Page 135 of Blood of Olympus

“Uh huh,” she murmured.

“You’re so good at that.”

“What?” She followed my line of sight. “The shadowgates? Caelus, come back to me when you’ve been wielding this power for years. I’d wager yours would be even better than mine.”

“Somehow I doubt that, oh Lady of Darkness.”

She frowned. “I was about to say ‘only time will tell’ but I’m finding I don’t like that phrase anymore.”

“Mmm, I don’t either.” I tipped her face up and pressed a gentle kiss to her soft, rosy — albeit ichor-painted — lips. “I’ll meet you in Aegis.”

She kissed me back, so temptingly sweet that I was even more reluctant to leave her. I chased her lips for more, not realising she’d been walking me back towards the shadowgate the entire time.

“I’ll see you soon, Golden,” she said with a grin. “Go win us an army.” Then shoved me heartily backwards with a glee-filled cackle, and I fell all the way back to Strathos, landing in a very surprised red-head’s lap.

CHAPTER 33

Caelus

Aros tipped over in his chair, unfortunately taking me with him, thanks to the deviously accurate appearance of a shadow gate directly above his head.

Wicked woman.

“What the fuck was that for?” Aros grumbled, rolling to his feet and collecting his chair.

I groaned, still sprawled on the cold, stone floor. “It wasn’t me.”

Perplexity crossed his face for all of an instant before hilarity broke it completely. A grin the size of Rufus’ split his face and his eyes crinkled as he asked, “Nyssa?”

“Yup,” I said, popping the ‘p’ more than strictly necessary.

Aros’ laugh bent him in two, even more when Erato and Diana joined him. Arius merely glared, content to wait until their fit had subsided, but as I crawled to my feet, I decided I’d glare right back.

It didn’t take long for the mortal king to relent, opting to roll his eyes instead.

“I take it you were in the middle of something,” I mused, less of a question than a statement.

Arius opened his mouth to speak but Aros cut in first. “We can worry about military structures in a moment — tell me, how’d you fare on the Isle? I take it our Queen is fine, considering she sent you back so precisely to me.” He chuckled again, until my expression registered. Then, his gaze dropped to the gold spattering the front of my cuirass, and he immediately switched tracks.

Gone was the mischievous troublemaker of my youth. In his place, stood Nyssa’s Blade and Harrow.

“Tell me.”

My eyes flicked over his shoulder to the waiting king — suddenly no longer inconvenienced, but watching with a curiously vested interest. Aros followed gaze and immediately ordered, “Out! All but those with golden blood.”

The warriors in the room rushed to obey, Arius dawdling, infinitely more inconvenienced than he’d been a minute ago when I interrupted whatever it was he’d been discussing. When the doors slammed shut behind them, Diana rushed to take up residence in front of them — an effective, god-sized doorstop.

I nodded my thanks, then explained everything that had just happened in the last hour. When I got to the part about Hephaestus, all three faces fell in anguish. Heph was steadfast and loyal. He’d always been a gigantic champion of moral integrity — but more than anything, he was an incredible father. And right now, we were all mourning his loss not just for our war efforts, but for Archimedes’ sake as well.

“Fuck,” Aros breathed, dropping heavily into his seat.

Erato poured him a cup of whatever ale Arius had provided in the clay jug. He downed it in one, bitter gulp, extending it for a second. She obliged, though not before taking a hearty swig for herself.

“And Nyssa?” he asked quietly. “I know she’s alright, or you wouldn’t be here, but reassure me anyway please.”

“Exhausted and filthy, last I saw, but managing.”

He nodded. “Diana, let them back in. We need their answer now, not tomorrow or next week.”