Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)(127)

“Your power,” Nyx hissed with awe. “It healed me. There’s no pain anymore—I feel amazing.”

Not relatable.

Wiggling my shoulders back and forth, I dug my hand into the pocket of my toga and clutched my calculator with all my might.

“Alexis Hert,” Zeus said from behind me.

I flinched, then sat up as straight as I could. “Call me Hercules,” I said, cuts on my lips splitting open.

Zeus walked around the table, light crackling across his skin.

He stopped when he stood across from me, hands resting on the metal.

His scepter was gone.

The two of us were alone.

Perfect.

“What … do you know?” Zeus enunciated each word slowly.

I smiled. “Everything.”

Zeus slapped his hands and leaned forward. “You’re bluffing.” Electricity warmed the stale air.

I held his gaze, face throbbing.

“Vyco,” I said.

Zeus narrowed his eyes. “What … about him?”

“He was working for you.”

“So … what?” Zeus asked slowly.

“At the crucible graduation ceremony.” I cleared my dry throat, projecting my voice and reciting the facts that we both knew. “Vyco said there was a Titan attack at the House of Zeus during the federation meeting, and that he grabbed a baby and leapt away, there was blood everywhere and he passed out. When he woke up, the baby was gone.”

Zeus leaned closer. “And …?”

I inhaled deeply. Everything from this point on was my own speculation.

“He lied.”

Zeus laughed, relief on his face. “Is that what this is all about—is that the secret you know?” He laughed louder, skulls rattling as his voice rang.

“There was an attack because you planned it!” I shouted my suspicions, gasping for air.

Zeus clutched his stomach as he laughed harder.

“You sent the Titans to attack the federation meeting. Not Medusa … You framed her. She didn’t do anything. You planned it all so Vyco could KILL ME!”

I struggled against my chains, trying to free my arms so I could show him the scar on my chest. It all made sense.

“Vyco took me and the echidna he’d illegally bonded with—he’d enslaved—to Montana!” I yelled, fury mounting, because it was so obvious in retrospect. “But even as a baby I must have fought—he cut me and my blood got into his veins. I incapacitated him before he could finish the job.”

Nyx’s cool scales slithered around my neck. “Kid—I didn’t know … you figured it out,” she hissed with wonderment. “My oath. I can’t hurt him.”

“I know,” I whispered to Nyx. I’d had my suspicions as soon as Vyco told his story.

Zeus looked amused, his posture relaxed.

He thought it was all genuinely funny.

“Vyco leapt away to get medical help.” My dry throat burned as I continued. “He technically wasn’t lying when he said he woke up and I was gone—I wasn’t there because he’d already left … He’d left a baby—me—alone to die!”

Zeus’s smile widened.

“Both the echidna and I were left in Montana.”

He didn’t react.

I gritted my teeth. “Tell me I’m wrong—I fucking dare you,” I goaded him. “You spineless, weak, pathetic, powerless coward.”

Gray eyes hardened.

“You’re correct.” Zeus made a mocking face down at me. “But is that it … is that your big secret? Is that all you knew? All this time I’ve been worried, and that was all.”

He resumed laughing.

I tipped my chair, trying to break free. “You framed Medusa and tried to have me killed—you ruined both our lives.”

Dark memories played: a trailer park; foster parents screaming at me; fists being thrown; years of starvation; shivering in the cold as I lay awake terrified of every sound; a woman screaming for help as men assaulted her.

Zeus rolled his eyes. “Grow up. This is Sparta—no one cares about little girls.”

I tried to kick my feet out, the urge to rip him to shreds burning me alive, but the chains held me tight.

“Well—this has been enlightening.” Zeus rapped the table with his knuckles. “Let’s move on, shall we?”

He stepped to the side and pulled the lever on the stone wall. A heavy steel door lifted, revealing a handsome male figure.

Vivid green eyes met mine.

Patro was surrounded by Olympian guards with sparking batons.

Zeus pointed at me. “Question her. Now.”

Patro didn’t move.

“Achilles,” Zeus said simply.

A long second passed, and I thought he was going to disobey, but then Patro walked stiffly into the room, the guards moving in tandem around him.

He stopped in front of me.

I opened my mouth—

He gripped my forearm, hard.

Blood filled the whites of his eyes.

“Alexis Hert—Hercules,” Zeus’s voice boomed, skulls rattling together. “Do you know the whereabouts of Medusa?”

I tipped my head back to Patro, silently pleading with him.

“No.”

Electricity sizzled as the silence stretched. Nyx stilled on my shoulders as she waited. The guards shuffled, jostling my chair because there wasn’t enough room in the small space.