Jordan leans over. “You should have let him die in the desert.” I nod my agreement.
There’s only one moment where I’m reminded of why I once considered Nico a friend.
It’s when Themis asks him, “I believe you once had a romantic relationship with Mavis as well. What did you see in her?”
“Nothing!” Nico insists, his single eye narrowed to a slit. “She tricked me.”
“Yes, that’s well established,” Themis says, her voice lightly mocking. “So she simply played you for the entirety of your relationship as well.”
“No…” Nico pauses, obviously thrown off. Again his eyes go to Mavis, but this time there’s no glee. He stares for a long moment with something almost like heartbreak. “She was smart,” he says at last. “We talked about our families. Although most of what she said was lies—”
“It wasn’t,” Mavis softly protests. She turns to meet Nico’s eyes. “I lied about the details of their lives. But how I felt about them, that was all true.”
The moment stretches out and it feels for a moment like Nico might flip and ask for leniency. But then he jerks his gaze away from Mavis. “Look, it doesn’t matter how I felt about Mavis then. The facts are the facts. Even if she’d given me steak and BJs every day, I would still say she’s a traitor and there’s no need for this trial. Because that’s the truth and it’s all that matters.”
As Nico leans back in his chair, there’s a lot of agreement and whispers from the jury and my stomach drops.
Themis stands then. “Nico, we appreciate your testimony and require no further comments.” She addresses the jury. “I think that the focus of this trial should not be on Mavis’s guilt or innocence. She betrayed the Academy. That is a fact.”
“Then let’s kill her,” Zee yells.
“Yes, kill her!” Hades calls out. “I could use her at UWA!” He takes a big bite of pork.
“No, brother,” Zee wags a finger. “This one gets eternal torture. No further schooling parties, or boyfriends. No afterlife.”
“Oooh, torture.” Hades rubs his hands together. “You know I’m up for that, brother.”
Themis closes her eyes, takes a deep breath. “Let’s focus on what an acceptable punishment would be. Does Mavis deserve to have her soul extinguished for her crimes?”
“An eye for an eye!” someone shouts.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Hepa says, her tone thoughtful.
I look at her aghast. Jordan pipes up, “What? Hepa’s right. If she gets off with only having to give up her eye!? That’s, like, best case scenario right now.”
“It’s sad when losing an eye seems like the best option,” I tell them.
Themis calls Cassie to the stand. Cassie looks terrified as she goes up the stairs of the stage, her eyes on Mavis. Mavis gives her a nod.
She’s asked to relay her time as Mavis’s roommate and what her suspicions were. “She was always out late, and hardly ever in bed at night. I thought she was…you know…with Nico or Derrick. It can’t be easy juggling two boys like that. Especially werewolves, who are totally the jealous type.”
“Did you know she was a spy?” Zee asks.
“Well yeah. She was in the spy class,” Cassie says and I hand it to her for her sass.
“For. The. Monsters,” Zee clarifies.
“Did I know that Mavis was a femme fatale double agent? No. I can honestly say I didn’t.”
“Thank you for your testimony,” Themis tells her. “You can leave.”
“No.”
“No?” Zee booms.
“This is quite good fun,” Hades says, chugging another cup of ambrosia.
“I’m not done saying what I have to say,” Cassie explains.
“Then by all means, continue,” Themis allows.
“I don’t think that Mavis should be put to death.” There’s an outraged response, including boos from Hades and a thunderclap from Zee. “No, listen. Maddox Tralano killed a student, murdered her in cold blood, and was banished. Why should Mavis have a harsher treatment? She didn’t even kill Nico. Just took his eye. If anything, she should be stripped of her powers and banished. That’s what makes the most sense.”
My heart is full to bursting as Cassie stands and retakes her seat in the front row.
Zee seems to be considering this, his chin resting in his palm, eyes on Mavis. The mood of the court has shifted; earlier he could have smote her where she stood and even asked for a drumroll without much pushback from the crowd.
But after hearing Cassie’s testimony, it’s clear that the pendulum has swung in the other direction. The jury might not vote for death, even though Zee has made it no secret it’s what he wants.
The suggestion that Mavis be given the same punishment as Maddox is a good one. Mavis will never be seen again, an embarrassment that will fade with time. Being stripped of the ability to shift is a horrible thought for most shifters…almost worse than death. It means living life as a human, which to many of them is inconceivable. Any holdouts among Nico’s friends would definitely think Mavis had suffered enough, and those who take her side won’t be enraged by her death.
It’s a master stroke. Everyone wins. For once.
“Please,” I say under my breath, fingers clenched on my sword hilt at my thigh, eyes locked on Zeus. “Please do the smart thing.”
A shadow passes over the amphitheater, and the rush of wings fills the air as a Stymphalian bird swoops low, landing on an arm of Mr. Zee’s throne. He gives it an inquisitive look, and it cocks its head back at him, in perfect mimicry. The bird opens its mouth and Val’s voice comes out.
“Narcissistic asshole says what?” Kevin asks.
“What?” Mr. Zee says.
And then all hell breaks loose.
24
Val promised me an army, and it’s here.
Monsters descend upon the amphitheater in a rush, minotaurs, satyrs, harpies, and centaurs all charging toward the stage. Students are on their feet in a moment, ready to fight.
Nico is already in werewolf form, claws out, teeth bared. All around me vampires are flashing their fangs, ready to fight. My own wings erupt, and I take to the sky along with other winged shifters for a better view.
But this isn’t the Spring Fling, and these monsters aren’t here for blood. I see Jordan take a running leap at a minotaur, who bounces him off his shield, sending the panther rolling. But the minotaur doesn’t follow through with a killing swing; instead he keeps his distance while Jordan gains his feet, prowling around the monster in a confused circle. His teeth are bared, and a deep growl emanates from his chest, but he’s not advancing. He knows that the minotaur could have killed him while he was down, and chose not to.
Similar things are happening all around me. Vampires are hissing, showing their fangs and lunging at monsters who refuse to fight back. A few blood-minded shifters are going all out, elbow deep in brawls that are drawing blood, but even when monsters gain the upper hand, they won’t kill. They are on defense only, and that approach has thrown off the entire student body.
I’m glad to see it, but also worried. The no-kill approach isn’t helping them gain ground on where Mavis sits huddled in her chair. Even worse, after the gods initially did their typical duck and cover move, they seemed to quickly realize this wasn’t an attack. Even as I watch, Kratos comes out from where he was hiding behind the witness stand to take position beside Mavis, arms crossed over his chest.
I want to scream with frustration. The longer this fight goes on, the more likely it is that people will get hurt—on both sides. You can only fight defensively for so long. Plus Mr. Zee could postpone the trial and lock Mavis away once more. Or worse—he could cancel the trial and execute her without any further discussion.
I look his way and am relieved to see that right now he looks...delighted. There’s a large glass of ambrosia in his hand and he’s watching the fight like a little kid sitting in the stands of a three-ring circus. He can’t seem to decide where to foc
us his attention, because delightful sights are everywhere.
With a sigh, I settle back to the ground, finding a quiet spot away from the action.
There’s a cool breeze next to me, lifting the edges of my skirt, and bringing relief from the oppressive heat with it.
I turn to find Val at my elbow.
“Hi,” he says, casual as all get out.
I can’t help it. I weakly smile back. “Hi.”
“Nice weather we’re having,” Val adds, as a vampire charges one of the pig roasting fires. The vamp tears the pig off the spit, then launches it toward a minotaur, who blocks the improvised spear with his shield…yet still refuses to hit back.
“Works great with the luau theme,” Val adds, and I give him a shove.
“What in all Hades is going on?” I demand, but Val only shrugs.
“I decided to crash the party,” he says, as clouds start to form all around us, a spray of rain beginning to fall. I look up into the steadily increasing downpour.
“This sudden change of weather is you, right?” I ask, but Val’s already headed toward the stage, where Zeus and the other gods are now surrounded by a phalanx of loyal MOA students, taking orders from Nico.
There’s a mix of shifters and vamps, and a few healers too. They’re all ready to die for the gods, like they’ve been taught. But not everyone has joined them.
Fern stands by Mavis, trying to keep her out of harm. Marguerite appears and she and Fern embrace. “I told you to stay away,” Fern tells her. “I didn't want you in danger.”
“I had to come,” Marguerite tells her. “I never want to leave your side again.” They kiss deeply, but quickly, and Marguerite crouches and hisses at the gods. Kratos picks her up and throws her off the stage.
Mavis says quietly but sternly, “Go to her.” And Fern leaves my sister’s side.
Jordan, Greg, Cassie, Hepa, and quite a few others have reached a cautious impasse with the monsters, both sides on high alert, but no one making any threatening moves. There are similar face-offs scattered throughout the amphitheater, small bands of monsters and students eyeing each other carefully while slipping glances toward the stage.
Kratos remains near Mavis’s chair, guarding her and looking like he’s itching for a fight. I honestly don’t think Kratos has ever been too into the whole ‘hide behind the students’ thing.
Val jumps up on the stage and holds out his arm. Kevin comes to him immediately, pulling a treat from his fingers.
“Vile traitor!” Mr. Zee shrieks, pointing over the shoulders of two students who stand in front of him. I’m not sure if it’s Kevin or Val or both of them together, but Mr. Zee’s no longer entertained. His moods have always changed quickly, but they seem more intense these days. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
Right now his rage actually comes off of him in waves, making the entire stage tremble.
Not wanting to leave Val alone up there, taking the full brunt of it—especially when this is my fight—I take to the air.
“A traitor?” Val is nodding as I land softly beside him. “Yes. Vile…that depends. Should we ask the jury?”
He turns to them, still sitting in their box, hunched tightly together. “Is it vile to revolt against a tyrant?” They look at one another, stealing glances at Zee as well. Even now, they don’t want to speak against him. But Val doesn’t really need an answer.
“That’s what she did,” he points at Mavis, who raises her head a little higher, looking down her nose at the jury. “She did what she thought was right.”
“And took my eye!” Nico, back in human form, leaps onto the stage, anger turning his handsome face into something horrible. “She is a traitor, a spy, a deceiver! In my mother’s time she would’ve been put to death immediately. There wouldn’t even be a trial!”
“Yes,” Val says, his voice suddenly cold. “And look what happened to your mother.”
Nico growls low in his throat, his back arching as he shifts again, his rage forcing him into werewolf form. Monsters pour on to the stage, more coming to flank Val, facing down Nico. I stand in between them, soaked to the skin as rain continues to fall around us.
“Stop,” I say, my hands out to both sides, imploring. “Just…stop.”
My voice breaks, a sob coming from deep inside me to crack open on the last word. My hands are shaking, my heart hammering in my chest. Cassie climbs onto the stage, running to my side.
“Edie,” she says, wrapping her arm around my waist. It brushes against the sword, and she looks at me, questioning.
I shake my head. I don’t want to swing it. Don’t even know if I have the strength. All of my time at Mount Olympus Academy, all of the friends gained and lives lost have come down to this—me standing in between Val and Nico in the middle of a stage, my sister in chains.
I’ve fought so hard, and so much. I’ve killed. I’ve broken bones and spilled blood and turned living things into ash.
And none of it got me anywhere.
It just brought more violence, more questions, and I’m just as lost and scared now as I was the first day I came here, the day Cassie greeted me at the gates and welcomed me to this school.
I don’t want to be at MOA anymore. Val is expelled, Tina is gone. And half the people here want to kill my sister. After everything I’ve been through, it comes down to something incredibly simple.
I just want to go home. And Mavis is my home.
“Please,” I spin, turning to Zeus, my hands clasped. “Please,” I beg. “Let my sister go. Let us go. She’s my family.”
The amphitheater is utterly silent, everyone watching the drama unfold on stage.
Zeus steps out from behind the students guarding him.
His gait is ragged; he’s favoring one knee like a linebacker who played five seasons too long. His bulk, while all muscle, teeters as he comes toward me, the smell of ambrosia following him.
And yet, despite all that, the power he carries within his withered frame is undeniable. There’s a charge in the air; static electricity rolls off him, leaving everyone’s hair standing on end.
“Your sister?” Zee sneers. “Do you really think that appealing to familial bonds is the best way to win me over?”
From the corner of my eye I see Themis give a quick shake of her head, which might’ve been a helpful hint if she’d given it before I opened my mouth.
“Do you know what my sister did to me?” Zeus asks, his voice rising. “She sent snakes to kill my son Hercules in his crib when he was only an infant. She turned my lovers into animals—a cow, and a bear—so that I could not touch them!”
“But you did anyway.” Val interrupts. “You also married your sister so that’s kind of on you.”
“SILENCE,” Zeus roars, and Val goes quiet. Eerily quiet. I turn to see him touching his lips, a concerned expression on his face. His eyes go to mine, stunned.
“What?” I ask, concern rising in me like a balloon, filling my throat.
He shakes his head and I realize he can’t answer me. Zeus has taken his voice.
“Edie…” Themis steps forward, as if to come to my side but Zeus spins on her.
“Stop!” he commands, and Themis does, faltering in her steps. “Have you all forgotten who I am?” Zeus asks, turning to direct his question to everyone on stage, sweeping me, Val, the jury, Mavis, the monsters, and his fellow gods.
All of us, without exception, are terrified.
Because we did. We did forget.
The bumbling, doddering, vaguely creepy guy I thought of as Mr. Zee is gone.
This is Zeus, king of the gods. And we have royally pissed him off.
He chuckles again, enjoying himself as he paces the stage.
“You know better,” he says, almost quietly, as he approaches his fellow gods. Themis falls back, and the students form ranks again, but they’re confused now. Are they protecting the gods from the monsters, or the gods from Zeus?
“You know me,” Zeus sneers at Themis. “
You know what I can do. And you.” He turns to Metis, who holds his gaze, her own burning just as intently. “You know more than most what I’m capable of.” He spins on his heel to take in us, the students, staring at him. “But they don’t know. And they should. So who wants to tell them?”
Hades takes a step forward, “Brother, I’d be happy to deliver a history lesson on your behalf.”
Zee chuckles jovially, though the sound is still full of menace. Walking over to Hades’s side, he puts an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “It was a rhetorical question. Maybe you didn’t notice, but I’m having a moment here. If you step on it again, I’ll rip your head from your shoulders, lock it in a box, and hide it at the furthest reaches of this world so you’ll never be reunited with your body again.”
Hades smiles tremulously and then silently pulls away from Zee.
With a satisfied nod, Zee turns back to his audience, spreading his arms out wide, encompassing the rest of us, students and monsters alike. “Who wants to tell the youngsters what I can do?”
No one says anything. Beside me, Cassie grips my wrist, squeezing hard.
“Nobody?” Zeus asks, scanning the crowd as if for a volunteer. “Well, then, I guess I’ll just show them.”
He lifts an arm, and points it at my sister.
“No,” I screech, the word angry and guttural from my dragon mouth.
My heart catches in my throat as I leap forward.
Time seems to slow.
My wings are spread wide, my talons outstretched, but the air around me might as well be made of molasses. I cannot move fast enough.
Kratos dives out of the way as a bolt of lightning flies from Zeus’s outstretched hand.
Mavis’s mouth is a wide O of surprise as the bolt catches her directly in the chest. She flies upward and back, cracking into the arched marble that spans the top of the amphitheater.
It shatters like glass with the force and Mavis falls, her limp body hitting the stage floor as a mountain of rubble lands on top of her.
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