Page 54 of Martyr
He’ll bury them without a thought.
23REESE
“Atlas,”Artemis says suddenly.
Our food is gone—Kade found two frozen pizzas I had grabbed on a whim and cooked them for us—but our bellies are full. I’ve been staring at the fire for the past few minutes, zoning out and trying not to let my eyes shut.
Now, I refocus on her.
Kade and Saint are watching her, too.
Artemis looks to Kade. “Why Atlas?”
“Atlas?”
Artemis barely glances at Saint to explain, “Kade first showed up at Olympus. Black outfit. Black mask. Said he was there as Atlas.”
Saint seems intrigued by that.
“So my question is…” She drags her index finger around the rim of her wine glass. She hasn’t drunk much of it. A sip or two at most, probably just to be polite. She’s more of a whiskey gal. “What made you choose him?”
Kade leans forward and braces his elbows on his thighs. “You know him, don’t you?”
“He holds the sky on his shoulders,” she says.
“Yes, butwhy?”
Saint eyes him, and his face pales. He says on an exhale, “Punishment.”
Kade nods slowly.
Fuck. I’m totally lost. I turn to Artemis for help, and she seems equally shocked.
“Atlas, in Greek Mythology, was punished after participating in the war against the Olympians,” she tells me. “So… you were saying, even then, not to trust you?”
Kade nods. “Subtle, hmm?”
“It probably explains Jace’s hostility,” she mumbles. “He’s a whiz at that sort of thing.”
“What made you think of that?” Saint asks.
Artemis hesitates, then says, “No reason.”
“Bullshit.” Saint immediately jumps on the slip. “What is it?”
“Can you not jump down my throat all the damn time?” she snaps.
I clench my jaw, waiting for Saint’s next move. They need to work out their issues—and me stepping in to help or defend her every time doesn’thelp. It just puts up a barrier.
Besides, Tem is perfectly capable of handling herself. And Saint’s asshole behavior.
“You’re a hypocrite,” Saint seethes. “You keep telling me to try and remember?—”
“No, I definitely haven’t saidthat, but you wouldn’t know since you never listen to a damn word I say.” Tem shifts onto her knees on the couch. “Your memory going away just turned you into the same douche canoe I’ve known for the last year. Big change of events.”
My eyebrows inch higher. Saint only rises to Tem’s bait—or maybe it’s the other way around.
“You’re purposefully withholding things that couldhelpme,” Saint barks. “You don’t explain anything! You just wag your finger at me like I’m some fucking disappointment.”
