by Eliza Raine
‘If she wants to show her tribe how weak she is, then so be it,’ he growled.
13
‘Nestor, I had no idea you were such a good shot!’ Phyleus ginned up at the centaur.
‘My aim is as good as many others’; the difference is my ability to remain unaffected by pressure,’ she said simply.
‘Well, you did great,’ said Lyssa, taking a swig of the wine that had been on the little table among the daybeds.
‘What do you think you’ll have to do for the strength test?’ Phyleus asked her.
She shrugged. ‘Lift stuff? Or fight,’ she said.
‘What are you hoping for?’
Lyssa cocked her head, thinking.
‘There’s nothing I can lift that Hercules can’t. So a fight, I guess.’
‘Do you need me to annoy you? Get the Rage going?’ Phyleus eyes were sparkling with mischief as he spoke.
‘You don’t have to annoy me, you know,’ she replied to him in her head. ‘There are other ways you can make me strong.’
She watched with satisfaction as his eyes widened, his cheeks tingeing with pink.
‘Just say the word, Captain,’ he replied silently. ‘I’m yours to command.’
She watched his lips part slightly, and felt her skin hum to life.
‘I don’t believe you need me here, Captain,’ said Nestor, and Lyssa’s gaze snapped guiltily to the centaur. ‘Do you mind if I speak with the Amazons? Artemis has many questions for them.’
‘No, no, of course not, as long as Hippolyta doesn’t mind,’ she answered.
Nestor bowed her head, then trotted down the steps from the cabana building, towards the training courtyard.
As soon as the centaur was out of sight, Phyleus got up from the daybed he was sitting on, reaching Lyssa’s in a few short strides. Anticipation shot through her, like electricity, her fingertips and toes tingling. How did he cause such a reaction in her? And why had she resisted it for so long? She grabbed the front of his shirt as he reached her, pulling him down onto the bed beside her. He let out a gasp of surprise, then laughed as he reached for her. Their lips met, and power thrummed through Lyssa, every nerve in her body tingling. It was so much like the Rage, the unreleased power, the bottomless energy, the feeling of limitlessness. She kissed him harder, and he responded, pushing his hands into her hair, pulling her closer to him. She couldn’t get enough of him, she wanted everything he had to give her, and her brain was fogging over, unable to think about anything else.
‘Lyssa,’ he said, pulling away from her slightly, to look at her.
‘What?’ she breathed.
‘You know we can’t… You know. Go further than kissing. Not here.’
She stared at him, trying to understand his words through her haze of desire.
‘Yeah,’ she said eventually. He grinned at her.
‘Gods, I want you. But we have to wait.’ He kissed her bottom lip, gently, and pulses of power rippled through her body with each touch.
‘Wait,’ she repeated. She didn’t want to wait. But he was right. And she wasn’t about to let him do all the teasing. ‘Course. This is all just to get my power going.’ She was still gripping the front of his shirt with one hand, and she let go, but pushed him back, until he was lying on the bed. He took a slow breath in and she ran a finger down his neck, over his throat and down the middle of his chest, until his shirt prevented her going further. The tiny hairs on his skin rose up, and she felt his shudder.
‘Is it working?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ she whispered, and leaned over to kiss him again.
14
Mercifully, Hercules had ignored Evadne since Hippolyta’s visit. She still hadn’t stopped shaking, though. She couldn’t work out if it was dodging the arrow, or Hercules’s raised fist that was causing her body to react so physically. She wanted more of the wine the Amazon queen had given her, but the decanter was on the table next to Hercules and she daren’t go near him. He was drinking and staring into space. Asterion sat silently nearby. It felt like an age before the escorts came back.
‘Are you ready for the next test?’ a blond warrior asked.
Hercules stood up immediately.
‘Let’s go,’ he barked.
Evadne got up quickly, and Asterion did the same. They walked from the cabana, across the dusty sand until they reached the Colosseum again. Busiris’s blood was gone from the red cross, but the rows of seats were still filled with spectators, who roared and stamped and booed as they approached.
In his lion skin, Hercules was easily distinguishable from the others. His face creased into a snarl and Evadne instinctively fell further behind him, where he couldn’t see her.
‘They have heard about your challenge of our queen,’ one of the escorts said, without turning or breaking stride. ‘We love our queen, very much. None who have challenged her have won.’
Hercules didn’t respond, but shook off the lion-skin cloak. He was shirtless beneath, and as Evadne stared at her captain’s back, rippling with tense muscles, she realised that she didn’t want him to win. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him if he lost, but she wanted the fierce Hippolyta to beat him. Immortality be damned, Hercules deserved to lose.
It was a relief to leave the side of the stage this time, as she and the minotaur made their way to the bottom row of seats. She looked hopefully for Eryx, but he had Busiris, his head and ear wrapped in a dressing, to one side of him, and a whole row of people on his other side. She walked awkwardly along the bench, looking for an empty spot.
‘Here,’ someone called, and she looked over to see Theseus shuffling along, trying to make a space for her. Hedone, sitting on the other side of him, scowled. ‘Evadne. Sit here.’ The Amazon sitting beside the narrow open space sighed and moved down too, so that there was enough room to sit. Evadne did.
‘Thanks,’ she mumbled, looking out at the stage. Lyssa, Psyche and Antaeus were hovering around the edge of the dusty circle, well apart from Hercules.
‘No problem,’ Theseus replied. ‘You did well, last test.’ She looked sideways at him, cautious. Why was he being nice to her?
The crowd suddenly leaped to their feet as one, shouting and cheering as Hippolyta walked into view. She raised her arms as she reached the centre of the stage, and everyone fell silent.
‘The second test is one of strength,’ she called, her voice echoing around the stone structure. ‘And here in Themiscyra there’s no better way to test one’s strength than with a fist fight. No weapons allowed. The first to get one of my warriors to yield will win. If none of you can do so, then the winner will be the last one left alive. Captain Hercules has asked specifically to fight me.’ A massive cheer went up from the watchers. Surely Queen Hippolyta would never yield, Evadne thought, slight panic rippling through her. If she was not stronger than Hercules, then she would die. And how could she be? He had the strength of the lord of the gods.
‘Ares versus Zeus. This should be good,’ Theseus said, leaning forward. He said it casually, but the muscles in his neck were straining, and the easy glimmer he usually had in his eyes was absent.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Son of Zeus against daughter of Ares. They will be well matched. Hercules was a fool to bait her; anyone else might have been an easy win for him.’
‘Hippolyta is the daughter of Ares?’
‘Sure.’ Theseus looked at her. ‘Did you think she was just a human? Look at her!’
Evadne flushed as she watched Hippolyta line up with three other Amazon warriors on the stage, gesturing for Hercules to stand opposite her.
‘There’s not a lot about the Amazons in any of my books,’ Evadne said defensively.
‘No, I guess there wouldn’t be,’ Theseus replied, eyes still fixed on the Queen.
‘How do you know so much about them?’ Evadne asked.
He glanced at her.
‘I have access to information,’ he said dismissively.
‘Aphrodite tol
d you?’
‘Yeah.’
Evadne was sure he was lying. Did it matter?
‘Are you worried about Psyche?’ she asked him quietly, watching as the woman removed her gleaming golden armour, then took up a place opposite a young blond Amazon.
Theseus turned to her with a smile.
‘No. My first mate is a fair and fierce fighter. She’ll yield if she needs to. Or she will win.’
Evade nodded.
‘Hercules will win,’ said Hedone, from his other side. Evadne saw Theseus flinch slightly, but he said nothing. So he did know about the two of them. That was interesting.
‘It’s anyone’s fight. Antaeus has the advantage of size, and Lyssa is probably still furious about Abderos.’
‘Hercules will win,’ the beautiful woman repeated, staring at the stage. Evadne followed her gaze. Antaeus towered over his opponent, a dark-skinned woman who was a foot taller than most of the other Amazons, but still a long way off the giant’s full height. Lyssa was opposite a slight olive-skinned girl, well matched to her size. If Lyssa was half as angry as she’d been when she’d wielded Keravnos outside the stables, the girl didn’t stand a chance.
‘Are you ready?’ Hippolyta’s voice boomed through the stadium. All the other fighters in the ring nodded. They were all shifting from foot to foot, their nervous energy infectious. Hippolyta and Hercules were closest to the crowd, Antaeus the furthest away.
‘Go!’ the Queen shouted. Lyssa moved first, her red hair catching Evadne’s eye as she flew at the girl facing her. The Amazon ducked, rolling under her blow and springing back to her feet behind Lyssa. A roar drew Evadne’s attention to Hippolyta, who was beating her chest and advancing on the unmoving Hercules. He was half crouched, huge leg muscles bulging, ready to react. Evadne’s eyes flicked to the giant, who was trying to flip his opponent off his back, but they were drawn straight back to the Queen.
Hippolyta’s expression was filled with venom, her eyes wide and wild. Her mouth was open in a snarl and she drew both her arms back as she got within a foot of Hercules. He sprang at her and she hurled both fists forward with another roar. They caught him square in the chest and the man flew backwards, his whole body lifted from the ground. He crashed to the dirt, skidding towards Psyche and the blond fighter. Both women darted out of the way, barely taking their eyes off each other for a second. The crowd erupted into cheers and whoops, their excitement deafening.
Evadne realised she was holding her breath, and let it go slowly. There was no doubt about it, Hercules had underestimated his opponent.
15
Eryx shuffled forward on his seat, trying to concentrate on Antaeus. It was difficult, though. Between Hippolyta and Hercules throwing everything they had at each other, and his infuriatingly uncrushable desire to peer down the row of spectators, looking for Evadne, he was struggling to focus on his captain. Antaeus could win this, he was sure. The girl was half his size, and as long as he ended it quickly, he would come out on top. All boxers knew that. You don’t give your opponent a chance to tire you out. Just end it quickly.
The Amazon had repeatedly jumped onto his back, beating him across his ears and the side of his head exactly as Eryx himself did when he was fighting someone a lot larger than himself. Antaeus had managed to shake the girl off every time, but he’d so far failed to pin her down. She was lightning fast, and seemed to know exactly what he was about to do every time he moved. She was clearly an experienced fighter.
There was a collective intake of breath from the crowd and Eryx’s eyes darted back across the stage. Hippolyta was on her hands and knees, Hercules bearing down on her. She dropped as he threw himself at the ground, his elbow ready to slam into her back, rolling out of his way just in time. There was an audible crack as his elbow hit the stone and Hippolyta had a vicious grin on her face as she sprang back to her feet, stamping at his head. He was as quick as she was, though, rolling away and pushing himself effortlessly into a crouch before her foot got near him.
Eryx continued to scan the stage. Psyche was rolling on the ground with her opponent, neither of them on the bottom of the tussle for long, before the other got the advantage back. They were well matched. Lyssa and the Amazon she was fighting were circling each other, tense and ready, a wary respect on both girls’ faces.
A familiar bellow drew Eryx’s attention back to Antaeus just in time for him to see the giant rip the Amazon woman from where she was wrapped around his shoulders by her neck. He held her flailing body out in front of him, her boots kicking above the ground.
‘Yield!’ he roared at her. She scratched and punched at the hand that gripped her, and he drew his arm back and slammed her to the ground, dropping to his knees and forcing his whole weight behind the movement. The stone gave a shuddering moan and the crowd fell silent as a choking voice coughed, ‘I yield.’
‘She yields!’ shouted Antaeus, standing up and raising both his arms above his head. ‘She yields!’
Hippolyta turned to look, and Hercules took his chance. The crowd exploded as he threw his fist at her turned head. Their warning gave her enough time to duck, but not enough to avoid the blow completely. She staggered sideways, and a triumphant expression spread across Hercules’s face as her dazed eyes fell on him.
Then she moved so fast that neither Eryx nor any fighter in the world would ever have seen it coming. The dazed look fell away in a heartbeat, replaced by intense fury as her boot shot out. She kicked so high that she leaned sideways, her body dropping to accommodate the move, and Eryx flinched as her foot landed squarely against Hercules’s throat. He gasped, choking, his hands flying to his neck, and she straightened up slowly.
‘The fight was over, Hercules,’ she said into the now-silent Colosseum. ‘Antiope yielded. You will fight fair in Themiscyra or pay the price.’ The huge man’s eyes were streaming as he continued to choke for breath. She looked at Antaeus, who was pulling the tall Amazon warrior back to her feet. ‘Congratulations, Captain Antaeus. You have won the strength Trial. I believe we could all do with a rest before we tackle speed. You will spend the night in Themiscyra. We will feast in the gardens tonight, and race tomorrow. Your cabanas are yours until then. Tralla, Thiba, Antiope, with me,’ she said, looking at each of the three warriors in turn. They nodded and followed her as she strode from the stage without another look at Hercules.
The crowd began to clap and shout as Antaeus gave a victorious cheer and Eryx beamed at him. If he won the speed test tomorrow, they would win the Trial. And that would put them ahead of the others with only three Trials remaining.
But his smile slipped from his face as he saw Evadne and Asterion leave the benches, approaching Hercules. He threw a venomous look at them both, then stalked off the stage, still clutching his throat. Eryx heard a shout, then saw Hedone yell something at Theseus, before running after Evadne and Asterion. Eryx frowned as he watched her run past the minotaur, and saw Evadne stop when she reached Hercules and began talking animatedly to him. Then Evadne turned around, and the fear on her face was clear even from this distance. Eryx half stood up, before remembering that he couldn’t go to her. He wouldn’t go to her. He dropped his gaze, unable to look at her. She had made her choice. She wasn’t like him, or his crew.
‘What’s Hedone doing?’ said Busiris beside him.
Eryx looked up again as they all began walking away, disappearing into the distance as they headed back towards the courtyards. He shrugged.
‘Who cares. We won,’ he said, but the words were less jubilant than they should have been.
16
Hedone said nothing as she walked beside Hercules. She was desperate to get back to the cabana, to be alone with him, so that he could drop his pride and let her help him. The minotaur and the blue-haired girl were trudging behind them, neither looking like they wanted to offer any help. Evadne seemed downright unsettled. Foolish girl. Hercules needed kindness and care, not immaturity. Each breath he took rattled in his throat and his face was red and tight
. He’d not spoken a word as she’d run to him, asking him over and over what she could do to help. She knew he wouldn’t show himself weak in front of people, though.
Finally they approached the cabana, and she rushed ahead to pour water for Hercules. He climbed the steps slowly, and sat down on the edge of one of the beds as he took the glass from her.
‘Why don’t you two go and… talk to the locals. Find out more about Themiscyra,’ she said, looking up at Evadne and Asterion, hovering at the edge of the building.
‘Captain?’ said Asterion. Hercules nodded, the movement barely perceptible. Evadne turned away immediately, hurrying down the stone steps and out into the gardens without a word. Asterion’s gruff face creased for a moment, then he left too, in the opposite direction to Evadne. Hedone sat down on the bed.
‘Hercules,’ she said softly, laying a hand on his leg. ‘Hippolyta is a cruel woman, I don’t know why she—’ Hedone didn’t finish the sentence, her words cut off as Hercules launched his glass across the cabana. It smashed against a stone column and he got to his feet, stalking over to the table of drinks. He poured wine into a taller glass, then gulped it down.
‘She is a tool of Ares,’ he croaked after his glass was drained. ‘This is my father’s battle, not mine.’
The sense of it struck Hedone.
‘Of course…’ she said slowly. ‘Poor Hercules, always caught up in your father’s actions.’
‘Don’t pity me, Hedone. I will show them. I will show them all that I am stronger.’
His words were hoarse and quiet, but the vitriol rang through regardless. He was angry. She had to make him feel better. She could feel his pain, his humiliation, deep inside her. She needed him to be happy.
‘Let me help you,’ she said quietly. He turned to her, the challenge in his fierce eyes dying away as she pulled the shoulder of her dress down. ‘Let me help you in the best way I can, my love,’ she said, pushing her power into her voice, seeing the effect of her seduction as his stance relaxed, and he stepped towards her. ‘Let me take you away from all of this, for a while at least.’ She tugged the other shoulder of her dress down and it dropped to the floor, pooling around her feet.
