by Eliza Raine
Painful truth forced its way through his aching skull. If Hercules had killed the full giants so easily, Eryx wouldn’t have stood a chance on his own. You can’t help him now. Help me, she’d said to him. She had known that would make him stop. She had saved his life.
He could help her. He could help her escape that monster.
A tentative calm had taken hold of Eryx by the time they eventually broke the surface.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Evadne whispered, and he looked at her, treading water beside him, tears streaming from her bloodshot eyes, her wet hair stuck to her face.
‘Did he hurt you?’ he ground out. She shook her head.
‘No.’
‘How were we breathing? What was in that vial?’
‘I stole the tonic that was inside the egg we won on Scorpio. It lets you breathe underwater.’
Eryx swivelled his body around in the water, scanning the expanse of blue. In the far distance he could see one of the hauler towers leading down to Aquarius. But a hundred feet to his right he could see the Alastor, hovering above the ocean. He began to kick towards it.
‘Where are you going?’ Evadne asked.
‘To the Alastor.’
‘They won’t have us,’ she answered. He stopped and turned to her, trying to hold onto the need for revenge, to squash the raging grief that threatened to overcome him.
‘You mean they won’t have you.’ Pain flashed across Evadne’s face. ‘Athena told Captain Lyssa I was important in stopping Hercules. She’ll take us.’
‘You still want to fight him?’
‘More than anything I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.’
18
Evadne swam after Eryx, her heart pounding. She was off the Hybris. And Eryx was alive. Her thoughts were flipping madly between a desire to run a million miles from Hercules and the Immortality Trials, and the desire to stay by Eryx’s side and do whatever was in her power to stop Hercules from becoming immortal.
She burned with shame when the sound of Antaeus’s neck snapping forced its way into her thoughts. How had that monster Hercules ever been her ally, her lover? And now she had to face his daughter. Fear pulsed through her, but she didn’t believe Lyssa or the Alastor’s crew would kill her. Nor did she believe they would let her aboard, though.
She had enough tonic left to get to one of the hauler towers and the only reason she wasn’t already heading that way was Eryx. If there was even the slightest chance Lyssa would let her stay with him, she had to try. Losing his captain was likely the worst thing that could possibly have happened to Eryx and her heart was breaking for him, the strength of her grief surprising even her. Tears hadn’t stopped rolling down her face and it wasn’t because of Antaeus’s death. It was the anguish she’d seen on Eryx’s face, the pain now etched into his features.
‘There’s something wrong with their ship,’ he said from ahead of her. She looked up at the Alastor. He was right. The main mast was missing. Geryon had clearly done some damage. That explained why they were up above the surface, instead of fighting below the waves.
‘That might help us,’ she said. He turned to her with a frown. ‘We can offer our assistance. I’m sure a half-giant would be invaluable in helping with repairs.’
He said nothing as he turned back to the ship.
‘Hello! Captain Lyssa!’ he bellowed. He kept shouting, until eventually they saw the dark-skinned form of her first mate appear at the railings.
‘Eryx?’
‘And Evadne, yes. We need your help. Antaeus is... dead.’ He choked on the last word, and Evadne felt fresh tears forcing their way from her eyes.
Epizon said nothing for a long moment, then, ‘I’ll send the longboat.’
Phyleus picked them up five minutes later, and it wasn’t until she was sitting in the tiny, battered little boat that Evadne realised how exhausted she was from their frantic swim. The muscular young man said nothing as they flew back up to the deck, just eyed her coldly. She avoided his gaze, instead trying to take in the damage to the Alastor.
‘Captain Lyssa is indisposed just now. What do you need?’ asked Epizon as they landed on the deck.
‘We’re here to offer our services to your crew,’ said Eryx, clambering out of the longboat.
Epizon’s eyebrows shot up.
‘What?’
‘Hercules killed my captain. He would have killed Evadne too. She saved my life.’
Yet more tears rolled down Evadne’s face and she cursed them silently. Why would they not stop? How could she have any tears left by now?
Abderos rolled across the battered deck towards them, and the huge white centaur clopped closer as well.
‘It looks like you could do with some help,’ Eryx continued, gesturing at the fallen mast. It was obvious that they had started trying to remove the enormous, lifeless sail from the broken pole.
‘Where’s the Orion?’ Phyleus asked.
‘Busiris took it,’ said Eryx. ‘Along with the hippocampus. He’ll probably reach the throne room soon.’
Everybody present visibly sagged with relief at his words.
‘So Hercules won’t win,’ muttered Epizon.
‘Not unless he catches the Orion. But Busiris had quite a head start.’
‘Why aren’t you trying to get back to your own ship, then?’
‘Busiris is a cowardly traitor. He is as responsible for Antaeus’s death as that bastard Hercules,’ Eryx spat. ‘I’d rather fight alongside those who truly want that monster dead.’
‘And you?’ Phyleus said, looking at Evadne. ‘Do you really want your own captain dead?’ Everyone turned their gaze to her.
‘He’s not my captain any more,’ she said quietly.
‘It’s true; she shot him,’ said Eryx.
There was a short silence, and Evadne was sure they could all hear her pounding heart.
‘We need to talk, as a crew,’ said Epizon eventually, and gestured the others towards him.
‘Athena said I was important,’ Eryx reminded him, loudly. ‘The satyr who saved my life on Libra knows that’s true. Trust me, we all want the same thing now. We’re on the same side.’
Epizon didn’t answer him as the Alastor crew huddled together. Evadne looked at Eryx, her wet clothes heavy against her aching body. But Eryx didn’t meet her eye as they stood, waiting.
After what seemed like an age, Epizon turned back to them.
‘Fine. For now, you can stay on the ship. We’ll decide how to test your loyalty before the next Trial,’ he said. ‘You’ll have to stay in the cargo deck as we don’t have any empty cabins, and it’s the only place you’ll fit.’ He looked at Evadne, his dark eyes warm. ‘You can use the bathing chamber in my rooms.’
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
‘You’ve got half an hour to clean yourselves up, then you can help us with repairs,’ he said to Eryx. The half-giant nodded.
‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank us just yet. I wouldn’t expect to stay here long once Lyssa’s back in charge,’ said Phyleus, looking at Evadne.
19
Hedone stumbled in the hauler as the Hybris lurched to one side. Her palms were sweating, and her anxiety was making her mouth dry. But she couldn’t wait below decks any longer, listening to the roaring and crashing coming from above. She had to know that Hercules was OK. She could feel the ship moving now, fast.
As soon as the hauler doors slid open she ran onto the main deck, slowing down as she saw the carnage. Her hand flew to her mouth, the smell as much as the sight causing bile to rise in her throat. One of the black-skinned giants was lying in a pool of dark blood, his throat cut. His brother was a few feet away, a devastating wound in his belly. And ten feet from them, half submerged in the jagged, broken planks of the deck was Antaeus, his head lolling forward at a nauseating unnatural angle. They were all dead. Three full giants, dead. Fear for Hercules rocketed through her and she sprinted towards the front quarterdeck, skirting around the slick blood co
vering the wood.
‘Hercules!’ she gasped as she crested the top of the steps. He was in his red chair, staring out at Aquarius, which was growing larger as they sped towards it. He turned to her slowly, his face cold as ice. She saw blood, scarlet and fresh where his lion-skin cloak did not close around his chest. ‘Hercules, are you all right?’ She ran to him, dropping to her knees as she reached him, her hands flying to his body. ‘Are you hurt? Who did this?’
‘Evadne,’ he growled.
Hedone’s hands froze. Evadne? But... She had let the girl go. This was her fault. Tears filled her eyes as she met his. She saw such rage and anger in them that her courage failed. She couldn’t tell him what she had done. Not now, when he was in the middle of battle. She would tell him later, she promised herself.
‘Let me dress the wound,’ she said, springing to her feet and starting to make for the hauler at the front of the ship.
‘No. There’s no time. We will catch that slimy king of Egypt with his stolen goods any minute,’ he snarled, fixing his gaze back on the city. Hedone looked out into the blue and noticed the tiny form of the Orion in the distance. So they still had a chance of winning? Hope filled her, easing the gnawing dread.
‘Where is Asterion?’
‘Infirmary. He has a broken leg.’
‘Did... Did you kill the giants?’ she asked, quietly.
He turned his eyes towards her slowly. His grey irises looked darker than usual, like storm clouds. Something primal stirred in Hedone’s gut and she almost took a step backwards.
‘Yes, my love. They boarded my ship, stole my prize and called me a coward. I killed them.’
For a heartbeat, as she took in the words that dripped with menace, Hedone understood Evadne’s fear. But as quickly as the clarity came, it was gone. How dare those brutes board the Hybris and try to kill its captain! Of course Hercules had defended himself. And who wouldn’t be impressed by his prowess? How many men could achieve such a feat as killing three giants?
‘And Evadne?’
‘She escaped. With the little giant who broke Asterion’s leg. Useless fucking minotaur,’ he spat.
She flinched at his cursing.
‘But we can still win?’ she said, in as positive a tone as she could manage.
‘Oh yes. We can still win,’ Hercules snarled.
20
Lyssa groaned as light filtered into her vision. She tried to determine her surroundings as she lifted her pounding head to look around her. She was in the infirmary. Why? It all came back to her in a rush, and she pushed herself up quickly.
‘The ship!’
‘The Alastor’s OK, thanks to you,’ said Phyleus and she swivelled her head around towards him. He was there, again, on his knees beside her low bed.
‘You nearly killed yourself to save it, though,’ she heard Len say, before he trotted into view. She blinked at him, her headache receding quickly.
‘I... I don’t remember all of it,’ she said, trying to recall her desperate fight to keep the Alastor above the water, to stop it from breaking and sinking. To save it from dying.
‘You gave the ship everything. As in all of your power,’ Phyleus said quietly.
‘What? Is that even possible?’ she whirled back to face Len.
The little satyr shrugged. ‘Looks like it.’
Lyssa tentatively reached out to the ship with her mind, hoping for the faint sense of reassurance she always got from it. A blast of power, strong and fierce and restless answered her, and she gasped aloud.
‘How...? I’m not even touching the mast!’
‘It’s you, Lyssa, it’s your power. It’s part of the ship now.’
‘Forever?’
‘I’ve no idea. But it’s your power that’s keeping the Alastor together without a mast or sail right now,’ said Len. Lyssa stared at him. ‘Speaking of which, I need to go and help the others with stitching the sails. Call me if you need me. Although... I doubt you will,’ he said, with an uneasy look at her he trotted out of the small room.
‘I can only pray that one day you feel as strongly about me as you do about this ship,’ said Phyleus, a moment after Len had left. She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘You... You were gone, Lyssa. You gave yourself up for the ship.’
Lyssa screwed her eyes shut. She didn’t understand what he was saying, not fully. When she opened them again and looked at him, his eyes were narrow and his mouth a tight line. ‘What were you thinking?’
‘I wasn’t thinking anything! I just knew that I had to save the Alastor,’ she snapped. ‘And it can’t have been that bad. I actually feel fine.’ She swung her legs out of the bed to prove her point. Phyleus let out a long breath.
‘You feel fine because Len gave you ambrosia,’ he said.
Her mouth fell open. ‘What? Why?’
‘Lyssa, you’re not listening to me! You were practically dead! You gave the Alastor everything! That’s not an exaggeration. It’s a bloody miracle you’re alive!’ Phyleus was on his feet, shouting at her, his arms waving wildly.
‘But...’ she stammered, staring at him.
‘Gods, Lyssa, I thought I’d lost you,’ he said, and the intensity, the love, in his eyes made her breath catch.
‘Phyleus, I’m sorry,’ she whispered, not knowing what else to say. He dropped to his knees and then he was kissing her like his life depended on it. She kissed him back, trying to prove to him that she was here, she was OK, she was with him. Trying to ease his pain.
‘Lyssa, please, please don’t ever do that again,’ he said as he broke the kiss, holding her face in his hands. ‘Please.’
‘OK,’ she breathed, still not entirely sure what she’d done. She leaned forward to kiss him again, but there was a flash of white light and they weren’t in the infirmary anymore.
She scrabbled to her feet as she looked around. They were in a throne room. A stunning throne room. Its marble floor was the palest blue, like the sea foam on crashing waves. There were no walls, just riveted columns holding up the roof, and she could see the city of Aquarius glowing in the background. The temple ceiling was painted with an exquisite image of a water garden, with strange creatures dancing amongst the beautiful plants. At the end of the room, on a raised dais, stood a marble throne shaped like a tidal wave, the stone curving perfectly to form a seat. And on that seat was Poseidon.
He stood up, slowly. Lyssa bowed immediately, aware of Phyleus doing the same next to her. She looked quickly from side to side while her head was down, taking in the other crew members. Her skin tingled and fizzed as she saw Hercules standing far to her right, his lion-skin cloak stained with blood and fury etched into his face.
‘Heroes,’ said the god. Lyssa straightened up, hope surging through her. If Hercules looked that angry... She scanned the faces around her, looking for Antaeus and praying she would see a triumphant expression on the giant’s broad face. But Antaeus wasn’t there.
‘The Orion was first to return here with one of Geryon’s hippocampus. They are the winners,’ Poseidon boomed. Busiris stepped forward and gave a low, exaggerated bow.
‘Thank you, divine one,’ he purred. Lyssa looked around for the rest of the Orion crew, frowning. What was going on?
‘Hercules,’ said Poseidon, turning towards him. Hercules’s face tightened, and it was clear that he was barely maintaining his calm mask. ‘I have no objection to you killing members of the other crews, but I object deeply to the slaughter of Geryon’s cattle. I am technically not able to punish you, as there are no rules governing these Trials. But know this. You have personally insulted a valued citizen of Aquarius and I am offended.’
The god’s voice was so low it was barely audible, yet his words were like blades piercing Lyssa’s ears, sharp and terrifying. Fear, deep and involuntary, shivered through her. But Hercules deserved the wrath of an Olympian, she thought, viciously.
Poseidon’s words filtered through her fuzzy brain. The god said Hercules had killed members of another crew. She spun ar
ound, looking for the other giants, surprised but relieved to see Eryx behind her. She couldn’t help liking the striking-looking boxer. He was standing next to Epizon and Evadne, though. Lyssa screwed up her face in confusion. Why were they standing with her crew?
‘Go. Your next Trial will be announced in two days,’ said Poseidon abruptly.
There was a flash of white and they were back on the deck of the Alastor. Lyssa closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to force her thoughts to line up.
‘Epizon,’ she said loudly. ‘Epizon, if I turn around and see that snake from the Hybris on my ship, you’re losing your position as first mate.’
Silence met her statement. Her stomach lurched as she turned around, and looked straight into Evadne’s eyes.
Zeus
The Immortality Trials
Book Eleven
1
Lyssa stared at Evadne, her fists clenching hard at her sides. The girl flinched, dropping her gaze to the planks.
‘Captain Lyssa, we’re grateful for your sanctuary,’ said Eryx, stepping forward and bowing his head. ‘Hercules killed my captain and I will not rest until he is dead. I think fighting alongside you is the best chance I have.’
Lyssa’s pounding Rage faltered a little at the big man’s words. His pain was barely concealed on his gaunt, tight face.
‘I’m sorry about Antaeus,’ she said to him. ‘He was a good man, and I’d have been happy to see him win. But she needs to be off my ship. Now.’
‘But Captain, she attacked Hercules!’ said Abderos. Lyssa turned to her navigator and he rolled backwards at the fury that must have been showing on her face. ‘Just talk to her, Cap,’ he mumbled.
‘Captain Lyssa, I’m sorry.’ Evadne’s voice drew Lyssa’s attention back to her. She was rubbing her hands together nervously, and Lyssa realised her usual high ponytail had been cut short and ragged, so that her blue hair was now hanging in front of her face. ‘I’m sorry for what happened to you and your family and I’m sorry I ever believed in that man. And I’m sorry for any harm I intended you or you crew. I want Hercules dead.’ She raised her head, and her expression was hard and fierce. ‘I will do whatever it takes to help you end this.’
