Page 25 of Deadly Games
“The circumstances?” he asked.
I froze as a new fear washed over me. What if he didn’t remember what had happened and those knowing glances were just wishful thinking? What if it was all a dream?
“You remember the Ether…don’t you?”
“Of course,” he muttered. “I just wasn’t sure you did.”
My shoulders sagged in relief, and I tried to tell myself it was just a matter of practicality. Not because the idea of him and Loki having no idea what we’d shared that night hurt more than I ever wanted to admit.
“Part of me wasn’t sure,” I admitted.
“Sure that what? It was real?”
“I guess…” It was hard to admit that in some ways, I already felt more attached to Ares than I did to my own mother. Of course, only one of them had been given the opportunity to lie to me my entire life. Or at least to withhold the entire truth.
“You remember the plan, then,” he said impatiently.
I blinked, surprised he was bringing it up. “I remember. The question is, are you still on board?”
“If what Ares said is correct, it’s not like any of us have much of a choice. The world won’t last long if he has his way. But yes. I’ve been planning this for a long time. Nothing has changed except now I have more reason to go through with it than ever.”
I frowned. “You know what he said. This isn’t something you can do by yourself. You need all of us, and that includes the fourth consort.”
He grimaced in distaste. “I don’t need anything. That’s your problem. I just want to make sure you don’t fuck anything up.”
Anger welled up inside of me, which was nothing new where Hades was concerned. Before I could come up with an adequate retort, he walked off as suddenly as he’d appeared. He might not have been the least bit affected by what had happened in the Ether, but I was definitely off my game. Maybe not as much had changed as I thought.
Chapter 12
Fenrir
Once the Games were finished, most of the students at the Academy returned home. Typically, Hades, Loki and I were among the few who remained in these hallowed halls, but from what I’d heard, there were more who had chosen to stay behind for our summer break.
Kore was one of them.
If there was ever a time to tell her the truth, it seemed like now. I’d been waiting until things died down from the Games, and now that they had, I didn’t really have any excuse.
Of course, we hadn’t been around each other much since our return from the Ether. It was partly due to circumstance and partly because I didn’t trust myself to be around her without telling the truth.
For the first time since my youth, I found myself out of control of the very instincts that motivated me to protect her, and it was as unnerving as it was surprising.
At the moment, I was focused on finding Hades. He’d been equally distant, and that never meant anything good. Keeping an eye on him meant making sure that he didn’t decide to go off on his own and go after his father, which was always a possibility. I’d know if he went through the portal, but he was nowhere to be found in the Academy halls.
I heard footsteps as I rounded the corner, but the familiar floral scent that filled my nostrils told me I’d found the other object of my preoccupation.
“Kore,” I murmured, looking her over. I hoped I wasn’t undressing her with my eyes as obviously as it felt, but the concern in hers quickly put my mind on a different track. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m looking for Hades,” she answered, folding her arms. “I can’t find him anywhere and he’s not answering my texts.”
“That makes two of us.”
“You’re looking, too?”
“Let’s just say he’s been hard to reach lately,” I sighed.
“I’m not sure if I should be relieved it’s not just me, or worried that it isn’t,” she admitted.
“Probably a little of both.” I snorted. “Was there something you needed?”
