Page 66 of Heroines of Olympus

MEDUSA

Medusa and Cadmus scan the open area before them and see the god cage in the middle of the room. There are only two Guards. The only one with a weapon amongst them is Cadmus, but if they do this right, they should be able to handle them.

They found Ajax and Cyril after two empty rows of cells, with no resistance.

Toward the back, coming from another aisle, is a figure Medusa struggles to make out. He gets closer and Medusa internally jumps for joy at the sight of Alec.

Alec sees them and smiles. He takes in the party and the two guards before him and Medusa can see that he likes the new odds.

Cyril and Ajax quietly make their way to the outer guard and wait as Alec, Cadmus, and Medusa stealthily advance on the Guard near Psyche. Simultaneously, they attack their targets. Instead of using a weapon, Medusa steps into the Guard’s line of sight and gets his attention.

His eyes go wide in recognition and he opens his mouth to call out, but Cadmus brings his sword up through the back of the Guard’s neck.

Shouting draws their attention to where Cyril has his arm wrapped tightly around the neck of the Guard he and Ajax were supposed to be fighting. Medusa looks for Ajax and sees him barely moving on the ground, blood pooling beneath his back. Medusa and Cadmus race to assist Cyril and Ajax but the last Guard succumbs to the choke hold Cyril has him in and suffocates.

Medusa drops to her knees on the floor when she gets to Ajax. His breathing is raspy and shallow. There is a dagger hilt protruding from his abdomen and Medusa rips a strip of fabric from her cloak, desperately trying to stop the blood flow.

Her heart sinks as his eyes stop fluttering, his chest no longer rising and falling.

Grief and guilt rack her body and she feels like she could vomit, but there is no time to process, no time to hesitate.

Cyril, eyes rimmed red, says to them, “Another Guard came in behind us. I was just about to run him through when I saw Ajax take the hit. He used that as his opportunity to flee and go get reinforcements, I’m assuming. I will tuck the bodies somewhere less conspicuous. You three get Psyche out of there so we can leave.”

Medusa walks over and crouches down near the Guard by Psyche, digging into pockets until she produces a key.

Rushing over to the cage, Medusa tries to ignore the fact that Psyche is not moving.

Can’t panic over that, have to get this door open.

“We’ve got you,” Medusa says, reaching for the lock, but when her fingers brush the metal of the cage, pain tears up Medusa’s arm. The pulsing pain is emanating from her wrist, at the site of her birthmark, causing the key to fall from her hand. What the Fates was that?

Cadmus picks up the key but yelps in pain when he also tries the lock, clenching his thigh.

Alec looks at the cage in confusion. He picks the key up from where Cadmus dropped it. “We don’t have time for this. Hestia I’ve got you.”

Crying out, Alec grabs the back of his neck. None of them can get in.

Cyril comes running in from moving the Guards. “What are you guys doing? Let’s go!”

Alec throws his hands up in frustration. “None of us can get in the Fates’ damned cage.”

Cyril puts the key in the lock and Medusa holds her breath, waiting to find out if their last chance will work.

The lock clicks and opens, groaning as Cyril swings the door open.

“I’ll be damned.” Alec looks at Cyril with surprise.

“There’s no time to question it. We have to move.” Cyril responds as he picks Psyche up and brings her out of the cage and into Cadmus’s waiting arms.

Psyche groans into Cadmus’s shoulder, but her eyes remain closed. He shifts to position her better and grimaces as it strains his injury.

Medusa checks on him, but he dismisses her, “It doesn’t matter. We have to go.”

Cyril walks back into the cage and Medusa’s heart drops when he collects a very still figure that must be Hestia. My gods, how long has Hestia been in here?

Once across the threshold of the god cage, Hestia finally takes a gasping breath before saying Alec’s name and falling unconscious. Alec gently collects her from Cyril and feels for a pulse. Medusa can see the relief on his face, making its way directly into her soul when he finds one.

They move to join Cyril to leave when Medusa freezes. “Wait!”

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