Chapter 26 Changing Beasts
CHANGING BEASTS
ALEXIS
A dozen Olympian guards with sparking riot sticks led our section—minus the Chthonic leaders—down winding stairs. Gold laurel wreaths decorated a few of their heads, designating them as heirs, and different Olympian House insignias were engraved into their chest plates.
I needed to talk to Hades, but he’d disappeared with the other rulers. They’d all stalked off as soon as the announcement was made, and last I’d seen, Hades was arguing with Zeus.
Deep down under the coliseum we descended.
To another layer of Hell.
We headed through dark tunnels filled with stringy cobwebs and layers of dust, our protectors prowling beside us.
I shivered as the air chilled considerably, my boots scuffing the dirt floor.
It was a labyrinth of chambers.
Skeletons of all sizes—creatures, beasts, and Spartans—were piled inside rooms blocked with iron bars.
As we walked deeper into the maze, the low-ceilinged tunnels were lit with a reddish hue from the rows of copper torches mounted on the stone walls, and we had to duck under the arches that separated the tunnels to avoid hitting our heads.
“Stop!” an Olympian guard barked.
We came to a halt in front of a row of iron doors covered in patina. Thick silver chains hung to the floor on one side of the door frames. Hooks lined the other.
“Because Medusa is still at large, this is where all ten of you will stay during the SGC,” a guard said. “As Zeus explained—any efforts to escape will be viewed as an act of defiance against Sparta … Treason.”
Dirt sifted from the ceiling, motes clouding the air.
“You two first.” The guard gestured at Charlie and Helen.
Charlie released my arm, his yellow eyes illuminated strangely in the torchlight. He shifted in front of Helen protectively as the two of them were herded inside a room by an Olympian guard.
“They shouldn’t be held d-down here. They’re not competing,” I said as the door slammed shut behind them.
“We have our orders.” The guard glanced at me nervously as he inserted a large iron key into their lock, then he pulled chains across the outside of their door and threaded them through the hooks.
Wait, are we prisoners?
“How dare you,” Augustus said. “You’re dead for doing this to them.”
“Treason,” the guard repeated, but he paled as Augustus stepped forward, and held up his hands in a surrender gesture. “Just following orders.”
Augustus’s eyes filled with blood.
“Are Charlie and Helen going to be okay?” I asked, trying to distract him.
Augustus took a deep breath and nodded, blood receding from his eyes. “It’s just fucking politics. The Olympians are trying to make a statement and are using Medusa and the federation to do it—but they wouldn’t dare to actually hurt us … It would mean war.”
Around us, chaos unfolded.
To our left, Agatha and Hermos sauntered into a room, the former blowing a kiss to three of the guards while the latter rolled his eyes like he was used to her antics.
Drex shot me a worried glance as he was pushed into his own room, with Toucey squawking on his shoulder. Even a government drone doesn’t deserve this.
Achilles and Patro turned to me.
“Alexis,” Patro said, overenunciating to make it clear that he was saying my name properly. “You’re welcome to stay with us … during the competition.”
The guards grumbled, but Achilles shot them a glare and they fell silent.
Patro held out his hand for me to take. “Stay in our room—let’s talk things through. Everything’s been very—” he trailed off like he was searching for the right word “—hostile.”
His vivid green eyes were full of heavy emotions.
“Please,” he whispered.
The raw sincerity in his voice made my chest hurt, because he wasn’t one for heartfelt apologies.
He looked so lost, so pleading.
I didn’t know what to make of this version of Patro. A part of me wanted to help him, to take his hand and make everything better between us. He’d been the one who stepped up and helped me calm down so I didn’t kill Theros. For a small period of time, he’d been my friend.
Achilles shifted on his feet.
They left you to die.
I wanted to make things right with Patro, but not like this.
Patro saw something in my face—his hand dropped to his side, knuckles fisting.
“Thank y-you,” I said as I glanced between Kharon and Augustus, who were both glaring at Patro. “But I’m … okay staying with them.”
Patro’s face twisted. “Typical,” he sneered.
Augustus stepped forward. “Watch … how you speak to my wife.”
“Whatever … I didn’t actually care.” Patro tried to scoff dismissively, but his eyes were full of anguish. “I was just offering to be nice, since you’re our mentee.”
Achilles glanced over at Patro with concern, then he shot me a glare. How dare you hurt him was written all over his face, and even the muzzle couldn’t hide it.
I held his gaze.
“Let’s go,” Patro said to Achilles. “This hall reeks of betrayal.” He stalked inside the room, then slammed the door shut behind the two of them, before the guards could do it.
He knows how to make an exit.
Electric riot sticks sparked in the guards’ hands as they directed us, and I recognized one of the guards wearing a laurel wreath as Vorex from the House of Poseidon. He’d been Alessander’s mentor in the crucible. His gray eyes and the pink ferret on his shoulder were unmistakable.
Vorex dipped his head to me in acknowledgment. “Please wait inside your room,” he said calmly. “We’ll retrieve you soon for the opening ceremony.”
Kharon stood taller, his skeletal tattoos stark in the dim light. “Don’t tell my wife what to do.”
Vorex gulped. “Of course, sir … we’re just following orders.” The riot stick shook in his hand.
I’d remembered him being fierce and intimidating during the crucible.
Augustus studied the men cowering before us like he was making a decision. “Fine,” he said coldly, his expression combative as he escorted me and Kharon inside.
The iron door slammed shut behind us with a loud bang, chains clicking as they slid into hooks.
The small windowless stone chamber had a sinister scarlet cast in the torchlight. A wooden door led to a sparse bathroom, and that was the only other space.
Nyx tightened around my neck.
Realization dawned.
Dear God, please don’t do this to me.
Kharon and Augustus inhaled sharply as they came to the same conclusion I had.
The object of my certain demise was innocuous, yet it was much more insidious than any weapon or monster I’d ever faced. Much worse than staring down the barrel of a gun.
“Unum cubile,” Augustus muttered under his breath as he dragged his hand over his sharp jaw.
One bed.
The three of us were trapped in a room with no other furniture and barely enough floor space for our animals. A wave of relief hit me that I hadn’t accepted Patro’s offer. Sharing one bed with the two lovers would have been particularly awkward.
The relief died a swift death as I remembered who I was trapped with—in my mind’s eye, the singular bed expanded until it was all I could see.
My husbands shared a long-suffering look. Kharon nodded at Augustus and their shoulders pulled back like they’d come to a silent decision.
They weren’t the only ones.
Clearing my throat, I gathered my courage. “I think we should—”
Fluffy Jr. let out a loud whine of distress, then collapsed to the floor at the foot of the bed. His eyes rolled back as his body twitched.
I fell to my knees beside him, trying to figure out what was wrong.
Fluffy Jr. stopped convulsing, but he panted, and his neck hung limply, like he couldn’t find the strength to lift it.
The hellhounds sniffed at Fluffy Jr., then backed away warily, while Poco patted his head gently.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked as I ran my hands over my protector, searching for injuries. Kharon and Augustus knelt beside me. “It must be all the excitement …”
The lump on the middle of Fluffy Jr.’s spine quivered beneath my touch like something was moving under his skin.
I pointed at it.
Augustus grimaced. “It’s probably … a tumor.”
My heart twisted, shattering inside my chest. “No—there has to be another explanation. What else could cause this?”
Augustus shook his head, pity written on his face. “Alexis, that’s probably what it is.”
“What else is there?” I snarled.
Augustus stayed silent.
I shook his shoulder. “Tell me—I know you’ve read a lot. What else is there? What other options?”
“I don’t want to give you hope.” Augustus closed his eyes, features harsh in the crimson lighting. “There is another option, but it’s a long shot and most likely doesn’t apply to this—”
“Tell me.”
“Molting,” Augustus said, like it was self-explanatory, and Kharon visibly startled at the word.
Augustus rubbed at his stubble. “It only happens in certain rare beasts … It doesn’t make any sense.”
I hit his arm, desperate for something. “Explain.”
“Certain types of beasts—usually larger, more powerful breeds—have extra appendages.”
We both studied my protector, who was half pressed against the wall, barely fitting into the narrow space at the end of the bed.
“He’s built large,” I whispered.
Augustus winced. “Molting body parts consume a lot of energy to maintain, so they don’t fully develop on the beasts until after puberty. But it’s only certain beasts.” He frowned, his scar pulling tight. “They only occur in Griffins, sphinxes, three-headed dogs, unicorns, and Pegasuses.”
Fluffy Jr. let out a horrible, pained whine.
“Well—” I leaned down and pressed a kiss to his muzzle. “Which one do you think he is?”
“Alexis, he’s clearly not any of those creatures.”
“No.” I shook my head. “He could be—I know it.”
“Look at him.” Augustus gestured at his furry head. “I can’t even tell if he’s a dog or a horse.”
“He’s probably just a mix of the two.”
Kharon looked at me with sympathy.
“Mixed beasts are extremely rare,” Augustus said, “and when they do survive birth, they’re practically … feral … characterized by extremely low intelligence and hostile tendencies.”
“He eats sticks,” I pointed out. “He chokes on them. He’s never been bright—it’s actually something I’ve been noticing and—”
“That’s not what this is,” Kharon said quietly, and from his tone, he thought I was delusional.
“You don’t know that,” I said, anger rising. “He’s my protector—I understand him better than either of you. I’m telling you, something’s happening. He’s changing. He must be molting.”
Kharon ground his teeth. “You need to accept that it’s most likely a tumor. These things happen with beasts all the time.”
“I don’t need to accept anything.” A wave of calm washed over me. “He’s going to be fine. I know it.”
Tears blurred my eyes, but I blinked them away. I would not cry because he was going to be okay. There was no other option.
Fluffy Jr. sighed heavily, eyes closed as he slept.
He looked peaceful.
Poco stroked his ears and Nyx slid off my arm, an indent parting Fluffy Jr.’s fur as she slithered around his neck. She would never admit it, but I knew she had a soft spot for him.
Inside my chest, my protector bond still strummed. It was slightly tinged with pain, but for the most part it was strong.
Fluffy Jr. will be alright.
Toxic fear drained out of me, leaving nothing but exhaustion.
I climbed to my feet, full of hope.
Everything will work out.
I was going to ensure it.
I took a deep breath and regained my composure as I looked around at our extremely tight sleeping quarters. This won’t do.
Turning, I faced my husbands head on. “Since we’re all stuck here, I’ll sleep in the bathtub.”
They both froze.
“Excuse … me?” Kharon asked acerbically. Augustus arched a dark eyebrow, his Chthonic eyes glowing.
“I’ll sleep in the bathtub,” I repeated with conviction.
“No,” Kharon said. “You won’t.”