Fires of Olympus: Books Ten, Eleven & Twelve (The Immortality Trials Book 4)

by Eliza Raine

  ‘Then chances are he’ll kill me too.’ She finished his sentence quickly. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, then whirled around, half running to the hauler.

  4

  Eryx stared at the thing in the tank as it swished its iridescent tail through the thick, unmoving liquid. It stared back, eyes huge and unblinking.

  ‘What do you think it is?’ asked Evadne.

  ‘No idea.’ He shrugged, and turned away. Epizon had opened a crate and hauled out piles of blankets, and now Eryx set about arranging them into a pile that vaguely resembled a bed. ‘Where do you want to sleep?’ he asked Evadne gruffly. ‘I don’t think they’re going to give you a cabin, so I guess you’re down here too.’

  She pulled her gaze from Tenebrae and looked at him.

  ‘I’ll... I’ll sleep as close to you as I can,’ she said quietly.

  Nerves skittered through his exhausted body and he looked away. Dragging some blankets from the nest he’d built, he started towards the nearest pile of crates. ‘Behind here?’ he asked. ‘You’d have a bit of privacy.’

  ‘Eryx...’ her cheeks reddened. ‘That looks pretty comfy.’ She pointed at his heap of sheets. She wanted his bed? Or she wanted to share his bed...

  ‘I, er, I...’ he stuttered.

  ‘I’m not suggesting anything untoward,’ she said, rolling her eyes. Eryx couldn’t help the flash of relief he felt at the glimpse of the sarcastic, irritable Evadne he knew. ‘It would just be a bit of comfort, knowing you’re there. I’m not exactly popular on this ship.’

  ‘They’ll come round,’ he said softly. ‘They’re good people.’

  Evadne nodded. Neither of them spoke for a moment, then Eryx shrugged and carried the blankets back to his nest.

  ‘Fine,’ he said, and flopped down into the pile. He tried to ignore his racing heart as she walked towards him. She lifted her shirt a little to undo the trousers she was wearing and he rolled over quickly.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep the shirt on,’ she said, a slight chuckle in her voice. He didn’t answer.

  Eryx knew he had to sleep, but he’d been putting it off since he’d come aboard the Alastor for a reason. As long as he was keeping busy, achieving something, being useful, his mind was occupied. But now, as he lay in the semi-darkness, the emotions he’d barely been able to suppress since watching Antaeus slump forward, dead, began running rampant. Memories crashed over him in waves: all the times his captain had fought alongside him over the years, helped him out of situations where he couldn’t win, pushed him in the right direction when his simple mind couldn’t work out which way to go. Antaeus had called him brother because he’d felt it too. The connection they’d had was a friendship that ran deeper than blood.

  Eryx didn’t cry. He was a fighter with giants’ blood, and tears had been trained out of him as a small child. But the human half of him was breaking. He couldn’t help the heave of his shoulders as a dry sob racked him, unbidden.

  A warm touch on his shoulder startled him, then he felt more warmth as Evadne pressed herself again his back. He felt her arm wrap around his middle, tight and solid. Mortification at her seeing him so weak warred with a surge of gratitude and a desperate need to not be alone. Fresh emotion rolled through him and then tears did come, hot and real and alien. Evadne said nothing, for which he was even more grateful, but her grip around him didn’t loosen, and her message was clear. He had lost his best friend, his brother, his captain. But he wasn’t alone.

  5

  Hercules launched what must have been his fifth glass across the living room. It smashed against the wooden planks of the wall with a pitiful tinkling sound and he felt Hedone jump beside him. She was curled up on the plush couch and had been dozing but he couldn’t sleep. Every time he tried, Evadne’s face would fill his mind and fresh fury would roll through his body.

  ‘How dare she!’ he roared, and Hedone pushed herself up quickly.

  ‘Calm yourself, my love,’ she said soothingly.

  ‘She was nothing until I found her!’ He banged his fist on the arm of the chair and it shuddered beneath them.

  ‘And she’ll be nothing once again.’ Hedone ran her hand down his stubbled cheek. It felt good, her touch like warm silk. ‘You cannot change what has happened. But you can still win the Trials.’

  He closed his eyes, drinking in her words. They were true. He could easily still win.

  ‘I will kill that gold giant,’ he muttered, leaning back against the chair as Hedone’s touch moved down his neck, towards his bare chest.

  ‘Just concentrate on winning,’ she murmured, and leaned in, planting kisses in the wake of her fingers.

  ‘This wasn’t how I pictured our first full day together, you know,’ he said.

  ‘I know. Once this is over, we can rest. Spend long, lazy days doing whatever we wish. We’ll live in a mansion, with beautiful gardens, and music and feasts.’

  Hercules let himself be sucked in by the vision she began to paint, her descriptions of the gardens, the pool, the bed, the food and drink, all vivid and delicious. He pulled her onto his lap, his tension easing when her heard her little giggle, saw the love in her eyes as she sat astride him.

  ‘And you are happy to live with me on Leo?’ he asked her.

  ‘Of course. There is no place for me on Pisces any more.’ He searched for regret or sadness in her words, but could find none.

  They spent the rest of the evening talking, Hedone planning their future home while he drank wine and listened. He would give her everything she wanted, he vowed silently. And he would have infinity to deliver it.

  The next morning he sat at the fire dish, waiting for the Trial announcement with restless anticipation. Ati the hairless cat was in a tight ball on Hedone’s lap as she sat, cross-legged on the planks. Asterion stood silently behind him. Everybody knew what was at stake now, what a win for them would mean. His chest had healed fast, the bolt hadn’t gone too deep, and Hercules felt ready to fight. He needed to fight.

  ‘Good day, Olympus!’ The blond announcer cried as soon as his image solidified in the flames. ‘Well, well, well. Weren’t we given a treat! Who would have thought everyone but the king of Egypt would be wiped off the Orion in that last Trial? And Hercules has made an enemy of Poseidon himself! That’s two Olympians who hate you now, big man! You might want to watch that...’ He gave an exaggerated wink and Hercules felt his hands tighten into fists as his lip curled. He’d show them all. All he needed to do was become immortal, and he would have eternity to show them exactly what he was made of. Starting with this pathetic pretty boy. ‘Now, here to announce the next Trial...’ The announcer faded from view, and Zeus’s handsome face shimmered into focus.

  ‘Heroes,’ he said, without a smile. ‘You have all performed admirably so far. My Trial will test you, though. Hidden in my realm is an island on which grows a very special tree, laden with golden apples. I want you to obtain one. They are guarded by one of my most precious pets, Ladon. I have no objection to you trying to kill him, as I believe that would be near impossible, and my respect for you would outweigh my loss if you managed it. However,’ he boomed, and purple lightning crackled across his grey irises, ‘the island is inhabited by the Hesperides. These women are under my protection, and if any of you lay a finger on them, you will suffer my wrath.’ Hedone shrank back from the flame dish, her eyes wide as Zeus’s form seemed to grow in the image. ‘And living an immortal life with my wrath would not be pleasant. Just ask Prometheus.’ Energy and power poured from the god, tangible even through the flame dish. Hercules suppressed his awe, pinching his lips tight together. ‘Good luck,’ Zeus said, then vanished.

  Hercules turned to Asterion.

  ‘Head for the outer islands on the north side of Leo. I know all the ones in the south well and I’ve never heard of this Ladon before.’

  ‘Yes, Captain.’

  ‘And we go as fast as possible.’

  ‘Yes, Captain.’

  As an eleventh labour Hercul
es was ordered to fetch golden apples from the Hesperides. They were guarded by an immortal dragon which spoke with many voices… Hercules seized Nereus, and the god shifted through many shapes, but Hercules would not release him until he had given him the whereabouts of the Hesperides and the golden apples.

  EXCERPT FROM

  The Library by Apollodorus

  Written 300–100 bc

  Paraphrased by Eliza Raine

  6

  ‘Hercules could have the home advantage on Leo,’ said Nestor seriously as the whole crew of the Alastor, plus Eryx and Evadne, stared at the fading image of Zeus in the flame dish.

  ‘Technically, it’s my home too,’ said Lyssa, with a small scowl. ‘And there’s no way that island is in the south. I know those islands. We head north.’

  ‘Got it, Cap,’ said Abderos, and she felt the ship shift slightly.

  ‘Captain, it is imperative that he does not win this one. I know the gold giant won the last Trial, but I feel it is unlikely he will be able to win another by himself. The responsibility will now be on us.’ Nestor’s tone was grave and it wasn’t helping Lyssa’s skittering nerves.

  ‘I’m well aware of that, Nestor,’ she said as patiently as she could manage. After her conversation with Phyleus she had spent hours trying to focus herself, trying to block out any feelings that were unimportant and turn herself into the tool of revenge she had been starting to feel like after the first few Trials.

  But it wasn’t working. She felt restless and jittery, like she was teetering on a knife edge and nothing could ground her. She’d tried talking to Epizon, but he just told her she was making a huge mistake in walking away from Phyleus, which wasn’t what she had wanted to hear. Epizon didn’t understand what she was telling him, couldn’t see the fear that would consume her, stop her from facing Hercules, if she had something that great to lose. If she had love to lose.

  ‘How are we going to tackle this one, Captain?’ Len asked her. She looked down at him, then cast a sideways glance at Evadne and Eryx.

  ‘I don’t know. Anybody know what Zeus’s pet, Ladon, is?’

  Len shook his head and she looked around at her crew until Evadne said, ‘I do.’

  ‘Really?’ Abderos asked her.

  ‘Yes. He’s a dragon,’ she answered, finding Lyssa’s eyes. ‘I don’t know where the island is and I haven’t heard of the golden apples, but I’ve read a number of accounts of Ladon guarding the beautiful Hesperides. They are forest nymphs that Zeus created especially for his own amusement centuries ago.’

  ‘No kidding?’ Len said, his furry eyebrows raised.

  ‘Captain, if I may...’ Evadne looked at her and Lyssa searched her face, her instinctive distrust of the girl trying to take over. She shot him, Lyssa thought. She discovered what an abusive asshole Hercules was the hard way and now she’s a good guy, she told herself.

  ‘Go on,’ she said.

  ‘It will be incredibly difficult to get past Ladon, and Hercules will relish the fight. I would consider trying a different tactic to get one of these apples. I would see if you can get the Hesperides to give you one.’

  Lyssa stared at her.

  ‘If we try that and fail, Hercules will have a clear path to victory,’ she said eventually.

  ‘He’s more likely to defeat the dragon than you are,’ said Evadne. ‘I mean no offence, but he is stronger than you, he has Keravnos and Asterion is a good fighter.’

  ‘Don’t underestimate my crew, Evadne. Nestor is a fierce fighter too, and Phyleus and Epizon can distract the dragon from the longboat.’

  ‘And risk their lives doing so. If you go directly to the Hesperides, you may convince them to help you with no bloodshed at all.’

  ‘You just said that they’re creations of Zeus! Why would they help me when Hercules is Zeus’s hero?’

  ‘You have Zeus’s ichor in your veins. And they are women, capable of love. They may rally to your cause if you explain the situation.’

  ‘What, that my rival is a murderous lunatic who killed my family and really shouldn’t live forever?’ Lyssa snorted but Evadne shrugged.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You know, Cap, it’s really not a bad idea,’ said Len.

  ‘I agree,’ said Epizon.

  ‘I also agree, though I would suggest an amendment,’ said Nestor. Lyssa looked at the centaur. ‘I volunteer to fight Ladon, while you talk to the Hesperides. That way we increase our chances of winning.’

  ‘If we’re doing this, then I’m fighting too,’ Lyssa said, but Evadne and Phyleus both shook their heads.

  ‘No. If you want them to help, it will have to come from you,’ Phyleus said.

  She sighed and avoided looking at him, but he went on quietly. ‘It’s not something Hercules would think to try. And that alone makes it worth doing.’

  It was impossible not to realise you had reached Leo, as the entire realm was encased in dark, swirling clouds, filled with crackling purple lightning that sparked and rippled between gardens and arched doorways that were dotted amid the smog. Lyssa knew that if you entered any of those doorways you would be walking into one of the hundreds of floating mansions ringing the massive Mount Olympus that stood at Leo’s centre. The view from the other side of those doors was breathtaking.

  The Alastor flew until they found a pier jutting out high in the dense cloud, a concentration of the purple energy pulsing brighter than elsewhere. It was one of the ten gateways into Leo. As they reached it Lyssa gripped the railings hard, knowing what was coming next. The sparking energy would wrap around the ship, then suck them through. They visited Leo frequently, given that it was mostly the rich who required their services as smugglers. But as they drew alongside the pier there was a crack of thunder, so loud she winced, and the ship shot backwards fast. She reached out with her mind, slowing it down, and looked around for the source of the noise.

  ‘Captain Lyssa,’ cooed a voice from right behind her. She whirled around but there was nothing there.

  Epizon, Nestor and Phyleus were running across the deck towards her.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Phyleus panted, then yelped as a bird swooped over his head. Not just any bird, Lyssa saw, her breath catching. An eagle. Zeus famously took the form of an eagle.

  ‘Zeus?’ she called, tentatively.

  There was a soft laugh and the bird banked and glided back, then angled towards the deck.

  ‘No, no, dear child. I am Nereus.’ The voice came from the air around them, but as the bird touched down there was a popping sound, and then an elderly, stooped man was standing on the deck of the Alastor.

  ‘What are you doing on my ship?’ Lyssa demanded, hand moving to the slingshot at her hip.

  ‘Is that any way to greet an ally?’ he said, his lips moving, the voice now clearly belonging to him.

  ‘An ally?’

  ‘Of course. I’m here to help. I can tell you where the Garden of the Hesperides is.’

  ‘Why would you do that?’ she asked suspiciously.

  ‘I’m on strict orders from the gods, little one. I will be offering the same opportunity to the others. In fact, the Hybris is almost here, so I must hurry.’

  ‘He’s part of the Trial,’ said Nestor, from behind her.

  ‘Indeed I am. For today, at least. Tomorrow I may be a part of something else. Funny thing about shapeshifters, you see: they can be part of anything they want to be.’ There was another pop, and Lyssa was staring into her own eyes, messy red curls framing her surprised expression. She watched uneasily as her face on the shapeshifter’s body creased into laughter. ‘I love my job, I truly do,’ Nereus said, then morphed back into an old man. He was intensely unnerving, Lyssa decided.

  ‘Where is the garden?’ she asked him.

  ‘It’s not as easy as that, I’m afraid, child. I will leave you with the information you need, but you will have to decipher it. And you won’t be able to copy your rivals. They will be invisible to you until you have solved the riddle. Are you listenin
g?’ She nodded. ‘Very well.

  Forests cover all of the northern islands of the realm

  Fly low until you see the stone arches surrounded by elm

  Five mighty arches bear a carved symbol of power

  Four lead to monsters that would make you hide and cower

  One leads to an exquisite garden of bounty and beauty

  Choose the path wisely: that shall be your heroic duty

  ‘Good luck!’ He smiled, then he was the eagle again, leaping from the planks and soaring into the sky.

  ‘Why is it always so bloody complicated!’ Lyssa seethed, stamping towards her crew.

  ‘We’ll work it out, Captain,’ said Epizon.

  7

  ‘Well, at least we know we need to go to the northern islands,’ Hedone said, frowning at the spot Nereus had just disappeared from.

  ‘I knew that already,’ Hercules snapped. ‘Asterion, take us there quickly, we need to find these stone arches.’

  ‘Yes, Captain,’ the minotaur replied.

  Hedone still wasn’t sure how she felt about the massive beast she shared the ship with. It seemed odd to her that such a brutish creature could behave so submissively. He rarely spoke without being spoken to first, and he never offered his own opinion on anything. She wasn’t even sure he had the capacity to form his own opinions.

  ‘Why do they taunt us with puzzles and riddles? They prove nothing,’ Hercules said, drawing Hedone’s thoughts back to the riddle.

  ‘I know, my love. But we are not fools; we will work it out. We need to figure out which of the arches is the right one. And they each bear a symbol of power...’ She rubbed her cheek as she mused over Nereus’s words. ‘Maybe there will be more clues when we get there?’ she said, hopefully. Hercules nodded, staring into the crackling clouds with his brows drawn together.