Page 95 of Blood of Hercules
He looked at me pointedly, black eyes glinting fiercely.
“But,” he continued, “for an heiress to do so would be thehighestdishonor, and if she survived—which would be highly unlikely due to her genteel upbringing—extreme methods would be taken, like an arranged marriage, to save her honor.”
His eyes were full of disgust.
He’s trying to shame me in front of everyone.
Blankly I stared back.
I had no honor.
I’d stolen everything I owned.
Lived in a cardboard box for years.
Showered in sinks all winter when the well water was too cold.
His words meant nothing to me. If anything, I was happy for all the heiresses who weren’t allowed to participate in this hell.
It was nice that someone was protecting them.
Stay honorable, sisters.
Augustus arched a dark brow at me, then looked away and continued, “Differences in how the rare female heiress is treated aside—there are four things common to all Spartans above the age of twenty years old, Olympian and Chthonic.”
He held up four fingers, lips turning up into a smile as he talked to everyone else.
A headache throbbed as he lectured.
“First—immortality after you turn twenty years old.” He put down one finger.
“Our bodies get stronger, our senses keener, with age—although, Spartans are not infallible and will go into a coma if injured or starved long enough. Cutting our bodies into small pieces and scattering them will also ensure we remain in a coma.”
Do they offer that somewhere for free? Or do I have to pay for it?
Smoldering black eyes glanced at me spitefully, like he foresaw a coma in my future.
Same.
His full lips pursed with disgust.
“Second—” Augustus put down another finger. “Enhanced intelligence.”
He scoffed like he didn’t think it applied to us.
“Third—leaping or teleportation across the globe. When a Spartan first leaps, they can only go to a place they consider theirdomus, or home. Usually this is to a person you have a strong connection with.”
His upper lip furled as he put down another finger.
“Don’t be fooled,” he said. “Spartan leaping isextremelydifficult to master. If your focus wavers, you can end up in the wrong location—which most of the time, is the middle of the ocean. Some of you willneverbe able to do it. However, we will endeavor to begin teaching you how to clear your mind in the fall—if you survive that long.”
He put down his last finger. “Fourth, and lastly, Spartans have the unique ability to take an oath.”
I rocked back and forth as I tried to warm myself up.
“Spartan oaths... areextremelyserious.” His baritone voice dropped an octave in warning. “The oath is a binding contract formed when a Spartan looks into another Spartan’s eyes, and is thought to be an ancient form of hypnotism that changes the neural pathways of our brains.”
He spoke slowly. “Both Spartans have to say the Latin words to cement an oath—and you can only havethreebonds, the golden number, with a single person.”
