My head is spinning. It feels like I ended up in the wrong apartment, with a life that looks familiar but isn’t the same. Isn’t real.
If Minos succeeds in his plans, they’ll all hate me. Even Pandora. Maybe especially Pandora. She would never admit to wanting a family, not when she’s been suspicious of Minos from the start, but there’s no denying how relaxed she looks as she jokes lightly with Adonis and gets him flustered. Something has unwound in my wife as well, though not as thoroughly as with the other two. Even though her shoulders aren’t tight, she watches them with the same worry that’s worming around in my chest. As if drawn by my attention, she shifts her gaze to mine in a moment of perfect understanding.
We’re going to break this.
We don’t want to. We will try very hard not to bring harm to this group. But we’re both loyal to greater forces. I might be willing to consider peace, at least with Aphrodite, but Minos will never be satisfied with that route. And Zeus won’t rest until he’s driven us from the city. I’d bet good money on it.
I’m not sure what I’d say if I had the chance. I never get it. Adonis opens the first takeout container and freezes. No one notices it but me, but they sure as fuck notice when he slaps Pandora’s hand away from another container.
“Hey!” She rubs the back of her hand. “What the fuck?”
“Eris.” He glances at her. “Sniff this.”
Aphrodite hurries over and follows his direction, leaning down and inhaling deeply. She curses. “They weren’t even trying to be subtle. The leaves are all over the salad.”
I find myself closing the distance and looking over her shoulder. “Poison?”
“Yes, though whoever did this didn’t choose well. It would take eating this entire salad and then some to get a fatal dose, but I’m not in the mood to be in digestive distress for the next few days.” She carefully refolds the top of the box and slides it back into the bag.
“Where did you order from? Who does the delivery?”
She studies me for a long moment. “What does it matter?”
Adonis clears his throat. “I’m taking this out.”
Pandora looks between me and Aphrodite. “I’ll…go with you,” she says slowly. “For protection.”
“Protection.” He gives a choked laugh. “Right. Good idea.”
I barely wait for them to leave the room to start in on my wife. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? ‘What does it matter?’ It matters because someone tried to poison us.”
“No, they tried to poison me. I ordered this before you arrived. There’s no conceivable way they would know you’re here.” She tucks her hair behind her ears. For once, there’s no venom in her tone. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it? Anarchy in Olympus. Our experienced leaders replaced with murderous civilians who are unprepared for what it takes to rule. Your people are aware that the barrier is fading, and while there’s currently no standing army waiting to conquer us when it finally does, I think we both know an army isn’t necessary to take a city. Not anymore.”
Something sticky and barbed takes up residence in my chest. I think it might be guilt. “War is part of life.”
She smiles sadly. “Why are you saying that like you’re trying to convince me? I know, Husband.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” I drag my hands through my hair. “I wasn’t supposed to—”
“Care?”
I glare. “I care about people.”
“You care about Pandora.”
That’s not true anymore. Or, what I mean is I still care about Pandora—she’s family—but she’s not the only person I care about now. She’s not the only person whose safety I worry about. “I don’t want you dead,” I finally say.
Aphrodite’s eyebrows shoot up. “From you, that’s practically a declaration of love.”
“Oh, shut the—”
She holds up a hand. “I don’t want you dead, either. I realize it’s horribly cliché to start to fall for your own husband, but here we are.”
“Aphrodite…” I clear my throat. “Eris, I—”
Once again, she cuts me off. “Did Minos tell you that he plans to kill me?” She grabs a wineglass and fills it nearly to the brim with red wine. “Because my brother wants to make me a widow. I’m curious if they’re following the same playbook when it comes to our marriage.”