Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)(119)

“Your power!” Hades shouted from somewhere nearby, the rest of his message drowned out by the shrieking crowd.

Right.

The power I don’t know how to use!

Fuck me.

My palms burned.

The lions were approaching.

A split second of lost focus, and I’d be mauled to death. If I got close enough to bleed on them, I’d already be dead.

Movement flashed in my blind spot.

In slow motion, I turned my head to the side.

A lion was leaping straight toward me, paws and claws distended, jaw open wide—I hadn’t seen it coming, there was no time to stab.

I grabbed my spear with two hands and held the bar up defensively, eyes closing.

Hundreds of pounds of beast slammed into my body—something slammed against my skull—I saw stars—teeth snapped at my neck—I held the bar up to its open jaw—teeth clacked around titanium—I barely held it back—drool dripped onto me—claws streaked across my side—I screamed—its breath was hot—teeth snapped closer, my arms giving out.

Weight slammed down and I was crushed into the sand.

Breath knocked from my limbs.

Everything hurt.

I throbbed, an aching carcass of agony.

I’ll just rest here.

“I killed it,” Nyx hissed from somewhere nearby. “Move!”

I shoved against the crushing weight, but it didn’t budge. Panic set in. Tears of desperation blurred my vision as I wiggled and pushed. The beast didn’t budge an inch.

I sobbed.

Pinned to the sand by a—

The weight lifted off and I gasped, sprawled limply. Everything was blurry, my vision a tiny slit.

I squinted as Fluffy Jr. dropped … a lion’s leg?

He’d saved me.

It’s a miracle.

Nyx hissed from nearby and Fluffy Jr. growled.

Three Nemean lions were still circling us.

Not a miracle yet.

Everything slowed as I lay spread-eagle in the sand—half comatose—my body weak from being crushed. A euphoric sensation washed through me. I was spinning with the earth.

I felt nothing.

“Alexis … I’m … injured,” Nyx hissed weakly from somewhere nearby.

Motion restarted, my hands were buzzing like they were on fire, the burning unimaginable.

Pain throbbed in my side. The stadium was chanting “Hercules!”

Nyx and Fluffy Jr. were in danger.

Get up.

They needed me.

Get up now.

Barely able to see, I rolled to my side, desperately searching the sand with my hands.

Something splashed as my fingers dipped into thick, viscous wetness. A metal pole was buried in it.

I squinted down.

I was lying in a puddle of my blood—my palms were coated in it—the tingling intensified.

A lion’s growl echoed through the air and my hair stood on end.

Help them.

Fingers slipping, I gripped my spear and staggered to my feet; agony made me weak; bile dripped from my lips as I tried to breathe but heaved.

There was no time left.

Fluffy Jr. was nothing but a flash as he leapt, yowls and screeches erupting as he rolled through the sand. Jaws snapping as he fought a lion.

But I couldn’t look over because two lions were crouched low approaching me. They were heading for the kill.

The sky darkened as storm clouds multiplied.

My fingers sizzled. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were on fire.

They weren’t.

It was just in my head.

It was always just in my brain. I was so tired of the endless mental struggles and thoughts of death.

I was tired of being weak.

Tired of failing.

Tired of being defenseless.

Tired of being attacked.

Tired of fighting.

I widened my legs and pulled my arm back—a lion leapt with a gruesome roar—I threw my spear at it, and it let out a strangled yelp as it crashed down to the earth, skidding past me.

There was no time to dive and grab my weapon—the other lion was already jumping, headed straight for my throat.

God save my soul.

I bowed my head.

The lion slammed against me—stars exploded—pain was everywhere. Yet again, I plunged face-first into darkness. Back to where I belonged.

A gagging, choking noise echoed far away and everything went still.

Time warped strangely.

There was a bright light.

I tried to blink, but my right eye only opened the smallest crack.

I was lying on my side, staring into golden fur, gagging on sand.

Coughing, I spit out the dirty granules as I rolled onto my back.

The lion lay still beside me. It wasn’t breathing, which meant it was … dead, and I was somehow still alive.

Someone had killed the lion—they’d saved me—they’d slain the beast.

A pleasant tingling sensation tickled my palms, streaming down my hands to my fingers.

The light brightened.

My left hand searched my pocket, and I gasped with relief as my metal calculator seemed to be in one piece. Kharon hadn’t been joking about it being bulletproof.

Chuckling, feeling half dead, half alive, I tipped my chin back and looked around for my savior. Augustus, Kharon, Hades, Persephone?

The lightness slowly dissipated.