Page 83 of A Veil of Gods and Kings

I smiled. “I guess so. Night, Val.”

“Good night, Epiphany,” he said, before turning and walking away.

I waited under the tree.

Watched his shoulders disappear into the stable’s apartments.

And sat for a moment while his warmth that had draped over me disappeared.

28

Hyacinth

Apollo would kill me.

I had joked that he came to distract princes from getting their work done, but maybe it was true.

Damn him to the underworld for his comments at dinner.

Was he playing with me?

Did I imagine that spark between us?

I growled and rolled over in bed.

I’d lain awake for hours. With images of him in my mind.

Apollo snarky and sharp, his expression bright.

Apollo thoughtful and sad, broken pieces of him floating just beneath the surface of clarity.

Apollo, glowing eyes fixed on me like I was the earth he wished to shine upon.

But was that true?

And, if it were, would I want that?

Apollo was destined to be the god of the sun—a high deity and he was the son of Zeus. I couldn’t make a worse choice of someone to entangle myself with. All the myths and stories I’d studied growing up ran through my mind. Icarus flying towards the sun and it bearing down onto him, causing his death. That was me for certain. But Apollo made me want to strap on wings and fly towards him anyhow.

I’d never been a man for risks. I played everything safe.

Apollo made me want to burn the rules to the ground, watch their ashes darken the sky.

And, if I continued hovering about him like a moth drawn to a flame, I feared I might just do that.

It was those thoughts that ushered me into an uneasy sleep, and the same ones that still peppered through my mind as I walked into the dining room for breakfast. Pip sat picking crumbs off her toast. Dark circles trailed under her eyes. Her expression made me want to cry.

I eased beside her instead of in my chair. “Hey, Pip.”

She jumped. “Cyn.”

“I was hoping to speak with you. I’m glad you’re here before anyone else is up.”

She frowned. “I didn’t really sleep last night.”

I squeezed her arms, her flesh soft under my fingers. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”