Page 69 of Flame and Fury

“Wow, that’s healed really quickly,” Lark says. She and Estella saw my wings back at Nathaniel's. They know what I am. Nico doesn’t, though.

With a sigh, I nod, sitting criss-cross on the floor in front of the fireplace. I gather my hair up on top of my head, tucking it into a knot as best I can without a hair tie. The damn strands are sticking to my neck and getting the back of my tank top all soggy.

Estella huffs. “Come here, I’ll fix it for you.” She points at the floor in front of her chair, and I sit down. There’s still a look of uncertainty in her eyes, but I’m trusting my gut. She’s knee deep in the shit now, whether she wants to be or not.

Atlas takes the seat opposite Estella, looking relaxed for the first time since I’ve known him. He’s letting me run the show right now. A secret smile lifts the corner of his lips as he watches me. My skin flushes with heat. I really need to not think about what’s making him smile right now if I want to get this story out.

“That’s actually something we need to talk about. More specifically, what happens next.” I rub my hands over my thighs. Estella tugs on my hair, putting it up in a ponytail and then braiding it. My head jerks back with her movements. “I need to find someone.”

I haven’t had a chance to speak with Atlas about this part of my plan yet, and I’m not sure he’s going to like it. His shoulders stiffen, and he looks less relaxed.

“Who do you need to find?” Larks asks, but I see that same question in Atlas’s gaze.

“My grandmother.”

That sends everyone into another bout of silent confusion.

“You don’t know where your grandma is?” Nico’s brows furrow, like he’s trying to put the pieces together and failing.

“She’s in hiding. She has been for years.” I swallow thickly, searching the faces of the people in this room. I’ve gone from no one in the know about my Fury–except maybe my boss Jerry–to having more people than I have fingers aware of my secret. It’s dangerous, but if I really want to help, if I want to bring down the clerics and any gods that see us as pests to be stomped on, then I need to embrace this part of myself.

“She’s a known Fury. It would be very dangerous for her to be out where anyone could see her.”

Atlas, Lark, and Estella already know, but Nico looks like he’s doing advanced math in his head. I guess I wasn’t as bad as I thought at keeping my secret from the world. Or maybe Nico’s not that observant. Atlas’s eyes are narrowed. Maybe I should have told him before I dropped this bomb on everyone.

“She’s a known Fury?” There’s a hidden command in Atlas’s question. It’s laden with a dozen other questions. Why didn’t you tell me? Who is she? How does this mess with our plans?

I lick my lips, suddenly desperate for a drink. My stomach growls like it doesn’t want to take a backseat to my thirst. Atlas points at me like he can tell I’m about to abandon the conversation to get something to eat. He shakes his head. “In a minute. Who’s your grandmother, Wren?”

I gnaw on the inside of my cheek. It’s a nervous tick, not because I’m hungry. This will change everything. “My grandmother is Nyx.”

You’d think I just blew glitter in everyone’s faces. They’re all up on their feet and shouting over one another.

“You’re kidding me?” That comes from Nico with an excited whoop.

“Holy shit,” Estella blurts out before slapping a hand over her mouth.

“Not surprised,” Lark says, grinning at me so wide I can practically count all her teeth.

The only one still sitting is Atlas. Once again, I can’t read his expression. Dammit, he’s gone back to his aloof mask.

“Nyx. As in one of the primordials? One of the first Furies ever created by the Titans?” His voice is even, not giving me any hint of his feelings.

I scratch the back of my head. “I mean, the way you say it makes her sound ancient. I’ll let you know right now, don’t bring up her age. She doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Atlas curses, pushing out of his chair and stomping into the kitchen. I’m not sure what he's mad about, exactly. We need to find out how the Furies put the gods to sleep last time, and we can go directly to the source. I didn’t seek out my grandmother in the past because it’s dangerous for us both.

The last time I saw her was on my thirteenth birthday. She’d come into my room so early in the morning the city had still been quiet. I woke to her tickling my nose. She’d told me that it would be harder for her to come and see me. The clerics had been increasing their raids and the number of people they called a Fury and killed was rising at an alarming rate.

I don’t want anyone to find her, but it’s time. Besides that, something Hades said has been rattling around in my head. A few things, actually.

I think he knows what I am. And he knows Nyx.

Should I trust him? My gut says yes. Could that be the biggest mistake of my life? Also, yes. But Hades didn’t get put to sleep last time. He stayed in the Underworld, ruling while the rest of the gods were punished for their avarice and disregard for humans.

The rattle of dishes has me looking over my shoulder. Atlas is slamming cupboards and banging around the kitchen. Nico, Lark, and Estella sit back down, subdued by Atlas’s agitation. I stand up and wander into the kitchen.

“Are you looking for plates to throw?”

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