Theta (23 page)

A tingling at the base of my skull gave me
no uncertainty about who had just entered my villa. Seconds later,
my door opened, and one of the servants walked in.

“
Excuse me,” she
said.

“
Leave me alone,” I
replied.

Silence.

When she didn’t speak or close the door, I
turned to find her gone. Realizing what I’d said, and how my words
gained more power with the passing of each day, I cursed under my
breath.

“
Wherever you went, you can
come back!” I called.

The servant materialized. She was pale and
trembling. With a long look at me, she backed away slowly, until
she was out of my room completely.

“
Sorry, not-sorry,” I
mumbled, well aware of who she was loyal to.

My room, as much as it tormented me, was
also my sanctuary. Rather than allow Cleon to enter my private
space, I left and went to the foyer, where the man I wanted to see
least waited for me.

“
What do you want?” I asked
bluntly.

“
A
demonstration.”

“
No.” Pain shot through me,
fast and sharp enough to cause me to stagger into the
wall.

Except this time, I wasn’t the only one
hurt. Cleon dropped to one knee.

The pain stopped, and we stared at one
another. Neither of us expecting for him to be affected. He tapped
the pain mechanism again, and we both flinched.

I pulled my knife free and made a tiny cut
on my hand.

My palm bled – and so did Cleon’s.

“
This might complicate
matters,” he said, gazing down at his bloody hand.

The image in my head wasn’t mine but his. He
had planned – at some point – to put me up on the wall where
Cecelia was. My dismembered body was in his mind and projected into
mine – along with his satisfaction.

“
Good luck with that,” I
said and straightened. “Looks like you can’t hurt me
anymore.”

“
Perhaps not physically,”
he agreed.

Nothing ruffled his feathers, not even the
realization his favorite toy could no longer be played with. It was
when he started to smile that I grew concerned.

“
Your show at the edge of
the compound gave me an idea,” he said. “What better way to
incapacitate in important pawn I may one day need?”

“
I’m not doing it, whatever
it is,” I said. “You’ve run out of ways to force me to obey
you.”

The image of Theodocia flashed through my
head. I pushed it away, not understanding why my mind chose to
think of her at this moment.

“
Perhaps you need a
different kind of encouragement,” Cleon replied. “Bring
her!”

I tensed, expecting the worst.

Two of his guards entered through the front
door, dragging someone with them.

My breath caught in my throat. “Theodocia,”
I said.

They dumped her on the floor. She was
bloodied and motionless, unconscious.

“
Turn her into a statue, as
you did the soldiers in the forest,” Cleon ordered.

“
Um, no.”

“
I would rather not kill
her, when I plan on using her against her Queen. But I will, if you
won’t obey. I can’t risk her escaping.”

I shook my head. “I’ll turn all of you into
statues,” I said and held my breath. I envisioned the rubbery forms
of the soldiers.

The men with Cleon went completely still,
frozen in place.

Cleon, however, remained fine.

“
I believe this is what the
first Oracle meant by indirectly warning you that you can’t affect
me,” he said with a smile.

Not good.
“What else did you hear?” I snapped.

“
Enough.”

Was he bluffing? Had he
read my mind after the fact, or had he been there, spying, when I
spoke to the first Oracle? Cleon was a master politician, and I
didn’t have the experience with liars required to determine if and
when he was telling the truth. One thing was clear. I couldn’t risk
going back to the other plane, in case he had overheard
everything.

“
You can turn her into a
statue, or I’ll kill her right here in front of you.” Cleon reached
over to one of the statues and plucked the gun free from the
soldier’s hand.

I reacted instinctively and tried to push
Cleon away.

Nothing happened.

I stretched for his ribbons and gripped
them, then twisted, not caring what kind of pain I put myself in,
if Theodocia survived.

Still nothing.

Dropping my hand, I stared at Cleon in
surprise. One of my green ribbons floated above his head.

Soon after Adonis and I first met, we were
forced into a duel, in which I wasn’t able to hurt him, because my
magic was the source of his reanimation. He was alive because of
me, and my power had somehow integrated into him and bound us
together. I was warned then that I couldn’t hurt my own creation,
and again by the first Oracle.

Why did Cleon also possess my green ribbon?
Was it an unexpected side effect of the chip in my head, melding
our minds together? Was it a protective measure my power innately
executed, in case something happened to him?

Even if my magic was off the table, I could
still hurt him physically with my knife and fists, enough to free
Theodocia and perhaps, send her away. I started forward.

He fired the gun, and a chunk of marble
beside Theodocia’s head exploded.

I stopped.

“
Proceed, only if you want
her dead,” Cleon said firmly. “It’s in your best interest to turn
her into a harmless statue no longer capable of threatening me.
When circumstances are ideal, I’ll unfreeze her.”

I racked my mind, infuriated to realize no
matter what plan I came up with – he’d know it instantly. I didn’t
want Theodocia dead, and I didn’t want her interrogated and
tortured. I had the potential to summon all the power in the
universe – and couldn’t do anything to protect those near me.

I was left with one real option.

“
Fine,” I said through
gritted teeth. “Turn Theodocia into a statue.”

My green ribbons swept past her, and her
body became lifeless and still.

“
And free my men,” Cleon
directed, lowering the weapon.

We both waited to see if his command
worked.

It didn’t, which was a tiny, bittersweet
victory for me.

“
Free his men,” I repeated
the command.

They began to move again, and I glanced
towards their reflection in the mirror. Cerberus was watching us.
What did that asshole want? Wasn’t it enough he smacked me around
whenever I accidentally entered his territory?

If Cleon noticed, he said nothing. He
returned the weapon to the soldier and motioned for the two to
remove the Theodocia statue.

Without another word, he left.

My anger had nothing to do with Cerberus,
who was watching me still, and everything to do with being helpless
to stop Cleon. I stood in the foyer, struggling to rein in my mixed
emotions and to create some semblance of a plan without tipping
Cleon off. Every once in a while, the discussion I’d had with
Lantos returned to me, and I couldn’t help feeling as though I
should have learned more from him during our exchange, that he knew
much about what was coming.

I was tempted to return to the other world
and talk to the first Oracle about everything, but scared as well,
in case Cleon had overheard the secret the first Oracle told
me.

My situation was impossible. Unless …

Sleep. Cleon had to sleep at some point.
When he did, could I plan without him being aware of my
thoughts?

“
Coffee. Lots of it,” I
said quietly. Cerberus kept pace with me as I headed to my bedroom.
“What do you want?” I growled at him. “I’m not coming over there
any time soon!”

He didn’t speak and didn’t disappear.

Before I reached my bedroom, I could smell
the invigorating scent of coffee. The minute I entered, I spotted
the mugs of goodness on the table near the window – along with
another statue of Mismatch.

Cerberus settled down to wait. I began
drinking coffee, determined to outsmart Cleon some way.

I awoke with a jolt and clutched desperately
at the space around me, seeking a handhold as the vehicle tumbled
out of control. My surroundings spun, and I was unable to focus on
any one thing or understand the feedback my senses were sending
me.

“
Ssshhhh!” someone
hissed.

Hands pressed me back while the night sky
spun sickeningly overhead.

You’re safe.

I struggled and then went still, sucking in
deep breaths and trying to focus. The ground beneath me was solid
and warm and most importantly – stable. I was no longer in the
truck, no longer rolling through the forest with glass shards
pelting my skin and my neck being whipped every which way.

For a split second, I was back in the car
again. I tensed, and the same hands pushed me back to the ground.
The sensations abated, and I lay still, breathing heavily in the
otherwise quiet night. Stars stretched overhead as far as I could
see, unencumbered by trees. I strained to identify where we were.
The forest around our compound was thick, and trees had surrounded
the road we’d been on when the truck blew up.

But no trees were close to us. Twisting my
head to see what was beyond my immediate surroundings, I realized
we were in a stadium, near one sideline, in the shadow of the seats
nearest us. The moon was high and to the east, appearing to rest at
the top of the stadium wall.

“
We got away, but they
might still be close by. We have to be quiet.” Kyros was hunched
over me.

I was bruised and sore. The pain I’d
experienced in the vehicle was gone, and I quickly evaluated my
physical condition before sitting up. I inched away from him and
rested my back against the wall of the stadium.

Kyros-Paeon appeared every bit as beat up as
I felt. My clothing was shredded and bloodied, and my hair tangled
and matted. With trembling fingers, I touched my face and neck then
my right side, recalling the puncture from the car.

You cured me!
I said, glaring at him.

“
Of course. It’s what we
do.” Kyros was in charge. His brown eyes were twinkling as he
glanced at me before looking out again over the large
field.

No god – even one who heals – can be
trusted. He will turn on you, Kyros.

“
Look, lady,” he returned
with some exasperation. “I get that you have an issue with gods.
But Paeon saved you and your ...” He motioned to my
stomach.

My breath caught, and I tensed.

Kyros rolled his eyes. “He says I wasn’t
supposed to mention the fact you’re pregnant. But he saved all our
lives and you should respect him for that. He didn’t have to do
it.”

He did it because he wants
something. I owe him nothing for helping me and if you tell anyone
– ever – about my child, I will kill you myself.
I returned icily.

“
Considering that was your
plan anyway, I’m not exactly threatened by the latest reminder you
plan to murder me at some point,” Kyros returned. “Just … relax.
Okay? You can be pissed at Paeon and me – or both of us – when
we’re safe.”

If I had a knife …

“
As a reminder, I can hear
your thoughts,” Kyros said.

To Hades with a knife. If I weren’t so sore,
I’d kill him with my bare hands.

He sighed, as if he really, truly didn’t
know how terrible the gods could be. I wished I could convey the
knowledge to him somehow. No human deserved what suffering Paeon
was likely to inflict upon Kyros before this was over.

“
You’re welcome,” Kyros
murmured. “Did you know it’s a girl?”

Some of my anger melted, and I rested a hand
on my lower abdomen. A girl would make for five queens in a row,
assuming we both survived the next few months.

I didn’t know,
I answered.
She’s healthy?
The bomb didn’t hurt her?

“
They both are healthy.
You’re carrying twin girls.”

Twins.
I had never heard of anyone in the Bloodline birthing twins.
How was it possible, when only one could rule? Would they both bear
the curse, if I couldn’t rid the Bloodline of it during my
rule?

Restless to continue my
war, I wiped my face and sat up straight, testing my body.
Where are we?

“
Oh, about twenty
kilometers from where we were supposed to be,” Kyros said with a
snort.

You carried me twenty kilometers?

“
Yeah. I played football in
college. You’re pretty light.” He flashed a smile. “And Paeon can
instantly heal any exhaustion, strains or muscle fatigue I feel. We
make a good team.”

I pursed my lips. He
already understood, without a shred of doubt, what I thought of
his
team.

What of Herakles and the
others in our van?
I asked.

“
Those with us didn’t make
it.
We
wouldn’t
have made it, if not for Paeon. I don’t know anything about
Herakles’ condition. When we got out of the car, all we could think
about was helping you and getting as far from our attackers as
possible.”

So there were attackers, not just a
bomb.

“
Yeah.” Kyros frowned.
“SISA and military.”