“Set isourson,” Haimyx reminded her. His crimson eyes locked on me. Wrapping a hand around my throat, he yanked me back to my feet. His fingers dug into my skin until the breath fled my lungs. Dragging me away from my mother, he tossed me aside.
My back struck the tiles, and Haimyx knelt on my shoulder, pressing his knee into my wound. Yelping, I reached for my sword, but skeletal hands rose from the ground and restrained me.
Haimyx drew the blood from my shoulder into his palm and shaped it into a longsword. Pressing the razor-sharp edge to my throat, he leaned in.
“You have been naught but a disappointment,” he breathed. “If I must forge you into what you are meant to become, I will.”
Red and black spots danced across my vision. I could see the crimson blade moving, twisting to strike.
Would it be a death blow, this time?
“Get away from him!” Mother screamed.
The pain lifted from my shoulder, and a pleasant scent filled the air. Flowers. Lifting myself up on my elbow, I blinked to clear my sight.
Blue flowers broke through the tiles and grew in a lush meadow around me. A thick vine twisted around Father’s neck,yanking him away from me.
Thundering steps sounded behind me. I turned to see Aeacus, still pulling his helmet on, sprinting toward us. He froze mid-stride and gaped at the scene.
Oh, gods. This was Elpis magic, wasn’t it? Breathing in ragged gasps, I turned toward Ma’at. Her hand was still raised, extended toward Haimyx. A soft glow faded from around her fingertips.
No. She’d promised me she’d never reveal her secret.
“Aeacus,” Mother gasped. “Get Set to a healer.Now.”
Snarling, Haimyx ripped the vine around his neck in half. But he remained rooted to the spot, eyes glued to Ma’at.
His face fractured. All the world vanished save his queen.
I tried to rise, tried to reach for my mother. Everything blurred. Aeacus fell to my side, and I saw his dark eyes through his helm, softer than usual.
Someone flew past. The healer, I supposed. I saw a vague outline of a woman drop beside Eris. What remained of my vision was reserved for my mother.
This would be the last time I ever saw her in person. Upon the next, she would be far away, tied to a boat drifting down the Acheron.
14
Eleos
As a child, waking up in the company of my birth father would have been a blessing. Now . . . I wasn’t so sure. Shifting backward, I leaned against a tree, watching the red-haired man warily.
Fatherhad always meant the Grand Cleric. Not an exceptionally loving man, but he provided my sister and me with everything we could have wanted and more.
Until we’d fallen out.
My left arm hung limp in a sling—broken. A minor injury, considering I’d been almost run over by a spiked chariot. The Oracle’s muse powers had come as a surprise, as had her aid. I only wished I knew where we’d ended up.
Towering brown mountains rose to our west, and plains of sand rolled over hills dotted with broad trees and the occasional pond of reeds. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.
Phaedrus noticed I was awake and returned to my side. “How are you feeling?”
“Wonderful,” I said dryly.
“Good.” He returned to adjusting his leather armor. “The others must be nearby. We should set out.”
“Others?” I echoed.
“We were separated. Either the Oracle intended to divide us into little groups, or her spell went awry.”
