Page 33 of Heroines of Olympus

“The spider hides

many lies.

A great power

hidden from time.

Only when the

three are united

May this wrong

be righted.

Hold fast. Stay true.

For we will

guide you through.”

Cass slumps over, groaning. She reaches up to rub her temples.

“I always forget how bad the post-prophecy headache is,” Cass says, her voice back to normal. “The Fates know how to leave a girl with parting gifts.”

“Why do the Fates insist on communicating in riddles and rhymes? Why can’t they just tell me what any of this means?”

“They might not even fully know themselves.” Cass says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “There are secrets in this world kept even from the Fates.”

Medusa wrinkles her forehead. “How is that possible? They know all. See all.”

“It would shock you to know how many things slip past them. Don’t let their vanity fool you, they can be bested, at times,” Cass says.

“This is a lot to take in. I need fresh air,” Medusa says. She does not wait for a response before jumping out of her seat and heading straight for the winding stairs.

20

HESTIA

Hestia rubs her eyes, trying to stave off the slight stinging that comes from reading for hours. She has been compiling information on how to best care for any nymphs they rescue. A full-scale plan is forming to free the captive nymphs, and it is astounding how much energy the Allegiance is expending on nymphs. Not because she did not think they would care about protecting beings that were neither mortal, demi, nor god. Some of the more pathetic people see them as lesser, but Hestia and the Allegiance would never see them as such. The surprise comes from how risky it will be. As far as Hestia is aware, the Allegiance has never planned a mission directly in the face of the gods.

Hope blooms in her chest at the thought of them pulling this off. She will have to be vigilant in her surveillance, as every detail will be crucial to this going smoothly. Anxiety and concern try to slam against the wall of optimism, but she shoves it down. It must be done. If they fail, then they fail. Doing nothing would be the biggest failure.

The absolute tantrum Aphrodite will throw if this goes well will be extra satisfaction. Maybe Hestia will even be present to see it, even though she plans to be nowhere around if possible. The others have training and skills. All Hestia has is a convenient location from which to steadily eavesdrop.

The clock in the library chimes, indicating she has worked until two in the morning. Hestia jots down some notes but is not ready to send the information yet. There are a few more tomes to give a quick pass through. Tucking the note next to the stone, Hestia deflates a small bit when its surface is not glowing, the cloudy swirling magic seeming dull when not bringing word from Alec. Things can get hectic when planning missions, so she hides the sadness away along with the worry lingering on the edges.

Once Hestia is satisfied that the evidence of her late-night study session is successfully hidden, she flicks her wrist and the library falls into darkness. She closes the door and heads to bed.

* * *

The moon beamsdown through her open window as Hestia is ripped awake from a nightmare that is already fading.

Peeling off her nightgown, the silky material of her nightgown is clinging to her skin from a cold sweat.

The spring-fed tub in her chambers greets her with cool water. Hestia doesn’t take the time to warm it, wanting the frigid shock to yank her out of her emotions.

Details of the nightmare are vanishing from her mind, but an uneasy feeling lingers with her. Dunking her head, the jolt of the icy water on her face helping to calm her nerves.

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