This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart #2)(14)

I thought for a moment. “Mrs. Redmond made it seem like there were others. Matter of fact she was sure there were.”

Circe and Persephone stopped moving, stopped breathing.

“What do you mean?” Circe asked in a whisper. “What exactly did she say?”

Mrs. Redmond had revealed so many terrible things I had to take a second to recall what she’d said about these other gods. “She said they still lived. She made it seem like that was her main reason for going after the Heart. She wanted to take her place among them.” I hooked my fingers into air quotes because I still wasn’t 100 percent sure what she’d meant. “She said Jason was descended directly from Hermes. She thought if she could make herself immortal, then they, whoever they are, would welcome her into the fold.”

Circe turned to Persephone, whose mouth was stuck in a little o. “If that’s true—”

“It can’t be,” said Persephone.

“Briseis saw Hecate,” Marie said. “You know for a fact that at least one of them is still around. If there’s one, there could be more.” She looked thoughtful. “You think Poseidon’s still around? I’d like to beat his ass on Medusa’s behalf.”

Persephone joined Circe next to the table and they leaned in close to each other. Their voices barely a whisper.

“I know we’ve had our doubts,” said Circe. “But if there’s even a slight chance that what the Redmond woman said is true, it means she had information that we don’t. They’ve probably carried bits and pieces of their own family story through the ages the same way we have. Who’s to say what they may or may not know?”

Persephone nodded. “We’re already two steps behind, then. Maybe more than that.”

Circe sighed and pushed her hand down on her hip. “We need to go see Alec. Right now. Everybody going?”

“Nah,” Mo said. “I’ll stay. I need a minute to myself.” She stood and I went to her, resting my head on her shoulder.

“I don’t like you being here alone,” I said.

“I’ll stay, too,” Persephone said quickly. “Have you eaten?” she asked Mo.

“I—I don’t think so,” Mo said. “No. I haven’t. I didn’t even think of that to be honest. Not much of an appetite.”

Persephone looked her over. “You need food. Nothing heavy, maybe just soup.” She looped her arm through Mo’s and led her toward the kitchen without another word.

The gesture hit me right in my chest. Something so simple as offering to feed someone who was grieving. It reminded me of the way Mo cooked dinner for Mr. Hughes back in Brooklyn when it was clear he was just too overwhelmed by his wife’s passing to feed himself. I bit the inside of my lip to hold back the torrent of tears threatening to spill over. I didn’t know how to say that it moved something in the very deepest part of myself to have Persephone and Circe show such care and concern for me and for Mo. Did I expect them to be cruel? Spiteful? I didn’t think so, but until two days ago I thought they were dead. I realized I didn’t have an opinion about how they’d see me or my parents because I never expected to know them.

Marie slipped her hand into mine. “Persephone will take care of her.”

Circe gently touched my shoulder. “You can stay, too, of course. Persephone’s not a good cook, so maybe just order something for Mo?”

“Mo can’t cook breakfast to save her life,” I said. “Lunch, dinner—no problem. Bacon and eggs? Probably gonna be a fire.”

Circe let her worried gaze wander toward the kitchen. “The two of them together might not be a good idea, then. I saw Seph burn a pot of water once.”

“How’d she manage that?” Nyx asked, a grin stretched across her face.

“That’s your BFF,” Circe said. “You tell me.”

I glanced at Nyx. “Best friend, huh? Did you know she was out there somewhere?”

“I didn’t know for sure,” Nyx said. “I hoped. It’s hard thinking one of your closest friends might not come back.”

“Why wouldn’t she come back?” I asked.

Nyx pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and ran her hand over the top of her head. “Persephone has struggled with this abnormally long life of hers. It has not always been easy.”

I felt like there was more to it than that but she was probably holding back out of a sense of respect or loyalty for Persephone.

“No more secrets?” I said to Nyx. “Everything out on the table now?”

“Yes,” Nyx said.

Marie cleared her throat way louder than she needed to.

Nyx rolled her eyes. “Maybe one more thing, but now is not the time.” She turned and walked out the front door.



As we got out of the car and climbed the front steps of Marie’s house, Nyx hung back.

“I’ll meet you inside,” she called. She took off her coat and set it on the hood of the car, then marched off toward the wooded area near the bluff.

“What’s she doing?” I asked. “I’ve seen her coming and going from over there a bunch of times.”

Marie paused. “She has—a pet. It makes a huge mess, so she keeps it away from the house.” She opened the front door and went in.