“Boyfriend?” She gives a light laugh.
“Leon Ruiz.”
Her face spasms, and when she speaks again, her voice is a half-octave higher. “I don’t know what you’ve been told, Kennedy, but I’m going through this because I want to. I’ve made this choice.”
She meets my gaze. “I’ll be fine. I can handle it.”
I want to grab Theodora and shake her. I know Leon is being held captive, his life threatened. She didn’t even bother to finish denying it. Why not admit the truth and let us help her get out of this? She’s a smart woman—brilliant, I bet. Ambitious, driven and confident. So why the hell go along with this?
Because it’s how she was raised. Just like Connolly. When I met him, he’d seemed enviably independent. Running his own business—a thousand times more successful than my own—and acting like a responsible adult, not a twenty-something trying out for the role.
Connolly knew exactly what he wanted from life, and he moved toward his goals with the breathtaking confidence that he could achieve them. Meanwhile, I wasn’t even sure what the hell I wanted from life. I constantly shift my goalposts to match my skills and abilities.
Yet Connolly and Theodora are lions in a zoo, feeling like masters of their domain, blind to the walls that keep them in. They were raised in that cage. They don’t know any better. They accepted that a spouse would be chosen for them, and when they were old enough to realize they didn’t want that, they didn’t rebel—they just calmly tried to find loopholes.
Theodora has never considered going to her parents and telling them where they can shove their arranged marriage. She knows the consequences, and here is my own blind spot—unable to truly believe any parents would force their children into such a thing. Theodora knows better, as does Connolly. So they devise their own solutions.
Connolly will renegotiate his debt. Theodora’s original plan had been to marry Connolly, with the shared understanding they would separate in a couple of years. That didn’t work out, and now the stakes have been raised.
Her lover is being held as surety that she’ll marry the immortal Zeus. So what does she do about it? Scream and stomp her feet and refuse? Flee and hope she can save Leon? Nope. She’ll go through with the marriage and figure out a solution later.
Yes, it’s her choice, but she’s still making it under duress, and I argue with her. So does Connolly. Zeus isn’t some senior-citizen billionaire she can marry and divorce. Once she’s in, she’s in. At least let us bring Athene to talk to her. To explain what being married to Zeus means and help us devise a solution.
“Athene?” Theodora gives a high laugh. “Of course. If there’s a Zeus, there’s an Athene.” Her eyes glisten. “I used Athena as my online name all through high school. She was my favorite goddess.”
“Same,” I say. “The reality is . . . Well, she’s a little more intimidating than I’d like. Not exactly warm and cuddly. But I’m sure the same has been said of many successful women.”
Her lips twitch. “True enough.”
“May I bring her? Or bring you to her? Just for a talk. I swear we won’t try to take you—”
The door swings open. Zeus walks in, two burly men flanking his rear. Connolly sidesteps fast, getting in front of me.
Zeus looks between me and Connolly. “Poor Theodora. Your former intended has thrown you over for good. I thought he was just dallying with the hired help—you two have that in common—but he jumps to protect his fair curse weaver, leaving you to look after yourself.”
“Which I can do just fine,” she says, lifting her chin.
“I’m sure you can, love. But soon you won’t have to. If there’s any sting from young Connolly’s defection, it will fade quickly. You’ve traded up. Vastly.”
“I know. And yes, they came to help me escape, but the fact I’m still in this room means I refused the offer. They’ll leave now.”
“Yes, they will.” Zeus waves for his guards to take us. “Escort Ms. Bennett to the storage room. My future in-laws will take care of Mr. Connolly.”
“Whoa!” Theodora says, rocking forward. “There’s no need for that. Just take them back to their boat. My parents don’t need to know.” She looks at Zeus. “Please. Let’s not ruin our special day.”
“You are very pretty when you plead, Theodora. I’ll have to remember that.”
“Take them to Athene. Please.”
His brows rise. “Are you certain? My men here just threw my daughter overboard. She’ll be fine—she is immortal, after all. These two are not.”
“Just escort them to their boat. They’ll leave.”
“Enough.” His voice hardens, that jocular air evaporating. “I said no. I do not like to repeat myself. It’s a lesson you should learn quickly.”
Theodora ignores the threat. As they argue, Connolly flexes his fingers, preparing to launch his luck. I clutch his other arm and whisper “Five,” and then begin to count down by tapping on his arm. I ready a curse. I can’t do much without preparation, but I can cast a little jinx.
Before I hit the end of the countdown, the guards lunge. Connolly throws himself to meet them and I start my cast . . . only to see Connolly stumble, his fist striking air. No, his fist strikes an illusion, as the real guard grabs him and a third grabs me, appearing from nowhere.
Theodora leaps in, but two more men appear from the hall, and before I can blink, I’m being dragged out, one beefy hand over my mouth. I kick and struggle to no avail. I catch a stifled grunt, Connolly landing a blow, but then we’re in the hall and I’m being dragged in one direction, Connolly in another. Zeus leads my guard, who hauls me down two flights of stairs. Then Zeus raises a hand.
“Mercy?” he says. “I know you’re there. I can smell you, child.”
No answer.
“You don’t think I was prepared for you?” Zeus says. “Your sister didn’t come alone. I was surprised to find the two mortals with her, but I knew you would be.”
Still nothing. Zeus sighs and motions for us to continue. He rounds the bottom of the stairwell and moves into the hallway. Then he stops, looks and listens before continuing on. He gets five steps before Mercy drops from a hatch in the ceiling, landing in between us.
“Hello, my darling baby girl,” Zeus says.
“Don’t call me that,” Mercy growls, every trace of the happy-go-lucky trickster gone. “You murdered someone I cared about.”
“Did I?” He frowns. “Are you sure?”
My captor starts leading me backward. I try to make a noise, to warn Mercy, who’s facing off with Zeus, her back to me. My captor only tightens his hand over my mouth and lifts me off the floor as he retreats.
“Don’t you even pretend—” Mercy says.
“Oh, I’m not pretending. Are you sure your dear Rosa is dead? Did you actually see her body? Or did Athene shield you from the sight of your lover’s decomposing corpse? I didn’t murder your girlfriend, child. What would be the point? She’s much more valuable to me alive, so I can tell you to back the hell off or I will kill her.”
At that moment, either Mercy hears something or she realizes she’s being distracted. She wheels to check on me, and Zeus lunges at her. That’s all I see. A final moment of action before my captor carries me around the corner. I fight harder, but I might as well be struggling against a gorilla. He carries me halfway down a hall, throws open a door and tosses me inside.