“I guess you’re going with her,” Cassandra said. He had already changed into boots fit to hike in and a jacket too light for Kincade winter.
“Well, she’s not bloody going without me.”
“If she doesn’t want you to go, do you think you can make her let you?”
Odysseus smiled ruefully. “Don’t let her fool you. There are any number of things I can get her to do.”
“Dirty.”
He chuckled. His manic packing slowed, then stopped. He swatted his duffel.
“Damn. I didn’t fancy getting on another plane so soon.”
“Another plane? So it’s far? You didn’t just hide him right under our noses or something?”
“No, but remind me to next time.”
Cassandra stepped into the room. It smelled of fabric softener and whatever cologne Odysseus wore. Or maybe not cologne at all. Maybe just deodorant.
“Why would Calypso tell Athena where he is?” Cassandra asked. “She just got here, and she’s your girlfriend—”
“She’s not my girlfriend. I mean, she is. She was.” He groaned into his hands. “I am in so much trouble.”
“Doesn’t seem like the smartest thing,” Cassandra agreed, “pissing off two girls who can kill you with a flick of their wrists. And they say you’re so clever.”
“Look, I have a weakness, all right? Always have. Circe, Calypso, the witches at the Three Sisters … Athena should know this.”
“You didn’t seriously just say that.”
“I did, actually, but listen. It’s all right. Cally told Athena because Cally is almost as clever as I am. She wants me to think she let the cat out of the bag to kiss up to Athena, because she needs a place here. When really she did it to drive a wedge between Athena and me.” He looked around for anything he needed, anything he was forgetting. Then he closed his duffel and slapped his hand down on top.
“Will it?” Cassandra asked. “Drive a wedge, I mean.”
He took a breath, and for a second he looked so sad she almost hugged him.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe there was already a wedge there to begin with.” He touched her shoulder. “Will you be all right? With Hermes and Cally here, I think you will be, but if you don’t feel safe—”
“We’ll be fine.” She punched him lightly. “And it’s really cute, the way you call her Cally.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t you start.”
“Where are you going, anyway?” she asked.
He shouldered his bag.
“Australia.”
13
KILLER OF MEN
Cassandra turned her head right and left in front of the mirror, looking for changes in her reflection. But there were none. Same straight brown hair, same big brown eyes. No smile. She looked like she’d always looked. Maybe it really was true what they say, and homicidal maniacs looked just like everyone else.
With Athena and Odysseus gone, she’d had plenty of time to think. And the thought that kept coming back was the sensation of Ares’ warm blood on her hands. How right it felt. And how disturbingly good.
She turned on the faucet and cool water ran over her fingers, nowhere near as satisfying.
“I am what I always was,” she whispered. That’s what Demeter had said. A killer of gods. Hadn’t she killed Aidan all those years ago, by loving him and putting everything into motion?
That couldn’t be what it meant. She looked hard into the mirror, until she could see Aidan there, behind her. One more step and he’d wrap his arms around her. If only it were so easy. One thin piece of silver mirror between them. Then she’d know what to break. What to cross over into.
If only I knew where you were.
She put her hand against the mirror and pushed.
Just one more time. A day. An hour. You’re a god. There has to be a way. You can’t just be gone.
The glass shuddered under her palm.
“Knock knock.”
Henry poked his head in, and Cassandra jerked her arm down to her side, and Aidan vanished. She almost slammed the door on Henry’s face. But it was his day. Lux was finally coming home from the vet.
“You going to pick him up after school?” she asked.
“What do you mean, ‘you’?” he asked. “Aren’t you coming?” Then he saw the look on her face and winced. “Right. It’s Friday. I’m sorry; it slipped my mind.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your job to keep up with my cemetery schedule. Besides, maybe I’ll skip a day.” But as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew she wouldn’t.