Page 37 of Flame and Fury

It’s my turn to gape at him. “Are you kidding me? You offered me and all my secrets up to the Underground.” I jab a finger into his chest, still holding onto my apple. I keep my words as low as possible. The last thing we need is for the drones to capture our conversation. “You might think you’ve just shared my secret with Kat, but I’m sure she’s told others. How long until more people know? How long before the gods find out and decide to take care of the threat?” My breathing is ragged, my cheeks heated with anger. Some of it’s directed at Atlas, for the betrayal I feel over this whole situation, but a lot of it is for my circumstances. I don’t want to be the people’s only option for freedom, the Underground’s trojan horse.

“Wren. Fuck. I know I screwed up. I just…” Atlas drags a hand through his hair.

“But you’d do it again, right?” I lift my brows in question.

I know I need to let it go, but if there was a contest for holding a grudge, I think I might just win. When we woke up in Vegas, I’d been feeling all warm and forgiving, but all it took was one simple reminder of the life Atlas has outside of these games, a life that I have no part in, and my hurt came roaring back. Although, I guess I do have a part in his life outside the games. I’m the key to taking down the gods.

There’s a shadow in Atlas’s eyes as he blinks and takes a step back from me. “I…I don’t know.”

I’m not sure that’s any better than a yes. Atlas and I stare at each other and suddenly I’m tired. I’m tired of hiding, of being alone. Tired of pretending I’m above feeling hurt. Fuck that. I’m hurt.

“It fucking worked,” Greer shouts from the clearing breaking the trance between me and Atlas. I think we’re both relieved for a temporary excuse to walk away.

We head back to the group. Our trusty transporter, who always looks like he’s eaten a hamburger laced with glass, is waiting for us.

“Hurry up. Your punishment has concluded.”

We might be getting out of this lethal paradise, but we’re not leaving unscathed. I’ve got a feeling Zeus, and Nathaniel, haven’t finished punishing us.

CHAPTER21

WREN

Ican’t remember the last time I slept. We went straight from the challenge in Vegas to our punishment in the garden. After that, it was back to the compound to get washed up and now, we’re on our way to another party.

Tonight, Estella has dressed me up to look like a virginal princess. The dress is a pure white, off-the-shoulder floor-length gown. The chest crosses in a deep vee, and is fitted to the waist where it flares out in an abundance of fabric. There’s a slit that is almost indecent, but it’s mostly hidden unless I walk with long strides.

Every one of the champions is in white. I guess that’s the theme of tonight’s party. It’s hard not to rub my gritty eyes, but despite the bridal look Estella was going for with this outfit, I’m still wearing a lot of eye makeup.

Our transporter is waiting for us in the gym of the compound. Jade and Preston are back with us, but my stomach sinks when I don’t see Nico. I slink over to Jasper, squeezing his forearm.

“Where’s Nico?”

A resigned and weary look covers Jasper’s face. He shakes his head. “He hasn’t come back from the medics yet. I don’t know if he will.”

“But those two get to come back? How’s that fair?” I glare over at Preston and Jade. I’m happy to see they still look a little green.

“Because it’s all a bunch of bullshit.” Jasper stares up at the camera in the corner of the gym. I tug on his arm, pulling him toward the center of the room. The last thing Jasper needs is for the clerics or gods to target him specifically. His mom might be Athena, but that doesn’t mean he’s invincible.

“Let’s go.” Our transporter barks out and we all move in toward him.

The second we arrive, I know immediately where we are. We’ve been transported back to Chicago. Everyone in this city knows Nathaniel Roger’s house. After he woke the gods, Nathaniel erected the Shrine of Olympus, a massive temple meant for worshiping the deities. At the same time, he confiscated all the surrounding land and built himself a house right next to it. Althoughhouseis a bit of a misnomer. The structure is a massive mansion reminiscent of an old factory building. Not because the home is old, but because of the design. The windows are small and spread far apart. Multiple chimneys stretch up into the sky like he’s burning chemicals and wants to shoot them high in the atmosphere.

Nathaniel’s home is a place that most people, except for other clerics and the elites, avoid at all costs. There’s a general sense of dread that lingers around the place. It takes real effort to pick up my feet and head toward the entrance.

Billy leads us down a twisting walkway that stops at a twelve-foot-tall door. It has the same feel as the rest of the exterior. And by that, I mean warehouse meets confused modern era architecture. The door opens and the champions filter inside.

The inside is not at all what I was expecting. Not that I had any expectations to begin with, but if I tried to picture it, I wouldn’t have conjured up this place. So far, the parties we’ve been to have been held in these immaculately crafted structures of marble, with hand-painted frescoes and carved statues littering the hallways.

Nathaniel’s house is the antithesis of those places. It’s both simplistic and yet somehow over-the-top. I hate it.

My first reaction is to the overwhelming lack of color. Everything is black. The floors are black tile polished to such a shine that I can see my reflection. The walls of the entryway are covered in black wallpaper with a tiny pattern of gold triangles.It reminds me of the pin the cleric I beat up was wearing on his robes. Huh.

The front hall has minimal furniture, all of which is black. There’s a velvet settee pushed up against the far wall. An abstract piece of art hangs over the couch. Once again, it’s Nathaniel’s favorite color, black with some chunks of gold paint sporadically flicked across the canvas. In the center of the room is a lacquered table that’s just as shiny as the floor. Sitting on top of it is a huge onyx vase filled with artfully arranged black flowers.

“I’m sensing a theme.” Jasper leans in to whisper.

“Do you think it’s his favorite color because that’s what his insides look like?” I murmur back, but I’m not quiet enough because Greer grins over at me.

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