“Plan B.”
Cassandra, Andie, Henry, and Hermes stood, half of them trying to hear what was being said in the yard and the other half listening to Odysseus ransack his bedroom. It didn’t take long for Athena and Calypso to come back in. Athena didn’t say a word to anyone, and she was up the stairs in a flash.
“She’ll be after him soon,” said Hermes. “I’ll stay with the lot of you. Not that I can do much against Ares and his wolves besides throw you on my back and run.”
“We should think about leaving Kincade,” Cassandra said.
“Because it worked so well last time?” Andie asked. “No. If we’re going to get attacked, home ice advantage sounds pretty good to me.”
“If we go, they might follow us,” said Cassandra.
“And what then? We try to hide?”
“Hiding from gods,” Henry muttered. “That doesn’t feel possible.”
“I don’t understand,” said Calypso, in her soft, musical voice. “If you run, they will find you. People will die. People you know, or people you don’t. Is one more important than the other?”
Cassandra crossed her arms. “Well, yeah. Sort of.”
“I don’t want to run, Cassie,” Henry said. “I can’t give up everything.”
“Say that the next time there’s a wolf on your throat,” she said, and walked out after Odysseus. “Or on Mom and Dad’s throats.”
*
Cassandra peered into Odysseus’ room. The room he shared now with Calypso? It was impossible to tell. Clothes hung out of halfway open drawers and everything looked like a t-shirt. She certainly didn’t see anything frilly, or lacy, or bralike. But maybe Calypso packed light. And she was probably cleaner and more organized, and didn’t leave everything in wrinkled piles on the floor.
“So, do you always have a Plan B?” she asked.
“Always,” he said. His duffel was open on the bed, and he stuffed clothes in it from the closet, drawers, and floor. “But they suck. I never need to use them. My Plan A’s usually work.”
“I guess you’re going with her,” Cassandra said. He had already changed into boots fit to hike in and a jacket too light for Kincade winter.
“Well, she’s not bloody going without me.”
“If she doesn’t want you to go, do you think you can make her let you?”
Odysseus smiled ruefully. “Don’t let her fool you. There are any number of things I can get her to do.”
“Dirty.”
He chuckled. His manic packing slowed, then stopped. He swatted his duffel.
“Damn. I didn’t fancy getting on another plane so soon.”
“Another plane? So it’s far? You didn’t just hide him right under our noses or something?”
“No, but remind me to next time.”
Cassandra stepped into the room. It smelled of fabric softener and whatever cologne Odysseus wore. Or maybe not cologne at all. Maybe just deodorant.
“Why would Calypso tell Athena where he is?” Cassandra asked. “She just got here, and she’s your girlfriend—”
“She’s not my girlfriend. I mean, she is. She was.” He groaned into his hands. “I am in so much trouble.”
“Doesn’t seem like the smartest thing,” Cassandra agreed, “pissing off two girls who can kill you with a flick of their wrists. And they say you’re so clever.”
“Look, I have a weakness, all right? Always have. Circe, Calypso, the witches at the Three Sisters … Athena should know this.”
“You didn’t seriously just say that.”
“I did, actually, but listen. It’s all right. Cally told Athena because Cally is almost as clever as I am. She wants me to think she let the cat out of the bag to kiss up to Athena, because she needs a place here. When really she did it to drive a wedge between Athena and me.” He looked around for anything he needed, anything he was forgetting. Then he closed his duffel and slapped his hand down on top.
“Will it?” Cassandra asked. “Drive a wedge, I mean.”