He bit down and I grabbed his shirt, yanking him closer. My legs wrapped around his waist as I murmured in his ear, “Wanna find out how I look without it on?”
His reaction was immediate, and soon clothes were flying everywhere as desire overwhelmed us.
“Are you sure?” Jiro asked as he hovered above me.
“Yes, but first... I have to follow Andy’s advice.”
His brows drew down in confusion, no doubt wondering why I was bringing my best friend up at such an intimate time. “And what’s that?”
“No glove, no love.”
He laughed, reaching for his bedside table as he kissed me again. “Your wish is my command.”
As weird as it was, the levity we had between us made me feel good. We were from two different worlds with two wildly different life spans and absolutely no shot at a future together, but I knew I’d never regret that moment.
He kissed me again, softly this time. “Seriously, Yess… I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
His hands slid up the outside of my thighs and I let out a hiss of pleasure before speaking, “I am so fucking sure.”
That was the only encouragement he needed before he rocked my world. Four times.
40
Jiro
For the first time in my immortal life, I wanted more time. I lay awake in contemplative silence, my mind replaying the last few weeks. I’d fought against my feelings for Yesenia so hard only to end up here, wrapped around her finger.
I felt Yessi’s even breathing against my chest, reminding me that my time with her was slipping away. Even though I’d prepared her as much as possible, there were no guarantees she’d survive another round of the tournament and, best-case scenario, she’d win her soul back and return to her old life. Either way, I was going to lose her.
Still, just the thought of her put me in a state of delirium, so I couldn’t regret letting my feelings take over. She rolled over and put her leg over mine, nuzzling closer. Her hair was still a little damp from our late-night shower. I would have to wake her soon or we’d be late, but I couldn’t bring myself to disturb her, especially after I’d kept her up.
“You’re thinking so loud I can hear it,” Yesenia said. Her eyes were shut but she brushed her fingers over my chest.
“Oh, good. You’re still alive,” I teased.
She sat up. “For now.”
“Any last requests?”
“Just one,” she whispered to my lips before she kissed them.
My body temperature skyrocketed and I quickly pulled away before I lost the will. “We’re late.”
She leaned in, peppering my face with kisses. “We have time.”
“Yesenia,” I said in the sternest voice I could muster. Her lips moved to my neck and I felt the sudden sweep of her tongue. My blood ran ice cold. I pulled her into my arms. “Fine. Fine. If Hades drags you to the tournament by your hair, so be it.” I rolled her onto me and kissed her, only to feel her push away. “Oh, hell no,” she said, jumping off the bed.
“How long do I have?”
I looked down at my bare wrist. “Like two minutes.”
It was the perfect morning, Yesenia rushing around screaming at me half in Spanish while I drowned her out with the memory of the night before. We hurried through the tunnels, hands clasped together like a real couple, exchanging smiles and loaded eye contact until we reached The Hallowed Gate. I lifted our joined hands up to my lips and kissed Yesenia’s hand.
She nodded her goodbye and stepped through the gate.
“Stay safe,” I said, but she was already gone.
I felt the dark presence looming over me before he spoke. “Jiro,” Hades said. “Do you finally have a winner? She came out of that first trial a little charred. Can I expect better results this time around?”
I gritted my teeth. “She passed, didn’t she?”
He raised an eyebrow, his face already morphing into his demon form. “Indeed she did. So I suppose I need not remind you what’s at stake if you fail?”
“No, Father, this is the year. She’s different.”
“She’s certainly come along, but so did the others. What makes her different?”
“Her reason for fighting.”
Hades gave an approving nod and headed for the gate. “If I didn’t know better, I might think your reason has also shifted.” He chuckled, a deep unsettling sound before he said, “We shall see.” He stepped through the golden arch. When I was sure he’d passed all the way through, I followed, walking into the cold and apathetic light of Olympus.
The stadium roared to life as the giant screens panned over the champions one by one. Their platform hovered outside a large cave at a cliff’s edge with salty ocean waves licking at the rocks below. I held my breath, waiting to see Yessi so I could get a read on her.
The second round’s unusual setting meant it could only be streamed in the stadium via the prompter screens, but it didn’t seem to dull the excitement of the crowd. It was typical of every tournament for a great deal of the champions to be killed or eliminated in round two. Today, the gods were eager to see bloodshed after most of the champions passed the first unscathed.
Whatever it was, Yessi could handle it. My thoughts were confirmed when the video panned to her. Her eyes were locked on the cave with intense focus and determination and not a single trace of fear. That’s my girl.
“Welcome all to the second round of the Trials of Olympus! We have an exciting event planned for today’s task!” Dionysus’ voice boomed through the stadium. “Now that we’ve tested their integrity, we will find the champions who demonstrate the same level of intelligence.”
I exhaled my relief. Lyrica had been true to her word, which meant I’d been able to prepare Yessi for this. She knew how to look through the eyes of her opponent in order to outsmart them. No matter what came next, she was ready.
“One by one, our champions will enter the cave of Polyphemus, the blind cyclops of the sea, to retrieve Zeus’ chalice. If and when a champion crosses back onto the platform with the chalice, they will advance to the next round. We will reset the chalice for each of the champions.”
I gulped. If this were a battle, Yessi and all the other champions would be torn to shreds, but as a battle of stealth and wit, Yess could take him. Polyphemus was a dangerous brute, but he was blind and certainly not bright.
My confidence waned when the first four champions died horrible deaths. The image of Athis’ arm caught between the blood-stained teeth of Polyphemus was enough to make my stomach turn, but the other gods cheered wildly.
I started to think every single one of the champions would die when Hercules strutted out of the cave without a scratch, Zeus’ golden chalice in hand. One after the other, the champion finished their attempt, some dead, some mangled, and some with minor injuries until finally it was Yessi’s turn.
My stomach dropped when the camera panned to her and she looked terrified, not that I could blame her. When Dionysus signaled her to start, she froze at the edge of the cave. “Come on, Yessi,” I urged, but she was a thousand miles away. Still, after a moment she stepped forward and the crowd went silent with anticipation.
41
Yesenia
My hands shook as I stared at the entrance of the cave. My stomach clenched at the memory of the cyclops munching on one of the other champions and I blinked furiously to try to banish the image from my mind. I couldn’t go in there distracted by the fate of others. I had to worry about myself.
As my name was called, I took a step forward and paused. The direct approach wasn’t going to work. Polyphemus was blind, so his other senses were stronger. Araceli had excellent hearing and a sense of smell she relied on. The cyclops had to be locating the competitors the same way, with senses that had to be stronger than my twelve-year-old human sister’s.
I bit my lip and walked over to another champion, no doubt confusing everyone.
“Hey... Savannah, right?” I asked.
Th
e woman, a siren, nodded.
“Can I borrow your hair tie?”
“I… guess,” she responded as she slid it from her wrist and handed over the band.
“Thanks,” I said, forcing a falsely chipper tone.
I bent at the waist and swept all of my hair up and off of my neck, fashioning my wild curls into a high bun. Once my hair was restrained, I closed my eyes and said a little prayer that Jiro wouldn’t be pissed at me for what I was about to do next.
I looked directly into a floating orb of light that served as the Olympic version of a camera and gave an awkward smile to the crowd before pulling my leather top off. My shoes, socks, and pants followed, and soon I stood in my bra and boy shorts.
Pitt let out a whistle as Hercules and another champion I didn’t know openly leered. I had to force myself not to cover up as I walked over to a puddle of mud—silently thanking whomever was listening for the rain that fell before the trial began. I knelt in the mud, tuning out Dionysus and the other champions as I rubbed it all over my body to mask my scent—taking extra care to coat my armpits and other sweat glands.
Once my body was streaked with the caking dirt, I walked back to the cave’s entrance and allowed myself a steadying breath before taking the first step inside.
Rocks and bone fragments littered the tunnel that led into Polyphemus’ home. I tried to ignore the smear of fresh blood on the cave wall as I tiptoed inside. My skin pricked with fear, as a slight misstep or the smallest cut from a rock could alert him to my presence. I wasn’t sure how good his sense of smell was exactly but, since he was a demigod, I assumed it was strong.
I made it into the main cavern and pressed my back against the wall. My gaze swept the room. I spotted Zeus’ chalice immediately, as it shone brightly from its place on the center of a rocky platform that plateaued at around twenty-five feet in the air. Good thing I’m not afraid of heights, I thought as the cyclops entered the room.
The violent beat of my heart would surely give me away. I froze as he sniffed the air and continued walking, the weight of his steps rattling the cave until he was only a few feet from the prize. Shit.
I waited a few moments, clenching my jaw to quell the urge to flee. I hoped he would walk away or step back, but I wasn’t that lucky. I inched to the rock face opposite Polyphemus and began my ascent.
I tested hand and footholds, careful to avoid scraps and unstable rocks. After a solid twenty minutes, I reached the top and hoisted myself onto the flat surface. Now in full view of Polyphemus, I willed myself not to look at his hideous visage as he picked the leftover flesh from his teeth. My muscles burned, but I felt surprisingly strong. Jiro was a giant pain in the ass during our training sessions, but he clearly knew what he was doing. A month ago I wouldn’t have been able to make it halfway up the rock wall—let alone have energy to go on afterward.
Despite the urge to snatch the chalice and run, I crept toward the chalice and waited for Polyphemus to move before I lifted it. My heart hammered as I prayed it wasn’t loud enough for the cyclops to notice. I tucked the goblet under my arm and made my way back to the edge.
Descending proved much harder. The goblet came dangerously close to clanging off the rocks, and I no longer had the benefit of two free hands.
I was five feet from reaching the ground when it happened—my foot slipped. My knee scraped against a protruding wall and I immediately felt blood trail down my leg as rocks tumbled down—the clang of the chalice ringing through the cave.
Polyphemus let out a roar that made my blood run cold as I scrambled the rest of the way down.
“Mortal!” he shouted. “My favorite morsel.”
His fist slammed against the platform, rocks flying on impact. One crashed into my cheek and pain exploded as my vision swam for a few seconds. Muscles tensed, I pushed through the dizzying pain as I ran for the exit—my disorientation causing me to stagger as I fled.
The cyclops came for me, his heavy gait causing the ground to shake. His hand reached out and I ducked as he closed his fist. If I had been as tall as Manny or the other champions, he would have crushed my skull.
He let out a howl of frustration at missing his prey as he patted around blindly trying to snatch me up. His anger, though absolutely terrifying, worked in my favor. He was too pissed off to stop and pay attention. In the commotion of his rage, I could more easily dodge his attacks and change direction without him hearing.
Still, his wild grabbing made my escape difficult as he smashed boulders. I ducked and dodged projectiles as I pushed through the stitch in my side.
I was ten yards away from the exit when his hand grabbed for me again. I dove into a somersault—narrowly escaping the large appendage as rocks tore into my exposed flesh.
I jumped to my feet, my body bruised and bleeding as I finally burst from the cave and back onto the platform.
My gaze snapped up to the screen. I was a mess. My hair was half out of its bun and sticking out in various directions. My bra straps were hanging off of me and I was a bloody, muddy disaster—but I was alive! I hoisted the chalice above my head and did a little victory dance. I did it!
42
Jiro
I held my breath as everyone around me cheered wildly, my heart frozen in my chest as the image of Polyphemus’ bloodthirsty fingers missing Yesenia by inches replayed.
A wave of heat crashed through me, and I turned to see Hades with a satisfied grin.
Then it hit me. She did it. She was alive! The crowd’s cheers went from enthusiastic to hysterical and I squinted through a sea of waving arms to the nearest screen. Yessi held the chalice over her head, dancing. I mirrored her victorious smile and I felt the tension in my body ease. I’ll be damned. She survived another round. Then she shook her ass.
That’s my girl, dancing naked on camera.
She lowered the chalice as Dionysus wrapped up the second trial, the seven champions still standing waving proudly to the camera. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her again.
I waited in a sea of gods and goddess as the champions walked through the gate. I was nervous to see Yessi and anxious to make sure she was okay. She stepped through, her gaze sweeping the crowd before landing directly on me. I swallowed a mouthful of nerves as I pushed my way through the crowd to greet her.
She ran over and threw her arms around me, and I squeezed her tightly for as long as I could before my urge to check her wounds overtook me. I took her face in my hands. “You were great.” My gaze slipped past Yessi, where Lyrica leered. I was floating so high off of Yessi’s victory that I wanted to thank Lyrica for helping us prepare, but a moment later I lost her in the crowd.
I dropped to my knees to check the source of the blood on Yesenia’s leg.
“I’m fine, Jiro.”
“I know, I know. I’m just checking.”
“How’d you like my dance?”
I snorted and stood, pulling her in. “I missed it. You’ll have to show me again tonight.”
She bit her bottom lip, looking up at me with a seductive glare that sent chills through me. “Let’s get Thea to fix up that wound.”
Later that night, I took Yessi to visit my mother. The Underworld seemed darker to me somehow, probably from spending so much time on Earth and in Olympus. My mother leaned in to hear Yessi better as she recounted the story of her victory. I sat at the edge of the fiery pool, where my mother spent most of her time, and drew designs in the embers, listening to Yessi’s version of the story.
That’s not at all how it happened.
“I feel like you have no clue how close to dying you were.”
“Shut up, Jiro,” Yessi spat. “I totally had it.”
“Funny how you forgot to mention you were naked.”
Yessi rolled her eyes and turned back to my mother. “I’m going to win so you can turn back to a human and tell your son to be nice to me.”
I bit back a laugh, but even in dragon form I could tell my mother was smiling.
I loved Yes
si’s confidence. The more she believed in herself, the more I found myself believing in her. I was actually starting to believe Yessi could win.
One more trial. Just survive one more trial. “Yes, it’s getting late. Say goodbye to my mom. We can visit her tomorrow and see her in human form after your victory.”
That night, I had vivid nightmares of Yessi dying in the tournament. By the time morning arrived, I was so shaken that I desperately searched my mind for somewhere to take her away and hide her. My thoughts were interrupted when Yesenia woke with a smile and a positive energy that I didn’t have the heart to crush. “Today’s the big day! I get my soul back and can return to Celi, and you get to see your mom in human form.”
“Look, Yess…” You’re going to die. “I’m scared you’ll get hurt.”
She rubbed her nose against mine. “I got this, Jiro.”
“Last night I—”
A knock at the door startled us both and I hopped out of bed and put on a shirt before pulling open the door. Thea stood in the doorway. My eyes bulged. “You… you’re here.”
Thea strode into my apartment, looking around with a disapproving glint. She clearly preferred the Olympus aesthetic. “I’ve come to get Yessi ready for her big day.” Yessi sat up, pulling the blanket up to cover her bare chest.
Thea shot me a look that could have killed me. “Well, I’ll leave you to it,” I said, slipping into my sandals and closing the door behind me.
I stopped in to see my mother and she seemed a bit agitated. “I’m nervous too. But I have confidence that she can win.” But my words did little to calm her. After a while, I decided that being near her was making me more uneasy, so I went to The Hallowed Gate to wait for Yes.
It’s going to be okay, I thought as I tapped on the golden arch. The white light wavered in response, and I stepped away for fear that I’d be sucked through by mistake. A starlit form shot through, nearly blinding me, before the light dimmed and Lyrica stood in front of me.
The Trials of Olympus Page 14
