The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus)(47)

Alabaster stared at the cozy fireplace with a look of distaste. “It’s better not to imagine them as gods. The best way to think of them is more like a divine Mafia. They used their threat to force my mother into accepting the deal. And in the process, exile me from camp so I can’t corrupt my brothers and sisters.” He finished his tea. “But I’ll never bow to the Olympian gods after the atrocities they committed. Their followers are blind. I’d never set foot in their camp, and if I did, it would only be to give that son of Poseidon what he deserves.”

“So you have no help,” Claymore said. “And this monster Lamia is after you…why?”

“I wish I knew.” Alabaster put down his empty cup. “Since the moment I was exiled, I’ve fought and killed a lot of monsters that came after me. They instinctively sense demigods. As a lone half-blood, I’m a tempting target. But Lamia is different. She’s a child of Hecate from the ancient days. She seems to have a personal vendetta against me. No matter how many times I kill her, she just won’t stay dead. She’s been wearing me down, forcing me to move from town to town. My protective incantations have been pushed to their breaking point. Now I can’t even sleep without her trying to break through my barriers.”

Claymore studied the boy more closely and noticed dark circles under his eyes. Alabaster probably hadn’t slept in days.

“How long ago have you been on your own?” Claymore asked. “When was your banishment?”

Alabaster shrugged like even he’d forgotten. “Seven or eight months ago, but it seems longer. Time is different for us half-bloods. We don’t have the same cushy lives that mortals do. Most half-bloods don’t even live past twenty.”

Claymore didn’t reply. Even for him, this was a lot to absorb. This child was an actual demigod, the son of a human and the goddess Hecate.

He had no idea how that sort of procreation worked, but obviously it did, because the boy was here, and clearly he was no regular mortal. Claymore wondered if Alabaster shared Lamia’s ability of regeneration. He doubted it. Siblings or not, Alabaster constantly referred to Lamia as a monster. That wasn’t the kind of term you’d use for your own kind.

The boy was truly alone. The gods had exiled him. Monsters wanted to kill him, including one who was his own sister. His only companion was a Mistborn man who sprang from a three-by-five note card. And yet somehow, the child had survived. Claymore couldn’t help being impressed.

Alabaster started to pour himself another cup of tea, then froze. One of the symbols scribbled onto his right sleeve was glowing bright green.

“Lamia’s here,” he muttered. “I have enough power to keep her out for a while, but—”

There was a brittle sound like a lightbulb popping, and the symbol on his sleeve splintered like glass, spraying shards of green light.

Alabaster dropped his cup. “That’s impossible! There’s no way she could have broken my barrier with her magic unless she…” He stared at Claymore. “My gods. Claymore, she’s using you!”

Claymore tensed. “Using me? What are you talking about?”

Before Alabaster could answer, another rune on his shirt exploded. “Get up! We need to go now! She just breached the secondary barrier.”

Claymore got to his feet. “Wait! Tell me! How is she using me?”

“You didn’t escape her; she let you go!” Alabaster glared at him. “You have an incantation on you that disrupted my spell insignias! Gods, how could I have been so stupid!”

Claymore clenched his fists. He’d been outplayed.

He’d been so busy trying to comprehend the rules of this world and form a strategy that he hadn’t expected Lamia to use a strategy of her own. Now his mistakes had led her right to her target.

Alabaster touched Claymore lightly on the chest. “Incantare: Aufero Sarcina!”

There was another explosion. This time green shards of light flew from Claymore’s shirt and he staggered backward. “What did you—?”

“Removing Lamia’s incantation,” Alabaster explained. “And now…”

Alabaster tapped a few more runes on his outfit and they all shattered. As if in response, a symbol on his pants leg started to glow bright green.

“I’ve strengthened the inner walls, but there’s no way they’ll hold her long. I know you want to understand, I know you want to ask more questions, but don’t. I’m not going to let you die. Just follow me, and hurry!”

So far today, he’d been confused, alarmed, afraid, and aggravated beyond belief. But now he experienced an emotion he hadn’t felt in years. The great, confident Dr. Claymore started to panic.

All of it was a trap. Lamia wasn’t defeated so easily. It was a trick so that she could get through Alabaster’s defenses. And all of it was his fault.

Alabaster ran outside, and Claymore followed, muttering every curse he knew—and there were quite a few.

He hadn’t seen it before, but a flickering green dome covered the entire house and stretched down at least half of the block. The green glow seemed to be weakening, and so was the rune on Alabaster’s leg.

Even though it had been bright and sunny just moments ago, storm clouds now hovered overhead, bombarding the barrier with lightning strikes.

Lamia was out there, and this time she wasn’t playing games. She was here to kill them.