Page 64 of Sweet Obsession

Poseidon opens his mouth to continue to argue, but I reach out and squeeze his big thigh. “It’s fine. I’ll go onto the ship.” I turn my attention to Zeus. “If only to ensure you keep your word about the crew.”

“If I wanted to kill the entire crew, there’s little you could do to stop me.”

“You’re right. But if that’s your plan, then I will stand witness to you breaking your word.”

He nods almost imperceptibly. “Noted. Let’s move.” The last to the woman at the motor. Ceto, apparently.

She puts the radar thing away and guides us soundlessly through the waves. I expected them to be less choppy now that we’re past the surf, but they only seem to be getting worse. As if hearing my thoughts, she clears her throat. “There’s a storm coming in.”

I instinctively look up, but there’s nothing to be seen except darkness. Nothing on the horizon, either. The only indication that she’s correct is the increasing ditch between swells. Every time we crest one and drop in, my stomach lodges itself into my throat. We’re not that far from shore. An athletic person could probably swim it if they were smart and experienced. I’m none of those things. If I go over, I’ll drown.

I laugh. I can’t help it. This whole situation is so fucked. “I suppose now’s not the time to mention that I’m not the strongest swimmer.”

Poseidon gives me a look and, even in the darkness, I can tell he wants to throttle me. “You don’t think that’s something you should have mentioned before getting on this boat?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I jerk my chin at Zeus. He’s ignoring us, leaning forward as if he can will the boat to move even faster.

For a moment, I actually think Poseidon will grab Zeus and toss him bodily into the water. It would be a mistake but entertaining enough that it might be worth it. Poseidon isn’t a man ruled by hisbaser impulses, though, so he manages to muscle down his anger. Barely.

He grabs my arm and drags me close enough that we’re pressed tightly together. “Listen to me, Icarus. I don’t care what happens when we get on that ship—you stick by my side. Do you hear me?”

“Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.” I fully intend to make a smart-ass remark in an attempt to break the growing tension, but between one blink and the next, a giant hull rears out of the darkness in front of us. I can barely pick up the white name printed against its black side.Penelope.Circe’s ship.

We’re here.

34

Poseidon

Climbing up the side of the ship in increasingly unsteady conditions isn’t something I’d choose to do on any given day. Doing it while worrying that Icarus’s arms will give out and send him into the unforgiving sea is agonizing. I made him go before me, following Zeus, and I’m certain I can see the tremors in his body.

This was a mistake. Leaving him behind would have been hard, but Ceto is one of my best. She would have kept him safe…probably. But I can’t guarantee that, can I? Polyphemus is also one of my best, and look how that turned out.

It doesn’t matter. Zeus didn’t give me a choice. Icarus is here, and I have to keep him safe. I reach the top and haul myself over the edge. My knees crack as I land in a crouch and Icarus gives a faint wheeze that might be a laugh if he had the air for it. “I should stop calling you ‘big guy’ and start calling you ‘old man.’”

“No, thank you.” My knees crack again as I straighten to join him next to Zeus, which makes my cheeks flame despite the circumstances. The rest of Athena and Zeus’s people slip onto the deck and look around.

It’s eerily quiet on deck. I know Deo said that this ship was runby a skeleton crew, but I didn’t believe him any more than Icarus did. Now, though? It’s hard not to wonder what Circe could possibly have been thinking. Yes, we have jammers and our boats are quiet and we were all dressed in dark clothing so nothing would give us away, but we shouldn’t be able to climb aboard and mill around withoutsomeonenoticing.

Zeus straightens his jacket as if he’s about to step into a board meeting. “Let’s go before they have a chance to rally.”

Rally suggests they’re in disarray, but best I can tell, no one even knows we’re here. The Circe who met Hera and me out on the water was one of the most self-possessed people I’ve ever encountered. Even more so than she was as a young bride to the last Zeus. There’s no way she could know Zeus would stage a one-night coup to come here to kill her, but… “Something’s wrong.”

Zeus looks at me and, for a moment, I swear I can see the intent to just shove me overboard so he doesn’t have to deal with someone questioning him. He shuts down the thought immediately, but the slip showcases how on edge he is. “It’s too late to do anything but move forward.” He motions to Bellerophon. “Lead the way.”

Icarus and I fall into step behind him. Athena’s people create a wedge around us. Even now, when we’re about to charge into combat, they’re protecting the Thirteen. As if their lives matter any less than ours. As if I earned my title through any merit beyond the blood in my veins—same as Zeus. We’re no better than any other citizen of our city.

“Unclench your jaw, big guy,” Icarus murmurs at my shoulder. “That’s a good way to give yourself a tension headache.”

I match his low tone, barely more than a whisper. “This iswrong. Even with a skeleton crew, there should be more people here.”

“Yeah.” He nods down at the butt of the pistol my hand has instinctively found. “I hope you know how to use one of those.”

“I wouldn’t wear if it I didn’t. That’s grossly irresponsible. I go to the range once a week and am up to date on all safety material.” I belatedly recognize that I’m earnestly responding to what was clearly a joke.

“Of course you do and you are.” He laughs a little, but his eyes are shining strangely in the moonlight. “I expect nothing less.”

“Quiet,” Zeus says. “Hades is in position on the other side of the ship. We’re going in.”

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