Page 55 of The Shadow Gods

“Can we not?” I asked. “I don't really want to be the one thing you can't heal from.”

“Next time, we hurt Poseidon more.” Achilles nodded. “That will answer our question. I like this plan. I'll break him in half.”

Paris was nodding, and so was Orestes. Turning in my seat, I found Pollux and Hector with matching thoughtful expressions.

“He acted like a god,” Pollux said. “He appeared from the water. Demanded Leo—”

I cut him off. For some reason, I didn't want him to say what Poseidon had said. I didn't want to hear the word again and have it running on an endless loop. “He definitely had the attitude of someone who was used to being obeyed. Very similar to Athena.” My voice came out a little too high and bright. Sure enough, I caught Achilles studying me with narrowed eyes.

“What did he say?” he asked.

I didn't answer. Unfortunately, Pollux did. “He told her to kneel.”

Kneel.

The van went quiet for long seconds, until Paris asked quietly, “What if we broke him into quarters, Achilles?”

“Arm, arm, leg, leg, torso.” Achilles painted a gross picture. “Perfect. Something for each of us.”

Orestes nodded as he stared out the window. Achilles's agreement was a given, as was Paris's now, but it was Hector who surprised me. “Leo takes off his head.”

“Wouldn't that be poetic justice?” I asked, since I'd met my end the same way with Perseus. The plan didn't horrify me, like it should have.Justice.I'd always thought of myself as a forgiving person, but I did not forgive Poseidon.

I imagined, for a second, how it would feel to kill him. I'd almost done it. The stone began to cover him. What had it felt like? Did his body harden? Was it difficult to breathe?

Fear was a funny thing. It was the anticipation of something awful. And it was as bad as the moment the awful thing happened. When he'd appeared in Athena's temple, I knew what was going to happen. That acceptance hadn't lessened my fear, though.

I was going to kill him.

I sent that message through the universe, and I hoped wherever he was, he heard me. I hoped that he accepted it. And I hoped he was afraid.

Leo

We drove well into the night. Orestes planned to stop near the city of Foggia, but I hadn't needed the break, and the other guys hadn't either. They wanted to keep driving. Our destination was Bari, a city on the Adriatic coast, where ferries departed for Greece. It was where we’d begin our journey to Corfu.

With each mile getting us closer and closer to Greece, they got more anxious. Hector was as still as a statue, lost deep in thought. Somewhere around San Benedetto, he put his book on his lap and hadn't looked at it since. Orestes muttered under his breath to Achilles, who responded by shrugging or shaking his head. Pollux finishedTheogonyand tookHistoriesfrom me. He was half-way through. Not once did he mention the seal, but it was on my mind. I wondered how long it had been buried in that marble and if it had been by chance or put there by the gods.

We were making good time. Even with occasional tolls and one traffic accident, we covered a ton of ground in seven hours.

Paris stared at a map on his phone, closely following our progress. “Is it better to fly?” he suddenly asked aloud. “It's not like the ferry from Dover to Calais. It's almost ten hours on a boat.”

The van went silent.

Orestes closed his notebook and shifted in his seat until he could see all of us. “I considered it. I even considered driving through the Balkans, but that would have added days and days. We have a better chance on the ferry.”

I still hadn't decided if the gods wanted us dead or at their mercy. If they wanted to kill us, a drop from thirty-thousand feet would do it. But they could just as easily drown us.

I shook my head. These macabre scenarios were making me want to throw up again, and I hadn't eaten since Achilles had tossed some pistachios into the back seat an hour ago.

“We're nearly in Bari,” Achilles said. “We can discuss it when we stop. I want Leo to eat and sleep.”

“Can we do both?” I asked. “There's got to be places in Bari where we can talk and eat.” It was my way of reminding him that I wanted to be included in the conversation.

Hazel eyes met mine, and I caught a strip of pink appearing on Achilles's cheeks.Gotcha.

“Sorry, Leo. Caveman?”

I held my fingers an inch apart. “Just a little. Don't worry, though, I'll keep you honest.” I wished I could unbuckle to kiss him, but he'd probably have a stroke, so I kissed my fingers and touched his cheek instead. He grabbed my hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed me back.

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