Page 45 of Guided by the Stars
She slaps my hand away and closes her mouth as she brushes past me to approach him. I follow, shifting her behind me as we stop in front of his post. I’ve seen him countless times before and know the story of how he came to be here. The tales of his trades aren’t a secret, but I’ve never made one with him or spoken to him directly.
He tracks my every movement, each eye on his fifty heads seeming to see something different. We stand in silence for a moment, sizing each other up.
“Aegaeon,” I say with authority. “I need information and hear you can offer it.”
He stares at me, cocking all heads to the side. “Nothing is free, even for princes.”
I try to hide my shock, keeping the mask of indifference firm on my face. I should have guessed he’d realize who I am, should have known he’d recognize me. It’s his job to noticethings. “So the rumors are true. A trade, then. What do you want?” I ask.
A smile spreads across the lips on his fifty faces, the look in his eyes one I’ve seen before. A hunter, sizing up his prey, positive he’s found an easy target. “What do you seek?” he replies.
Adriane shifts behind me, peering around to watch our exchange. Aegaeon’s eyes move to her, and she reaches out to grasp my hand as she meets his eyes. I brush my thumb over the back of her hand before answering. “I’m here for more information on what Hades and Zeus would want with the last Delphinus heirs.”
Half of his hands shift to rub his fifty chins as he considers my request. Moments pass before he drops them and nods. “For that, you need to send a note for me. To Zeus.”
Again, I’m stuck trying to keep the emotions from my face. Why in the fuck does everything keep coming back to Zeus and Alexius? As I open my mouth to respond, he continues.
“As soon as you are back at the palace, you must summon Hermes. If you agree to this trade, then the information is yours. Do we have a deal, princeling?”
As much as I wanted to give a big fuck you to Zeus, I needed this information. For Adriane, sure, but for me too. I had to know what the gods were up to, and if it gave details about her fate, then all the better.
When I left for Earth, freedom and acceptance were the only things on my mind, and I had vowed to destroy anything that got in my way. Now I’m torn. Is her misery worth the cost of my liberation? How does one determine whose life matters more, whose suffering matters less? Guilt has its own cost, and I’m not sure which price I can afford to pay.
“I agree to your terms. What can you tell me?” I say, giving Adriane’s hand a slight squeeze.
When he speaks, it isn’t to answer my question, but to ask his own. “This is the little protector?”
Adriane steps up beside me, keeping her hand in mine. “Why do you call me that?” she asks, her voice steady despite the unease in her eyes.
A deep chuckle escapes his mouths, the sound echoing off the walls. “You are a Delphinus heir, are you not? It is obvious in the way the princeling guards you. But, even if it weren’t, I can smell the salt water of your ancestors and hear the irregular beat of your heart.” He takes several hands and taps the tip of his nose and his ears with them. “These aren’t just for show, little protector.”
She nods at him, her brow pinched in confusion. “But I don’t understand, what does that have to do with being a protector?”
Without answering her, he looks at me, a question clear on his face. “It would seem this one conspires to keep you in the dark,” he says to Adriane.
“I do not,” I say, indignantly. “It’s why we’re here, for fuck's sake. She wants to learn more about her ancestors, and I need to figure out why the gods want them.”
Adriane lets go of my hand and takes a step closer to Aegaeon. “Are you sure I’m a protector? Some days it feels like I can’t even protect myself, let alone anyone else.”
Her words gut me, her voice empty of the usual confidence I’ve grown accustomed to. This isn’t a side of her I’ve seen. The smart mouthed, quick-witted human I stole from Earth had no doubts. She was unapologetically herself. Sure, she built up walls, a No-Fuck Fortress where she hid her fears. But she’sbeen so self-assured since I’ve known her, and I can’t help but worry that I’ve broken her.
I’m lost in thought, startled when Aegaeon answers her. “The blood that flows through your veins originated from Delphin, King of the Dolphins,” he says, watching her face as he speaks. “The gods revered him and his creatures. They were messengers for the most powerful deities and known for protecting humans. It was considered the most heinous of crimes if anyone harmed them, including our immortal kin, and the punishment was severe.”
He pauses, giving her a chance to speak. “Fuck, I sound crazy even asking this question, but you have like a million arms and this guy can make a house from dirt, so who knows anymore?” she says, a blush lining her cheeks. “I’m not going to sprout fins, am I?”
A snort escapes me, and I try to cover it with a cough.
“Ignore him,” Aegaeon says to her. “I doubt you will grow fins, little protector. Your powers are hard to guess, as the human blood coursing through you would have diluted the rest.”
She pales, a frown marring her beautiful face. “Am I a god then?” she says and turns her gaze on me. “And please, please don’t tell me I’m related to you.”
“Fuck no! That’s just…we wouldn’t have…No,” I reply, a shudder going through me. My father and the other gods may have had no issues fucking and reproducing with their siblings, but I was careful not to stick my dick in anyone related to me.
A deep rumble comes from Aegaeon, his eyes swimming with laughter. “The princeling is right, you aren’t a god. Though I don’t believe you are altogether human either. I’m afraid I don’t have insight into that particular issue,” he says, his eyestaking in the lost expression on Adriane’s face. “But don’t fear, little protector. I still have information to pass along.”
I want to shout at him to speed this up, to give simple facts so I can figure out what Hades plans to do with Adriane. But I don’t. I can’t risk pissing him off and denying me what I need.
When Adriane says nothing, he continues. “Your ancestor was powerful. Delphin was able to control the element of water and as King, he could also speak with and control dolphins. But he was also known for his empathy and instincts, that’s what made him a great king. I think it’s a safe bet that you will have power over water, but with your human gene, it likely won’t be much.”
