Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore Book 1)
Blood of Hercules: Chapter 25

Alexis: Late December

We waited in frigid silence for the next class to begin.

Time passed strangely in the mountain. The days went by with painful slowness, but the months blinked by.

It was already late December.

I shivered harder.

It was one more month until the Initiation Ball and graduation ceremony. One month until I turned twenty and was apparently immortal.

It didn’t feel real.

I’d almost survived, but the problem was I hadn’t even been alive to begin with.

No part of me felt like celebrating.

The days were getting harder to endure.

My spirit was deteriorating.

Ever since Augustus had knelt beside me while I slept in a bathtub, things had been strange between us. He still was a grumpy bastard, but every time I looked up during his lectures, he was staring at me.

It was weird.

Now, teeth chattering uncontrollably, I held my knees to my chest and rocked back and forth. My breath lingered in a frosty cloud.

Nyx’s scales were still icy beneath my toga.

The classroom was darker than usual; the only source of light was a single torch burning on the wall above the chalkboard.

All the candles had extinguished a week earlier.

Icicles hung off them.

Drex moaned beside me as he curled tighter in on himself. Maximum looked back at us and smiled—his lips were white, and there was a square patch of frostbite on his cheek.

I tried to grimace, but my face was frozen.

Someone groaned behind me.

The six of us who remained huddled low as we tried to conserve as much body heat as possible. Our breaths were loud and labored, skin unnatural shades of ice.

December was trying to kill us.

“Your teeth chattering is obnoxious,” Titus whispered behind me. “Do you now see why women should never do the crucible? You’re too weak.”

Since I’m still alive (against my will) and a bunch of dudes are dead, that makes zero sense.

Alessander laughed beside him, but it was a strangled pained sound.

Drex and I both rolled our eyes (our eyelids barely twitched, but we understood what we meant).

Maximum turned around at the noise and shuffled closer to me and Drex. “Guess what I heard?” he whispered conspiratorially.

Neither of us responded.

Unfortunately, he took that as an invitation to continue. “The Houses aren’t happy so many initiates have died this year.” Maximum shook his head and made a dramatic expression. “About three die on average, and they’re especially pissed about the Titan attack. Apparently, one hasn’t happened in centuries.”

Yeah, because someone did it on purpose. Also, they keep leaving me notes, which is not weird, unsettling, or concerning at all.

Neither Drex nor I reacted.

Maximum deflated.

Here’s a crazy idea—if they wanted people to live, they shouldn’t have held a massacre to begin with. Just saying.

Instead of turning around and letting us suffer in peace, Maximum turned his full attention to me and shuffled closer. “Are you doing okay, Alexis? I know you have less muscle than the rest of us.”

Wow.

That was a bold statement, especially since he was shorter than me.

I narrowed my eyes and grunted eloquently.

“Do you want me to rub your arms, to warm you up?” Maximum smiled as he held out his hands.

“No.” I reeled back. I’d rather die.

“Okay.” He winked and kept his hands extended toward me. “Offer’s still on the table.”

That’s too bad.

The door was thrown open.

Augustus stalked into the room with Poco sitting on his shoulder.

He looked down at where Maximum was leaning toward me, and his expression contorted with fury.

Black eyes flashing, he clenched his jaw.

Poco clapped and poked his cheek.

Pine hurried in after him.

Everyone sat up straighter because unless they were reading test scores, both professors were never in the classroom at the same time.

We held our breath.

If they made us run the crucible right now, I would perish from hypothermia (throwing myself off the top of the mountain).

The only good part about this week was we’d meditated a lot because we were learning about leaping, so I hadn’t had to take many notes.

But overall, the last week at the academy had been the worst one yet.

So far.

It will probably get worse.

Everything in life does.

A chair scraped at the front of the class as General Cleandro stood up beside Pine. Both men wore long heavy coats.

Augustus was still the only one dressed in a toga. His bare vein covered arms were crossed nonchalantly—biceps bulging obscenely—like he wasn’t even cold.

I rocked faster to warm myself.

“Today is an important day for all of you,” Augustus said with a serious expression, and Poco nodded his head in agreement. “Today is the day you bond with your chosen protector.”

I stopped rocking.

This isn’t good.

We’d been to the menagerie a few times over the last few months, and each time, the animals had reacted the same way.

They hated me.

Freezing, and sick to my stomach with nerves, I followed the rest of the initiates down the narrow ice-covered hall.

General Cleandro held open the door to the menagerie. “Remember, animals can sense your powers and your soul. Tread carefully. You have one hour to bond with an animal,” he said harshly. The or else hung unsaid in the frosty air.

Inside, the trees were barren of leaves.

A light covering of snow dusted everything. Birds cawed loudly and flew around, bright swathes of color on a barren landscape.

The larger animals moved silently, concealed behind the trees.

Everyone spread out as they looked up at the birds.

I rubbed at my temples. I had no idea what I was going to do.

Since it was probably best to try out a new area, I walked to the far right and sat down on a stump in the middle of a clearing.

Birds cawed aggressively from the air, warning me off.

Protracted minutes passed as I waited for a mythical animal to come out and love me.

None did.

One by one, the other initiates cheered and whooped with excitement as they bonded.

A falcon with an impressively long silver tail puffed up proudly on Cassius’s arm, and he beamed with pride.

Then, a few minutes later, a squat purple bird with two heads squawked on Alessander’s shoulder, and he pumped the air.

There was a splattering of applause.

I didn’t clap.

Drex held up the golden toucan he always sat with. “Look, Alexis!” he called.

I gave him a thumbs-up, and a fake smile hurt my cheeks.

Time kept passing.

Panic set in.

Standing up, I wandered toward the forest. Birds took flight, a deer with strange horns sprinted away, and a red possum scurried up a tree as it hissed in my direction.

Maybe I can lie and say Nyx is my protector? She was sleeping around my waist, but if I could just get her to show herself, it could work.

It was the only plan I had.

Fluck my life.

“Wow—I’m not surprised none of the animals wanted to bond with you.” Titus slunk around a tree. His chest was puffed up with pride. An eagle with neon-green markings and long gold talons was perched on his shoulder. “Now they’re gonna kill you for not bonding with a protector.”

He laughed and approached.

His eagle screeched but stayed put. For some reason, bonded animals didn’t freak out around me as much as unbonded ones did, although they still weren’t happy with my presence.

Of course, Titus thought that was hilarious, and he laughed even harder.

I wish I was back in the stupid frozen lake.

Fisting my chilled hands, I breathed roughly through my nose to calm myself down.

Titus got closer, and his eagle turned its head away like it couldn’t stomach looking at me. Right back at you, robot.

There was a sudden blur near my legs, and Titus fell back screaming.

The eagle flapped its wings aggressively.

Menacing growls echoed.

Fluffy Jr. stood in front of me protectively. His head was at my thighs, and his strange white tufts of fur stood on edge as he vibrated with rage.

Has he grown since I last saw him? Was he always this big?

Titus pointed at my hero. “Get that thing!”

Before the bird could react, I swooped down and picked up Fluffy Jr. protectively with a loud grunt. He was not light, and I had to use both hands.

Are the twigs making him fat?

“That thing bit me,” Titus growled, pointing at his bloody leg.

Kissing Fluffy Jr. on his forehead, I whispered, “Good boy.” His misshapen body trembled with excitement, and he turned his head up, then licked my cheek.

I gagged—his breath was rancid.

“Give me that thing,” Titus ordered. “You know the rules. If a Spartan is attacked by an animal, he has the right to exact revenge. Give it over. Now.”

I held Fluffy Jr. tighter and took a step back. “Oh, please,” I said. “You barely have a s-scratch.”

Titus stuck out his leg and showcased what was left of his shin. “You can see my bone!”

Holy crud. Did he literally bite a chunk out of him, then swallow it?

I gave Fluffy Jr. another kiss on the head. This time for bravery and daring to do what needed to be done during a stressful time.

“If you don’t give it over—right now,” Titus said threateningly, “I’ll take it from you forcibly.” His eagle flapped its wings and leaned forward like it was getting ready to attack.

It was a big bird.

My stomach dropped, heart pounding, because I knew what I needed to do. Nyx is going to be so mad when she wakes up.

“You can’t,” I said. “Because he’s my—protector.”

Titus’s jaw dropped.

“Bullshit,” he said. “You’re just saying that. No fucking way will you bond with that thing.”

“Back up.” I pointed at him and moved away. “Let us bond.”

Fluffy Jr. squirmed and yipped in my arms, licking my chin with excitement like he knew what was going to happen.

“If you reject me and boil my brains,” I whispered to him, “I will not forgive you.”

He licked me again.

“You better think my soul is beautiful.”

After a deep, steadying breath, I held Fluffy Jr.’s little body out in front of me and stared into his eyes like we’d been taught.

I cleared my thoughts.

Focused on the feeling of home. Laughter, solving equations, cuddling under a tarp, music, Charlie.

“Domus,” I whispered.

Nothing happened. Well, that was anticlimactic.

Sighing, I began to lower my arms⁠—

Pure energy exploded in my chest. I was falling and flying at the same time.

Something new, a strand of light, unfurled inside my sternum, and it strummed with loyalty, aggression, and the urge to protect. It felt violent.

The cord burned impossibly hot, and my heart pounded like I was having a heart attack as I struggled to breathe.

It was a panic attack.

The connection was overwhelming.

All-consuming.

Intense. Dangerous. Volatile.

I collapsed onto my knees and clawed at my sternum.

Shaking.

Gasping.

Everything got blurry.

A horrible stench brought me back to consciousness. Wetness licked my nose, then Fluffy Jr. stepped back and stared down at me.

He had two-colored eyes.

One a pale white, the other midnight black.

“Are you blind?” I whispered as I fingered his mashed-up little ear. He spun in a circle and barked, the sound loud and dangerous. We’ll deal with that later.

Groaning as the icy snow burned my exposed skin, I hobbled to my feet.

There was a new throbbing ache in my chest, and while it was no longer debilitating, it was heavy.

Titus stood a few feet away, with his jaw hanging open. He stared at me like I was an idiot.

It was the perfect moment for me to practice vocalizing.

“Frick you,” I said to him, then stomped (shuffled) away, with Fluffy Jr. at my heels.

“YOUR TIME IS UP!” General Cleandro shouted from the doorway a minute later. “Everyone, out.”

I ran (hobbled forward with more intensity), and Fluffy Jr. sprinted past me.

He wiggled his lumpy butt with excitement and looked back to make sure I was following. I smiled at him.

“You have five hours to study in the classroom,” General Cleandro announced as we trudged through the dark hallway. “Use the time wisely.”

When we finally got back to the library, my smile fell.

Augustus blocked the door. Poco was still seated on his shoulder.

The other initiates had already entered the room.

“What . . . is that?” Augustus pointed to Fluffy Jr., and Poco also pointed.

“This is Fluffy Jr.,” I said confidently. “My protector.”

Poco hissed.

Augustus took a step forward, and blood pooled in the whites of his eyes.

Pressure spiked painfully in my skull.

I ripped my gaze away.

Staring at the floor, I gasped for air. He tried to violate my mind again. What the actual hell? I thought he wanted to protect me, not boil my freakin’ brains.

Augustus’s breathing was loud and harsh. In my peripheral vision, he clenched and unclenched his fingers, like he wanted to hit something (I was definitely the something).

“Is there a p-problem, Professor?” I whispered calmly, like I didn’t want to throw up from fear.

The initiates are a few feet away. I can scream for help, and they’ll know what he’s doing.

We both knew no one would do anything to stop him.

He was a famous full-blooded Chthonic heir, and I was an abandoned Olympian mutt. He was ancient royalty. I was nothing.

Fluffy Jr. growled. The sound was low and menacing, the noise of a much larger predator.

The cord in my chest burned with heat, and the urge to protect and kill thrummed through me.

Poco flashed razor-sharp fangs.

Augustus muttered something under his breath about Chthonics, dishonor, and women who couldn’t take care of themselves.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “No. That is . . . all, Alexis.” Once again, Augustus said my name with a strange inflection, like it meant something to him.

He gestured as he stepped aside so I could enter the library. There wasn’t enough room to pass.

Girding my lady loins, I pushed past him.

Goosebumps exploded across the right side of my body—his muscles flexed beneath my touch, and Augustus made a low throaty noise in the back of his throat.

The strange queasiness in my stomach spiked hot.

An inferno raged.

Poco leaned out and grabbed for my curls with both of his little hands.

I stumbled into the room.

It was a second of contact between us, if that, yet my heart raced like I’d run the circuit.

Augustus stalked away without another word, and I slumped with relief.

Something about him drives me crazy.

Whatever it was, I had a bad feeling it was going to spell my demise.