“I take it my assistants pushed you hard in your training.”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Nothing you couldn’t handle, I’m sure.”
“I’m pretty sure Megaera would put a knife in my back if given half the chance.”
He shrugged, taking a sip of his wine. “Probably.”
I set my fork down and wiped my mouth with the fancy linen napkin. “Why am I here?”
“To eat, obviously.”
“No, why am I here?”
“To train for the Gods Army, to defend the world from—,”
“This would all be a lot easier, if you’d just be honest with me.”
Amused, he leaned back in his chair. “That’s why. Because you don’t buy into all the bullshit. You’re inquisitive, brash, and stubborn, to a fault quite possibly, but we’ll see about that…anyway, I like that you question things.”
“Even you?”
His grin got bigger, and I swallowed nervously. “Especially me. Makes it way more fun to have you around. I love a challenge. I’ve been so bored lately.”
“I’m so happy I’m amusing you.” Anger swelled inside. It burned at me as if my organs were on fire. I didn’t want to be a prisoner here. That was exactly how I felt and Hades was the warden. I stood, pushing the chair back with force. It nearly toppled over. “I’m not your play thing. You can’t just dress me up and parade me around like I’m some doll.”
“Are you finished having your temper tantrum? Can we continue on like adults?”
I whirled around and marched toward the door.
“I guess not.” His voice followed me out of the room.
I clenched my fists. I hated his condescending attitude. I wasn’t going to put up with it. I stomped down the corridor and back to my room. I slammed the door shut, and then dragged one of the big heavy chairs that stood near the hearth across the floor and jammed it up against the door handle. I knew if Hades wanted in, a stupid chair wasn’t going to stop him, but it was the principle of the action that mattered.
I paced my room, so angry I couldn’t sit still. I didn’t like this situation. It wasn’t normal, although at this point normal didn’t have the same connotation it had a year ago. I wanted to be with my friends, I missed them. They were probably worried about me. Or at least I hoped they were. Lucian probably thought I had just up and left him without a word. It wasn’t right.
I stomped into the closet. I wasn’t going to wear this dress any longer. I didn’t care if I didn’t have anything else to wear, I’d go naked if I had to, but when I entered and the lamp flared I saw that my entire wardrobe had conveniently returned.
After stripping off the dress, I put on a pair of leather pants and long sleeved black shirt. I knew it was late, although I didn’t know exactly what time it was, but I had no intention of putting on pajamas and going to bed like an obedient child. Screw the rules. I was going to find a way to get the hell out of here. Once I was out, I would beg Zeus to take me into his clan. Surely, passing all the trials for the first time in history, came me some kind of upper hand, or what was the freaking point?
I paced my room some more, waiting. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for. For Hades to go to sleep? Did the God even do something as mundane and human as that? All I knew was it felt right to wait. I did some jumping jacks and crunches to stay alert. I splashed water on my face to keep awake.
Finally, after what I thought was at least two hours, I decided to make my escape.
I pushed the chair away from the door, then opened it and peered out. The corridor was empty and mostly dark except for the firelight that emanated from the slats in the wall. I crept out; walking on the sides of my feet like Tisiphone had taught me. When I reached the closed main doors, I knew opening them and going through was pointless. I was just going to end up right back where I started.
But I knew another way to travel.
Because there was light nearby, there were also shadows. One didn’t exist without the other. I stepped into one, concentrating on drawing the darkness to me. At first, nothing happened, but then I could see the murkiness slowly draw along the floor and envelop my boots. I coaxed it up my legs and over my torso, until I was completely swallowed up it.
Like before when I’d used the shadows to sneak up on Medusa during the twelfth trial, my body felt like it was floating in salt water. I raised my hand, my arm weightless, and looked at it. It was there attached to my body, but I didn’t feel it. It was a strange sensation.
Concentrating on what I needed to do, I took a step forward in the darkness. It was like walking on air, there was no form and substance under my foot, or at least none I could sense. I took another step then another. Back in the corridor I would’ve walked right into the doors by now, but this, this shadowy world wasn’t corporeality.
I kept walking, sensing that I had bypassed Hades’ looping trick, and was heading in the right direction. After a few more steps, I could feel a denseness under my boots. I was walking on something hard. A spot of light formed in the distance and I moved toward it.
Another three steps and I emerged from the shadows. I could feel the darkness fall away, like a snake shedding its skin. I looked around to get my bearings. Large greenish rock masses hung down from a ceiling I couldn’t see, it was too far up. More eruptions jutted out from the ground. I was in a huge cave, much like the one that had been at the end of the portal to the academy.
The air held the scent of water; it was also cool against my skin. Was I near the ocean again? Was this how I was going to get back to the academy? Was I going to need to swim? Maybe Hades Hall hadn’t been under the academy like Hades had told me. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he’d lied about that.
As I walked further along the rugged and uneven rock floor, I could hear the rushing of water nearby. When I crested a slight slope, I could see it. It wasn’t an ocean but a river flowing through the cavern. As I approached, I could see a thick mist rolling over top the water. Moonlight seemed to be reflexing off the surface, giving it an eerie glow, but when I looked up I couldn’t see any moon.
Okay, I just had to cross this. It was no big deal. I had the ability to manipulate water and I could hold my breath for a long time. I wasn’t an expert at it, not like Ren, but I had passed the trial easily enough despite the attack of the hydra and nearly drowning in the waves it made.
Standing on the shore, the water lapping at the toe of my boot, I raised my hands over the river and concentrating on moving it. I wondered if I could part it like Moses had done in the Christian fables. Frowning, I put all my thought into shifting the water.
Seconds later, the mist hovering above the water starting to swirl. Then the water beneath it started to bubble with movement. I smiled. I was doing it. A moment later, my smile faded and my heart leapt into my throat when I realized I wasn’t the one manipulating the river.
An enormous dark head rose out of the water. Actually it wasn’t just one head, but three. Cerebus was as fearsome as I’d read in the books. Large eyes, as red as blood and glowing like fire, fixated on me. Three sets of jaws opened, razor sharp teeth as long as my forearm dripping, and thunderous growls emanated from within.
“Oh shit! Nice doggy!”
The growls intensified and the sound echoed off the rock. One stalactite broke off from the ceiling and crashed down to the ground.
I whipped around and sprinted back the way I came.
I could hear its giant paws scraping against the rock as it emerged from the river and into the cave. I kept running, as fast as I could although I knew there was no way I could outrun it. Its one stride probably equaled ten of mine.
While I ran, I formed fireballs in my hands. Without looking, I flung them over my shoulders hoping to get lucky. I didn’t. I formed some more and tossed them. Then I switched gears and tried to create lightning between my fingers. At first I only got a few sparks, but then I got a decent sized bolt. I stopped, turned and flung it at one of the st
alactites hanging from above. My bolt hit one, it broke off and fell. It hit Cerebus in its middle head. It yelped once, but it didn’t stop it.
“Shit.” I spun and started running again.
Eventually I came out of the cave and into a familiar looking hall. The ceilings were high but I hoped it would be too short for the dog. I risked a quick look over my shoulder. Nope. It was still coming; it just lowered its heads.
I looked for thick shadows along the wall, but every time I stepped into one, the firelight from the walls flared and vanquished the shadow. I wasn’t going to find a way out. I was trapped. And that realization really smacked me down when I ran into the closed double doors that led to Hades Hall.
I tried the handles but the doors were locked. I banged on them. “Let me in! Please!”
I could feel Cerebus looming over me, and I slowly turned around to face it.
I craned my neck to look up into its three snarling faces. Their black lips pulled back and they bared their teeth.
I couldn’t believe this was how I was going to die. I thought for sure it was going to be in battle after doing something daring and heroic.
“All right doggo, you got me, do your worst.”
I ignited my hands with fire, splayed them out to the side. If I was going down, I wasn’t going to go without some kind of fight.
Cerebus lowered its middle head toward me. I could feel its hot breath on my face. My nose wrinkled at the smell.
I lifted my hands intending to inflict some damage, when its tongue came out and slobbered all over my face. Then it pulled back and tilted its middle head inquisitively. The other two heads did the same.
I stared at it, stunned I was still alive. “Um, why aren’t you eating me?”
All three heads made a whining noise, and then it sat its big butt down onto the floor. The action vibrated the floor a little.
I closed my hands to extinguish the flames, then after taking in a shaky breath, I reached up toward its middle head. I didn’t know what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t the nuzzle of its wet rubbery nose against the palm of my hand.
A bubble of laughter gushed out of me. “Holy crap. You’re a nice pupper, aren’t you?”
It seemed to like that, because its tongue came out again and licked my face. Then I was attacked by three very enthusiastic doggy tongues drenching me in stinky saliva.
Giggling, I pushed at their heads. “Stop it. You’re disgusting.”
They didn’t seem to like that, because all three of them whined. Obviously they could understand my words.
“Aww, you’re not disgusting. You’re good boys.”
That made them happy, because all three lifted their lips and gave me doggy smiles, their tongues hanging out.
“I wish I had three huge treats to give you.”
They kept smiling and panting.
“I bet I could find you something, if you took me across the river and back to the academy.”
They stopped panting. Then each head shook back and forth.
Well, I had to try at least.
“Okay, can you take me back to my room at least?”
All three heads nodded up and down, their ears flapping. Smiling, I shook my head. Then the middle head lowered under its muzzle was on the floor. It was an offer of a ride.
Keeping the other two heads in my sights, just in case, I climbed onto the middle head. When it came up, I buried my hands into its ruff and held on. Lifting a paw, Cerebus literally knocked on the door. It swung open.
I sighed angrily. “You’re kidding me.”
Cerebus carried me through the door and then down to my room. Hades was casually leaning up against the wall. He smiled when we approached.
“Ah, thank you for retrieving Melany.”
One of the heads lowered and Hades scratched it behind the ears.
The middle head dipped, and I jumped down.
Then Hades ruffled the fur on all three heads, as they nuzzled their faces into him. “Good boys. Charon has your supper ready for you.”
Cerebus turned and padded back down the hall. It went through the door and it closed and locked behind it.
“Did you have a nice outing?” His look of amusement set my teeth on edge.
Before Hades could lecture me, I really wasn’t in the mood, I marched into my room. “Good night.” I closed the door, and then leaned up against it.
There was obviously no way out for me. I was stuck here for however long Hades wanted. I just wish I knew how long that would be. A week, a month, a year? The rest of my life? My stomach roiled at that thought.
Chapter Eight
MELANY
For the next couple of days I trained with the Furies. At least I think it was only a couple of days. I couldn’t be sure, as I had no sense of time down here. I didn’t know when it was morning or night. I didn’t see the sun or the moon. The only thing I had to guide me was the ringing of the bell to wake me up, and the moment when the Furies told me I was done training, then I would drag my ass back to my room, eat something, shower or bath, then sleep. I assumed I trained during the day and slept through the night, but I didn’t really know.
Hades never invited me for dinner again. In fact, I hadn’t seen him since that night I tried to escape. I was disappointed, which surprised me to no end. I hated that it bothered me so much. It was a distraction.
And that distraction awarded me with a hard blow to the shoulder pad I wore by Allecto who wielded a broadsword. Pain rumbled down my arm as I stumbled sideways and nearly lost my balance.
“You’re lucky you’re wearing protection or your arm would be dangling from your body right now held on only by a few tendons and some strips of muscle.”
The image of that made my stomach roil.
“Gross.” Tisiphone laughed from her perch on top of the climbing wall as she watched me and Allecto spar with swords.
Allecto was always very vivid about the carnage she would have been able to inflict on me due to my stupid misjudgments and mistakes. And those lately had been plenty.
“I don’t know where your mind is, but it needs to be here, focused. If this was a real battle you would already be dead.” Allecto shook her head.
I rolled my eyes. According to her, I’ve been dead ten times in the past two hours. I figured I looked pretty good for a zombie.
She raised her sword. “Let’s go again.”
I lifted my sword; my back ached from the movement. I’d been training with my wings out and folded against my back. It was surprising how much extra weight they put on me. But I felt stronger than I did the day before, so it was working.
I stood at an angle with my left foot in front, both hands on the hilt, elbows close to the body, just as I was taught. Allecto swung from her left. I leaned back, taking a step back to avoid her attack. Her sword brushed by me, the tip mere inches from my chest, and then I shuffled to my right, and brought my sword around to strike her in the flank. But she was quick, and had her sword back over to defend. The clash of our steel blades echoed through the room.
Back and forth we went, striking and defending, striking and defending, until sweat dripped off my forehead and soaked the back of my shirt. By the time she called it quits, my arms shook with the strain of holding up and swinging around three pounds of forged steel.
I wondered if Hephaistos made all the weapons here. I assumed so. Which then made me think about my friends back at the academy. I wondered what kind of training they were doing. I wondered if Georgina had already learned how to move the very Earth itself. I smiled, thinking if she hadn’t already she would eventually.
Jasmine was probably leading cadets in weapons training. She had a knack for the spear. I’d seen her do the coolest spins with the spear. I imagined her being a giant pain in Ares’s ass. At least I hoped she was.
And Lucian…
I sighed, thinking about him. I missed him. I missed the way his smile made my insides quiver, and I missed how his lips made mine tingle
from the briefest touch. I missed sparring with him in Heracles class and the stolen moments we took to fly around the grounds together, finding secret places just for us.
“Think fast!” The bottled water Tisiphone threw at me nearly beaned me in the head. It clipped my shoulder and landed on the floor.
“What the hell?” I picked it up and unscrewed the cap.
The plastic bottles of water here always threw me off considering it was the only modern item I’d seen in a long while, as despite Hades slick purple and blue suits, the hall had a very medieval type vibe. Well, that and the iPod Tisiphone had strapped to her forearm. She’d sometimes fly around with earbuds in and her music playing. I discovered her favorite music was from the 80’s. She thought Billy Idol was the hottest man on the planet.
I took a swig of the water.
“What were you thinking about?” Tisiphone came and plunked herself down beside me on the floor. “You had that dreamy look reserved only for guys.”
“My friends. I was just wondering what kind of training they are doing.”
“I guarantee you they aren’t training like this.”
“You’re going to be ten times the warrior.” Megaera slid into the conversation after touching down from hovering nearby. I hadn’t even noticed her flying around. “Everyone’s going to be jealous of your skills.”
I frowned. “I don’t think so. They aren’t like that.”
She pulled a face. “Everyone is like that. Believe me.”
“Well, if I could see them, and train with them, then maybe I could put that to the test. But no, I’m stuck here like a freaking prisoner and Hades is my jailer.” I drank the rest of the water, put on the cap, and then tossed the empty over my shoulder.
“Jailer is such a common term, I prefer guardian or overseer.”
I bolted to my feet and whipped around to see Hades standing there, the empty water bottle clutched in his hand. He looked sleek and handsome in a tight black shirt and form fitting pants, similar to the training gear I wore. The shirt emphasized an extremely athletic chest and arms.
Demigods Academy - Year Two Page 5