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has locked his fate to Herc’s.
    “Yes,” I say.
    “Yes, Excellency , if you don’t mind. You have witnessed it and you will go off to your little enclosure and record it.” To Herc and Iolalus he says, “The details of the first task will be delivered to you in the morning.” He claps his hands together again. “I believe we’re done here. Guards,” he shouts, “come take this blood crimer back to his cell.”
    The guards run up, but halt at the top of the steps uncertain of stepping onto the temple floor, the realm of the gods, without being invited. Eury won’t let them get away with their show of respect for long.
    “No, we’re not done, Excellency,” I say as Eury starts to speak. He turns, shooting me a scorching glare. “You’ve forgotten that because tributes are under the watch of the gods, they must be quartered in the House of Hera while they complete their tasks. By law, both Herc and Iolalus must stay in the House of Hera. Certainly Your Excellency must have read that when coming up with this noble plan to save his cousin and Portaceae.”
    Eury clenches and unclenches his jaw as if chewing on a stringy piece of meat. He pinches his lips so tight they whiten to the color of bone. After several moments, he huffs and says, “Of course I knew that.” He storms away, stopping just before he reaches the steps.
    “Oh, and cousins,” he says turning back to us like he’s just remembered something. “Don’t forget that according to the law, a volunteer faces the same punishment as the convicted if a tribute’s task can’t be completed.”
    Herc races across the vast temple, pulling up short of Eury and grabbing the front of his gold-trimmed toga.
    “How dare you? How dare you allow him to volunteer?”
    “Get your hands off me or you will end up in that box. And since the first task will be considered a failure—” He glances past Herc to Iolalus.
    The guards swarm into the temple, closing in on Herc to protect their master.
    “Out,” I order. “You have no business in here. Hercules Dion, you will do nothing in this temple to shame the gods.”
    Herc holds Eury for one moment longer, then lets him go as if flicking foul water off his hands. He shrugs the guards’ hands off his arm.
    “No, I won’t,” Herc says. The muscles of his jaw twitch with tension. “He’s corrupted this place enough for one day.”
     

6
    E URY
    Baruch holds the door of the carriage open as I scuttle toward my safety zone. My nerves still jangle from Herc's attack causing me to miss the step. Baruch catches me as I stumble forward.
    “Leave me,” I say shoving him away. I haul myself into the plush leather seat, slam the door behind me, and whip the curtains shut. It isn't until the carriage is rolling along and my fear fizzles that it dawns on me how perfectly the morning has gone.
    A grin creeps up my cheeks, morphs uncontrollably into a broad smile, then turns into a fit of laughter that rocks me so hard I worry the carriage might tip over.
    Perhaps I shouldn't dismiss the gods so readily. They let that red-headed fool stumble head first into my trap. I had hoped Herc would choose our cousin, but there was no guarantee he wouldn’t just try to complete the tasks alone. Iolalus volunteering is a coup so delightful I almost feel my hangover melting away. After all, I’m no idiot. I know if the vigiles have thought to put Herc in my place, it won’t take long for their muscle-filled heads to rally behind Iolalus once the great Hero of Hestia dies in my service. Now, I will be rid of them both in one go and all talk of a coup will be at an end.
    And there is no way I will allow them to finish every task and come out alive. Osteria has enough dangers and I have enough wit to ensure that. With Hera having already done me the favor of getting rid of Herc's sons, once my cousins are out of the way I will be Nikos’s only living male heir and there will be no threat to my position left in all of Portaceae.