Page 4 of Deadly Games
“Of course,” Loki said, plastering a fake smile on his face. “We just got turned around.”
I resisted the urge to call him out on his cowardice, but if this creepy fawn lady was going to lead us somewhere without doors that led into the blackness of space, I wasn’t about to complain.
When she finally came to a stop in front of a large wooden door, the runes carved in the post above made me wary of going in. “Here are your quarters,” she announced. Without her moving a hand, the doorknob turned and the door slid open, revealing a large room filled with lavish furnishings, including a great four-post bed at the center.
“Our quarters?” Loki echoed. “As in, there’s only one room?”
That blank face just stared at us and the only sign of life in it were the piercing blue orbs behind the eye holes that seemed just as unnatural in a different way. I couldn’t see irises or pupils, just...blue.
And here I thought the Underworld was creepy.
“You are the princess’ consorts, are you not?”
Loki opened his mouth to answer and I grabbed his arm, digging my thumb into the meat before he could. “We are,” I said, ignoring his pained hiss as he struggled out of my grasp. “Thanks. We’re good from here.”
To my relief, Legis turned and walked off, her robes rustling across the stone floor. The sound of her footsteps sounded more like hooves than shoes, but I was trying not to think too much about it.
“What was that for?” Loki snapped, rubbing his arm.
“We’ll get more information if we play along, for now,” I told him. “We need to get Fenrir.”
“If you haven’t noticed, he’s Kore’s loyal hound now, and he’s not much use if we can’t even talk to him.”
“We’re stronger together,” I muttered. No matter how long I’d tried to fight it, I could no longer deny that reality. If we were getting out of here, it was as a group.
Loki shrugged and walked into the room. I followed him, taking in the over-the-top surroundings. Everything was gilded or made of some thick, richly hued wood. It was nothing like the dour catacombs I’d expected the Ether to be, if it was anything comprehensible at all, and I was starting to second guess what my father had told me.
Not just about this, either.
“This place isn’t half-bad for nowhere,” Loki said, flopping down on the edge of the bed. “Guess Ares has done alright for himself.”
“Apparently,” I scoffed. “And from the looks of things, he’s building an army.”
Loki’s gaze glinted with curiosity, and he didn’t have to voice it for me to know exactly what he was thinking. “Hades...don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“You know what don’t,” he snapped, rising to stalk over to me from across the room. “We’re not teaming up with the damn god of chaos.”
“He is also the god of war,” I reasoned. “If we’re planning a coup, there are worse people we could have on our side, and if you haven’t noticed, we’re missing an army.”
“A coup is supposed to be subtle,” he hissed. “An inside job, with a scalpel, not a hatchet. You’re talking about going against your father head to head, with the help of the biggest wildcard who’s ever set foot in Olympus.”
“History is written by the victor.”
He scowled. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“It means we only know my father’s side of things,” I answered.
“Please don’t tell me you’re seriously thinking about trusting Ares.”
“Of course not. Trusting and using are two different things.”
I knew that look on his face. A combination of fear and loathing. Before he could voice it, the door opened and Kore walked in, followed closely by the traitorous hellmut I thought was on my side.
“Where have you been?” Kore asked, studying us awkwardly. So she wasn’t going to bring up the whole consort thing. That suited me fine. I still needed time to think, but I was starting to see how it could be used to my advantage. Maybe getting stuck here wasn’t such a bad thing, after all.”
“We’re under some form of house arrest,” I answered before Loki had the chance, giving him a look of warning. “I take it your stroll with dear old dad went well?”
