Chapter 30 #2
That’s what I told Hecate in that conversation. I hold her gaze. “Exactly.”
She sighs. “I see your point, no matter how little I like it. Fine, let’s play this out. Even if the rest of the city supported this idealized version of government, the Thirteen can’t stay. It will be too tempting to step back into their previous roles.”
“I know,” Hecate says softly. “That’s what I’ve been working on for months. Your invasion made it hard to get through to them.”
“My invasion set the stage to force their backs to the walls and ensure you have even the slimmest chance of being successful.” Circe shakes her head. “They’re all huddled safely in the lower city. They have no reason to agree to what you’re proposing.”
I hate that she’s right. Even if the barrier comes down, without Circe’s forces in the mix, there’s no way the people of Olympus can stand against the lower city—let alone conquer it and drag the Thirteen and legacy families out into the street.
Hecate nods. “There’s a solid risk they’ll be thinking the same thing we are—to wait out the riots and then step in with cool reasoning to guide the people back to something resembling normal. We have to move first to control the narrative.”
I raise my brows. This is new. “When were you going to tell me that we’re pivoting?”
“Right now, in fact.” She hops off the counter. “We use MuseWatch and the technology dearest Circe implemented to send out that nasty video of Peitho and Eros. Then we take it a step further and plaster our video on every video screen in the city—the whole city, not just this side of the river.”
“I know I’m going to regret asking this,” Circe murmurs. “But what will this new video that we’re plastering everywhere say?”
Hecate jerks her thumb at herself. “It’s time we told my story.
I’ve spent over a decade immersing myself in this city, right down to its bones.
I grew up in the countryside, so I understand and respect their priorities and needs.
” She lifts Circe’s mug and presses it into the other woman’s hands.
“We give the Thirteen and the legacy families forty-eight hours to leave the city and, at the same time, ask the leaders from the three factions to meet under a flag of truce to discuss the future of the city. I’ll lay out the plan in broad strokes in the video, which should be carrot enough to get at least some buy-in from the folks who don’t want to see this place leveled by the fury of the population. ”
“Just like that.”
I don’t love agreeing with Circe, but she’s got a point. “If a video was enough to solve this, we would have done it by now.”
“It wasn’t before.” Hecate’s smile is a little bitter, a little resigned. “But Demeter’s untimely death after that rousing speech tipped us over into new circumstances. We’ll have one shot to make this happen.”
“And if you fail?” Circe’s worry, twin to mine, is written across her tone and expression.
Hecate shrugs. “Then I’ll probably die just like Demeter, because I’m going to be waiting in person for the representatives to show up.”
“No.” I’m already shaking my head. “Absolutely not. They’ll assume you’re trying to stage your own coup and establish a queenship just like this one.
” I flick my fingers at Circe. I can’t quite inject my tone with rancor anymore, though.
I like the sneaky asshole too much. Damn it.
“Even if some of them show up in good faith, it only takes one to stop you. Permanently.”
“If I’m not willing to die for this cause, then what have we spent the last ten years working toward?” Hecate crosses to me and takes my hands. For the briefest moment, we might be the only two people left in the world. “I’m not saying I’ll be reckless—”
“What you’re suggesting is the height of recklessness,” Circe cuts in, taking the words right out of my mouth. “Even if I were to agree to this course of action, you’re missing a few key steps.”
Hecate rolls her eyes, which almost makes me smile. She turns to Circe. “By all means, put that treacherous brain to good use and help me, then.”
“You need to reach out to the prominent members of each faction before you release the video. If they’re willing to hear you out and support you, that will go a long way to ensuring no one assassinates you the moment you show your face.
” She ticks her points off on fingers with crimson-painted nails.
“You need a launch plan detailing how this council will be different than the Thirteen and what high-priority policies they’ll have on their plate the moment they’re voted in.
Things that are deeply important to normal people.
” Another finger. “And you have to actually get the Thirteen and the legacy families to agree to leave. That’s the most impossible task of all. If you just killed them—”
“We are not sanctioning wholesale slaughter,” I say firmly.
“That’s what got us in this situation to begin with.
” I motion at the three of us. “But you have a point. Giving them a road map is a good way to show intentions and also cut down on the bickering for the sake of bickering, just to prove who has the most power in the room.”
Circe nods. “You must play the bad guy so they can unify against you, and then slip out of the city once they find their feet.” She frowns. “But that could be months, Hecate. That’s a lot of time to hope that no one thinks a coup is a great idea.”
“You would know,” I mutter.
“Yes, I would.” She gives me an arch look. “That’s the point.”
Hecate steeples her hands before her mouth, her dark eyes serious. “Before we can move forward, I need to know the answer to a very important question.”
“What’s that?” Circe asks slowly.
“What do we have to offer for you to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem?”