“Yousent the Titans to attack the federation meeting. Not Medusa … You framed her. She didn’t doanything. You planned it all so Vyco could KILL ME!”
I struggled against my chains, trying to free my arms so I could show him the scar on my chest. It all made sense.
“Vyco took me and the echidna he’d illegally bonded with—he’denslaved—to Montana!” I yelled, fury mounting, because it was so obvious in retrospect. “But even as a baby I must have fought—he cut me and my blood got into his veins. I incapacitated him before he could finish the job.”
Nyx’s cool scales slithered around my neck. “Kid—I didn’t know … you figured it out,” she hissed with wonderment. “My oath. I can’t hurt him.”
“I know,” I whispered to Nyx. I’d had my suspicions as soon as Vyco told his story.
Zeus looked amused, his posture relaxed.
He thought it was all genuinely funny.
“Vyco leapt away to get medical help.” My dry throat burned as I continued. “He technically wasn’t lying when he said he woke up and I was gone—I wasn’t there because he’dalready left… He’d left a baby—me—alone to die!”
Zeus’s smile widened.
“Both the echidna and I were left in Montana.”
He didn’t react.
I gritted my teeth. “Tell me I’m wrong—Ifuckingdare you,” I goaded him. “Youspineless, weak, pathetic, powerless coward.”
Gray eyes hardened.
“You’re correct.” Zeus made a mocking face down at me.“But is that it … isthatyour big secret? Is that all you knew? All this time I’ve been worried, and that was all.”
He resumed laughing.
I tipped my chair, trying to break free. “You framed Medusa and tried to have me killed—youruinedboth our lives.”
Dark memories played: a trailer park; foster parents screaming at me; fists being thrown; years of starvation; shivering in the cold as I lay awake terrified of every sound; a woman screaming for help as men assaulted her.
Zeus rolled his eyes. “Grow up. This is Sparta—no onecares about little girls.”
I tried to kick my feet out, the urge to rip him to shreds burning me alive, but the chains held me tight.
“Well—this has been enlightening.” Zeus rapped the table with his knuckles. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
He stepped to the side and pulled the lever on the stone wall. A heavy steel door lifted, revealing a handsome male figure.
Vivid green eyes met mine.
Patro was surrounded by Olympian guards with sparking batons.
Zeus pointed at me. “Question her. Now.”
Patro didn’t move.
“Achilles,” Zeus said simply.
A long second passed, and I thought he was going to disobey, but then Patro walked stiffly into the room, the guards moving in tandem around him.
He stopped in front of me.
I opened my mouth—
He gripped my forearm, hard.
