Through Reyna’s haze of rage and grief, she noticed the giant’s new scars. His fight with the Hunters had left him with mottled grey and pink scar tissue on his arms and face, so he looked like a bruised peach in the process of rotting. The mechanical eye on his left side was dark. His hair had burned away, leaving only ragged patches. His nose was swollen and red from the bowstring that Nico had snapped in his face. All of this gave Reyna a twinge of dark satisfaction.
Regrettably, the giant still had his smug smile.
At Reyna’s feet, the timer on the arrow read: 4:42.
‘Explosive arrows are very touchy,’ said Orion. ‘Once they’re embedded, even the slightest motion can set them off. I wouldn’t want you to miss the last four minutes of your life.’
Reyna’s senses sharpened. The pegasi clopped nervously around the Athena Parthenos. Dawn began to break. The wind from the shore brought a faint scent of strawberries. Lying next to her on the deck, Blackjack wheezed and shuddered – still alive, but badly wounded.
Her heart pounded so hard she thought her eardrums might burst. She extended her strength to Blackjack, trying to keep him alive. She would not see him die.
She wanted to shout insults at the giant, but her first words were surprisingly calm. ‘What of my sister?’
Orion’s white teeth flashed in his ruined face. ‘I would love to tell you she is dead. I would love to see the pain on your face. Alas, as far as I know, your sister still lives. So do Thalia Grace and her annoying Hunters. They surprised me, I’ll admit. I was forced into the sea to escape them. For the past few days I have been wounded and in pain, healing slowly, building a new bow. But don’t worry, Praetor. You will die first. Your precious statue will be burned in a great conflagration. After Gaia has risen, when the mortal world is ending, I will find your sister. I will tell her you died painfully. Then I will kill her.’ He grinned. ‘So all is well!’
4:04.
Hylla was alive. Thalia and the Hunters were still out there somewhere. But none of that would matter if Reyna’s mission failed. The sun was rising on the last day of the world …
Blackjack’s breathing became more laboured.
Reyna mustered her courage. The winged horse needed her. Lord Pegasus had named her Horse Friend, and she would not let him down. She couldn’t think about the entire world right now. She had to concentrate on what was right next to her.
3:54.
‘So.’ She glared at Orion. ‘You’re damaged and ugly, but not dead. I suppose that means I’ll need the help of a god to kill you.’
Orion chuckled. ‘Sadly, you Romans have never been very good at summoning gods to your aid. I guess they don’t think much of you, eh?’
Reyna was tempted to agree. She had prayed to her mother … and been blessed with the arrival of a homicidal giant. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
And yet …
Reyna laughed. ‘Ah, Orion.’
The giant’s smile wavered. ‘You have a strange sense of humour, girl. What are you laughing about?’
‘Bellona has answered my prayer. She doesn’t fight my battles for me. She doesn’t guarantee me easy victory. She grants me opportunities to prove myself. She gives me strong enemies and potential allies.’
Orion’s left eye sparked. ‘You speak nonsense. A column of fire is about to destroy you and your precious Greek statue. No ally can help you. Your mother has abandoned you as you abandoned your legion.’
‘But she hasn’t,’ Reyna said. ‘Bellona wasn’t just a war goddess. She wasn’t like the Greek Enyo, who was simply an embodiment of carnage. Bellona’s Temple was where Romans greeted foreign ambassadors. Wars were declared there, but peace treaties were also negotiated – lasting peace, based on strength.’
3:01.
Reyna drew her knife. ‘Bellona gave me the chance to make peace with the Greeks and increase the strength of Rome. I took it. If I die, I will die defending that cause. So I say my mother is with me today. She will add her strength to mine. Shoot your arrow, Orion. It won’t matter. When I throw this blade and pierce your heart, you will die.’
Orion stood motionless on the waves. His face was a mask of concentration. His one good eye blinked amber.
‘A bluff,’ he growled. ‘I’ve killed hundreds like you: girls playing at war, pretending they are the equal to giants! I will not grant you a quick death, Praetor. I will watch you burn, the way the Hunters burned me.’
2:31.
Blackjack wheezed, kicking his legs against the deck. The sky was turning pink. A wind from the shore caught the camouflage netting on the Athena Parthenos and stripped it away, sending the silvery cloth rippling across the Sound. The Athena Parthenos gleamed in the early light, and Reyna thought how beautiful the goddess would look on the hill above the Greek camp.