Page 70 of Sweet Obsession

There are so many other things I want to say, but what’s the point? He knows. We both know. We can circle this until we’re blue in the face and the results will be the same. I’m leaving. He’s staying. So I just hold him. He covers one of my hands with his and uses his other to guide the ship to our destination.

It takes far less time that I’d like. All too soon, Poseidon says, “We’re here.”

I lift my head and shift to look past him out the windows. Dawn is just a hint on the horizon, the first fingers of light diffusing the night. I can barely see the shore in the distance. We’re much farther out to sea than I realized. I frown. “I sincerely hope you’re not going to make us walk the plank and swim for shore.”

“Icarus, no one walks the plank anymore.” The fond exasperation in his deep tone makes my heart ache.

“Then…”

“How will you get home without a ship?” He turns in my arms and pulls away just enough to be able to see my face. “You were right to spare the crew, and you’re right to help those who need it. I’ll be damned before I strand you out here for doing the right thing.” He blushes. “And I’ll worry about you.”

That horrible, amazing feeling in my chest only gets stronger. “What did you do?”

“Ceto will be here shortly with a ship large enough to carry you all to safety. After you’ve reached Aeaea, she’ll return to Olympus.”

Sothat’sthe call he was making. My throat tries to close, but I swallow rapidly past it. “Thank you.” I won’t let her go back to Olympus without loading her up on supplies to haul in. With all the civilians in the countryside, it’s bound to affect Olympus’s food stores. “Poseidon,thank you.”

He takes my hand and leads me back down to the deck. There are moments that are too full for words, and this is one of them. We stand together and watch the Olympian ship get larger and larger, until it comes even with us and the crew hurry to toss ropes to temporarily bind us together. A heavy metal plank is lowered and the shivering crew are ushered over.

I’ll have to spend some time reassuring them that we’re going home, but I’m having a hard time focusing on that right now. “Poseidon—”

“I need an additional three months.”

I twist to face him fully. “What?”

“This thing with Circe will be over soon, but no matter what the outcome, there will need to be a transition period.” His voice hitches. “Three months, Icarus. Three months after Circe falls and I’m coming for you. I promise.”

Another promise. I don’t tell him that it has the flavor of a hope-saturated lie. I want to believe the lie too much to poke holes in it. “I’ll be waiting. No matter how long it takes.” How can I do anything else?

For him, I’ll wait forever.

36

Poseidon

A thousand times, I almost tell Icarus I’ve changed my mind. A thousand times, I almost go against everything I am and sail away from Olympus and all the trouble that awaits my return. A thousand times, I stay silent instead.

“Poseidon, I have to go.”

I look askance at Icarus, only to realize I’m still gripping his hand too tightly for him to slip free. He’s not trying, but he’s right. The entire Aeaean crew is milling about on the deck of the other ship, unsure what to do. They need him, need his direction and his comforting words. I just…need it, too.

“Three months,” I repeat. I’ve never believed in mantras before, but I have a feeling I’m about to. Two words, a promise I am determined to uphold.

“Three months,” he confirms. He kisses me hard enough to buckle my knees, and then he’s gone, slipping through my fingers as if he was never truly mine to hold.

No. Damn it,no.

I can’t afford to lose faith the moment he stops touching me. I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep, that I’m not sure Icankeep, and I’ll do everything in my power to reunite with him. I’ve never felt a connection like this before, and I suspect I never will. I just have to survive long enough to realize it.

He walks away, easily crossing the plank, and steps down onto the deck of the other ship. Several of my people who came with Ceto cross to me and help unhook the plank and ropes keeping the ships near each other.

“Where do you want us?”

“Nowhere yet.” I glance at Ida. Zir is Orion’s next in command, a solid, reliable person with pale skin and a nearly shaved head. Tattoos crawl up zir neck to frame zir pointed chin, all nautical themed.

Even that glance is too long looking away from Icarus, growing small in the distance as Ceto guides the ship away from the coast, from Olympus, fromme.

Am I making a mistake?

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