The Maze of Minos

by Tammie Painter

  Theseus vows to put an end to this savagery and heads off to Crete. Before Theseus leaves, his father, Aegeus (king of Attica), tells him to return with his ship sailing under white sails if he succeeds, instead of the black sails ships normally sailed under.

  In Crete, Minos’s daughter, Ariadne, falls in love with Theseus and helps him by sneaking him a rope so he can find his way out of the maze once he kills the beast with a sword she has also given him. Theseus slays the Minotaur and makes it out thanks to her. Knowing her father will be outraged when he discovers her part in helping, Ariadne leaves with Theseus. When they stop on the island of Naxos, Theseus forgets Ariadne and leaves her behind (what a guy!). Luckily, Dionysus finds her there and they fall in love.

  As he sails into Crete, Theseus (who seems to be suffering from memory issues) forgets to switch his black sails to white. Aegeus, watching from the shore, assumes this means his son and heir is dead. In grief, he leaps to his death. Theseus then becomes king of Attica.

  The Bonds of Osteria: Book Four of the Osteria Chronicles

  Available now at most retailers!!!

  In a fierce clash for power, titans rise, heroes fall, and the gods find themselves on the brink of destruction.

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  Sample Chapter: Prologue - Medea

  Not here. Please, not here.

  I grip my belly and double over as another pain sears through me.

  If the gods are real they have a wicked sense of humor.

  The air is filled with the all-too-familiar stench of fish that wafts up from Colchis’s walled-in harbor. It’s an odor I should have grown accustomed to after smelling it every single day of my life but I never have. Still, it’s the scent of home. I have to be less than a mile from Colchis Castle.

  After getting so close, after having to scurry from Athenos thanks to that pest Odysseus raising the alarm, after wanting nothing more but to collapse with exhaustion from the masking charm and from the sped-up pregnancy, after having to trek across this rugged terrain not knowing when a vigile might take me by the scruff of the neck and drag me away to the fate of all blood crimers, after getting so close to safety, why must I now be struck down by contractions? Could this child not wait just a little longer to come into the world?

  I want to scream with pain and frustration, but I can’t risk drawing the attention of the centaurs.

  The cramping passes. It leaves me weaker than I have ever felt in my life, but I won’t be delayed. If my calculations are right, my father announces the change to his will today. The change that cuts all his ties with me, the change that denies my child his rightful inheritance, the change that allows the first man who betrayed me and the woman he betrayed me with to ascend to the throne that should belong to me and this baby for whom I’ve risked everything.

  Suddenly I’m ripped in two with another contraction. This time I can’t control it. I scream so loudly I swear the sound rushes from my lips all the way to the Califf Lands. I clench the muscles in my groin as if trying not to pee, as if I’ll somehow hold back the tide of infancy trying to break through. I stagger forward. The centaurs will have heard me.

  My birthing took so long last time. Hours of agony. Why should this one be different? I just need to keep moving forward. My short, clumsy steps send pain to places deep within my body that only a medic could name. Surely I can get to the castle before—

  I drop to the ground as another contraction tears into me. They’re too close together. Dear gods why did I speed up this pregnancy? What point was there in it? Because I wanted to have Aegeus’s child before he could name Theseus heir of Athenos. Because I wanted to impress my father by breeding an heir for Colchis.

  Now, I think with a laugh, I may miss out on the chance to have this ball of pain named to his rightful place because he’s in such a hurry to see the world. Panting so hard it makes me dizzy, I force myself to my feet. I continue forward following the nauseating stench of fish.

  The next crushing blow is too much. My legs give out from under me. I collapse to my hands and knees, screeching like a cat whose tail has just been maimed by a cart wheel. I don’t even have the energy to clap a hand over my mouth.

  The centaurs will have heard. No doubt they would love to see me in pain, but what will they do? Will they watch me suffer or will they crush me under hoof? How did Colchis end up with this rogue band of centaurs who refused to follow Chiron’s plan of domestication? And why did we issue a royal decree that allowed Colchians to hunt and torment them? They’re disgusting animals, that’s why. The thought of treating centaurs as equals sends a new wave of nausea through me.

  The next pang comes with a heavy pressure between my legs and, centaurs or no, I howl with the crowning of my child's head. My arms buckle and I fall face first into the layer of conifer needles that coats the Colchian Forest floor. At least the resinous, earthy smell of them is better than the dead-fish reek of the harbor. I breathe it in with my hips stuck up in the air like a bitch in heat. If the centaurs do come, I can’t let them see me like this. I use all my strength to push myself up and into a squatting position. A modest speck of relief washes over me as the pain subsides.

  The moment of calm is short-lived as I'm stretched apart until I swear my body is splitting straight up the middle. No royal cushions cradle my newly birthed baby as they did last time. Instead, a bed of moist, decaying fir needles catches the infant as it makes its final slither from my body.

  I'm exhausted. My trembling legs can no longer hold the squat. I drop to my knees waiting for the contraction that will force out the rest of the mess of childbirth. I scoop up my baby. A boy. At least I didn’t go through all this to produce a girl that would be nothing in my father’s eyes. Aeetes has his heir now. I wrap the baby in my cloak to protect this valuable creature against any chill, then I shift aside my dress’s top so the Prince of Colchis can enjoy his first meal.

  The afterbirth purges from me as the baby begins to suckle. I want nothing more than to sleep, but I have to continue. I swear that’s the top of castle just beyond the trees. So close. I’m tired, but it's not far. Once I get there I can sleep for a week. But I must get there. My father must see his true heir. I will not allow Phrixus to take my child’s rights. The thought of Glauce’s face when she learns her darling husband has been replaced by my child gives me a renewed sense of strength.

  I listen to the forest as the prince takes his fill of my milk. Even centaurs can’t move in complete silence. I hear nothing but birds calling. At least the vile creatures know enough to keep away from real humans.

  The baby finishes his meal. Milk drips from me and from his toothless mouth. I cover myself and try to stand. My legs have gone numb from how I’m kneeling. I pause in mid-crouch, letting the blood tingle back in.

  The ring of a metal blade sounds behind me. I close my eyes and clutch my baby tighter.

  The centaurs have found me.

  Not this close to home. Not with all I have been through. At least a sword means a quick death. But what centaurs would approach so silently? Surely the drunken beasts would just barrel in, hack me to bits, and trample the new prince. But who else would be out here? The guards don’t patrol this far and I imagine every Colchian who can afford the time away from their work is attending my father’s ceremony to announce Phrixus’s new status as heir.

  With stealthy silence, the sword bearer steps around me.

  My whole body shakes. Fear, exhaustion, the strain of birth all hit me at once. I can’t run. Even if my legs weren’t screaming as they awaken from their numbness, I can’t imagine summoning the energy to stand. I look up. Using all my strength, I tilt my head up from the tiny prince in my arms to the face of my pursuer. It burns with rage. He holds his sword high, gripping the hilt with both hands, ready to plunge the blade into my breast where the newborn sleeps.

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  Pick up your copy of The Bonds of Osteria today.

  Glossary

  Agora: The central marketplace of a cit
y.

  Drachar: The primary unit of currency used in Osteria. One hundred denaris equal one drachar.

  Herene: A woman who serves Hera. Her chastity ensures the safety of the polis. Any Herene who does not adhere to her vows faces a death sentence.

  Kingdom: A political division within Osteria. A kingdom maintains itself independent of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Examples of kingdoms include Minoa and Amazonia.

  Polis (plural = poli): A political division within the land of Osteria. Ruled as a state from a powerful city, each polis has one of the Olympian gods (The Twelve) as its patron. Within the polis are smaller regions or districts ruled by governors who answer to the polis’s ruling government. There are twelve poli.

  Scapegoat: A tradition in some poli where one person accepts all the sins of the polis. He leaves the polis for a period of one year taking the polis’s sins with him. After the year, he may return.

  Solon: The title of the ruler of Portaceae. The position is inherited and given only to men. His wife is the Solonia.

  Stirgil: A long blade used to scrape cleansing oil from the skin.

  The Twelve: The twelve gods of Olympus. Each god oversees the proper rule of one of Osteria’s twelve poli. They do not play a role in any of the kingdoms of Osteria.

  Vigile: Osteria’s police and fire-fighting team. The vigiles also make up the defensive forces when a polis is at war.

  The Maze Cast of Characters

  The Gods

  Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty, wife of Hephaestus, patron god of Vancuse

  Apollo: God of the sun, driver of the chariot that moves the sun, brother to Aphrodite, patron god of Bendria

  Ares: God of war, son of Hera and Zeus, patron god of Aryana

  Artemis: Goddess of wild places and animals, patron god of Cedonia

  Athena: Goddess of justice and battle, patron god of Athenos

  Demeter: Goddess of grain and harvest, patron god of Demos

  Dionysus: God of wine, patron god of Illamos Valley

  Hades: God of the dead, oversees the Chasm

  Hephaestus: God of volcanoes and metal working, husband to Aphrodite, patron god of Helena

  Hera: Goddess of marriage and family, wife and sister to Zeus, patron god of Portaceae

  Hermes: Messenger to the gods, patron god of Tillaceae

  Poseidon: God of the seas, brother to Zeus and Hera, patron god of Astoria

  Zeus: The god of the gods, husband and brother of Hera, father of many bastard children

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  Titans

  Kronos: Progenitor of all titans; father of Zeus, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, former husband of Rhea

  Prometheus: Friend to mortals, titan who provided fire in their darkest times

  Typhon: Son of Hera, father of the hydra, Nemean lion, and Chimera

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  The Poli

  Aryana

  Pasiphae: Member of the Osteria Council for Aryana, lover of Ares, daughter of the titan Helios, sister to the sorceress Circe

  Pelias: Former commander of Arean vigiles

  Athenos

  Aegeus: Ruler of Athenos, father of Theseus

  Kyros, Pheres, Zethros: Aegeus’s closest friends, guards, and advisors

  Theseus: Born in the Helena province, bastard son of Aegeus

  Demos

  Hector: Eldest son of Priam

  Paris: Youngest son of Priam

  Priam: President of Demos, member of the Osteria Council

  Illamos Valley

  Jason: Prince of Illamos Valley, son of Aeson and Polymele

  Odysseus: Commander of the Illamosian vigiles, Jason’s cousin, husband of Penelope

  Portaceae

  Eurydice: Wood nymph, engineer, former servant on Doliones Island, wife of Orpheus

  Iolalus: Current Solon of Portaceae, cousin to Hercules

  Maxinia: Head of the Herenes (priestesses of Hera)

  Orpheus: Musician striving to be an engineer, husband to Eurydice

  Seattica

  Agamemnon: Brother of Menelaus, Co-member of Osteria Council for Seattica

  Menelaus: Brother of Agamemnon, Co-member of Osteria Council for Seattica, infatuated with Helen

  Tillaceae

  Bellerophon: Former sailor aboard the Argoa, friend of Theseus

  Vancuse

  Castor & Pollux: Twin sons of Leda and Tyndareus, brother to Helen and Clytemnestra

  Helen: Formally betrothed to Jason, sister to Clytemnestra, Pollux, and Castor

  Tyndareus: Father of Helen, ruler of Vancuse alongside his wife Leda

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  The Kingdom of Colchis

  Aeetes: King of Colchis, nephew to Nephele

  Medea: Daughter of Aeetes, niece to the sorceress Circe, estranged wife of Jason

  Phrixus: Former lover of Medea, husband of Glauce

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  The Kingdom of Minoa

  Ariadne: Priestess in the Temple of the Bull, advisor and friend to Minos

  Minos: Ruler of Minoa

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  Others

  Achilles: Son of the nymph Thetis, supposed warrior

  Acrisius: Member of the Osteria Council, grandfather of Perseus

  Briseis: Teacher at Chiron’s Fields

  Chiron: Centaur, serves as teacher and mentor to high-born children

  Circe: Sorceress, aunt of Medea

  Hercules: Bastard son of Zeus

  Iole: Daughter of Hera, former Herene, wife to Hercules

  Perseus: Captain of the Argoa, born in the Astoria polis, raised in the Docklands, bastard son of Zeus

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  About the Author

  Tammie Painter worked for years in science before discovering her true passion in writing. Her fascination for myths, history, and how they interweave inspired the Osteria Chronicles series. When she isn’t (but probably should be) writing, Tammie can be found gardening, planning her next travel adventure, or wrangling her hive of honeybees.

  Learn more about Tammie at

  TammiePainter.com

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  Other Books by Tammie Painter

  The Trials of Hercules: Book One of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a world where mortals contend with the gods' vengeful jealousy, one man must ask himself if he will risk his life to defend the goddess who has done everything to destroy him.

  Convicted of three heinous murders, Herc Dion is sentenced to a series of trials that will pit him against formidable monsters, push his physical and mental endurance to the limit, and deliver him to the edge of Hades.

  Throughout these ordeals, Herc endures the brutal cruelty of Hera whose hatred of Herc has blinded her to the near ruin of her realm and to plans that will spell the end of her existence. Realizing Hera has ruined his life, will Herc risk his own life to protect her?

  * * *

  The Voyage of Heroes: Book Two of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a dangerous game that pits god against god, and family against one another, trust is the deadliest weapon.

  Believing a well-guarded treasure will prove he is rightful leader, Jason, Prince of Illamos Valley, sets out on a perilous quest to obtain it. As his voyage takes him across treacherous waters and into an aggressively fortified kingdom, Jason finds himself combatting the ire of gods and monsters, struggling to control a rebellious crew, and battling against doubts of his own worthiness to be
king of the land he is fighting to save.

  But even if he gains the treasure, can Jason recapture the trust of his people, secure his throne, and survive the betrayal of the one person he never expected to turn against him?

  * * *

  The Maze of Minos: Book Three of the Osteria Chronicles

  With the gods as your allies, your life, your world, and your sanity have never been in more danger.

  The Maze of Minos is an exhilarating tale of deception and determination, hostile ambition and daring heroism.

  Soon after returning to Athenos to celebrate his father's recent marriage, Theseus learns his homeland must submit to the cruel demands of an unexpected enemy. Goaded by his father’s new wife, Theseus volunteers to defend his land by entering a battle to the death in the pitch black depths of an ancient maze. A battle against a monster of the gods’ creation. A battle no other has survived.

  Aided by the goddess Aphrodite, Theseus stands a stronger chance of triumph than his predecessors, but as ever, the gods’ kindness harbors ulterior motives. His bravery, his sacrifice, his struggle to push his world back from the brink of war only serves to further Aphrodite’s goals. Goals that will destroy the stability of Osteria and anyone who stands in her way.

  * * *

  The Bonds of Osteria: Book Four of the Osteria Chronicles

  In a fierce clash for power, titans rise, heroes fall, and the gods find themselves on the brink of destruction.

  The titans gather. The gods plot against one another. And the mortals of Osteria become locked in a battle against nature, monsters, and one other.

  When internal and external struggles push them too far, former heroes prove themselves unable to protect Osteria, and new heroes are forged as the bonds of family, friendship, and marriage are challenged at every turn. But will their valor be enough in a world where even love can lead to war amidst the gods’ battle for supremacy?

  * * *

  Domna, A Novel of Osteria: The Complete Set

  Destiny isn’t given by the gods, it’s made by defying them.