I gave my sleeves a quick tug and joined them, a dozen pairs of eyes watching my every step. When I passed Athena, she gave me an almost imperceptible nod. And then I stood on the opposite side of Zeus, only steps from the sacrifice’s body. Wind gusted the scent of blood into my face, shooting an aching pain of hunger through my teeth.
But I stood firm, far more ready for this fight than I ought to be.
For I’d been trained in more than courtly ways.
I cast a quick glance at Dionysos, wondering if he knew that, too…He nodded at me, his eyes sparking. Stomach twisting, I turned back toward Zeus. My mother really had trusted Dionysos. She’d told him everything.
Everything but, presumably, the truth about our family.
Zeus looked at Hera and me in turn, then he reverently shoved the sword into the ground. The hilt pointed toward the sky, and the blade cut a sharp path through the moss and mud. The blood moon shimmered beneath the mask of mist, transforming the entire arena into a world that glowed red.
“At the next flash of lightning, this trial shall begin. You may not move toward the weapon until then. Erebus will protect whichever of you is innocent.” His voice grew darker, deeper, and he no longer sounded like himself at all—almost like he truly was channeling the voice of his god. “If you must yield, it is over. If you flee, it is done. And if you are incapacitated at any moment, you are finished. The guilty party will be sentenced to death, but by the grace of Erebus, you will remain here on the island until the end of Nekros. Your crimes will not stop the sacrifices. Any questions?”
I wet my lips, sizing up my opponent. Hera was much older than me, which made her much stronger. She’d fought against the Titans two hundred years ago, so she had experience, but her life had been incredibly luxurious since then. The little fighting she did was against humans when she wanted to feed, and that wasn’t a true test of strength, agility, and speed.
Hera’s eyes were alight with excitement. She was fuelled by anger and a lust for vengeance. It would give her an edge.Emotions always made people fight like the fate of the whole fucking world depended on it. And to Hera, itdid.
“I’m ready,” I said, curling my hands into fists.
Hera tsked. “It’s a shame, Selene. You and I, we could have been allies against this brute. The king who killed your mother. I wonder, what would Theia think of you if she could see you now? I daresay she’d be displeased if she knew how readily you gave into him.”
My cheeks burned, but I brushed her words aside. The truth was, my mother would likely applaud me. She’d made me into what I was, a servant of Troy and nothing more. My own wishes, desires, and dreams…none of that truly mattered. If it did, I wouldn’t be here now.
I would have attacked Zeus a long time ago.
“Stop heckling her, Hera,” Dionysos called out. “And stop pretending that Theia had any love in her heart for you. To her, you were just as bad as Zeus. She confided in me, you know. She abhorred your human farms.”
I tensed, jerking my head toward Dionysos. He gave a slight nod, as if confirming he’d meant every word. My heart pounded. I’d always suspected at least some of the other Olympians treated mortals like Zeus did, but after everything Hera had said and done, I’d assumed she and Zeus did not share the same beliefs.
No, all she cared about was the pain he’d caused her. That and power.
Anger clenched my gut.
“Enough, Dionysos,” Zeus snapped, shooting a glare in Dion’s direction. “I don’t want to hear the name of that bloody traitor any more tonight. Or for the rest of the Nekros, for that matter.” Then he turned and looked me dead in the eye. “Now, is there a problem?”
I imagined what it would feel like to stab him in the eye.
“No,” I said as calmly as I could.
In fact, I’d never felt more ready for a fight. Shifting my gaze back to Hera, my teeth began to ache, as a different kind of bloodlust swirled through my veins. She was no better than Zeus. In fact, she might very well be worse. At least he made it clear what he was. Hera hid it behind innocent doe eyes and meaningless objections about the Archon and his power.
I’d thought she wanted things to be different, but all she wanted was the same. The same but withherin charge, most likely. And the humans would continue to suffer. She kept them in dirty cages. Bred them. Murdered them.
A low growl threatened to spill from my lips. Briefly, I closed my eyes to steady my anger. I had to keep control of myself if I wanted to win this fight.
“Good. Prepare yourselves.” Lightning crashed as Zeus stepped back, raising his arm. “Now fight.”
Hera bent her knees, sizing me up. She bounced on her feet and darted to the side, but her eyes never left my face. I stayed where I was. Tension tightened my shoulders, but I kept my arms and hands relaxed, pulling slow breaths in through my nose. My heartbeat remained calm.
It reminded me of all those long hours spent in the fighting ring with Prometheus ten years ago. Before Zeus had gotten to him. He’d been an excellent fighter, far better than my mother—or so she’d said. And so he’d taught me everything he knew.
Despite that, he still hadn’t been strong enough to resist Zeus.
Suddenly, Hera darted toward me and threw out her fist. I simply stepped to the side and watched her fly past. She stumbled, boots slipping across the bloodied ground. When she whirled on me, her pixie face was twisted into a vicious scowl.
“What are you playing at?” she spat. “Fight me!”
“I am fighting you,” I replied with a shrug.
