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Except, the one staring up at me was one about the history of the Oracles and the deities.
I started reading.
I was still reading when Thea arrived, carrying a tray with my dinner. Snapping the book close, I gazed up at her blearily.
“What time is it?” I rubbed my eyes, glad I found some useful information in this place.
“Evening. Around six. Master Apollo says you are to come talk to him again tomorrow at ten.” She set the tray down and stepped back.
She was now wary of me, since the raven had come. And Octavius had left. I wasn’t sure what she thought I would do to her. She wasn't mean to me nor was she trying to help me. She just didn’t matter.
I swung my feet down to the floor and lifted the covers over the dishes. Salad. A lamb chop on rice. Green beans with bacon bits. A slice of chocolate cake.
Picking up the dessert plate first, I drove my fork into its gooey goodness.
Thea gave me a stern look. “Dessert is last in a meal.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Once it’s in my belly, it all gets mixed up, anyway. Why can’t I eat it first?”
She twisted her lips before loudly whispering, “Because that’s not the way it works!” Stomping out of the room, she left me to enjoy my food.
Smiling at nothing, I chewed the cake without swallowing. I was tired of being told what to do. Perhaps I didn't do stuff the way they wanted. Why did it matter?
Well, it might if the god poisoned my food. Or put something in my drink. Or… There were so many things he might do to me. Even this dessert could harm me.
I stopped chewing, rolling my tongue through the mush in my mouth. Peering around the room, my eyes finally dropped to the tray. I was no longer hungry.
Spitting into a napkin, I grimaced at the dark mess. Wrapping it up, I dropped it onto the plate before pushing everything to the side. I stared at the tray of food.
Was all of it poisoned? Did it even matter? I would have to eat at some point—
Bang!
The door flew open and Henry rushed in, moving across the room in an instant. He grabbed my biceps, lifting me up so high only my big toes touched the floor.
“No more,” he growled, dragging me out of the room.
What had happened now? Why was he so riled up?
“What? I have been in my rooms for the last few hours!” Struggling, I twisted in his grasp, but his hands clamped harder on my arms. There would be bruises on them by morning.
“Henry!” I wailed as he forced me down the stone stairs. Down, down, down—endless flights I hadn’t seen before. It was dark and cold down here, the chill working its way through my clothing.
He hauled me across the cobbled floor, shoving me into a cell and closing the door with a clang.
“What the hell? What did I do?” Jumping up, I pushed on the bars that covered the front of this room. They didn’t budge.
Hermes had locked me in a dungeon!
“This is where you belong.” He twisted around and left, the doors banging shut with finality, the light leaving with the god.
What had happened? And where was Samuel?
The other guard must have gone off duty. So Henry had thought he could do whatever he wanted with me in the meantime.
Which meant, bring me here.
I spun around, not able to see much of anything with the lack of light. Stepping to my right, I found a wall which I followed, using my fingers to guide me. Reaching the back of the small room, I stubbed my foot on what might have been a toilet. Gasping in fear, I gagged. Yep, that was definitely a toilet, out here in the open where anyone could watch me use it.
