Hermes lay on the couch, covered from chin to toe by a slab of blankets. They’d packed something in with him that made boxy bunches beneath the fabric. She didn’t know what it was, but it hid his thinness well enough. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he had just come down with the flu.
That’s a lie. His gaunt face had gone the color of ash. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was already dead.
Athena stood beside the couch. She’d changed out of her bloody shirt, but the way she stood said the wound still hurt. A dark spot above her collarbone hinted at another feather working toward the surface.
“You brought him back here,” Athena said, staring at Thanatos.
“He’s not the cause of this.” Cassandra spoke carefully. Anyone could see Athena was barely hanging on, and Thanatos was an easy target. But Athena knew the truth when she heard it. She backed up a step so Cassandra could get to the front of the couch.
“Hey,” Hermes whispered as she knelt. “We’ve been looking for you. Went all the way to the desert to ask Aunt Demeter where you were.” Cassandra felt the cold emanating from beneath the thick blanket. They’d packed him with ice, and still his eyes shone bright with fever, and sweat dripped down his neck. “They killed her, you know. The Moirae. Sliced her into confetti.”
Cassandra pressed her hand to his shoulder. “How long has he been like this?”
“Since last night. Since we dreamed of Demeter’s murder.” Athena hugged herself tightly, and Odysseus went to stand beside her. “The fever broke for a few hours this morning. But it won’t stay gone.”
“Is there anything we can do?”
“I don’t know.” Athena wiped a tear out of her eye. “Maybe if we found a way to kill that.” She gestured toward Thanatos, who did his best to look innocent.
“Can’t.” Cassandra smiled softly. “I already tried.”
Athena scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Perfect.”
The back door opened and closed. Cassandra knew who it was before she saw him, even before she heard the wolves scramble into the kitchen, just by the way Athena stiffened. Cassandra drew her hand back fast from Hermes’ shoulder and took a long, slow breath.
Control it.
But she couldn’t. It burst from her as soon as Ares stepped into her peripheral vision. His wolves whined and slunk behind his legs. Cassandra breathed, in and out. In and out as fire licked up her arms.
He should be dead. He should die. It was what she’d waited for.
Control it.
She told herself again. To control it like she hadn’t been able, when she’d killed Calypso. When she’d murdered Calypso.
Athena stepped slowly around the back of the couch, her arm stretched wide to block Cassandra’s way, or maybe just to separate them. Not that it would do any good. One touch and there’d be nothing left of Athena but the remains of a pillow fight.
“It should’ve been you,” Cassandra heard herself say. Her legs drove up from the ground and she vaulted toward Ares and Athena both. “It should’ve been you! Not her!”
Ares stepped back, and reached for Athena as though he might shove her closer. The coward. But his hand wrapped around Athena’s arm and pulled her to his side, so maybe he meant to use her as a human shield instead.
“Cassandra!” Thanatos jumped forward and caught her around the waist. She’d come so close. The terror in Ares’ eyes was incredible. Exhilarating.
“Thanatos, be careful,” Athena shouted, but he paid no attention. He wrangled Cassandra from the room. Just like he had in Hades’ house.
21
NO TIME TO HEAL
“That went better than I expected.” Athena shook loose of Ares and returned to Hermes.
“What just happened?” Hermes asked when she knelt.
“Nothing.” She checked his shoulder where Cassandra had touched him. It was no worse. “Just Cassandra, come to check on you.” She felt Odysseus’ and Ares’ eyes glued to her back and willed them to shut up. There wasn’t any need to worry Hermes.
Sure, Cassandra had exploded into a bloodthirsty monster in their living room. Sure, the way her face had seemed to elongate in that moment, the way her teeth seemed to elongate, was bound to keep them all up nights. But considering Athena had figured on losing most of an arm to feathers during the exchange, it really had gone much better than she’d hoped.
Still, they’d have to find a way to keep Cassandra and Ares apart.
Odysseus closed the front door, left open after Thanatos had dragged Cassandra out. There’d been a tense few seconds when she’d clawed into the jamb and it seemed that she would scratch her way back in. But her fingernails gave way instead.