The Blood of Olympus(103)

Michael sighed heavily. His heart didn’t seem to be in his task. ‘I have orders to arrest you and hold you for trial.’

‘On whose authority?’

‘You know whose –’

‘On what charges?’

‘Listen, Reyna –’ Michael rubbed his palm across his forehead, like it might wipe away his headache – ‘I don’t like this any more than you do. But I have my orders.’

‘Illegal orders.’

‘It’s too late for argument. Octavian has assumed emergency powers. The legion is behind him.’

‘Is that true?’ She looked pointedly at Dakota and Leila.

Leila wouldn’t meet her eyes. Dakota winked like he was trying to convey a message, but it was hard to tell with him. He might’ve been twitching simply from too much sugary Kool-Aid.

‘We’re at war,’ Michael said. ‘We have to pull together. Dakota and Leila have not been the most enthusiastic supporters. Octavian gave them this one last chance to prove themselves. If they help me bring you in – preferably alive, but dead if necessary – then they keep their rank and prove their loyalty.’

‘To Octavian,’ Reyna noted. ‘Not the legion.’

Michael spread his hands, which were only slightly smaller than baseball mitts. ‘You can’t blame the officers for falling into line. Octavian has a plan to win, and it’s a good plan. At dawn those onagers will destroy the Greek camp without a single loss of Roman life. The gods should be healed.’

Nico stepped in. ‘You’d wipe out half the demigods in the world, half the gods’ legacy, to heal them? You’ll tear apart Olympus before Gaia even wakes up. And she is waking, Centurion.’

Michael scowled. ‘Ambassador of Pluto, son of Hades … whatever you call yourself, you’ve been named an enemy spy. I’ve got orders to take you in for execution.’

‘You can try,’ Nico said coldly.

The face-off was so absurd it should have been humorous. Nico was several years younger, half a foot shorter and fifty pounds lighter. But Michael didn’t make a move. The veins in his neck pulsed.

Dakota coughed. ‘Um, Reyna … just come with us peacefully. Please. We can work this out.’ He was definitely winking at her.

‘All right, enough talk.’ Coach Hedge sized up Michael Kahale. ‘Let me take this joker down. I’ve handled bigger.’

Michael smirked at that. ‘I’m sure you’re a brave faun, but –’

‘Satyr!’

Coach Hedge leaped at the centurion. He brought his baseball bat down with full force, but Michael simply caught it and yanked it away from the coach. Michael broke the bat over his knee. Then he pushed the coach back, though Reyna could tell Michael wasn’t trying to hurt him.

‘That’s it!’ Hedge growled. ‘Now I’m really mad!’

‘Coach,’ Reyna warned, ‘Michael is very strong. You’d need to be an ogre or a –’

From somewhere off the port side, down at the waterline, a voice yelled, ‘Kahale! What’s taking so long?’

Michael flinched. ‘Octavian?’

‘Of course it’s me!’ yelled the voice from the dark. ‘I got tired of waiting for you to carry out my orders! I’m coming aboard. Everyone on both sides, drop your weapons!’

Michael frowned. ‘Uh … sir? Everyone? Even us?’

‘You don’t solve every problem with a sword or a fist, you big dolt! I can handle these Graecus scum!’

Michael looked unsure about that, but he motioned to Leila and Dakota, who set their swords on the deck.

Reyna glanced at Nico. Obviously, something was wrong. She couldn’t think of any reason Octavian would be here, putting himself in harm’s way. He definitely wouldn’t order his own officers to get rid of their weapons. But Reyna’s instincts told her to play along. She dropped her blade. Nico did the same.

‘Everyone is disarmed, sir,’ Michael called.

‘Good!’ yelled Octavian.

A dark silhouette appeared at the top of the ladder, but he was much too big to be Octavian. A smaller shape with wings fluttered up behind him – a harpy? By the time Reyna realized what was happening, the Cyclops had crossed the deck in two large strides. He bopped Michael Kahale on the head. The centurion fell like a sack of rocks. Dakota and Leila backed away in alarm.

The harpy fluttered to the deckhouse roof. In the moonlight, her feathers were the colour of dried blood.

‘Strong,’ said Ella, preening her wings. ‘Ella’s boyfriend is stronger than Romans.’

‘Friends!’ boomed Tyson the Cyclops. He scooped up Reyna in one arm and Hedge and Nico in the other. ‘We have come to save you. Hooray for us!’