“Good afternoon,” he booms. “I trust you had a good night’s sleep.” His gaze skitters over me and Cassandra, lingering a beat too long.
I don’t like it, especially on the heels of his vague threat and the more explicit one the Minotaur leveled last night.
Minos spreads his arms and gives a winning smile to all his guests. He’s just as much a showman as the last Zeus, and even the jaded people in this room can’t help responding to him. I see it in the way Aphrodite sets down her cup and Dionysus manages to open his eyes to actually focus on our host.
“I have another game for us. I hope you’ll forgive me my excitement at having such a captive audience.” He laughs. “Call me a bit sentimental and indulge an old man.”
Everyone laughs politely along with him, some more genuinely than others. Cassandra doesn’t bother and neither do I. The games feel like Minos attempting to pull us into his orbit. Every time we agree to play along, it allows him more control over us. It allows him to slip that much deeper beneath our skin.
He circles the room and stops before the fireplace. “This afternoon…” He pauses, and every single person in the room leans forward a little in anticipation. “This afternoon, we’re going to play hide-and-seek.”
A chorus of faint, amused groans goes up among those gathered. He wants us to play a child’s game. When added to the maze last night, it truly does seem that Minos is seeking to recreate some strange sort of historical house party.
As a city, Olympus has a tendency to stand a bit out of time. We are more than capable of keeping up with the technology of the greater world, and Poseidon and his predecessors have done their job well when it comes to providing any resource we could possibly need. But our rules and laws are our own, and so are our customs.
Minos doesn’t have that excuse, and even in this city, this kind of event is out of place. I shake my head. The temptation to write Minos off as exactly what he appears to be an indulgent old man with more money than sense—is strong, even though I know better.
He’s good.
Aphrodite toys with a strand of dark hair. “What if we decide to pass on these little adventures you’ve planned? This game sounds tedious.”
It’s only because I’m watching Minos so closely that I notice how his jaw goes tight for a heartbeat before he turns in her direction. “I’m afraid participation is mandatory for all guests. Should you want to rescind your acceptance to the party, I’m more than happy to call a car for you.”
Her brows wing up. “I see.” She glances at Adonis, something passing between them too quickly to identify. “The game sounds lovely, Minos. When do we start?”
“Right about now.” He motions to the door. “My foster son Theseus will do the finding this time. Be gentle with the boy. You know his knee is not what it used to be. Whoever evades him longest is the winner.”
“And what do we win?” Hermes says, a deep amusement in her tone. “Another date with your child of choice?”
Minos’s gaze doesn’t waver, but a sharp look flares in his dark eyes. “Of course. Would you expect anything else?”
“Absolutely not,” she says, merriment still painted across her pretty face. “You have a one-track mind, Minos. I can appreciate that.”
His attention skates back to us, once again lingering on me and Cassandra. “The grounds and house are all fair game. We wouldn’t want to make it too easy on dear Theseus, would we?” He strokes his beard. “Though he’s a fine hunter. I do believe he’ll give you a good run.”
This is a game within a game, an invitation of sorts, a first parry. He knows what I’m here for. He’s practically inviting me to search his house and see if I can manage to suss out what he’s up to without getting caught.
“One more thing.” He slides his hands into his pockets. “Do be careful. There are plenty of ways for a person to get hurt if they’re wandering where they shouldn’t be.” His lips quirk. “We’ve already lost two of our house guests. I’d hate to lose more.”
A warning…or a dare?
And what does he mean bylost?
There’s only one way to find out. We only have so many days here, and I’m not likely to get another invitation to search openly. I squeeze Cassandra’s hand. “Let’s go, love.”
Her smile wavers a little around the edges. “Right behind you.”
“You’ll have fifteen minutes to find your hiding space.” Minos lifts his hand. “Then Theseus comes hunting.”
People file out the door with remarkable speed, scattering the moment they hit the hallway. Hermes and Dionysus head to the back door, their heads close together and their laughter floating behind them. After a long speaking glance, Hephaestus and Artemis head in the same direction, breaking apart once they pass through the door and moving in opposite directions. Aphrodite and Adonis duck into a dining room, no doubt planning to exit on the other side and through the kitchen.
And the rest? Well, they follow the same route that Cassandra and I do, taking the hallway toward the front of the house. We reach the front entranceway and watch Pan duck out the front door. Eurydice and Charon start up the stairs. They aren’t holding hands, but the way he moves at her back, one hand spread as if to catch her fall, further confirms there’s more to their relationship than strictly friendship.
They aren’t my business at the moment, though.
Most people have paired up, though the game doesn’t specify the need for that. I pause, filing through the options of the best places to use this opportunity to search. Not Minos’s office; it’s far too obvious and it’s the first place Theseus will look. It’s tempting to split up with Cassandra to cover more ground, but I don’t like the idea of letting her out of my sight. Not when we’velosttwo other people at this party. “Stay close to me.”
“I’m not going to argue that.”