Omega Series: Omega Part 8

I glanced at Niko, who was listening intently. Uncertain what to think of Dosy or how she knew Herakles, I hesitated to respond.

Dosy sat on the chair near the kitchen. "Water, Niko," she snapped. "How did you get through the checkpoint so easily?"

"They waved us through," I said with a shrug.

"That doesn't just happen. I'm betting Niko's made arrangements."

He appeared ready to refute her but whirled and went to the sink. He wasn't kicking her out or trying to kill her anymore, which made me think she was right. As bada.s.s as he acted, he wasn't going to hurt the woman he had feelings for at one point.

"Herakles," Dosy prodded. "Why is he not with you?"

"He was captured," I said. "We're here to rescue him."

"We're what?" Niko demanded.

"Rescue?" Dosy's eyes widened. "If he was taken, it was by SISA. There's no way for you to get to him."

"I don't believe that."

Niko brought her a gla.s.s of water. This time, the look they exchanged was one of uneasiness.

"Why is a priestess looking for me?" I asked her.

"High Priestess," Niko said, using air quotes in mockery. "What do the G.o.ds want with some initiate?"

"Not your concern, Niko," she replied.

"But you came to find me, right?" I asked.

"Yes."

"And tell me ... what?"

"I came to find and protect you from people like Niko," Dosy admitted. "People who might figure out who you really are."

Niko was studying me the way he had in the forest when we first met.

"So do you know what's supposed to happen next?" I asked.

"Pardon?"

"Where I'm supposed to go, what I'm supposed to do. The priests at the orphanage seemed to think I should go somewhere."

"You were raised by priests," Dosy repeated, surprised. "That's not how this was supposed to happen."

"Okay, first, what is this?" Niko asked and motioned to me.

"Holly is of "

"OmiG.o.ds. My name's not Holly," I muttered. "It's "

"Lisa," Niko cut me off. "And shut up."

Dosy appeared taken aback for a moment before she met my gaze. "Do you know what you are?" she asked uncertainly.

"Allegedly what I am? I was told yesterday," I replied. "Niko thinks I'm an initiate."

"So Herakles isn't with you, you were raised by priests and you don't know how to be what you really are," Dosy summarized.

"Yes," I said. "And I want to rescue Herakles."

Agitated, she rose and paced. "After hearing all this, I think rescuing him will be the easiest thing you do."

Niko and I exchanged a look. We didn't know enough to share her alarm.

"Okay." Dosy drew a deep breath and approached me. "First off, don't take off the red cord. If it is what I think it might be, it'll keep people from tracking you. Second ..." She trailed off, at a loss for words. Blinking rapidly, she shook her head. "I can't even begin to imagine a second. Just stay underground for a while. Niko, if you betray her to you-know-who, I will gut you."

It was a wonder either of them were alive, given how often they threatened each other in the short span we were together.

"Hard to protect what you don't know you have," he pointed out.

"I'm an Oracle," I said. Whether or not I should have, I didn't care at the moment. I wanted to see what they did when I said it, to gauge how bad things really were.

Dosy gaped. "Don't ever tell anyone that!" she yelled when she'd recovered. "Ever!"

"A what? You mean ... you mean the Oracle?" Niko was staring at me. "And those d.a.m.n priests were going to pay me the rate for a typical teen runaway? Now I'm glad I cut them down before the security forces moved in."

I gasped.

"This is what I'm talking about." Dosy pointed at him. "This is why you're better off with me, Holly. Lisa. Whatever your name is."

My ears were ringing from Niko's confession.

"You do not walk into "

The two of them began shouting at one another again, and all I could think about was the blood I'd seen on Niko's hands. It hadn't belonged to the enemies. It had belonged to the priests he let me think had abandoned me.

"How could you do that?" I shouted above them and pushed at Niko. "How could you kill them?" I reached for his weapon, emotion boiling despite my exhaustion.

Dosy stepped back, and Niko grabbed my arms, gaze dropping from her to me. He wrestled with me, finally wrapping both arms around me and shoving me face first into a wall. I struggled in a frenzy until it was clear I wasn't going to best him this way. I panted and went limp, my mind racing.

"Look, kid, it was "

"Don't call me kid!" I struggled to pull away, but he kept me in place. "You're a murderer!"

"It was an act of mercy."

"Bulls.h.i.+t!"

"No, it was," Dosy seconded. "The secret police would've done unspeakable things to them. Since the SISA chief, Adonis, took over, it's been nonstop carnage and oppression. They're aggressive and harsh. If you've got something to hide, suicide is a better option. It's not something that's easy to explain, except that Niko did them a favor, Holly."

My name's not Holly! I blinked. My eyes were blurred by tears. A tremor of emotion swirled through me. I could imagine no situation under Zeus where the priests committed suicide. Was the world outside my forest that bad? Why had they kept so much from me? Did I not need this type of knowledge in order to help them with their plan to bring back the Old Ways?

"You okay?" Dosy's voice had softened.

"No," I replied. "They were my friends."

"Holly, I know this is hard, but trust me. They are better off in Thanatos' hands than SISA's. You learned about Thanatos, the G.o.d of death, didn't you? About his realm?"

I calmed some, recalling that good people like the priests weren't really gone. They lived on in a different realm, one ruled by Thanatos. "Yes."

"Then you know death is simply a gateway into a much better place."

It was easier to let myself believe her, trust her, than to sort through emotions I wasn't prepared to feel. The priests had never been close to me like Herakles was. I wanted to believe them better off, the way they taught us in school. But if Herakles followed them into the underworld of Thanatos ...

I would do whatever I had to out of revenge. Herakles was my heart, my life, the only thing keeping me from acknowledging the desolation stemming from understanding that the world I knew was now completely gone. I wasn't ready for that.

"Don't wuss out now, kid," Niko said in a quieter voice. "You're tough. Stay tough. I don't kill unless I have to, but all of us knew what was coming. I did it quick."

"I do agree with him there," Dosy said. "SISA will do anything to find you."

"Let me go." I tugged at Niko's grip.

He did so.

I left the wall and sank onto the couch, trying to rein in the emotions I couldn't quite categorize. Herakles would tell me they were right, that I needed to stay focused not emotional, that the priests were in the part of the underworld saved for the most righteous. Yet the image in my head of Father Ellis falling beneath Niko's knives ... I wasn't happy at the orphanage, but the priests didn't deserve to die. What was worse this all happened because I disobeyed them and went to the lake.

Father Cristopolos was right. In ten minutes, I had undone years worth of their work and killed no less than four priests.

What was I that pious men committed suicide rather than reveal my ident.i.ty and location? That SISA came for me?

My stomach hurt from emotion I didn't know how to process, and I rested back against the couch, struggling to recall something Herakles had told me that might help me think straight about all of this.

"You swear they felt no pain?" I asked Niko.

"I swear it."

It didn't really help. In fact, I had the urge to scream and attack him and demand to know why he hadn't told me before. I was sliding to Dosy's side of the court and starting to hate Niko.

"Why did you bring her to DC?" Dosy asked Niko. "It's the worst place to be."

"Or the best, right under the nose of "

"No. It's the worst. You're up to something. I know it."

Niko fell silent.

"You need to get her out of here now."

"No," I said, rousing myself from the deep thoughts. "I'm not leaving without Herakles."

"Don't be stupid," Niko replied.

"If you think I'm stupid, then fine. I am! But I'm not leaving without Herakles! You already killed everyone else who matters to me."

They weren't taking me seriously. Dosy shook her head and Niko rolled his eyes.

Fury flooded me. "What happens if I take this off?" I asked, tugging at the red cord. "Oh. That's right. They come and get me and torture anyone found with me. We wouldn't want that to happen, would we?" I maneuvered it up my hand to my palm.

"No!" Dosy said. "Just ... leave it on."

I paused and waited.

"Look, I might be able to find out where Herakles is by pulling some strings, but I can't guarantee anything. Not even that," she said quickly.

"Even if she does, I'm not breaking into a SISA prison," Niko said stubbornly.

"This seems like the fastest way to find Herakles. By being taken prisoner with him," I mused, lifting my hand so they could see the red cord. "Niko will definitely never get paid and I'll enjoy watching him at the hands of SISA. I don't know what happens to you, Dosy."

He eyed me at the mention of money.

"I've got friends," Dosy said. "I'd be fine. Niko wouldn't be."

"If nothing else, my biotag is worth money, isn't it?" I asked Niko. "If I die in the attempt, you can dig it out of my arm out and sell it to Marty then steal more of his money."

Dosy shot Niko a knowing look, and Niko shrugged. "You do make a good point."

"You can't be serious. Even you aren't that stupid, Niko," Dosy said.

"Hmm. So you don't want me to do it. Looks like I'm in, kid."

I snorted, not at all certain if I'd really won or if he was so determined to spite Dosy, he'd get us both killed.

"I'll do what I can," Dosy said, gaze on me. "Niko, make up your mind. You gonna keep her safe, or do I need reinforcements to take her away from you? I don't need to remind you of how few men your people have in DC."

I waited.

The two went into stare down mode again. Finally, Niko s.h.i.+fted.

"Fine. I'll take her to find this friend and dump her off at the front gates or wherever," he said finally. "I'm not going to risk my neck for her."

"No surprise," Dosy muttered. "Good enough for me. I'll be back in the morning with any information I can find out about Herakles." She strode to the door.

"Hey. You haven't answered my emails," Niko called as she opened the door. "How's ... Junior?"

"He's not Junior. He's nothing like you!"

"You guys have a kid?" I asked, astonished. "My G.o.ds. That poor little guy." This earned me two glares.