“Iyana, it’s dangerous out there. You could get hurt.” He ran his fingers through her long hair, his breath brushing her cheek and neck as he spoke. “You belong here, where I can protect you.”
She looked up, and he drew her face to his, lips coming down on hers. His kiss was fervent, protective. She kissed him back, gripping the fabric of his tunic, trying not to think, trying not to cry.
He pulled away, his nose still touching hers. “Please, Iyana.”
“Come with me,” she whispered.
He went as still as stone. “What?”
“Come with me. If enough of us leave, that’s a powerful statement. The Olympians won’t be able to keep ignoring us.”
Demitri pushed away from her, turning his back and running his hands through his hair.
“You know how much you’re asking of me, right?”
“I know,” Iyana murmured. “I … I don’t mean to be selfish. But it sounded like you were considering a move like this anyway.”
“Not with any serious thought.” He turned back around, a whirl of thoughts and emotions in his blue eyes that pinned her in place. “Not now, anyway.”
“What were you waiting for?” she probed. “Something like this?”
He stared at her for a long moment.
“Kronos,” he finally cursed. “I guess I’m coming.”
9
GALENE
Not many of Galene’s possessions had survived the attack on the Upper Common Temple, but that didn’t matter. The satchel across her back had no room for unnecessary items.
After she’d gathered her things, she’d been escorted back to the infirmary, where Apollo himself expedited her healing. The look on his face had left nothing to the imagination—she was the last person he wanted to heal. If it wasn’t protocol to treat the exiled before sending them away, she knew he would have been more than happy to leave her to suffer her wound for months in exile. It still ached, and he’d left her with a scar, but at least she had full range of motion again.
With puffy eyes and both emotional and physical exhaustion, Galene, Iyana, and Demitri were escorted to the boundary line. Walking as slowly as she could, Galene took in every detail, imprinting the beauty of home in her memory. Despite the wreckage, it was stunning. Orchards and fields lay still, like artwork. The sunrise sent light shimmering off temples and lakes.
She would never see it again.
There was only a small group at the Southern boundary, gathered on the main road to say a proper goodbye. Surrounding the group were a handful of gods on guard duty, watching to make sure everything went smoothly. Zeus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite were the only Olympians there. One parent each. Kostas, to Galene’s surprise, had come as well.
Demitri went to his mother, who threw her arms around him. Galene knew he was coming for Iyana, but still, she couldn’t completely wrestle away her wish he wasn’t.
Iyana paused as Kostas approached.
“Braxtus would kill me if I didn’t come and say goodbye for him,” he said.
Iyana’s lips trembled, and she pressed them together. “I wish I could have told him goodbye in person. Tell him … tell him I’m sorry.”
Kostas nodded slowly, dark curls shifting at the movement. He flicked his onyx eyes toward Galene.
She expected his gaze to be accusing, but it was more curious than anything. She returned his quizzical gaze for a moment, then looked away, feeling her cheeks warm. She didn’t know what to think of the mysterious god. He’d been the one to throw her in the midst of the Olympians, but also the one who pulled her out so Iyana could stand up for her.
Not that it matters. I’ll likely never see him again.
“Daughter.”
It took effort to lift her eyes to Poseidon as he stopped in front of her. “Thank you for coming.”
He nodded, scratching his beard. “I do not know what happened last night, Galene, but whether or not you are guilty…” Galene didn’t even try to protest her innocence another time. “… you are my child, and you have, in the past, made your mother and I very proud. We hoped for great things from you.” He cleared his throat, then held out his hand. On his palm lay a small white cone shell. “A gift for you and your companions. A boon from the oceans to be used in your time of need.”
Shock bloomed in her chest. She swallowed it and bowed in gratitude, then took the unassuming shell. An ocean boon could manifest itself in many different ways. She didn’t have any idea of how it could be useful to them, but she knew it was the best gift her father could give. She hadn’t even expected him to be here.
“Thank you, Father.”
“And,” he added hesitantly, his voice audibly softer, “if you should ever enter one of my temples, I will hear you.”
Hot tears pricked Galene’s eyes. How did it come to this? Will I even be welcome in the sea? But again, she bowed. “Thank you.” It came out barely over a whisper.
Iyana was speaking with her father now, Kostas walking back up the road. Demitri was still being fussed over by his mother, who had tears sparkling in her blue eyes. She seemed to be checking his weapons and satchel, her son patiently readjusting everything she touched.
They had elected to wear their armor rather than carry it—breastplates, pteruge skirts over their tunics, arm and leg guards. Demitri had a javelin and staff over his back—the staff, she knew, split into twin swords. At his belt hung a hunting knife, and she knew he had all manner of supplies in that bag of his. Iyana also had her weapons strapped across her back—a quiver of throwing spikes she was mastering. Galene wore her scimitar and knives, though she had left behind the one they found in Endymion’s body.
Shaking the image from her head, she moved up to the border. Gods and goddesses carefully steered out of her way, and she made sure not to meet anyone’s gaze. Instead, Galene looked once more back up the mountain. Smoke still rose in places, but Galene tried to ignore it, focusing on the trees, lakes, and gardens, on the rivers and waterfalls that tumbled from lush, green ridges.
Iyana stepped to her side, taking Galene’s hand in her own. The warmth and security of that grip sent a much-needed wave of comfort through her. Demitri took Iyana’s other hand.
I’m the reason they’re leaving, Galene thought with a heartthrob, and they’re more prepared for this than I am. But then, she couldn’t help feel a touch of jealousy that they got to choose this fate for themselves.
The sun broke the horizon line, spilling more light over the mountain. “It’s time.” The King of Olympus waved a hand.
Beyond the shimmering barrier lay the clear, faraway world.
The ring of guards began to close in.
Squeezing her hand, Iyana guided her around to face the new road ahead. To either side of the path, scattered rocks gave way to trees. As tears leaked onto her cheeks, Galene took a steadying breath.
This injustice will not stand with the Fates. The scales will balance out in the end.
“Galene?” Iyana asked. The guards moved closer.
She took a step forward between the main two towers.
The air rippled as they passed through the magical barrier. The sound of marching guards and final farewells became muted, like the conversations Galene had with Chrysander.
Galene kept a tight hold of Iyana’s hand, watching the expression on her best friend’s face. There was a shadow there, but Iyana gave her a tight-lipped smile as they walked away from their home.
When they were far enough away from the border to be safely out of earshot, Iyana asked, “So … what’s our heading?”
Galene knew of one person who would be happy to see them, though part of her hesitated to suggest it. “How would you feel about finding my brother?”
A smile grew on Demitri’s face. He looked to Iyana, whose eyebrows furrowed.
“You want to see Chrysander? Galene … he…”
“I know”—Galene put up her hands—“but he’s my family and the only connection we have out here now. We don’
t have to get involved with whatever he’s up to.” Galene swallowed as she remembered his words from the night before. “We probably shouldn’t stay long. But it would give us time to breathe, to get our bearings.”
Iyana’s mouth twisted in concern. “How would we even find him?”
Galene steeled herself. “I know where he is.”
Two sets of eyes snapped to hers.
“How?” Demitri asked. “Did he tell you where he was going? It’s been a long time, I wouldn’t be sure that—”
“He told me yesterday.”
Iyana gaped. “Excuse me?”
“He was here?” Demitri’s eyebrows shot up.
Galene focused on the road beneath her feet. “I wasn’t walking through the olive groves when the beasts were created, I was meeting with Chrysander at the border.”
Iyana halted. “You what? Galene!” She grabbed Galene’s arm and spun her around. “Why didn’t you tell the Olympians? You had a witness to your innocence!”
She shook her head. “Do you really think telling them about Chrysander would help my case? It would have made it worse. He was nearly exiled for conspiring against the Olympians before he exiled himself. They probably would have claimed he helped me do it.”
Her best friend bit her lip so hard it turned white.
Demitri shook his head. “Apollo’s vision was wrong.”
Galene’s stomach turned. Every time she thought of it, seeing her dagger killing Endymion, seeing her face as the murderer, she wanted to be sick.
“It was your dagger, though,” Demitri mused. “Someone wanted them to believe it was you.” He refocused on Galene. “So where is Chrysander?”
That’s the other thing … Galene tried not to wince. “The Land of the Taraxippi.”
Iyana looked like she might faint. “Taraxippi?”
Galene hurried on. “He says they’ve claimed territory there and they’re safe. If we can find him, we’ll be just fine.”
“If,” Iyana repeated.
Galene didn’t know what else to say, so she said nothing, waiting for them to make their decision.
Demitri took Iyana’s hand. “I would love to see him again. We’re all in the same boat now, right?”
“But taraxippi…” Iyana stopped herself, meeting Galene’s eyes. She still looked like she wanted to argue, but her eyes moved between the two of them. “All right. Fine.” She squeezed Demitri’s arm. “Just for a visit.”
* * *
THEY SOON TURNED from the main road of the gods, picking their way down the south side of the mountain, Galene guiding them to curve east.
“Why can’t we just follow the trails?” Demitri complained, whacking a tree branch out of his way.
“We could,” Galene replied, “but I don’t particularly want to spend an extra two days on unnecessary travel.”
“But it would be easier.”
“Horses would be easier,” she mumbled, “but we don’t have those, do we? You know what else would be really nice? Not getting exiled in the first place.”
No one made any more comments for the next few hours.
From the mountainside, the view of the Aegean Sea was stunning. Galene only wished she was in the mood to enjoy it. I’ll see it from the shore, she promised herself. And then I’ll travel around the whole Mediterranean. She could build her own house on the coast somewhere, Iyana and Demitri nearby. Maybe with Chrysander.
Chrysander.
She sighed. No matter how happy she was at the chance to get their relationship back, she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that accompanied it. What was he up to? Whatever it was, he would try to rope her into it. Would there even be a chance to go back to how things were between them? Despite being exiled, she had to stay out of trouble.
They reached the base of the mountain late that afternoon and decided to set up camp in the shelter of the foothills. Demitri helped find food for the night. Galene searched for water and Iyana set up the fire. They went to sleep as soon as the sun set, still not speaking about the morning’s events or their destination.
The next day they crossed the foothills of Olympus, walking until they reached a plain stretching out to the sea. In the distance, the grasses turned yellow—a clear indicator of where the Land of the Taraxippi began.
They stood, staring out across the open field.
“Are you sure we’ll have enough daylight to travel through the Land of the Taraxippi tomorrow?” Demitri asked. “If night falls before we find Chrysander we’ll be in trouble. That’s when the taraxippi will be at their strongest.”
Iyana shuddered, and Galene judged the distance. “If we push on until dark, we should be close enough to the boundary when we make camp. We can get up and enter taraxippi territory in the light of dawn to give us the most time to find him.”
“All right, then.” Demitri nodded. “Let’s get going.”
Iyana still looked unsettled at the haunted land in the distance, but nodded as well, and they set out across the grasslands.
10
BRAXTUS
Braxtus rolled on the cot to catch the eye of a passing healer, and pain shot through his middle. He groaned at the ache, then again at being ignored for the fifth time. He let his head fall back onto the pillow to stare up at the vaulted ceiling. For whatever reason, he wasn’t in the infirmary but in an open chamber of Zeus’s temple, easily recognizable by the storm-blue and gold trimming.
There were several rows of wounded in this room, and as far as Braxtus could tell, he was in the best condition of all of them. The god a few cots to his left had multiple healers attending to a large burn up his arm and neck, and there was a goddess close by who was frozen, stiff as a board, in a fighting stance. Paralyzed. Not many cures for that.
There were no windows to see outside, which only made him more anxious for news. Maybe I’ll just … go. He sat up gingerly, pulling up his tunic to examine his stomach.
A deep gold bruise bloomed under his skin from his own shield driving into his gut, but the wound had sealed up nicely under the healers’ care.
He let his tunic fall and cautiously swung his legs over the side.
“Lie down, they haven’t released you yet.”
Braxtus looked up to see his best friend approaching.
“Kostas!” He half-stood, then fell back on the bed. “I’ve been awake for over an hour, and no one has told me anything! What happened? Is Olympus okay? Was Galene actually responsible for creating the beasts?”
Kostas dragged a stool over to the cot with his foot, then sat on it heavily. “You might want to sit back.”
Braxtus obeyed, shoving the pillow behind his back and gesturing for Kostas to speak.
As Kostas explained finding Galene, her impromptu, vicious trial, and Apollo’s vision, Braxtus’s heart sank. He was unsurprised but sickened by her sentence of exile.
“Wow.” Braxtus shook his head. “That’s insane. I can’t believe Galene would do that.”
Kostas paused. “I’m not so sure she did. Her emotions didn’t line up with the story the Olympians told. She was too sincere in her plea of innocence.”
“What, do you think my father’s vision was wrong?”
Kostas furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure, but something strange happened. Between her stacked Trial and this, someone seems to be out to get her.”
Braxtus watched him, curious. As God of Games, there wasn’t much Kostas was unsure about. This mystery was going to drive his friend crazy.
And Iyana. She was sure to be going ballistic.
“Where’s Iyana?” he asked. “She can’t be taking this well.”
Kostas jerked back to the present. He looked at Braxtus warily, sympathetically. “Well … that’s the other part.”
Braxtus’s heart stopped. He leaned forward. “What other part?”
“Iyana defended Galene. She fought against the Olympians on her behalf. When they didn’t change their minds, she got angry. She decided to exile herself with Ga
lene.”
“She what?”
Kostas hurried on. “And Demitri agreed to go, too. As a statement, and to be with Iyana. They left two days ago at dawn.”
He fell back in shock. She’s gone. Forever. He tried to picture it—her shouting at the Olympians, her stepping over the boundary line, it sealing behind her. His mind reeled, but then hurt crept into his shock. This was the second time she’d forgone an explanation, a goodbye. The second time she’d blindsided him and left him behind. The first had been for another god, but this …
He clenched his jaw and blinked hard against sudden tears.
“I’m sorry.” Kostas reached out and clasped Braxtus’s hand. “I know you two were close.”
“Were.” Braxtus couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. “We haven’t been nearly as close since Demitri came into her life. She didn’t even wait to leave Olympus until she could say goodbye.”
“Her decision was to leave with Galene, and Galene was forced to go the very next morning.” Kostas kept his voice gentle. “She wanted to say goodbye to you in person, but she couldn’t. She told me to tell you she’s sorry.”
Braxtus covered his face with a hand. “Kronos. This is so messed up.”
“I saw her off. I told her you would have wanted to be there.”
“Thank you.” He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t even know where she’s going. I’ll probably never see her again. Even after my Trial how could I find her?” He had a sudden thought and jerked his head up. “Kostas, your mother. Goddess of Messages. We could look for Iyana in her Rainbow Glass!”
Kostas straightened, eyeing him. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“What?”
“Looking for her might make things harder than a clean break, Braxtus. She’s made her decision.”
“Kostas.” He swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “I just want to see where she’s going. Please.”
Kostas let out a long breath, then stood and helped Braxtus gingerly to his feet. “Can you walk?”
“I’m fine.”
They walked right out of Zeus’s temple, none of the healers even glancing at them.
The Immortal Game Page 6