Before anyone can speak, the doors open and Minos walks in.
Shock makes me freeze. What the fuck is he doing here? He doesn’t even look at me, his attention focusing on Zeus as he smiles. “Everyone is so serious. Am I late?”
“Right on time.” Zeus doesn’t return his smile. “You have our attention. What do you want?”
Minos’s brows draw together the tiniest bit in genuine surprise. “I’m sorry? You invited me here today.”
“Yes. I did.” Zeus leans back. No one seems to breathe. “I tire of these games, Minos. You came to Olympus with an agenda, and I’ve indulged it. That’s finished now. You want something from the Thirteen. Let’s stop wasting everyone’s time and dispense with the games.”
A bold move.
I don’t know if it’s a smart one, but I keep my mouth shut as I watch Minos. Whatever he thought this meeting was about, he didn’t expect this. He also didn’t get to this point in his life without learning to think on his feet.
He smiles at Zeus, as if he can beam his charm right into the other man’s head. “But you like games so much in Olympus. I’ve merely been honoring my new home by indulging in them.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
I flick a glance at Artemis. She’s not keeping her expression as locked down as the others. If there wasn’t a table between them, she might have tried to attack Minos. I’m so used to her looking at me like that after I killed her cousin that it’s almost not worth mentioning. The way Hera reaches out and touches her arm beneath the table is, though. Especially when Artemis slumps back in her chair in response. I didn’t think those two liked each other much.
Minos spreads his arms, every inch a showman. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you’re accusing me of being behind those attacks on the Thirteen I keep reading about in MuseWatch.”
“Why wouldn’t people assume that?” Zeus’s voice has no inflection. No anger. No frustration. It’s eerie. He glances at me again. “You’ve done it before.”
“As I said, I am embracing the customs of the city that’s adopted me and mine.” Minos’s smile goes cunning. “No one under my command has made any attempts on the lives of anyone in this room. Feel free to verify that information.” His gaze cuts to Apollo. “Though I have a feeling you already have.”
The way Apollo’s jaw clenches verifies that.
Minos had said he wasn’t behind the attacks, but I wasn’t sure I believed it. Now I am. He’s always been a fan of letting other people get their hands dirty while he enjoys his lavish lifestyle without fear of consequences.
The bitterness of the thought gives me pause. I’ve never been ignorant of the man’s faults, but I’ve never felt this grinding frustration with them, either. He doesn’t care that my wife almost died yesterday. Realistically, there’s no reason for him to care.
There’s no reason for me to care, either.
But I do.
I don’t want her dead. If Minos was behind the attacks, he could call them off; at least the ones against her. But he’s not, which means he’s riled up the beast that is the Olympian populace and then he set them loose on those in charge.
There’s no controlling it now. Every one of the Thirteen is a target.
Even me. Maybe even especially me.
“Are you done with your baseless accusations?” Minos manages to sound imperial and disappointed, both at the same time. “I have come here out of my feeling of responsibility to you for allowing me and mine citizenship, but if you’re going to act as if I’m the enemy, I can spend my time elsewhere.”
“You are the enemy. We treat enemies accordingly.” Zeus flicks a hand. “You may go.”
For a moment, it looks like Minos might argue, but he shrugs. “Very well. I look forward to the next Dodona Tower party.” He turns and walks at a perfectly reasonable pace to the door.
It closes behind him. The silence is a barbed thing, threaded through with shock as every single person in the room tries to process what the fuck just happened. Even me. Zeus has more balls than I gave him credit for. I don’t know that it’ll be enough, but I’m a little impressed despite myself.
I shake my head, and it’s as if my movement brings the others to life. Every person at the table starts talking at the same time. Well, every person except Zeus and Hera.
He lets them talk in circles for a few minutes before he raises his hand. It’s a testament to his power that it only take a few seconds for silence to fall. Zeus sweeps a look at each of us. “You will all accept secondary security from Ares.” He keeps speaking even as most of them protest. “It doesn’t matter if Minos is behind the attacks on our people. The security most of you have is not enough.”