Page 93 of Carry Your Debt

He’s not the only one who’s frustrated. We’re all starting to fray at the seams.

We sent the Enforcers out of the apartment at about the four hour mark, unable to stand their frustrated energy any longer.

Eight hours of slamming our heads against a wall made of LERNA’s non-existent boards of directors and forged stakeholder meeting minutes, and we’re no closer todiscoveringanything.

Eight hours of me surreptitiously watching every blink and every muscle twitch that Sabine makes. I’ve given her a wide berth. Keeping her as far from my personal space as possible. I need to conserve my focus for the task at hand and her proximity is a focus drain at best.

I don’t want to be the reason we forfeit a second Labor.

Flexing my fingers, I flip the tablet back over, hoping that taking a break from staring down the same nine words for hours might grant me a much-needed fresh perspective.

It’s the same jumble of words.

The beast with many heads rises with new growth.

The beast. Many heads. Rises.

The beast rises.

Many heads rise.

Rises with new growth.

The beast rises with new growth.

New growth.

“What would you consider ‘new growth’?”I throw at the room, voice tired. My chords aren’t used to the constant stretch of use but I was determined that if I could speak up during discovery I would.

“Expansion? Evolution?” Apollo replies from his new spot on the couch. Both he and Zeus had migrated there shortly after Dionysus, Ares, and Morales had left.

“Inflation?” Zeus adds, without any real conviction.

“What about...literalgrowth?” I ask, running a finger along my brow.

“Like, a seed? Sapling? Sprout?” Apollo starts listing.

I blink. Then blink again. “And what does all new growth have in common?”

“Dirt?” Hermes asks helpfully, his blond curls flying as he skips back in from the kitchen, a red popsicle between his lips.

“No, it's usually what?”

“Green,” Sabine suddenly calls from across the room. My eyes instantly jump to hers. There’s always a magnet pull that has me finding her no matter where she is in the room.

“Green,” I agree, locking my gaze on hers. “The Green Knight,” she mouths, and I nod.

A nauseous bubble of relief pops.

“You think the Green Knight was behind LERNA?” asks Zeus, rising from his seat.

“Not necessarily,” Sabine replies, staring straight ahead as she no doubt turns over what she knows of the fallen Sovereign.

“Riseswith new growth,” Apollo blurts, emphasizingrises.

I nod, excitement growing that he’s picked up on my line of thought.

“Rises?” Zeus questions.

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