Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)(27)

Fluffy Jr. crouched at my feet; Poco sat on his neck, holding his ears with tiny black fingers, like they were reins.

Wait, shouldn’t he be with Augustus?

Shrugging, I moved down the gilded hall toward the atrium where we’d all agreed to meet. The predawn hour was fraught with anticipation.

Crack.

Smoke rose around a short figure in a green toga with long curly blond hair. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed with relief.

“I’m so glad I caught you, daughter,” Persephone said as she stepped in front of me, a sleeping dragon on her shoulder.

Fluffy Jr. wagged his tail and Poco chittered a greeting.

“Hello, M-Mother.” The word was unfamiliar and foreign in my throat.

What is she doing here?

Persephone opened her arms wide and waited, eyes glittering with tears. “I didn’t want to burden you with … our heritage,” she whispered. “The federation doesn’t want you to know the truth—but I realize the burdens are already there.”

I stepped into her embrace. Her warmth engulfed me as she held me tightly, rubbing my back. It felt right.

Her dragon shifted and its leathery wing poked the side of my face.

Persephone’s power was a living, prickling thing, and she smelled like wet earth tinged with hunger.

I breathed in deeply.

“You have the blood of the House of Hades and the House of Demeter,” she said into my curls. “Do you know what that means?”

I tried to reply, but there were no words inside of me.

“It means you’re my daughter, and our power is … unique.”

“Because of my grandfather—Iasion?” I whispered the name of the infamous dark creature who had sired her.

She squeezed me tighter and nodded.

Nyx grumbled about being crushed to death.

“It’s why Demeter disowned me,” she said quietly. “Why the federation exiled me, and why Hades had to take me in. Sparta prefers it when people fall into neat boxes.”

She’d claimed the land on Crete. The earth itself had responded to her.

Persephone pulled back and looked at me, her eyes twinkling with something mischievous.

“Remember—” She leaned closer like she was letting me in on a secret. “It’s much easier to wield power that is insignificant. If it’s difficult to harness, that’s how you know it’s going to be good.”

She winked, then glanced down at her watch with a sigh. “I have to leave. The federation can’t know I’m here—be strong, my daughter.”

Crack.

Persephone disappeared in a haze of smoke.

I stared at where she’d stood.

In a daze, I staggered forward through the villa. Nyx hissed as she slithered around my shoulders.

When I finally made it to the atrium, the sky outside the grand windows was a never-ending sea of stars. Their twinkling light reflected off the shadowy black marble floors.

Assembly of Death members were all getting ready, adjusting their weapons and buckling harnesses. Protectors sat next to them, half asleep.

Time had run out—the Titans were waiting.

Fluffy Jr. plopped down, belly up on the marble. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, as Poco lay next to his head, playing with his floppy ears.

Nyx hissed something in her sleep about murdering everyone.

Dragging my hands over my face, I calmed myself by humming a classical tune and mentally working through a differential geometry problem that would hopefully make Carl Gauss proud.

But he’s not here and you’re a soldier, not a scholar.

I sat down on the hard marble (collapsed from exhaustion that had nothing to do with sleep deprivation) and retied my combat boots.

A shadow fell over me and I looked up.

Augustus stared down, the harsh planes of his face even more severe than usual as he held out a black pager. “Press this button if you get into any trouble. We’ll come immediately.”

Before I could respond, he crouched in front of me with the device. It was similar to the pager General Cleandro had used to summon mentors during the crucible.

Augustus breathed out heavily as he knelt before me. Long sooty lashes surrounded eyes as black as a starless night—he was so close that I could make out every jagged edge of the scar that intersected his cheekbone.

I had a bizarre urge to run my fingers over it.

He tucked the pager into the pocket of my cargo pants.

I shivered.

“Please use this,” he said. “Even if you’re not sure but you feel threatened, use it … We’ll be there.” His hand lingered, fingers spanning across the top of my thigh.

Ozone and musk filled the air.

His hand flexed possessively across my leg and he leaned forward, until our faces were close.

“Alexis,” he whispered as he pressed his forehead against mine.

I wanted to collapse into his arms and let him shield me from the world.

There was no doubt in my mind that he’d protect me. He’d always been vocal about women not having to fight. The idea of sitting back and relaxing while someone else handled everything was intoxicating.

But the world didn’t work that way.

You had to save yourself.

Always.

“Please—promise me, Alexis.” His baritone voice was smooth as silk, dark eyes flashing. “I hate that we can’t be there to protect you—I hate … that you’re fighting at all.”