Page 189 of Blood of Olympus

“Get out of here, Nike. That’s an order,” I barked as she made to disagree. “Warn the others. Tell them not to interfere. If you want to help, go help Apollo with the wounded or Caelus with those other mad bastards on the ground.”

Without a word, she bolted. As lithe and agile as a hummingbird, she vanished beneath the wispy cloud cover, hopefully heeding my command.

Ready? I asked my bonded dragon.

Always, she answered, pivoting sharply to face them. Images flashed through my mind of fractured sunlight in unusual shades of amethyst, mountains and armies below us in seas of writhing black, and Kronos — audacity incarnate.

He wore those same impeccable black robes as last time; the memory rushing me in staccato bursts. A bronze dagger sprouting from a chest. A bone blade, dripping gold. Two fractured, faded crowns. A depraved grin and glowing scarlet eyes.

And Charon — crumpled and unseeing — at my feet.

The pang of grief hurt almost as much as it had the first time. And the second. And the third.

But this was my chance to avenge him, whether he wanted me to or not.

I’d like to believe he would.

Velira’s head tilted up and another image shot in. Kronos’ mount — some foul beast, part bat, part bull, part dragon — all monstrosity. She snarled at it, snapped her teeth in its direction, but it did not cower as one would expect when a dragon came within biting distance. No — this beast opened its eerily wide maw and grinned, bearing fangs like needles and a smile that would terrify me for years to come — if my thread was not severed today.

I don’t think I actually needed that visual, Vel.

If I have to see it, so do you.

“Surrender and we can ignore this treachery,” Kronos commanded, his icy voice carried on the rising winds. “Submit to me and I will allow your little friends to live. Those still alive,” he added, freezing the blood in my veins and stilling my thunderous heart.

Who died? I asked my bondeds. WHO DIED?

Vel snarled.

Caelus remained silent. I sensed his faint reluctance and confusion along our tether. I don’t know, he finally whispered, and that answer alone was enough to shake me. To rattle my resolve and question whether any of it was even worthwhile.

Snap out of it, Velira ordered with the force of a crashing wave. I can defeat the beast but not the god — that responsibility rests upon your shoulders. I need you, do you understand?

Yes, I answered numbly.

“You have something that I need,” Kronos continued as if we hadn’t just experienced an existential crisis before his eyes. “And you can either give it to me willingly…”

“Or?” I snapped.

“Or I can take it from you forcibly.”

“Your brother has already done that.”

“Silly girl — I don’t want your eyes, they are of no use to me.”

“What, then? My ears? My fingers? My hair?” I snarked, eager to get this over with.

I heard the smile in his voice when he eventually answered, “If I must take them as well to convince you, then so I shall. But no — I want what no other possesses. I want something you alone can give me.”

“Whatever it is, I’d rather crawl across broken glass than submit to you. But you have something I want, too.”

“Oh? And what’s that? Perhaps we could come to an… arrangement.”

“That works for me but I doubt you’d be inclined… because the thing that I want from you — is your life.”

He howled a raucous laugh, the sound muffling half way like his face was pressed against something, or carried away on a merciful breeze.

“You’re right, that won’t work for me,” he said, then clicked his fingers.