“Persephone was a strong, smart, spectacular woman. She was the woman of my dreams. And you…are not anything like her.” He took a couple of steps back, and then turned away.
It was a punch to the gut. I’d never felt anything as acutely as I did those words. Tears pricked the side of my eyes. But I wouldn’t let them fall. He didn’t deserve to witness my pain.
“Leave your helmet, I’ll infuse it with shadow to make it work. Then you can do what I told you to do.” He waved his hand toward the door. “You can go now. And if I ever find you in my room again, Melany, you will be punished. And it will hurt.”
Swallowing, I pushed away from the wall and ran out of his room. I quickly went into mine, shut and locked the door, then leaned back against it. The tears pushed past my eyelids and rolled down my cheeks. I’d been so foolish. Thinking that Hades felt anything for me. I was obviously a means to an end for him. He didn’t look at me like a woman, he only saw a solider, an instrument in whatever plot he was brewing. I knew that now. And I wouldn’t let my guard down again.
Chapter Seventeen
MELANY
Despite having a terrible sleep with horrific nightmares, I threw myself into my training the next day. I did the twenty-five pullups, fifty pushups, and hundred sit ups without complaint. I ran ten laps around the arena, and did the obstacle course three times without being prodded to do so.
When I suited up for combat weapon sparring in silence, Allecto was in my face. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What do you mean? I’m getting ready to spar with you.”
“Yeah, but you’re doing it without some pithy remarks and sarcasm. So something must be wrong.”
“I’m fine. Let’s just get on with it.” I picked my sword from the training wall, then got into position to parlay.
Tisiphone, who had been flying around overhead, fluttered down to the ground near me. “You’re not upset because of what happened at the academy yesterday, are you?”
I shook my head. I considered telling them about my confrontation with Hades, but decided against it. They would think I was whining, and that was one thing the Furies hated above all else, was a whiner. They thought it was a sign of weakness to complain.
“Good. Because you should never be sorry for being bad-ass.” She chuckled. “I heard you laid out that bitchy girl like that.” She snapped her bony fingers.
Caught up in Tisiphone’s obvious glee, I couldn’t stop the smile that blossomed on my face. “She had it coming.”
“Of course she did. They all do.” She smacked me on the back. “Keep focused and you’ll be the greatest warrior the academy has ever seen. Your foes will fear you. They will fear even the thought of you.”
“Like us.” Megaera dropped down from the ledge she’d been sitting on, landing right beside me, making me jump.
Tisiphone and Megaera smiled at each other, while Allecto continued to glower. I’d never seen her smile. She had two facial expressions—glower and scowl.
“Can we spar now?” Allecto twirled her sword around with her wrist. “I’m getting bored with the chatter.”
I raised my sword and faced her. “Bring it.”
She did.
Shrieking like a harpy, she attacked, swinging her sword from the right. I dodged and blocked, then parlayed to her side. She blocked, and then danced back a few steps, bringing her sword up and around aiming for my head. I ducked under her swing, spun around, and kicked her in the side of the leg. When she stumbled and fell, I brought my sword down on top of her. My blade struck the armored cowl around her neck. If that hadn’t been there, I would’ve cut her through.
For the first time since I started my training, I got a hit on Allecto.
“Nice!” Tisiphone clapped.
I lifted my sword and took a step back, to let Allecto up off the floor. She didn’t smile but she gave me an appreciative nod. “Keep channeling that anger. It’ll serve you well in the future.”
After another hour, I was released from the training arena. I decided that it was the perfect time to test out my helmet. When the bell woke me up earlier, I noticed my helmet sitting on a table near the fireplace. The note with it simply said: Use it wisely.
I decided to take Allecto’s advice and channel my anger. I was done worrying about what Hades’ motives were, and concentrate on mine. Regardless of the reasons why I was here, I needed to find out what happened to Sophie, who did it and why. Those were my reasons.
After showering, I dressed in a sleek black jumpsuit perfect for spy work. I settled my helmet onto my head. An icy chill rushed over my body. I wondered if it was the shadows wrapping around me to make me invisible. Then I walked into a shadow, visualizing the corridor just outside of the dining hall.
Traveling through the shadows was getting easier. It only took me a matter of seconds to get where I wanted to go now. I heard voices inside the hall and walked through the open doors cautiously, still unsure if I was truly invisible. I stood at the front of the room and looked around. No one noticed me. Not even Jasmine, Mia, Georgina and Ren, who were sitting at one of the tables together eating dinner, glanced my way.
Smiling, I wandered over to their table to listen to their conversation.
Jasmine snagged a French fry from Mia’s plate. “Medic training was tough today.”
“Yeah, watching Chiron field dress a pretend amputation of Diego’s leg left me feeling sick.” Mia pushed her plate away toward Jasmine.
“It was definitely hard,” Ren said, “but something we’re going to have to face at some point.”
“Do you really think we’ll have to go into battle?” Mia played with the cap on her water bottle. “I know that’s why we’re here, but it just seems so impossible.”
“I heard Demeter say there have been some grumblings from Tartarus. It sounds like some of the Titans aren’t happy,” Georgina said.
“But they’re locked away. No Titan is getting out,” Mia said.
Jasmine and Ren shared a look, and I wondered if they were thinking about the destruction we saw when we went to our home towns. They knew, as well as I did, that those earthquakes weren’t normal.
“Mel said that maybe a Titan had been released by someone,” Jasmine said.
Mia gave her a look. “I don’t think we can trust Melany’s word anymore. I mean, she’s really changed. She could’ve killed Revana the other day. That’s just not cool, even if Revana’s a bitch.”
Jasmine, Ren and Georgina looked at each other but didn’t say anything.
I hated that they weren’t sticking up for me. Maybe Mia was right and I’d changed and didn’t deserve their loyalty anymore.
I was about to take off my helmet and reveal myself, so we could talk about it, but laughter at the doors got my attention. I turned to see Revana and Lucian walking into the dining hall together. Revana was laughing at something Lucian said. Obviously they were closer than Lucian had let on. Anger instantly swelled inside my belly like a wildfire.
They parted and Lucian joined the others at the table. He sat beside Ren. “What’s on the menu? I’m starving.”
My whole body started to shake. I wanted to smack the smile off Lucian’s face. Instead, I hit Mia’s water bottle, sending it sailing across the table. It landed on Lucian’s lap, soaking his pants.
“What the hell?” He jumped up from the table.
Everyone kind of snickered nervously and looked at each other.
I didn’t wait to see what the verdict was. I marched across the room and out into the corridor.
I marched through the academy, my strides long, my fists clenched. I imagined if anyone had seen me they would’ve jumped out of the way. As it was I nearly ran into two people as I rounded the corner into the main foyer.
I stopped and sagged against one of the walls to get myself together. I couldn’t walk around here so angry; I was going to do something irrational. Something I’d probably regret in time. I considered taking off my helmet but when I spotted
Aphrodite coming down the corridor I was glad I didn’t. Here was my chance to follow her.
When she walked past, I got in behind her a few paces. Although I was invisible, I knew that I could still make all kinds of noise, so I employed all I learned from Tisiphone and crept silently behind the Goddess. Once she went around another corner, I knew where she was headed—her hall.
As she approached the tall golden doors, they opened for her as if sensing her presence. I had to bridge the gap between us if I was going to get inside before the doors closed on me. I jogged a little on my tiptoes so I was maybe four feet behind her.
She went through the doors, and I followed. For a brief second, her head turned to the right just slightly, and I thought maybe she figured out she was being followed. But she continued on through the golden tiled corridor and into her private rooms.
Once inside, she went to a tall metal stand near one wall. Several crystal decanters of liquid sat on top along with tall crystal glasses. She picked up a pitcher of amber liquid and poured some in two glasses. Obviously she was expecting company.
I didn’t have to wait long to see who that particular company was. Ares strode into the room, wearing the same clothes I’d always seen him in—shorts and a t-shirt. I didn’t know why she would be with him; he looked like an angry gym teacher, when she was married to a really strong, intelligent man like Hephaistos who I suspected would do anything for her if she asked. Sure, he wasn’t nice to look at but that couldn’t be the only important thing in a relationship, could it?
“Sorry I’m late. Some of those mortals are so weak and whiny. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t just slaughter the lot of them and be done with it.” He came to her and she handed him the glass of liquid. He took a sip.
“Because we need them for now. Like cattle, they’re being raised for the impending slaughter.”
Startled by her admission, I took a step backward. The bottom of my boot scuffed against the pristine tile. I wasn’t sure if I made a sound.
“I heard from Cottus, and he said the release of the chimera would be eminent—,”
He was cut off, when the air around Aphrodite suddenly blew up, twisting around her, then where she had been standing, now a giant snake sat coiled, ready to spring up any second. It had her golden eyes.
It was my cue to get the hell out of there. But before I could turn to find a shadow to dive into, the snake shot forward and twisted around me. She constricted around me so tight, that I couldn’t breathe, and my helmet literally popped off from the pressure she was putting on the rest of my body. It clattered to the floor.
Ares’ eyes widened at the sight of me. “Well, that’s a surprise.”
She kept squeezing me tighter and tighter. My bones ground against each other. I heard the cracking noise of my joints as my shoulders jerked out of the sockets. Pain zipped through me, and I cried out.
“Careful, babe. You don’t want to make a mess in your nice clean room.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as the pressure mounted in my chest and head. I didn’t want them popping out of my head. Then the compression lessened, until I was a panting, sobbing, quivering mess on the pristine white tiles. I opened my eyes to see Aphrodite, back in her perfect pale form, leering down at me.
“How dare you spy on me! I’ve killed mortals for less.”
I gasped for more breath, hoping it would stop my lungs from burning. It felt like I’d swallowed hot coals. Tears kept rolling down my cheeks as the pain from my dislocated shoulders nearly incapacitated me. I couldn’t even think past it.
Ares joined her to loom over me. “What should we do with her?”
“Kill her.”
“We can’t, you know that. She has Hades’ backing. It would be a dangerous move to do that.”
“She’s invaded my privacy.”
Ares patted Aphrodite gently on the shoulder. “I know my love, but killing her is not an option.” He toed me in the arm with his shoe. A bolt of agony stabbed me in the side, and I gasped. “You popped her shoulders out. It must be extremely painful judging by the tears and the screams. She’ll think twice about spying on you again.”
That seemed to placate Aphrodite, as she sighed then walked back to the table with her drink on it. She picked up the crystal glass and took a sip. “Fine. But please do something with her, her tears are staining my tile.”
Ares crouched over and grabbed me around the ankles. He then dragged me across the room, out the door of her private chambers and to the main doors of her hall. When the main doors opened, he proceeded to drag me out of the hall.
The pain was constant as I slid along the floor and there was nothing I could do to stop him. As I went through the door, I looked up to see Revana and Eros smirking down at me as I passed on by their feet. I was in such agony that I couldn’t even muster enough concern for it to matter that she saw me like this.
Once outside the main doors, Ares dropped my legs to the ground. “Have a good night.” He then left me there on the ground like yesterday’s trash and returned to the hall. The doors shut behind him.
“Blue! Oh my Gods, Blue!”
I cried harder then as Lucian and Jasmine and Georgina and Ren all gathered around me. I blinked up at them through the veil of tears. My friends had come to save me. I wasn’t alone.
Then I passed out.
Chapter Eighteen
LUCIAN
“Good Gods, what happened to her?” Georgina crouched next to Melany and checked her pulse. “Her pulse is strong, but she looks and feels feverish.”
I got on my hand and knees next to her. “Mel? Can you hear me?” I looked her over, to assess her injuries. Her arms didn’t look right. They were lying at an impossible angle. My stomach churned at the thought of what could’ve happened to her for that kind of injury. “I think her shoulders are dislocated.”
“We need to get her to Chiron,” Ren said.
“How do we move her?” Jasmine paced the corridor. “What if we make it worse?”
I glanced at Ren; he was the most proficient in healing than the rest of us. “Can you put her shoulders back? Then I could carry her.”
He rubbed his mouth, and frowned. “I don’t know. What if there is a tear? I could really mess her up.”
“Can you try?”
Ren kneeled down next to Melany. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder and moved it around. His brow furrowed as he assessed the damage. Because of his affinity to water, he found that he could sense injuries inside a body because we were made up of sixty percent water. I remember how surprised he was when he learned he could feel inside the body.
He rocked back on his feet. “Yeah, it’s just dislocated. I couldn’t sense any tears of muscle or tendons.”
I kneeled down on the other side of her. “What do you need me to do?”
“You’ll need to hold her down, while I pop it back in.”
We made sure she was laid out perfectly straight on her back. While I pressed down on her chest, Ren picked up her right arm brought it down to almost her side, and then gripping her wrist, he pulled it up to a ninety degree angle, shook her arm up and down, then up to a one hundred and eight degree angle and shook her arm up, then down. I winced when I heard the pop of it going back in.
With a gasp, her eyes sprang open and she tried to sit up. I kept her pressed down to the ground, but damn, she was strong. She’d gotten stronger over the past few months. “Stay still, Blue. Ren is fixing you up.”
She turned her head to look at me, there was a wild look of horror in her eyes, then she sagged into the floor, her eyes flickering closed again.
Ren met my gaze over her body. “Need to switch positions, so I can do the other arm.”
We moved around her, and Ren popped her other shoulder back in. Once that was done, I carefully picked her up into my arms, and as a group we marched through the academy and to the infirmary. If we’d been alone, I would’ve kissed her face and whispered to her that everything was going to be okay. Even
when I wasn’t sure it would be.
There were whispers and stares as we passed our peers in the hallways. Mia found us right before we arrived at the infirmary; she said she heard rumors that Melany had been injured when she attacked Aphrodite in her private room.
“Bullshit,” I said, “I don’t believe that for one minute.”
“Lu, we did find her outside Aphrodite Hall,” Jasmine said as she linked hands with Mia.
“So, that doesn’t prove anything. We don’t know why she was there, or what happened.”
I carried her into the infirmary. Chiron was across the room talking to Dionysus when I laid her down on one of the cots. They both hurried over.
“What happened?” Chiron did a quick visual inspection on Melany.
“We’re not sure, but we found her on the floor with two dislocated shoulders.”
Chiron pressed fingers to her shoulder, and then frowned.
“Ren put them back in,” I added.
Chiron nodded, and then looked at Ren. “Good work.”
“Is something else wrong with her?” I noticed some bruising starting to blossom along her jawline.
Chiron pulled down her shirt and inspected her collarbone and sternum. I could see more bruising.
“Looks like she’s had lots of trauma on her muscles.”
“From what?”
His eyes narrowed. “Not sure, but it almost looks like she’s been squeezed in a vice.” He straightened, and waved his hand at us. “Get out so I can do a thorough exam of her.”
“I want to stay,” I said.
Dionysus gestured to the door. “Let’s all go and have a nice cup of tea. Let Chiron do his thing, then you can come back. Okay?”
We followed Dionysus out and down the hall to his “office”. There was literally no room as we all filed inside. Just about every surface was piled high with books and papers. All the shelves were crammed with herbs and glass bottles of this and that.
He pointed to a sofa that was covered with books and a couple of animal skulls. “Just push that off and sit.”
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