Page 83 of Crown of Serpents

The conversation at the nearby table continued. “A man is allowed to grieve the loss of his wife and child, no?” The blond guard reprimanded, but his companion grunted, taking another swig of wine.

The barkeep slid the jug of wine across the counter, but Perseus barely noticed.

The young man persisted, “So, whatdidhe get arrested for?”

Perseus held his breath.

„Not sure, exactly. Something about stealing one of Polydectes's women.“

The word hit Perseus like a blow to the gut. Danae. Medusa had run to the small cabin at the wood’s edge for nothing. She would find it abandoned, his mother and Dictys were both in Polydectes' clutches.

Despair washed over him. Dictys would die for trying to protect Danae. Guilt twisted in his stomach like a knife.

He had to act. Now.

His head was spinning as he strode toward the table.

Kleos looked up from his conversation with Kyros. “Ah, Eustathius, finally! There’s our wine!”

“We need to go,” he said through clenched teeth, ignoring Kyros's wary stare.

Kleos tensed, his smile fading. “Are you all right?” He glanced at Kyros, who was now eyeing Perseus's trembling hands with suspicion.

“We need to go.Now!” Perseus snapped.

He grabbed Kleos's arm and dragged him towards the exit. He had to get out of there, had to think.

What were they going to do? Perseus had planned for Danae and Dictys to be safe and sound on the Queen Cassiopeia whenhe attacked the palace. He would have never risked their lives for his reckless plan.

But now? They were already in the palace he was planning to storm, probably held captive in the damp dungeons … or worse.

Their plan was in ruins.

Perseus sunk against the tavern wall, grasping his head. Now, he not only had to overthrow the Seriphos’s tyrant in one night but also rescue his family. And he had just compromised their plan to get into the palace.

…

Perseus and Kleos sprinted through the labyrinthine streets of Seriphos, the weight of stolen armour digging into their backs. They had ten minutes until the shift change at the servant’s entrance. They had to be there before the actual king’s guard would show up for duty. Otherwise, their plan to enter the palace unnoticed would fail. Kleos and Perseus needed to secure that gate, or the rest of the crew arriving there shortly would be in peril.

A wave of nausea hit him as he recalled his outburst in the tavern. Their hasty exit had left them without crucial information: who was on duty tonight? They had resorted to ambushing lone guards in a back alley, stealing the uniform of their backs, but now they faced the risk of encountering the rightful guards at the gate. Perseus quickened his pace, his heart pounding in his chest.

He took a steadying breath, sharpening his focus on the task ahead. He would not fail his crew — nor his family.

Ahead, Kleos slowed to a casual stroll as they neared the palace gate. Perseus mirrored his movements, feigning a drunken swagger. One close look at Kleos’s poorly fitted uniform could give them away. He was too tall for the armour they had stolen. They had barely been able to fit it over his broad shoulders.

“Follow my lead this time,“ Perseus muttered.

“And if they don’t believe us?”

Perseus’s stomach twisted in a tight knot.

“We knock them out,” Perseus decided. „Butonlyknock them out.“

Kleos shrugged just as two young guards emerged from the gate. The rumours were true — Polydectes had stationed new recruits here.

“Evening, lads,” the tall, gangly one greeted them.

“Evening,” Perseus replied, his voice steady, “Ready to be relieved?”

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