The next morning Alek knocked on my door in the early hours, amusement glittering in his eyes. I'd opened the door with ruffled hair, bleary eyes, an oversized shirt and total amnesia. I'd forgotten about our early morning training session, and it seemed that Hades' ball was no excuse for Alek's rigorous training program. Luckily, he had two coffees in hand and I gratefully accepted one as we took off for the gym.
My stomach curled into itself as Alek brushed his hand along the back of mine, not quite asking to hold mine but purely reminding me of last night. I was too weak to pull my hand away and instead let myself enjoy his soft touch. I knew he would toughen into the warrior that he was as soon as we reached the gym. In fifteen minutes, he would have me sweating and gasping for air – not the good kind – and while I enjoyed being treated as his equal in the gym, I soaked in this small moment of peace.
I knew without a doubt that Alek had changed whatever program he'd originally had for me today to self-defence. He taught me how to escape from wrist grabs, choke holds and from being pinned to the floor. Every move brought us closer and closer together. I would have laughed at his obviousness had he not appeared so serious during our session. The second trial was slowly sneaking up on us, and Alek was in intense instructor-mode.
After training, Alek was explaining how I could improve my defensive stance as we entered the Dining Hall, where breakfast was now in full force. I beelined for the toast, coffee and water section before I took a seat at the end of the table. Alek followed me, sitting beside me so that our thighs were touching. A blush formed on my face that wasn't from the exertion of the workout.
"Alek, can I talk to you for a moment?" asked a familiar voice. Its owner spoke with the volume of someone who was being cautious, as if they thought Alek might yell at them.
I glanced up and found Cleo standing before us. For once, she appeared as if she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep. She was normally the picture of perfection but this morning had a frantic look to her eyes. She stood tall, but this was more so due to the tension in her body than confidence.
Alek seemed to have realised before I did that it was Cleo, because he didn't need to look up to confirm who it was. I glanced between them, knowing this was an argument they had to have on their own. I may not have liked Cleo, but she'd supposedly been Alek's friend for quite some time and had both drugged his food and lied to him.
Alek's jaw clenched, as did his grip on his fork. "I have nothing to say to you, Cleo. I got all the information I needed last night."
Cleo's expression turned downcast. Alek didn't even spare her a glance, and I could tell how frustrated she was to have none of his attention. For a moment I thought she might snap back at him, but she faltered and reeled herself back in at the last moment. Then, because she wouldn't dare take on Alek, she shot me a glare instead and hurried off. I would have laughed if seeing her didn't already make me feel oddly sad.
Right at that moment, Jackal entered the room and Cleo stormed past him, neither of them saying a word to each other. However, I could tell from Jackal's clenched fist and strained expression that her presence similarly frustrated him. If I had to guess, Jackal had only last night found out about how Cleo had drugged Alek's food. However, I didn't want Jackal to consider my watching gaze as an invitation to come over, so I directed my attention back to Alek and finished off my coffee.
"That was pleasant," I quipped. "I'm still surprised she would poison your food."
Alek grunted in agreement. "Cleo is full of surprises. But she only poisoned my food so that she would be able to harm you. Cleo will act rashly if it means she can get any kind of benefit."
Right at that moment, Nox, Thanos and Keros walked past us on their way out of the room. Somehow, Thanos looked bigger and more intimidating than ever before, as if he'd grown overnight. Keros kept his gaze downward as he passed us, but Nox made a show of glaring at us. It took all of my effort not to shrink back into my seat.
"Be careful there Nox," Alek said seriously, "You look at me any longer and people are going to start thinking you're into me."
Nox stopped in his tracks, making Keros almost run into him. My entire body stilled as I wondered whether Nox would jump over the table and attempt to strangle Alek. Not that he would get very far. My money would be on Alek. Instead, Nox surprised me by releasing a bout of laughter. But the sinister edge to it reinforced that it wasn't a friendly exchange.
"Don't be revolting, Alek. I'm just imagining how much I'm going to enjoy watching the light fade from your eyes in the second task," Nox spat out.
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that? Are you going to turn the lights off on me?" Alek plucked a grape from the fruit platter in front of him and popped it into his mouth.
Nox's lips lifted into a knowing smile. "You'll see," he replied smoothly, before leading the others out of the room.
Alek's light expression darkened as soon as Nox's back was turned. Now it was his turn to imagine himself strangling Nox.
"It probably isn't the smartest idea to stir up trouble with him," I murmured softly.
Alek shot me an amused look. "I know, but it's pretty damn irresistible. Like me."
I scoffed and rolled my eyes at him. "I'm being serious."
After a moment of my silence, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know. I had a moment of weakness. I won't rile him up again. Those three will be the biggest competition in the second tournament."
I glanced again at their retreating backs as they left the Dining Hall. With Nox able to move with the fluidity of shadows, Keros with a penchant for pain and Thanos with the strength of a bull, they would be difficult to fight against. Even the thought of their combined powers sent a cold shiver through to the bottom of my spine. I prayed that I wouldn't be put in a position where I would be up against them.
Alek caught my concerned expression, and he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, pulling me back to reality. "Hey," he said softly. "It will be okay. We'll be able to beat them."
"How?"
He grinned devilishly. "Because I know their weaknesses. Look over there," he said, nodding in the direction of the far end of the table. I followed his line of sight and found Ariane staring at the door, where the trio had been standing mere moments before. Ariane's doe eyes were glazed with longing until she blinked a few times, pulling herself from her reverie to continue her conversation with her brother, Amar.
I frowned and made a disgusted face. "You're saying Ariane likes Nox?"
Alek made a similarly disgusted reaction. "Oh God, no. Ariane and Keros like each other. I caught Keros giving Ariane the exact same look at the ball last night. There was also the fact that Keros was practically green with jealousy when he saw Himeros dancing with her for a good part of a song."
I berated myself for not being as perceptive as Alek last night. I had been too distracted by Alek in his black suit to even notice anything or anyone else.
"Then there's Thanos..." Alek trailed off.
"What about him?"
"He injured his right shoulder doing some weight training in the gym the other day. He keeps it hidden, but he's had to strap his shoulder for the past few days. My guess is it's a recurring injury, since he doesn't seem to be too put off by it."
I thought back to the previous few days and realised he was right – I hadn't seen him completing any of his usual exercises in the gym. "And what about Nox?"
Alek hesitated, glancing away from me. "You."
I sat upright, surprised. "Me?"
A muscle in Alek's jaw ticked as he nodded. "Nox is so blinded by his hatred of you that I know he'll be too distracted by the idea of killing you to even notice his surroundings or other threats. He'll want the fame of killing you all for himself, and most likely without the help of his brothers. Even if the act of killing is severely frowned upon."
I winced and felt the blood drain from my face. My mouth turned dry. "I..."
"Hey," Alek said sharply, looking me straight in the eye. The familiarity of his gaze calmed my anxiety. "I'll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't ever get to the point where it is just you and Nox."
I swallowed the thick lump in my throat. "If it does..." I took a deep breath, "I'll have to kill him, won't I?"
"If it comes to that, then yes – without a moment's hesitation."
That was the thing about Alek – he didn't shy away from the truth when it came to battle.
I nodded resolutely. With Nox's lack of restraint, it would come down to either him or me.
And I would do anything to ensure I would be the last man standing.
*****
Between the anxiety of what was to come, the tension between the contestants and general animosity, the day of the second task approached with the speed of which only a day you dreaded could bring. Whether Hades was aware of what the second task would entail or not, any information about it was kept completely under wraps. The only thing I could do to take my mind off the ominous and pervasive uncertainty was to keep my mind distracted by training with Alek. I'd even managed to force myself to return to the forest under the castle on several occasions, knowing it was the best training ground for my powers.
On the morning of the second task, I awoke with a stomach-ache so intense that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it through the task without being sick. I received a package from a member of the Crown Guard, including a padded, black full-body outfit and a silver ring. I held the silver ring up to the light, trying to see what was so special about it. It had plain band, with no markings or anything else to give away its purpose. The package came with a note requesting me to wear both the outfit and ring to the pre-trial debrief. When I pulled on the outfit, I was surprised to find how stretchy and lightweight it was. I'd imagined it to feel suffocating, but it actually provided enough compression to make me feel more limber.
When I ran into Himeros in the hallway before the official debrief, I was relieved to realise I wasn't the only one feeling unwell. Himeros' glowing demeanour was overtaken by a sheen of light sweat and clammy skin. Even the silver streaks in his hair appeared to have lost their luminescence. Like myself, he had begun to exercise considerably more in the last two weeks, but there was only so much improvement that you could make in such a short period of time. Thanos had about the weight of three more people on either of us.
Alek joined us on our walk to the Throne Room, where we were meant to congregate at nine a.m. in order to be debriefed about the task. Unlike Himeros or I, Alek appeared ready for whatever would be thrown his way. But I could spy a glimmer of worry in his eyes whenever he glanced my way and he thought I wasn't looking, so I tried to calm my nerves so that he thought I was doing okay. If Alek could sense my worry, then Nox – who was practically frothing at the mouth from the other side of the room – definitely could, too.
I steeled my gaze into an expression of coolness and ran my eyes over the rest of the room. Everyone was present except for the goddess Adephagia, who had returned to Gluttony City a day after the death of her children to mourn and continue her reign.
Persephone was watching me from her throne beside Hades. She had approached me last night to wish me good luck. Every time we spoke it felt as if there was a chasm between us that neither of us could reach past. I knew that chasm wouldn't go away unless her feelings for Hades did. Since that was unlikely, it left us in a precarious position. One that meant she was constantly watching me with concern. She wore a regal red empress gown which flowed over her legs like liquid gold, which was a stark contrast to the pitch-black uniform worn by all of the contestants.
Alek stood tensely by my side, similarly ignoring his parents as they stood on the outskirts of the room, passing a cool gaze over the crowd. Hades clapped his hands together and the murmuring of the contestants transformed into deafening silence.
"Welcome and thank you everyone for joining me this morning," he greeted, even though his tell-tale cold expression remained on his face. "For the most part, you have all been patient in awaiting the second trial, so I will not keep you in suspense any longer." He paused for dramatic effect, his eyes sweeping across the room. When he made eye contact with me, he faltered, and his gaze turned into one of retribution. My stomach dropped at the promise of pain in those dark eyes. Finally, he continued his sweep across the room, and I could breathe again.
"This trial is a test of physical endurance. I have been informed by the Three Sisters of Fate that the purpose of the trial is to showcase your physical fitness for leadership," he announced. The crowd shared glances of interest among themselves. "The rules are simple. You will have two hours to attempt to draw blood from other contestants. The Sisters wanted me to tell you that if your own blood is spilled, it will be proof of poor fitness. When deciding the worthiness of a competitor to become the next ruler, the Underworld will also consider your ability to draw blood from others. Think of it like a points system – you will effectively gain respect by defeating others, but you will lose respect if you lose in a fight."
I noticed no one seemed inclined about asking whether there were restrictions as to how much blood could be drawn – it was already clear enough that this would be determined by the attacker, whether there were rules or not.
Alek brushed my arm with his, reminding me he was there. I realised that I'd been holding my breath and forced myself to breathe again.
"You will be taking part in the trial in a surprise location, and I will summon a portal for you each to step through as soon as I have finished with my instructions. The portal will drop you off at this location, and the trial will start immediately when you arrive. After two hours pass, the rings you are all wearing will summon another portal to bring you back to the castle. I suggest you don't lose your ring while you're out there." His tone finished in deep warning.
Anthony, one of the Sloth demigods, shifted on his feet and Hades' eyes narrowed in on him.
"Do you have a question?" Hades asked.
"Yes – will we have weapons?"
"There will not be any weapons as you typically recognise them available for your use. You will have to use your own body – or your environment – to your advantage if you engage in combat."
Anthony's jaw grew slack. "That doesn't seem entirely fair. Some peoples' powers are based entirely on physical strength here – they're at a big advantage."
Hades appeared bored, waving off his complaint. "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I'm sure the Underworld will recognise these and consider how you perform with the tools available to you. Any other questions?"
Guessing by the frown set on his lips, Anthony didn't appear too pleased with that answer.
Nox cleared his throat and stepped forwards. "Yeah, do we get extra points for drawing a lot of blood?"
Of course, Nox would be the person to ask that question, I thought.
"As I've mentioned previously, killing another demigod or demigoddess goes against the best interests of the Underworld, and it is not encouraged," he answered with boredom. "Nox, I suggest you find a way of harming those around you that won't result in their deaths."
Nox smirked as those around him shot each other uncomfortable looks.
"Anything else?"
Silence filled the room, broken only by the noise of the whistling wind and rattling windows. Hades waited only five seconds before clapping his hands together loudly. The shadows which consistently lurked around him drew away from his body and expanded into a black hole by his side. The ache in my stomach expanded across my entire body and I held back the urge to be sick as the portal grew before my own eyes.
"Good luck," Hades said.
The competitors began to spill forwards, oddly keen to commence the second task. I swallowed the lump in my throat and went to follow them. Alek squeezed my hand and brought me to a halt.
"Hey," he murmured softly enough so that only I could hear. "Stick close to me, okay? We'll work together. And remember what I said about their weaknesses."
I nodded tensely, watching as Cleo and Jackal stepped through the portal and were sucked into oblivion. With horror, I realised there were only a few more people and then it would be our turn. Doing as Alek said, I tightened my grip around his hand and followed him into the abyss. Just before the blackness took me away, I glanced one more time at Persephone, noting the regret and fear shining in her eyes.