Page 160 of Bonds of Hercules
She blew a kiss to the crowd—there was a commotion in the stands as men and women, creatures and Spartans, passed out.
“Um.” Zeus coughed, looking extremely flustered. “No defeats … I mean zero … uh, revelations.”
Hera scowled at Aphrodite, as she glared at Zeus and glided back toward our line, her hips sashaying beneath silk.
All eight Olympian leaders watched her hungrily.
“Nowthatis a woman,” Nyx sighed dreamily. “Are you sure you went through puberty?”
“Everyone is beautiful in their own way,” I mumbled under my breath.
Nyx’s scales slid smoothly against my skin as she slithered around my arm. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night.”
I huffed.
Nyx sighed. “Ugly people can besosensitive.”
Everyone is beautiful in their own way, I repeated to myself.
Zeus raised his hands again and announced, “The younger,weakerChthonic contestants will now reveal their scar status and be assigned their number of labors.” He saidweakerlike he was making a threat.
“Agatha!” Fate announced.
Agatha stood tall, hands clasped together behind her back, as she walked up to the altar like she was walking toward the gallows.
“Empusa scum!” someone shouted and the crowd laughed.
Zeus stared at her expectantly.
Ajax took a menacing step toward her, his hands raised. “Expose your sternum,” he demanded.
Agatha ripped her toga and revealed the top of her pale chest—she had two detailed circular scars on her flesh.
They looked familiar.
Kharon’s grip on my neck tightened painfully.
“Revelations—” Zeus shouted, sparks jumping off his lips. “She has been dishonored bytwoof her labors.”
A few boos echoed from the crowd. Hateful comments were screamed about her heritage.
Augustus leaned close and whispered, “They brand you with a Vulcan stamp. The metal is specially designed to scar any immortal.”
My stomach rolled as I glanced over at Kharon’s stoic face.
Agatha pulled her toga back together, holding the ripped parts closed with her hands as she held her head high.
Zeus picked up the two dice. “This SGC, Agatha will face …” He threw the dice onto the altar.
Agatha stared down, her expression paling.
“FIVE LABORS!” Zeus shouted and the stadium clapped and hollered. “TWO rounds in the arena.”
Augustus rubbed my lower back. “If you roll four or fewer adversaries,” he whispered against the shell of my ear, “then you have to survive one round in the arena. If you roll more than four, you have two rounds. If you roll more than eight …” He grimaced. “Three rounds.”
Agatha stalked back to the line.
“Unlike the leaders, our competitors are a surprise,” Augustus continued to whisper. “Their labors are for show—ours are for punishment … and humiliation.”
