Page 198 of Bonds of Hercules
Zeus bowed his head low in agreement.
“What—what—what …” I trailed off. “How?” I whispered.
“Zeus is the only Olympian who can wield his power offensively,” Helen said grimly. “A single strike puts anyone who’s not ancient in a coma, and most don’t wake up from it … It’s why … only the Chthonic leaders survived the Great War.”
Charlie gripped my arm hard enough to bruise.
“It’s not absolute,” Helen whispered like she was trying to convince herself. “He needs to be outside on a stormy day to wield it.”
I didn’t feel any better.
“RESUME THE FIGHT!” Zeus bellowed.
Hermos moved with shocking speed, wrapping his chain tightly around Agatha’s throat before she could react, biceps straining as he choked her with everything he had, his expression determined.
She clawed at his forearms.
Long, awful seconds passed as he strangled her.
Finally, she fell limp to the sand, neck an abused shade of red.
She’s immortal, I reminded myself.He saved her life.
It didn’t feel like it.
Hermos stared down at Agatha’s limp body, his expression ruined, as he slowly unwrapped the chain from her neck. He turned away, hands still cuffed like a prisoner, and stalked toward the exit.
He glanced up at Zeus, then quickly looked away.
Zeus raised his scepter—the crowd recoiled. “Agatha has lost,” he announced calmly. “She will receive five brands. She failed to defeat all five of her labors.”
The stadium remained silent.
Zeus jumped from the platform—through the sizzling force field—and landed in the sand.Thud.
Light flared across his skin like the electricity had powered him, and he approached Agatha with a Vulcan metal staff in one hand, the scepter in his other.
Planting the scepter in the sand, Zeus shouted, “FIVE LABORS LOST!” He reached for Agatha’s unconscious body and ripped her toga, exposing her sternum.
He pointed the Vulcan staff at it. His arm lit with electricity, and the stamp at its tip turned bright yellow as he pressed the metal end into her chest.
Agatha’s unconscious body twitched as she was permanently branded, five separate times.
Sparks radiated from Zeus’s scepter, the Olympian eagle glowing.
It looked possessed.
36
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
ALEXIS: SGC DAY6
Dazed, I trudged with the Chthonics into the symposium, deadly lightning still flashing in my mind.
Rock music had been replaced with tinkling harps and the crowd attendance was more sparse than usual—I missed the screeching guitars.
For how many Spartans and creatures were in attendance, the room was weirdly quiet.
