but Theo accepted a cup. Zeus left Metis to greet us. He looked the same, physically—still a scrawny boy with unruly curly hair—yet he carried himself differently, with more confidence.
“Althea,” he said. “I’m glad to see you’re better.”
“Same to you,” I said.
Metis joined us, threading her fingers through the hair at the nape of Zeus’s neck. She smelled divine, of sharp sea salt and sage. “Althea,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to this visit.”
I was curious whether the Oceanid prophetess had foreseen this meeting, but asking felt like prying.
Helios wandered over to us. He wore thick gold liner around his eyes and was hung with more jewelry than when last we met. “Colonel Angelos,” he said by way of greeting, “I hear you had some trouble with the First House’s liege men.”
“We’re in your debt for taking us in,” Theo replied.
“We’re pleased to have you. I hope you enjoy the wine. It’s from my storehouse. Many say my private collection is the finest in the world. Pardon my lack of introductions. You’ve both met Eos. Let me introduce you to our sister, Selene, and our cousin Metis.”
Metis was still preoccupied with running her fingers through Zeus’s hair, but Selene gave us her full, luminous attention. Her watchful stare, intensely direct, felt familiar, almost comforting.
“Selene doesn’t speak much,” Helios said. “She communicates by projecting her thoughts.”
Selene smiled shyly at Theo and me. A voice as soft as a nighttime whisper filled my mind. Pleasure to meet you.
“Can she hear our thoughts too?” Theo asked.
“No,” Eos replied. “You must answer her aloud.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said.
Helios clapped Zeus on the back. “What a delight it is to have us cousins together. At last, a family reunion. Had you arrived a day sooner, you would have met Aphrodite as well. She was just visiting.”
I was suddenly stunned with a deeper realization of where I was. These were second-generation Titans, kin to the God of Gods.
“Aren’t you all allies with Cronus?” I asked.
Helios’s golden gaze flashed in an unexpected show of temper. “Not everyone agrees with how our uncle rules. Yes, it’s been a time of peace and happiness for men, but his building up of an army and armada has ruffled some family members. Many of his nieces and nephews are unhappy with his decision not to elect a successor. Should tragedy befall him . . . well, it would be outright war among the Titans for who would take his place. We would like more stability. A named successor would ease many minds.”
“Isn’t Zeus the successor?” Theo asked.
“Unofficially. Until today, most Titans were unaware that he was alive. But the thunder and lightning he summoned were visible from all four pillars of the earth. I was flying my chariot high above at the time. It was difficult to miss.”
Zeus paled, then finished his drink and signaled for a slave to serve him more.
“Such a strength is not possessed by any other Titan,” Metis said quietly. “The entire family had gathered in Othrys for the procession that commences the First House Festival. Cronus questioned everyone and deduced that he had been betrayed.”
“He canceled the rest of the festivities and sent everyone home,” Eos added. “We are all under strict orders to turn Zeus in. The House of the individual who does so will receive special recognition. Every summer equinox, its name will be hailed alongside the Almighty’s.”
For a god who lived forever and already had riches beyond the imagination, such recognition and worship were more valuable than treasure.
“What about Rhea?” Theo asked. “Will he punish her?”
“Our aunt fled to the southern isles,” Helios said, his tone wrought with worry. “Metis sent a warning to Rhea a few hours ago. She left the palace well before Zeus lit up the sky.”
Selene turned her big, moonlit eyes on Helios.
“Yes, sister,” he replied. “I know you haven’t much more time.” To the rest of us, he explained. “Selene cannot stay long. These are her busiest hours. Let us sit for our evening meal.”
On cue, a slave appeared in the doorway. We followed her outside to the terrace, where a grand table had been set beneath the stars and quarter moon. I didn’t understand how Selene was both here and there. With all these Titans around, I was tempted to ask, but then we were directed to our seats.
Theo sat to my left; to my right, Metis and Zeus. Helios, Selene, and Eos were across the table. Seeing the magnificent trio together, side by side, dazed me. It was like viewing the dawn, day, and night skies all at once.
“I’ve envisioned this moment many times,” Metis said as the slaves set plates of wild boar and a colorful array of peculiar fruits in front of us. “Each of you is of great importance to the future of the world. My betrothed, of course, has his calling, as does his fierce guardian, Althea. Even the colonel plays a part.” She turned her solemn gaze on Theo. “Your father was invited for this conversation, but he declined.”
Theo stiffened.
Why would
his father receive an invitation?
“Wait,” Zeus said, his mouth full of meat. “Who is Theo’s father?”
Metis glanced from Zeus to Theo. “You didn’t tell him?” she asked.
Theo reached for his cup of wine. “It isn’t something I discuss often.”
“Yes, but now you’re in the company of Titans,” Metis said. “Your secret is safe with us.”
“Why is your father’s identity a secret?” I asked.
Theo avoided my stare. “Very few know I’m his son.”
The three gods across from us listened disinterestedly while they dined. Apparently, everyone knew Theo’s parentage except Zeus and me.
“Well?” I pressed. “Who is your father?”
“Pardon me,” Metis replied, as though it hadn’t occurred to her to finish telling us. “Theo’s father is our cousin Prometheus.”
I nearly choked on my spit as my gaze on Theo turned incredulous. “You’re a—a—a half Titan?”
“Well, that explains why you’re as tough as a bear,” Zeus said, shoving another too-large piece of meat into his mouth.
Theo drank the rest of his wine and lifted his cup for more. A slave immediately refilled it. Theo was red around the neck and clearly uncomfortable, but I was not finished.
“Does Cronus know you’re Prometheus’s son?” I asked.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Theo answered. “As far as I know, Prometheus doesn’t even know. My mother never told him.”
Metis reached across me to rest a hand on Theo’s arm. “Your father would be proud of your accomplishments, Colonel Angelos.”
“Angelos?” I said. “Your mother’s surname?”
Still avoiding my gaze, Theo nodded.
Zeus’s head snapped up, and a bright grin spread across his boyish face. “This makes us second cousins. Now I can call you Cousin Theo.”
“Or not,” Theo said.
I had never met another half Titan besides my baby sister. My mind jumped back to the memory of Theo dispatching four men without losing his breath. Was his strength half that of a Titan’s or twice that of a regular man’s? Could he drink nectar and eat ambrosia? I had a hundred more questions, but Helios set his elbows on the table, clasped his hands over his plate of food, and addressed the group.
Wings of Fury Page 21
