Omega (23 page)

He lifted his head, the tension creeping
back into his frame.

He does not like to talk
about this.
“You tried to rescue me when I
was little but got uh … hurt.” I barely stopped from mentioning who
hurt him. How he let Herakles go when he’d nearly killed him
…

“
Hurt,” he repeated. His
intent gaze shifted to me.

Unless he can’t remember
either.
His scrutiny supported Mnemosyne’s
claim.

“
You know. Fell out of the
sky. Both of us did.”

“
I don’t just fall out of
the sky. Something happened.”

“
You, uh, have a scar
here?” I asked and touched one side then the other. “And
here?”

His head lowered, and his predatory glare
gave me chills.

“
You were rescuing me and
got stabbed,” I continued.

“
By whom?” He stepped
towards me.

I very wisely began to step back at the same
speed. “Not by me!” I exclaimed. “I was six.”

“
But you know who did
it.”

“
It was kind of a long
time ago.”

A knife appeared in one of his hands.

“
What’s important is that
you don’t want to hurt me. You shouldn’t hurt me, I mean,” I said.
“We aren’t enemies.”

“
Enough. Draw your
weapons.”

“
I don’t have
any.”

He winced and ceased stalking me, one hand
hovering at his head again. I didn’t know enough about the ribbons
to understand what they were supposed to tell me.

“
This isn’t a normal
headache, is it? “I asked. “Mnemosyne is trying to show you what
you’ve forgotten.”

“
Not your concern.” He
wobbled on his feet. Seconds later, he dropped to his knee, holding
his head.

I studied him. “You can’t remember me but
when we’re around each other, something happens to you,” I guessed.
“You feel the connection, don’t you?”

He said nothing. He was regulating his
breathing as if to calm himself.

“
I named you Mismatch,” I
added. “After I awoke you. Do you remember that?”

No response.

Squatting to see his face better, I kept my
distance, not about to end up shredded because he snapped.

“
How do I help you
remember?” I studied the ribbons around him. All were agitated,
though one in particular had ragged edges along one side. I had
seen the little-me of twelve years ago smooth out Herakles ragged,
discolored Franken-ribbons.

I stretched out a hand the way I saw myself
do it twelve years ago and began tracing the edge of the ribbon
with my finger, trying to smooth it out. Just when I was about to
give up and flush with embarrassment about swiping at random things
no one else could see, the edges folded. One by one, the ridges
disappeared.

Adonis shuddered. His eyes were closed.

“
Did that do anything?” I
asked awkwardly. “If you didn’t feel anything then never mind. If
you remember falling …”

“
I dropped you.” The
hoarse whisper carried a note of pain. “We were both
falling.”

My heart leapt. “Yes! You went through the
roof and Herakles caught me.”

His head flew up. “Herakles threw the
javelin.” By the flare of fire in his eyes, he wasn’t going to be
content to imprison Herakles next time they met.

“
Yeah. We need to get past
that part,” I suggested.
Although, if it’s
true Herakles killed my parents …
It
wasn’t the right time. Not until I was certain Adonis wasn’t about
to try to kill me.
“You remember me. You
know why you can’t kill me?”

A guarded smile tugged up the side of his
lips. “You love me.”

I flushed. “No. Baby Alessandra did. I think
… I think we might one day get along, so long as you don’t decide
to kill me.”

He held my gaze, amused yet still tense.

“
And, for the record, she
loved the gargoyle version of you. She never met this you,” I added
self-consciously, hating my blush and flustered
disclaimer.

“
Grotesque. Gargoyles have
water spouts.” He stood as he spoke. I did as well and resisted the
urge to put more space between us.

“
Adonis … Mismatch …
whatever you want to be called. Are you going to force me to fight
you or not?” I asked. “Because I … I can’t live with something
happening to you.” These were dangerous words born of emotion, but
I couldn’t get the image of him falling, bleeding, out of my
mind.

He was holding his head again. “You’re
older.” He faced me. “I forgot how quickly humans age.”

“
I have no idea what to
say to that. You didn’t age much at all.”

“
I’m only human half a
day.”

“
Right. Anyway … about
this.” I gestured towards the table. “The trial.”

He cocked his head to the side, as if
listening. I tried to hear what he did with no success.

“
What is it?” I
asked.

“
Either I fight you or
we’re both in trouble.”

“
Trouble doesn’t sound so
bad.” Even as I said it, I inched towards the table.

His gaze settled on me. I had a feeling he
was trying to reconcile a bunch of new information, freed memories,
before he revealed his intention. I wanted to empathize after the
experience I still couldn’t wrap my head around, but my greatest
concern was surviving.

“
It’s the kind of trouble
we may not escape.” He strode to the table and picked up two more
knives. “The Supreme Priest is furious.”

“
We,” I repeated, my heart
accelerating. “So … we’re a
we
.”

He glanced at me before tossing over two
knives.

Catching them, I almost
shouted with relief.
Thank the gods.
I wasn’t going to be forced into a battle with
him this day, and I’d managed to defer it without shedding a drop
of blood.

Adonis approached once more, this time
holding out a third knife. Gazing up at him, I accepted it.

“
We’re, like, BFFs now?” I
asked skeptically.

“
I do not understand
everything yet,” he replied. “But I remember you. I remember you
giving me life.” He was quiet for a moment. I sensed turmoil though
he displayed none of it. “I remember swearing to protect
you.”

“
I can take care of
myself,” I objected softly.

“
Not against
me.”

The truth scared me.

“
If I refuse to face you,
I cede the trial. You will triumph by default.”

“
I’m okay with that,” I
said.

He bowed his head once, and a thrill rippled
through me. I’d passed my first trial, even if by accident.

I had the sense of gravity shifting, of the
world around me changing rapidly enough to make my stomach turn.
Rather than move, I gazed up at Adonis, once more mesmerized by his
gaze and the sense of connectedness between us. And … more than a
little worried he meant to betray or otherwise feed me to his boss
at some point.

The sensations ceased and were replaced by a
different sound: the roaring of a crowd. Blood and sweat were in
the air. The ground beneath our feet turned from concrete to
dirt.

“
What’s happening?” We
were at the center of a crude arena, surrounded by an audience on
bleachers that stretched twenty meters upward. The shape, scents
and ceiling overhead gave away our location as being one of the
seedy, criminal underground fighting rings, the type Niko probably
frequented.

“
My master is
displeased.”

“
Did you do this?” I
breathed.

“
No. This is where he
sends me to punish me.”

I stared at him. “You work for a man who
sends you to a death match when you mess up?”

“
You’re weak on your
left,” Adonis said and shifted to that side of me.

“
You’re going to … defend
me on that side or kill me?” I asked.

“
Swords.” His gaze was on
a weapons display at the side of the arena. Without answering me,
he trotted towards it and withdrew two short swords, twirling them
to test them.

I watched. It made sense to know how to use
a knife in this day and age, but a sword? He was deftly checking
their balance, maneuvering them with his normal fleeting agility
and running quickly through a few weapons forms. Satisfied, he
returned, pausing to gaze at me. I saw the flicker of confusion,
the only indication he was about as clear about us as I was.

“
I can’t remember why I
saved you all those years ago,” he said finally. “Did you deserve
it?”

“
Dude, I was six.” I
shifted under his intent look. “Truce for now?”

“
I don’t do things without
a reason and I can’t decipher why I should spare you.”

“
It’s a
feeling.”

“
Instinct.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. You just know
you can’t hurt me because we’re bound somehow.”

“
Yes.”

The gates at one end of the arena rolled
open, and the crowd hushed in anticipation. I stared into the
depths of the doorway. I wasn’t feeling as enthusiastic as usual
about the prospect of fighting someone. Whatever was there had four
ribbons. Not that I had a clue what that meant. Adonis had
five.

“
C’mon, Adonis. Just tell
me we have a truce so I’m not paranoid about you stabbing me in the
back.”

“
None is needed.” He
stepped forward and tested his swords again.

“
Stop with the mind
games!” I snapped. “I just need a yes or no. That’s it!”

“
The Supreme Priest had
one chance to win you with his trial. I ceded it to you. Do you
think I’m going to kill you now?”

“
No offense, Adonis, but I
don’t have a clue how your mind works.” I withdrew two knives and
faced the direction he was. “What in Hades is that?” I stared as
some … thing began to emerge from the darkness of the doorway. It
wasn’t human, and it was huge. Just when I thought my world
couldn’t become any more foreign to me …

In all things of nature
there is something of the marvelous.

–
Aristotle

“
Is that a
manticore?
” My mouth was
open.

“
Yeah,” Adonis answered.
“Big one, too. Their breeding program is getting
better.”

“
Breeding …” I couldn’t
think let alone ask. The male version of a sphinx had a shaggy
human head, the body of a lion and bat-like wings. He was also the
size of a Clydesdale with fangs and talons that were twice the
length of my index fingers.

“
The beast games are the
Triumvirate’s covert way of keeping local citizens focused on this
side of the wall. Largest gambling events in the world. Technically
illegal and secretly supported by the Triumvirate.”

“
That’s impossible,” I
managed finally, watching the creature emerge from the depths of
the arena.

“
I’m beginning to think
you grew up in a hole in the ground, not in a forest.”

It was the worst time possible to tease me.
I was about to pass out.

“
Snap out of it.” He
nudged me. “It’s just a fight. You’re good at fights.” Adonis was
focused yet not worried.

I was. I’d seen a tiny monster in a
dreamland that didn’t exist. I had no idea monsters were real.
“Okay. I can do this,” I murmured and drew a breath.

“
Can you use a
sword?”

“
Normal people don’t use
swords, Adonis.”

“
Not sure where I learned.
I can’t remember that far back yet.” A smile pulled up one side of
his mouth. “You’re far from normal. Try it.” He handed me one of
his.

It was well balanced but somewhat awkward
and a bit heavy. But considering the distance I’d need to be to
wound the beast with a knife …

“
You’re enjoying this,” I
said, studying him.

“
I need the
outlet.”

We both did. From strangers and enemies to a
shared history where we were besties, I doubted even sharp Adonis
knew what to think. My shock began to wear off as I evaluated the
creature for weaknesses.

“
It doesn’t bother you
that your boss sends you to fight monsters when he’s
mad?”

“
No.”

This guy is something else.

The monster roared and the packed auditorium
cheered.

I handed the sword back, eyed the beast
standing outside its gate, and jogged to the weapons. Tucking
knives in a cargo pocket and one at my waist, I hefted two swords
and returned to the center of the ring beside Adonis.

“
Any tips?” I
asked.
Aside from begging Ares to bless
us.

He moved a meter away then two. “Beware the
tail. Keep its attention divided. You have the speed and ability.
If we can coordinate our attacks, keep it off guard, one of us will
have a kill shot.”

I didn’t have time to thank him before the
beast was upon us.

It charged towards me first and swiped with
a paw the size of my torso. I arched back and watched razor sharp
talons soar inches over my head. Instincts kicked in, and I smashed
one arm into it to keep its momentum from shifting back. It rounded
on Adonis.