“If you want to see it that way.”
“Why?”
Because I love Eros and I don’t want to see him harmed, even if it puts me at risk. Killing Aphrodite will harm my husband. He doesn’t have to say as much for me to recognize that.
I don’t say it. Even if they believed me, both of them would name me a fool for very different reasons. Mother never let something as mundane as emotions get in the way of her plans and ambitions. And Eros? The only thing Eros offered me was safety and sex. Nothing softer, nothing more.
“Because I am choosing the method of my revenge.” That, at least, she should understand.
She finally nods. “I don’t like it, but I will abide by your wishes in this.” She points at Eros. “With the caveat that if something harms my daughter, I will burn your legacy to ash.”
“Noted.”
“I would like you to set up a meeting for me with Poseidon.” I’d do it myself, but I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen him at events in the last year, and even before then, he never did much mingling at Zeus’s parties. If I show up to the shipyard without an invitation, I doubt I’ll be able to get access to him.
Not to mention Poseidon notoriously loathes Eros, so there will be no help on that front.
Her brows snap together. “Poseidon? Your time would be better spent focusing on Hades or Zeus. Poseidon doesn’t like power games.”
I know. That’s what I’m counting on. He mostly stays out of the intrigue native to the Thirteen, but he’s a legacy title and carries the heft of power that brings. My mother has unique access to him because she handles feeding Olympus. While most of the food itself comes from the land surrounding the city, there are certain things that simply can’t be homegrown. Poseidon is in charge of imports and exports, one of the few who can come and go from Olympus as he pleases. It’s resulted in a decent working relationship between him and my mother.
We need both Poseidon and Hades in our corner before we circle back to Zeus. “Please, Mother.”
She finally nods. “I’ll see it done, though I can’t promise it will be speedy. The man likes to dodge my calls when he can manage it.”
“I’m sure you’re more than capable of pinning him down.”
“Of course I am.” She rises. “Now, I have an event to finish getting ready for. You know where the door is.” She pauses. “Thank you for telling me, Psyche.”
“You can thank me by tossing out the negotiations with Zeus.”
She gives me a tight smile and disappears down the hallway leading toward the master bedroom. I don’t exactly breathe a sigh of relief when she’s out of sight, but some of the fight goes out of me. I turn to Eros. “I—”
“We’ll talk in the car.” He jerks his chin at something over my shoulder, and I turn to find Callisto standing there.
I tense, half expecting her to threaten Eros like everyone else in my life seems to. But she turns a hard look at me. “Is it true? Mother’s still got her eye on Hera for one of us?”
I swallow hard. “Yes, but—”
“Don’t tell me that she’ll back off. We both know she won’t. If that situation with Persephone wasn’t enough to dissuade her, nothing you do or say will.” She flicks her fingers at Eros. “He’s a monster, but he’s no Hades.”
“Thanks,” he mutters.
“Callisto, we’ll figure it out.”
Her lips curve, but her eyes stay oh so cold. She crosses to me and grips my shoulders. “You and Persephone have been taking care of us long enough. I’ll handle this.”
True fear slashes through me. “You can’t kill him.”
“I know.” She squeezes my shoulders and drops her hands.
“But—”
“Worry about yourself, Psyche. If Aphrodite lays one finger on you, I’ll make what happened to the last Zeus look like a gentle death.” She turns and walks away.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“This is bad.”
“Psyche.” Eros waits for me to look at him. “You can’t fight every battle at once. We have to prioritize, and right now we have more pressing things to worry about than your mother’s potential marriage plans for your sisters. You can chase this down after we deal with Aphrodite.”
He’s right. I know he’s right. But releasing years’ worth of responsibility and worry is easier said than done. I’ve always worked with Persephone to manage Callisto’s anger, to protect Eurydice from the worst Olympus has to offer. Letting that go is terrifying in a completely different way than dealing with Aphrodite.
But I allow Eros to steer me to the elevator and then through the lobby and out onto the street. I have to trust that my sister knows what she’s doing and that she isn’t about to land us in even deeper water.