Page 62 of Heroines of Olympus

The sudden sound of footsteps that are approaching quickly interrupts Cadmus. There is no time to hide as Pantheon Guard members come rushing in from the way they had come.

The group stands there in frozen horror as twenty Guards file in from the tunnel entrance. More footsteps sound from behind them and another ten Guards come from what is likely the main front entrance to the marketplace, completing the semicircle that was formed by the first group, leaving them surrounded. Lagging behind the group, hands on his throat still, is the drunken rabbit.

39

HESTIA

Hestia can barely open her eyes when she hears footsteps coming her way. A blurry shape materializes through the bars. Even with her fuzzy vision, she knows that face.

Alec came for her. Either that or her mind is playing tricks on her to ease the torturous assault on her body and mind from the cage.

It does not matter which one it is. Hestia is happy to see him even as a figment of her mind, which feels nearly gone.

He says her name, and it slightly pulls Hestia out of the fog with how close it sounds.

Maybe he is really here.

“Alec,” Hestia croaks out weakly.

“I’ve got you my fire. We are going to get you out of here,” Alec says, stroking Hestia’s hair through the bars.

The caress adds to her pain, but Hestia does not tell him to stop. She does not know how much time she has left on this plane, so Hestia will take any touch from Alec, even if it feels like a hundred knives stabbing her following the path of his touch.

Psyche asks, “Where is everyone else?”

“They are searching for anything useful here.”

Alec stands and rattles the door to the cage, but the lock is firm and the sound of it sends more pain ricocheting through Hestia’s head. He turns around and begins searching around for the key while Hestia continues to lie where he found her, not having the strength to move.

Suddenly, the pain kicks up to a new level and Hestia screams, the sound coming out raspy and raw.

Alec rushes back to her side but is helpless to ease her burden.

Hestia’s body feels like it is being pulled in different directions and she imagines this is what being on a rack would feel like. The pressure builds with the pain and Hestia is pretty sure she is still screaming, but drowned out by the roar in her head.

Alec is yelling at her, but Hestia cannot hear any of it.

A loud popping sound precedes a blinding pain that feels like every bone in Hestia’s body has broken simultaneously. She convulses and her consciousness fades, riding the waves of pain until she succumbs to the shock and passes out.

* * *

When Hestia wakes back up,she feels empty. The pain is still there, but now it is a dull nagging pain under the surface.

Realizing what happened, Hestia cries out, startling Alec. Looking at him, Hestia sobs harder. How does she find the words to tell him? Will he still look at her the same?

Everything has changed.

“What happened? I’m so glad to see you’re awake,” Alec whispers, the relief clear on his handsome face.

“My time’s almost up, Alec. My immortality is gone.”

“No.” The horror on his face is not directed at her, but that they did this to her.

“Please, just leave me. I don’t have much longer in here now that I’m mortal and I couldn’t bear seeing something happen to you in my final hours because you were here with me. Go find the others, and get out of here.”

Alec shakes his head no. “They can leave without me for all I care. I’m going to be here by your side until we either get you out of this cage or they kill me.” His voice cracks with emotion.

Hestia is too weak to force herself to say the words to make him leave. Maybe she is selfish but Fates, it hurts so much and the only thing that has allowed her to breathe again since being thrown in this cage is him.

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