“The mortal world never knew that you were imprisoned!” I snapped. I was so angry that my vision almost blurred. “They never knew- it wasn’t their fault. It was Hades and the Fates. The blame should rest directly on their shoulders.”
“And your mother, Hecate,” Zeus pointed out. “She participated, as well. And that, young one, is why I am allowing this game. You should know by now that the best way to seek retribution from a god is to gain it from those who they love. You are Hecate’s most valued treasure. You are correct. The rules and object of this game have changed. No matter who wins here in this clearing, you or Brennan, I will consider your mother’s transgression against me wiped clean. If Brennan dies, you will forever live in misery. If you die, your mother will. Either way, justice will have been served.”
“Justice?” I spit. “Justice is not sick and twisted. You are.”
“Such spirit,” Zeus repeated, shaking his head. “If only you had chosen to use it for me, rather than against me.”
“You speak as if I ever had a chance!” I lashed out. “I never did. I’ve been cursed by the man I thought was my father and you never interfered on my behalf. And now I will pay a debt that isn’t mine.”
“The life of a god is never fair,” Zeus leveled a silver gaze at me. “You should know that by now.” He turned to Brennan.
“If you are the victor here, I will grant you immortality. You will reside in Olympus with all of the glory that you deserve. If you lose valiantly, you will live in the Underworld in the Isles of the Blessed. Either way, you future will not be unpleasant.”
“If I lose valiantly?” Brennan asked. “What does that mean?”
“It means if you lose after fighting me with everything that you’ve got,” I interrupted. “Zeus wants us to fight to the death. He wants to see blood.”
“I deserve to see blood,” Zeus replied angrily. “Do not forget that.”
“Perhaps,” I acknowledged. “But not ours. We did nothing to deserve this.”
“It is no matter,” Zeus answered, once again calm and impassive. “Haven’t we already discussed that? This is your lot. Now, the new rules have been explained to you. They are simple. One of you will survive. You will remain in this clearing until one of you is dead. I have taken away Empusa’s immortality. If she wins, I will restore it and I will remove her curse. No one can assist you. You will each stand alone.” He waved a hand toward our right and the arena in Olympus appeared to us.
“We will be seated in the Arena watching you,” Zeus continued. “You will be able to see us, as well. Unfortunately, no one can interact with you or offer you advice. You will each be completely on your own. Do you understand these rules as I’ve explained them to you?”
Brennan nodded silently.
“I understand the rules,” I answered coldly. I gazed at the vision of Olympus. My mother sat next to an empty seat, her shoulders slumped. I assumed the empty seat was Zeus’ since Hera sat on the other side.
“My mother?” I asked. “What will happen to her?”
“Why nothing of course,” Zeus answered. “You will pay her debt. Your mother is a unique goddess in that her magic is very, very powerful-“
“More powerful than yours!” I interrupted.
Zeus continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “But she will not use it against me or to assist you since she knows that you are at my mercy right now. With my whim, you will live or die.”
At his words, pain like I’d never experienced ripped through my body, causing me to drop to my knees and writhe in the dirt. It literally felt like someone was using a hot poker to rip my internal organs to shreds and pull them out through my belly button. It was so intense that I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t breathe…I couldn’t see. Everything turned to black and then nothing.
When I opened my eyes again, I found Brennan clutching me to him, murmuring anxiously to me. Zeus stood to the side and observed us. I realized that I had passed out from the pain and then just as quickly realized that the horrible pain was gone.
“Do we understand each other?” Zeus asked quietly. I nodded silently. His message was clear. He could annihilate me or Brennan in the blink of an eye if he so chose. We were nothing to him, no more than a speck of dirt beneath his heel. He nodded at my thought, confirming it, and then he was gone.
Brennan and I were left alone or as alone as we could be with the Olympians watching us from the arena. I turned my back on them and faced Brennan, focusing solely on him and ignoring the fact that any of the Olympians could be watching us this very minute.
Brennan’s face reflected all of the horror that I felt inside. He was silent, his expression tortured. He reached over and wiped a tear from my cheek. I hadn’t even realized that I was crying. I leaned into his hand and he pulled me close.
“I will never harm you,” he whispered. “I will not do it. They cannot force me.”
Pain seemed to shatter my heart into a million jagged pieces.
“They have ways,” I whispered to him. It was difficult to speak past the lump that had formed in my throat. “Trust me, they have ways.”
Brennan held me for the longest time. I listened to his heart beat in his chest, slow and rhythmic. I felt his warmth, smelled his masculine scent, felt the softness of his skin and the rigidity of his muscles. I could stay within his embrace forever. But it couldn’t happen.
I knew that if we didn’t act, they would find ways to force us into action. It was simply how Zeus operated. I glanced at the vision of the arena and found Zeus smiling in reaction to my thought. It appeared that even though we were isolated from the world and could not hear them, they could still read our minds. And from his knowing smile, I could see that I was right.
Zeus would eventually force us to act. We couldn’t hide here forever. It would be better for everyone if we just got it over with right now and didn’t drag it out.