Bonds of Hercules - 44

A LEXIS

F reezing water splashed across my face, and I struggled to breathe as someone pinched my nose. The pressure released. I coughed violently.

The room was dark.

Something cold dug into my skin—I shifted—chains were wrapped around my chest and legs, constraining me to a chair. My hands were at my sides, mostly free.

I was sitting in front of a metal table that was streaked with dried blood.

Skulls were stacked all around.

I’m in a crypt beneath the coliseum.

Marvelous. Not.

Nyx slowly slithered up to my shoulders, her invisible weight comforting. “Are you okay, kid?” she hissed, her tongue flicking against my cheek.

I coughed aggressively. “Hard … no.” My face and side were still throbbing. “How about you?” I whispered under my breath.

“Your power,” Nyx hissed with awe. “It healed me. There’s no pain anymore—I feel amazing.”

Not relatable.

Wiggling my shoulders back and forth, I dug my hand into the pocket of my toga and clutched my calculator with all my might.

“Alexis Hert,” Zeus said from behind me.

I flinched, then sat up as straight as I could. “Call me Hercules ,” I said, cuts on my lips splitting open.

Zeus walked around the table, light crackling across his skin.

He stopped when he stood across from me, hands resting on the metal.

His scepter was gone.

The two of us were alone.

Perfect.

“ What … do you know?” Zeus enunciated each word slowly.

I smiled. “Everything.”

Zeus slapped his hands and leaned forward. “You’re bluffing.” Electricity warmed the stale air.

I held his gaze, face throbbing.

“Vyco,” I said.

Zeus narrowed his eyes. “What … about him?”

“He was working for you.”

“So … what?” Zeus asked slowly.

“At the crucible graduation ceremony.” I cleared my dry throat, projecting my voice and reciting the facts that we both knew. “Vyco said there was a Titan attack at the House of Zeus during the federation meeting, and that he grabbed a baby and leapt away, there was blood everywhere and he passed out. When he woke up, the baby was gone.”

Zeus leaned closer. “And …?”

I inhaled deeply. Everything from this point on was my own speculation.

“He lied.”

Zeus laughed, relief on his face. “Is that what this is all about—is that the secret you know?” He laughed louder, skulls rattling as his voice rang.

“There was an attack because you planned it!” I shouted my suspicions, gasping for air.

Zeus clutched his stomach as he laughed harder.

“ You sent the Titans to attack the federation meeting. Not Medusa … You framed her. She didn’t do anything . You planned it all so Vyco could KILL ME!”

I struggled against my chains, trying to free my arms so I could show him the scar on my chest. It all made sense.

“Vyco took me and the echidna he’d illegally bonded with—he’d enslaved —to Montana!” I yelled, fury mounting, because it was so obvious in retrospect. “But even as a baby I must have fought—he cut me and my blood got into his veins. I incapacitated him before he could finish the job.”

Nyx’s cool scales slithered around my neck. “Kid—I didn’t know … you figured it out,” she hissed with wonderment. “My oath. I can’t hurt him.”

“I know,” I whispered to Nyx. I’d had my suspicions as soon as Vyco told his story.

Zeus looked amused, his posture relaxed.

He thought it was all genuinely funny.

“Vyco leapt away to get medical help.” My dry throat burned as I continued. “He technically wasn’t lying when he said he woke up and I was gone—I wasn’t there because he’d already left … He’d left a baby—me—alone to die!”

Zeus’s smile widened.

“Both the echidna and I were left in Montana.”

He didn’t react.

I gritted my teeth. “Tell me I’m wrong—I fucking dare you,” I goaded him. “You spineless , weak, pathetic, powerless coward.”

Gray eyes hardened.

“You’re correct.” Zeus made a mocking face down at me. “But is that it … is that your big secret? Is that all you knew? All this time I’ve been worried, and that was all.”

He resumed laughing.

I tipped my chair, trying to break free. “You framed Medusa and tried to have me killed—you ruined both our lives.”

Dark memories played: a trailer park; foster parents screaming at me; fists being thrown; years of starvation; shivering in the cold as I lay awake terrified of every sound; a woman screaming for help as men assaulted her.

Zeus rolled his eyes. “Grow up. This is Sparta— no one cares about little girls.”

I tried to kick my feet out, the urge to rip him to shreds burning me alive, but the chains held me tight.

“Well—this has been enlightening.” Zeus rapped the table with his knuckles. “Let’s move on, shall we?”

He stepped to the side and pulled the lever on the stone wall. A heavy steel door lifted, revealing a handsome male figure.

Vivid green eyes met mine.

Patro was surrounded by Olympian guards with sparking batons.

Zeus pointed at me. “Question her. Now.”

Patro didn’t move.

“Achilles,” Zeus said simply.

A long second passed, and I thought he was going to disobey, but then Patro walked stiffly into the room, the guards moving in tandem around him.

He stopped in front of me.

I opened my mouth—

He gripped my forearm, hard.

Blood filled the whites of his eyes.

“Alexis Hert—Hercules,” Zeus’s voice boomed, skulls rattling together. “Do you know the whereabouts of Medusa?”

I tipped my head back to Patro, silently pleading with him.

“No.”

Electricity sizzled as the silence stretched. Nyx stilled on my shoulders as she waited. The guards shuffled, jostling my chair because there wasn’t enough room in the small space.

“Well?” Zeus asked Patro.

“She’s telling the truth,” Patro said slowly, his voice monotone and expressionless.

Zeus punched the table, and the metal dented. “Alexis Hert—Hercules, did you in any way facilitate the escape of Medusa?”

“No.”

My bones creaked under Patro’s punishing grip, and his eyes widened for a split second.

“She’s telling the truth,” he said, the corners of his lips curling downward.

Zeus stared at both of us distrustfully. “Are you sure?” He gritted his teeth. “Remember, if you’re lying, Achilles will be incarcerated.”

Patro stared down at me. “I’m sure. She doesn’t know anything.”

I winced as he clutched me harder.

Thank you , I thought silently, emotions choking me.

“We have the closing symposium to attend to,” Zeus said as he fisted his hands like he was trying to get control of himself. “In the meantime, the guards will loosen her tongue—then … we’ll come back.”

It was a threat.

“Let’s go,” Zeus ordered.

Patro reluctantly released my arm, but he didn’t leave my side. He glanced at the guards.

The unthinkable was written all over his face.

He was about to risk everything.

For me.

“I won’t repeat myself,” Zeus said.

“Go,” I whispered.

Patro searched my face, a promise of we’ll talk about this later in his somber eyes.

He opened his mouth, like he was going to argue.

I shook my head no.

His jaw clicked shut, face twisting with pain.

I smiled sadly as he slowly backed away, out into the corridor.

“Remember—” Zeus looked back at me. “If you attempt to leap away before the interrogation is complete, it’s an act of sedition and the federation will find you guilty of conspiring with Medusa.”

“So guilty of … nothing?” I asked with disgust. “She’s innocent. We both know it.”

Patro looked deeply unsettled.

“Don’t worry,” Zeus said, not bothering to deny it. “I’ll be back.”

The metal door groaned as it lowered, blocking them both.

Crack.

Their feet disappeared as they leapt away to the symposium, smoke billowing into the crypt.

The hatch door slammed against stone.

I was once again sealed in.

But I wasn’t alone.

The half dozen guards were still inside—they raised sparking batons. One of them swung. My face exploded with agony.

Apparently, we’d reached the bludgeoning portion of tonight’s program.

It was too bad for them.

I’d had enough.

“Kill them,” I said.

Nyx hissed. “It will be my utmost pleasure .” Her scales slid off my neck as she sprang forward.

There was a loud snapping sound, then a grunt. The closest guard dropped like a rock with a bite mark on his neck.

I struggled against my binds. I’m so fucking tired of being tied up.

Fingers tingling, I pictured the rod.

Nothing happened.

I needed fresh blood.

The five remaining guards looked at each other with horrified expressions as they waved their batons at an invisible enemy.

A second dropped.

“It’s the girl!” Another baton slammed across my face, electricity scorching my skin.

Pain exploded.

I yelled out.

He stumbled back, screaming as Nyx attacked him.

There was a flurry of activity as the remaining guards focused on attacking me. Chains strained as I tried to shift in my chair and duck.

Blows rained down mercilessly. My nose crunched, blood splattering in an arc across the table.

I groaned, bright lights dancing in darkness as I struggled to stay conscious.

There was a flash of black.

Purple eyes.

Opal fangs went for the jugular.

The men screamed, pissing themselves with fear as Nyx became visible, and they understood the full extent of their doom.

“How dare you hurt her,” Nyx hissed as she reared back.

The last guards shrieked, skulls crunching around them as they clawed at the stone walls.

Nyx struck fast, a blur of death.

Gurgles of pain echoed, raspy final breaths—then silence reigned.

It was a crime scene.

The guards lay still, strewn around crushed skulls and stones, their eyes wide open, full of fear.

Nyx slithered back up around my shoulders, draping across me like a scarf. “I really needed that.” She sighed with satisfaction, her tongue flicking against my cheek.

I tipped my head back and gurgled, then leaned down and spit my blood onto my raised tingling palms.

A long glowing rod solidified in my hands.

I pulled my arm back until my hand was at the chain level—the razor-sharp point of the staff sliced through the metal like butter. I made quick work of the rest.

The chair tipped back, banging against a guard and bouncing onto the stone.

I cracked my neck with relief and stretched, wincing as the healing wounds on my side pulled, and my battered face ached unmercifully.

I dropped the rod, blood splattering across the floor in a steaming puddle.

“What’s the plan?” Nyx hissed.

“Vengeance.”

“I knew I raised you right.”

There was no time to waste, so I pictured the symposium.

“Domus.”

The world shifted.

A frescoed ceiling stared down at me, music blaring loudly.

I was on my knees, behind a column, in a dark corner of the symposium.

There were bodies everywhere, crushed together jumping with their hands raised. They were barely able to move.

All of Sparta was in attendance.

Music wailed as the three members of a famous rock band danced on a small stage, the lead singer screaming as he jumped around.

It’s really happening.

I can do this.

I turned and gasped.

I was kneeling directly in front of two chairs: Augustus and Kharon sat before me, bound to the metal with ropes and gagged. Blood covered their knuckles, and fresh bruises covered their faces. Olympian guards stood behind them.

Their eyes widened.

“What the hell happened to you two?” I shouted over the thumping music.

They both stood up and pulled their arms apart violently, snapping the ropes that bound them, then they ripped their gags out.

“Hey!” a guard shouted as he swung his baton at them.

Kharon moved faster, snapping his head to the side, violently breaking his neck.

Four other guards lunged to intervene—Augustus’s eyes filled with blood—all of them dropped to the ground, unmoving.

I blinked, staring down at the carnage. That was quick.

Kharon stepped over the bodies, and tattooed fingers cupped my face. “My sweet carissima.”

“You can’t just do that …” I stared down at the fallen Olympians. “They’ll imprison you and charge you with—”

Kharon peppered soft kisses across my forehead. “Are you okay? Are these bruises new?” he asked into my curls.

“Angel,” Augustus said as he rubbed my back, scanning the room. “Did they hurt you? Patro was going to tell us where you were held … We were waiting for him to come back before we acted.” He waved dismissively at the prone guards. “I think I saw him over—”

“It’s fine,” I said quickly.

“Who left these marks on you?” Kharon asked. “Describe them all. Now.”

“I handled them,” I said with a wink.

Kharon studied me. “Wait … did you … kill them?”

I nodded.

His blinding smile transformed him from handsome to devastatingly attractive. “Oh, wife, do tell.”

Augustus pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I helped,” Nyx grumbled on my shoulder. “Where’s my thank-you?”

The screeching rock music brought me back to reality. I pulled away from them, taking a deep steadying breath.

“I need to do something right now,” I said. “But I need you both to promise to not interfere … no matter what happens.”

Augustus nodded curtly. “Whatever you need, my carus.”

“No.” Kharon raked his hand through his messy hair. “I’m tired of standing by while my fucking wife has to—”

Augustus yanked him back and nodded at me. “Do what you have to do … We’ll be waiting. I promise … we trust you.”

Kharon shook his head. “I don’t tr—”

Augustus put a hand over his mouth and restrained him. “ We trust you,” he reiterated.

Love strummed through our marriage bond.

The urge to fall into their arms was overwhelming, but this was my plan—I’d done the calculations myself.

Before I lost my courage, I turned and disappeared into the crowd.

“Wow, that was sexy ,” Nyx hissed as she slithered around my shoulders. “I need to find four or five good men like them—only a harem could handle all this woman … if you know what I mean.”

It was a testament to how stressed I was that I didn’t react to her perverted ramblings. Who would ever want that many husbands? I could barely handle two.

Hunching low, keeping my face concealed, I slunk along the edge of the room.

There.

I saw my target.

Falling to my hands and knees, I crept the remaining distance. Heart pounding erratically, I was so close.

The floor bounced as everyone jumped in unison, fists held high.

I stopped on the edge of the dance floor, behind a vibrating speaker. It was a mess of chords.

Panic filled me.

Unfamiliar with advanced technologies, I’d assumed there would be one plug for the speaker. This was a complicated system, and the music was hurting my head.

I didn’t have time to figure it out.

Sitting back on my heels, thoughts racing, I almost missed it.

A piece of tape had squiggly sea symbols written across it.

I’d heard about such a language—it was the writing of sirens. I focused on the letters, hoping it would work.

Slowly, they rearranged themselves.

Just like when I spoke siren, one second it was gibberish, and the next it made complete sense.

“Unplug this orange cord and plug into the USB port below. Love, Lena.”

Arrows pointed with the instructions.

Please work.

Holding my breath, I pulled my calculator from my pocket, ripped out the orange cable, shoved the end plug into the port on the side of my calculator, and … I nearly passed out with relief. It fit.

The music shut off.

People grumbled and shouted.

The floor stopped vibrating as the jumping stopped.

Fumbling, I pressed buttons on my calculator, until I got to the saved recording logs. I pressed Enter on the last one, heart in my throat, sweat streaking with fear.

My recorded voice filled the room. “Vyco.”

The room fell silent.

I stood up, stepping onto the speakers so everyone could see me.

Zeus’s voice boomed over the speakers. “What … about him?”

“He was working for you.”

“So … what?”

There was a commotion in the corner of the room as Zeus shoved his way forward, everyone looking around with confusion.

I was ready.

Pushing my right hand onto my reopened wound until my fingers were coated in blood, I held my hand out, and the glowing staff formed.

Nyx hissed as she wrapped herself around it, her invisible body blocked the light, creating a strange dichotomy of color across it.

I held the sharp end forward and guarded the speaker.

People gasped.

Whispers of “Radius Asclepii” spread through the room like wildfire.

Sparta stood transfixed.

My voice played over it, the conversation from our interrogation booming as I accused Vyco of lying.

Zeus laughed over the speaker. “Is that what this is all about—is that the secret you know?”

Gasps echoed around the room and people stepped away from Zeus as they sized him up. He stopped trying to push through the crowd, and instead he raised his hand toward me threateningly, as if he was preparing to smite me, but quickly dropped his arm like he’d forgotten he didn’t have his scepter.

“She’s lying!” Zeus shouted instead. “This is all a ploy.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Athena yelled.

“This was the interrogation I just had with Zeus.” I swung my rod as guards tried to approach from the side. “I recorded him!” They came to a halt, eyes wide as they stared, transfixed by the glowing staff.

Whispers grew.

On the speaker, Zeus laughed after I accused him of planning the Titan attack.

My voice shrieked over the speaker, full of pain. “ You sent the Titans to attack the federation meeting—not Medusa … You framed her—you planned it so Vyco could KILL ME! ”

Slowly, I pulled down the top of my toga, revealing the scar across my chest.

People gasped.

I made eye contact with Augustus. Blood dripped down his cheeks, and his mouth was tight with rage. Next to him, Kharon looked murderous.

My voice grew in strength over the speaker as I laid out Zeus’s sick plan.

“HOW DARE YOU!” Hades bellowed from the far side of the room as my voice echoed, too loud in the quiet packed space. He and Persephone were staring at my exposed scar with horror.

The Chthonic leaders were all on their feet around them.

Inky fog was rolling through the room and people were whimpering.

“Shut up!” Poseidon called back. “I want to hear his answer.”

Zeus looked around like he was trying to find a way out, but he wasn’t sure what to do.

My crackling speaker voice filled the room as I goaded him. “Tell me I’m wrong—I fucking dare you. You spineless , weak, pathetic, powerless coward.”

Zeus’s voice echoed. “You’re correct. But is that it … is that your big secret? Is that all you knew? All this time I’ve been worried, and that was all.”

His crackling laughter filled the silent room.

Persephone let out a war cry.

Dionysus and Apollo were shouting something.

More gasps sounded and people whispered as they pushed back, leaving a circle of space around Zeus.

The guards backed away from me, turning to their leader with distrust.

“You almost started another war!” Athena shouted, her face pale with betrayal. “The dishonor.”

Ares raised a sword.

My voice cracked over the speaker as I accused Zeus of ruining my life, and across the room, gray eyes narrowed as they met mine—they promised death.

Years ago, I’d seen the same expression on two people’s faces as I’d stood in front of Charlie protectively.

Zeus’s voice was loud and clear. “Grow up. This is Sparta— no one cares about little girls.”

All hell broke loose.

Hades roared, dense fog filling the room alongside Artemis’s glittering mist.

“Yessss,” Nyx hissed with excitement. “Kill the lion!”

Pure terror gripped the symposium as every inch of the room filled with Chthonic power.

Spartans and creatures fell to their knees, pulling at their hair.

Only the Chthonics and Olympian House leaders remained standing, gritting their teeth as they withstood the onslaught.

Augustus and Kharon were shoving people aside as they stalked toward Zeus.

Screams crescendoed.

Fate stood up on a chair, waving a smoking pipe. “The federation has been betrayed—by Zeus!” she announced as the recording clicked off. She winked at me.

I spotted a familiar muzzle. Patro stood next to Achilles in the corner of the room, whispering something in his ear. His hands waved with urgency.

Shit. I knew exactly what he was saying. I need to stop them.

“BETRAYER!” Poseidon shouted, pointing at Zeus across the kneeling room.

Kharon and Augustus were nearing the exposed leader.

Zeus shook his head, eyes darting around with shock as the Olympian and Chthonic leaders closed in on him.

“STOP,” Hades ordered.

Kharon lunged.

Crack.

Smoke billowed around Kharon.

The space where Zeus had stood was empty. He’d leapt away.

Bodies were prostrated all around.

The leader of the federation had fled.

I did it. I’d calculated the odds correctly—math had yet to fail me.

Fate tipped her head back, the pipe falling from her lips. Her voice deepened, reverberating through the room. “At this century’s turn! All of Sparta applauds. The federation falls to the exposer of gods.”

Hades’s fog receded.

“The prophecy is fulfilled!” someone screamed, and once again, all hell broke loose.

In the yelling chaos, cracks echoing as people leapt away, Lena’s pastel eyes met mine.

“Thank you,” I shouted.

She smiled, disappearing into the stampede of fleeing bodies.

Sparta had reason to panic.

Just like Rome, the House of Zeus had fallen.

Persephone beamed across the room at me with pride, and next to her, Aphrodite tipped her head to me as she clapped.

My chest prickled.

A crack in my peripheral vision brought me back to reality—Patro and Achilles had just leapt away.

Crap.

I jumped off the speaker, Nyx slithered up my arm, and I dropped my rod to the floor as I pushed through the crowd.

“Alexis!” Kharon shouted. People cried out as he violently shoved them aside, trying to reach me.

“Kharon! Augustus!” I fought to get to them.

More screams echoed.

Finally—the three of us collided.

“We need to get to the villa right now. It’s urgent—Helen’s room!” I said in a rush.

Augustus nodded and grabbed both of us.

The world once again disappeared.

“ Ceres ,” I screamed with warning as we landed amongst pink lace. “ Patro knows about you! ”

But the adjoining door was ajar, and voices were shouting in the other room.

We were too late.