Page 49 of Sweet Obsession

“If we’d been a little later, you would have been on that ship with her.” He shakes his head slowly. “I’m not in the habit of making promises when I have no guarantee I can keep them, but I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you see the other side of this—and have the resources to keep your promise to your sister.”

I laugh. I can’t help it. “Either you’re the most fucked-up manipulator I’ve ever met—which is saying something—or you’re toofucking good for this world.” Before he can argue, I lean across the console and kiss him hard. He instantly melts for me, which just proves my point about him being perfect. The temptation to sink into the kiss is almost more than I can resist. But I do resist—because he needs me to. We have less than twelve hours to accomplish the impossible, and we’re not going to manage that by me hauling him into the back seat of this SUV and fucking him senseless.

It’s still a balm to my shattered soul to see disappointment on his flushed face when I finally lean back. I smooth my thumb over his bottom lip. “We have things to do.”

“We…” He clears his throat. “Right. Yes. You’re right.” But as he gathers himself enough to resume driving, he reaches over to take my hand, lacing his big fingers through mine. I know I can’t actually feel his heartbeat through the palm of his hand, but imagining it eases the last of my tension. Because I know this isn’t manipulation. I’m beginning to believe he’s not actually capable of it. This is just…him.

Poseidon. One of the most powerful people in Olympus and the only person I’ve ever met who seems to hate the idea of power. And still he manages to use it to be a force for good. Those under his command are safe and cared for in his blunt way. They don’t fear him because they know he has their best interests at heart. He’s a godsdamned unicorn.

And I want him more than I want air to breathe.

26

Poseidon

We meet Orion at my office in the shipyard below the apartment we slept in last night. Icarus insists he doesn’t need to rest, but he appears to fall asleep roughly three minutes later, slumped over my desk with his head pillowed by his arms. It makes my back ache to look at him, so I carefully scoop him up and lay him out on the threadbare couch in the corner.

Which is the exact moment Orion walks into the room. They raise their eyebrows at me but don’t comment. It’s just as well; I don’t know what I’d say. I can’t pretend I’m not starting to care for Icarus. It’s inconvenient at best and disastrous at worst, especially with the information he shared this morning. I don’t want to be the next in the line of people he’s seduced while attempting to find safety. I want him to want me, full stop. A fool’s dream.

I motion for Orion to take the chair across from my desk and then drop into my seat. “How many people can we spare without damaging the line of sentries?” It’s tempting to pull everyone in, but that feels shortsighted. Circe hasn’t attacked and we have no evidence that she’s left thePenelopeafter the meeting with Hera, which means she’s waiting for something. I originally thought it was an attempt to instillfear because she knew the Thirteen wouldn’t unite to attack first, but now I wonder. Surely she’s not giving us time to evacuate the civilians?

“Half, give or take.” Orion leans forward and props their elbows on their knees. “I have them in three-person teams taking four-hour shifts.”

Smart. It’s a good way to keep them fresh and prevent sloppiness. I pinch the bridge of my nose and try to think past the exhaustion weighing me down. “Okay, pull a third of them back, one from each team.” I lay out the basis of the plan, watching Orion’s expression and body language all the while for some indication that they think it won’t work.

Orion gives me no sign of doubt. They nod. “We’ll need to know the numbers the others are bringing to be sure, but there should be more than enough boats to make it work. We only need one of our people on each. Smaller is probably better for this purpose. It keeps us maneuverable and stealthy.”

“That’s what I was thinking. Have Polyphemus ensure that there are jammers on every boat we take out. This won’t work if they see us coming.” It’s tempting to keep talking circles around this, but until I have more information from Hades and Zeus on the numbers they’re sending, until we know if Icarus’s information is enough to make Circe’s generals abandon her… There are too many factors. Better to wait and reconvene after sunset. “See it done, and then get some rest. We’re all going to need it.”

“Will do.” Orion rises. Their gaze tracks to Icarus, but they don’t comment on him as they turn and walk out of the office.

I want nothing more than to stretch out on that couch next to him, molding my body to his, and let sleep take me. But thinkingabout the evacuation reminds me that I haven’t had an update about the overall situation in Olympus in over twenty-four hours. I take a deep breath and dial Demeter.

For once, she doesn’t make me wait. “Hello, darling, how are you holding up?” Her voice is filled with warmth. I’ve never been able to tell if it’s genuine or not.

The last thing I want to do is make small talk, but it’s one of those strange societal expectations. The house might be on fire around us, but we still have to exchange pleasantries before we can get around to calling for a bucket of water. I clear my throat. “As well as can be expected. You?”

“I’m tired.” She sounds almost honest in this moment, almost vulnerable. “It’s been a long few weeks, and things promise to get more complicated before the end. I’ve only managed to get one of my daughters to listen to reason and evacuate, and even then she only did it to appease me. I’m worried.”

It wasn’t too long ago that Demeter and I were lovers. It started almost like friendship, and we were months into sharing a bed before I realized she intended to use sex to manipulate me, to get one of the legacy titles in her corner. She was never overt about it, but Demeter is one of the most ambitious people I know, and she rarely attacks a problem head-on. Our current Hera comes by her ruthlessness honestly.

So, no, I don’t trust this apparent vulnerability, even if it would be reasonable for the current situation, even if I sympathize with a mother trying to get her daughters to safety. “I’d like an update on the evacuation.”

“Of course.” Papers rustle in the background. “We’ve got about sixty percent of people out of the city. Some are choosing to stay, buta lot of the rest don’t have personal transportation, so we’re having to ferry them in groups via bus. It all takes time.”

No matter Demeter’s faults, she takes care of the people of Olympus. It’s how she got the title in the first place, winning an election by popular vote after the last Demeter passed in his sleep. I have no doubt she’s doing everything in her considerable power to help. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You’ve been performing admirably.”

“Demeter.” I take a breath. I had no intention of asking her this, but I can’t quite stop myself. “Why did you vote against going to war? I’d like an honest answer.”

She’s silent for a single beat. “I know what you and the rest of the Thirteen think of me, that I’m power-hungry and ruthless in my ambition.”

“Aren’t you?”

“Well, yes.” She laughs a little. “But I do nothing without reason. If I’d voted yes, Zeus would have launched an attack before we were able to evacuate the city. More than that, even with a majority vote, the minority among the Thirteen are still more than capable of digging in their heels. We’d have instantly bit off more than we can chew, and the civilians would pay the price.”

She’s…not wrong. She’d also travel back to Olympus to stage a riot herself if she knew what Zeus, Hades, and I are planning. I sigh. “Circe won’t be content to squat out there in the water forever.”

---