With a groan I rolled over, giving Bubbe ample space to squeeze into the room-or at least as much space as I was willing to give at that moment.

The door snapped closed behind her, and she peered down at me. “How are you feeling?”

From this angle she was upside-down, and I couldn’t tell for sure if she was smiling or frowning. I knew which I was doing. “Peachy,” I replied. “You could have killed me.”

“I could have, but you were a difficult labor. My daughter wouldn’t appreciate it if I dispatched her efforts so easily.”

I humphed and rolled again, making it back to a sit. “So, what’s happening?”

She slipped a glass of cloudy liquid into my hand, then walked to the nearest pile of laundry and began rooting through it. “Harmony is at school. She was not happy you left on your trip without telling her.”

“My trip?” If I’d been able, I would have stood. Instead, I choked down a gulp of whatever she’d put in the glass and grimaced as I swallowed the nasty brew.

“Trip. You have to stay here-” She jerked Harmony’s favorite pink jeans from under a stack of sweats and towels, then sniffed them. With a grimace she dropped them back onto the stack. “And she will make do.”

“What about Dana?”

Bubbe sighed. “She has been told.”

“But…where is she?” My head was beginning to clear, the pounding to lighten to a rap.

“Here. I won’t let Alcippe take her against her will. I won’t let them take her baby.” She dropped her attention back to the laundry. She was leaving something unsaid. A “but” or something seemed to hang in the air.

Her fingers tightened back around the jeans. “Zery has taken Pisto to the safe camp. Her funeral will take place there. Cleo and I will take Dana and bring her back home.”

“And what about me? What about Alcippe? You know she has more reason to have done this than I do.”

“Alcippe has no reason to have killed Pisto.”

But I did. Bubbe didn’t say that, didn’t have to.

She took a breath and kept talking. “Alcippe doesn’t live in Madison, didn’t find the bodies and keep them from the tribe. Alcippe didn’t bring men into our midst.”

Alcippe was damn near perfect whereas I was a complete and total fuckup. But I wasn’t a killer. “I can’t stay in here,” I said. “The killer”-Alcippe-“is still out there. Dana is still at risk. Harmony could be at risk.”

“You will stay here.” She started to move toward the door, the jeans gathered in her hands.

I managed to stand. Wobbly, but on my feet, I put a hand next to hers on the denim. “I have to do something. The givnomai. The killer is taking them for a reason. I know Pisto’s was missing too. I could see it on your face. If I tell you what hers was, will you bring me the totem? It and her telios?”

“You’ll call on Artemis?”

It was what she wanted more than anything-me to admit my connection to the goddess, to work on my priestess skills in the open. She’d seen what I could do when I attacked Alcippe, guessed that I’d unwound her serpent ward, but I’d yet to openly admit any of it, to say I would at least try to follow her path.

“I’ve done it before. I told you about the girls.”

“But you didn’t put all your trust in the goddess. She would never have guided you to make the choices that got you here.”

I licked my lips. “My power has grown.”

She smiled, but not with the joy or pride I expected, more like you smile at a child who tells you her favorite color is red or that the sun felt warm on her face-like she wanted to pat me on the head. “But you don’t believe, haven’t trusted. If I bring you the tools, will you try?”

I had no idea what she was asking of me. I’d always believed. I’d grown up believing. As for trust…I didn’t trust anyone, hadn’t for a long time. Still, I agreed.

She frowned, but nodded. “They will bring you food soon. You’ll find what you need on the tray.”

Chapter Twenty-one

I spent the next hour or so jumping at every sound outside the closed door. I’d considered trying to blast my way out, but couldn’t think of how that would help. Right now at least, the other Amazons didn’t see me as a threat and thought I was locked down.

I’d wait for Bubbe to get me the totems and see where the ritual took me, see what Pisto’s givnomai told me. My stomach had just started to growl and my patience to wane when I heard voices outside-my guards chatting with someone. Based on the smells making their way past the locked door and stench of Mother’s workout gear, I cleverly deduced it was someone bearing a tasty meal.

I stood up to greet her.

Holding a tray covered with a blue cloth and flanked by two scowling warriors, stood Dana. The smile on my face vanished.

Dana. It made sense a hearth-keeper would be sent to deliver my meal, but Dana…I hadn’t expected her. The Amazons claimed I’d killed her sister. Did she believe them?

She entered with her eyes downcast. Behind her the guards moved shoulder to shoulder, forming an Amazon door. I understood why they wouldn’t want to leave me alone with her-not believing what they did. It hurt, though. I’d come to care about Dana. I identified with her desire to keep her son, but also saw her as the young girl she was…not all that much older than Harmony.

The thought that she might hate me sent my appetite fleeing.

She scuttled in, her gaze never rising from the tray.

“Dana-”

One of the warriors made some grunting noise, cutting me off. I shot a glare at the pushy giant.

When I looked back, Dana hadn’t moved. She was staring around the small space, apparently looking for some flat surface on which to leave the tray. I stepped forward, shoving a pile of dishrags off the washer and onto the floor.

Still not looking at me, she slid the tray onto the dented metal top and turned to leave.

“I’m sorry about Pisto,” I murmured.

She stopped, and ran her palms down the sides of her jeans.

I wasn’t going to say anything else. She deserved her sorrow, didn’t need me proclaiming my innocence and getting in the way of what she was going through.

Her shoulders began to shake. A sob escaped her lips.

I looked at the warriors, stupidly expecting one of them to step in and help her out of the room. The terra-cotta warriors of Shi Huangdi showed more empathy.

Risking a kick to the head-if they managed to show life-I moved closer to the distraught hearth-keeper, but kept myself from touching her. Just yesterday I would, without question, have pulled her into my arms for a hug, had in fact, but today…I just stood there, let her know she wasn’t alone.

She pulled in another breath, and whispered, “What happened? They’re saying…”

She asked. I had to answer-was burning to answer. “I didn’t hurt her. I didn’t hurt any of them. I wouldn’t do that. You know that?”

She licked her lips, raised her eyes enough to glance at the warriors who showed some signs of life by shifting from one foot to another.

A loud sniff, then she turned and fell against my chest. I staggered to keep from falling.

“I didn’t believe them. I told Alcippe you didn’t do it-couldn’t. Just because you and Pisto fought. She and I fought, but I’d never…I’d do anything…” Her hand found its way to her stomach.

I placed mine over hers. “It isn’t your fault-don’t even think like that. You can’t afford it. He”-I patted her hand against her abdomen-“can’t afford it.”

She nodded, the up and down motion of her head tight against my shoulder, pulling at my shirt. “I know.” She let out another snuffling breath, then pulled back. Her eyes were red and swollen and her nose was running.

I searched around for a cloth to wipe her face, but came up with nothing I thought would meet her more particular needs. Finally I jerked out the tail of my shirt and stretched it toward her.