I let her go and slumped sideways, unable to even pretend to keep my own head up. I looked down the length of my body. I was missing huge chunks of flesh, and I knew the lower part of my tail was broken, the bones snapped clean in half. Spots where her claws had raked me oozed the rainbow blood that glittered on the asphalt. Her toxins flowed through me, and the sound of my heart slowed, beating painfully.

I lay down. I had done the first part, but now I needed to finish it.

Into my range of vision swept a woman in white—Hera. I’d seen her only once, at the stadium after I’d finished off Achilles. But I would have known her anyway. Her cold beauty, the queenly presence she maintained. She was a goddess through and through. She stopped in front of me, obviously not afraid of me in my current state. I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t sure I could even lift my head, never mind actually strike a blow at her.

“Drakaina, it seems that you and I are destined to meet on the field of battle. So come at me, snake. Let us see your power in all its glory against a goddess of the pantheon.” She flicked her hand, and a sword appeared. This couldn’t be happening. She wasn’t serious, was she?

“Even you know that isn’t fair, Mother.”

Hera spun to one side. “Hercules, I’m surprised you made it back in time to see the finale.”

He glanced at me and gave me a slow nod. “This has been a long time coming. You want to fight? Then you can fight me.”

The pantheon around us oohed, like an awestruck crowd at a Backstreet Boys concert. Across the way, Panacea pushed her way through the crush of people. Hercules drew Hera’s attention away from me, and Panacea had her hands on me. “I can heal you a little, but it will take much of your strength.”

I nodded, and warmth flooded through me. I closed my eyes, wanting only a moment to rest, a moment to take in the lack of pain rushing through my body. Only I barely got a moment before the crowd cried out, and I forced my eyes open. Hera stood over Hercules, a sword through his belly. “You see? You are not the fighter you believe yourself to be.”

“You would kill me, then?” He gasped, one hand around the edge of the sword. It had to be cutting into his palm, but he didn’t pull back. She shook her head. “No, but I can’t have you meddling.” She yanked the sword out, and he gasped again. She spun it around and hammered it into the top of his head. He fell backward with a thud onto the asphalt.

I raised myself up and swayed where I was.

Hera sneered at me. “Even half-healed, I can take you, snake.”

I stared at her, thinking about all the things I had to say, none of which could be done in this form. I let the Drakaina go and slowly shifted down to my human form. Naked, standing on a half-healed but still-broken foot, gashes and bite marks all over my body, I faced her. “No more death. Please.”

She laughed. “Oh, you think you can talk me out of this? Hades warned me that you would try.”

I shot a look at Hades, who shrugged. “I want to see if you’re as good as you think you are,” he said.

Why, oh why, would he make this harder? Because he was an elephant butthole, just like the majority of the pantheon. I wrapped my arms around myself. “You are killing humans; you aren’t making them love you. They fear you, and you’ve only made them love me more because I stand between you and them. If you keep killing them off, the only member of the pantheon with real power will be Hades as he collects their souls.”

From above my head came a soft sound of agreement from Ernie. “Excellent point, Alena.”

Hera’s eyes glittered as she stepped toward me. “I will kill you, and they will see you for the monster you are. And don’t worry about Hades. He will never rule.”

Hades grunted as if she’d slapped him.

I kept my eyes on her. “You keep saying that, but it isn’t true. All the humans will see is a goddess who was supposed to protect them turn into the monster. The roles have reversed, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”

“You cannot convince me.” She rushed forward with a thrust that sent her sword through my right shoulder.

I cried out and fell back, but spun upward again to face her, resolute in my next words. “If I let you kill me, will you stop this? Will you stop the virus and give Zeus his damn divorce?”

The crowd around us gasped, and her eyes widened. “Is that what you think this is? A divorce squabble?”

“That’s what Hades said.” I pointed at him, noting that Zeus was now beside him, still wrapped in chains, mind you, but there.

Her shoulders tensed, and Hades tried to step back into the crowd, but Zeus blocked him. Not that Hades could get away from Hera’s gaze. Her whole body stiffened, and she took a step toward him before stopping herself and swinging around to me. “Your words are rather good at distracting me, Drakaina. I will have no more of it.” She took a few steps backward, as if giving me room.

Smithy waved at me, getting my attention. “You have to shift. You can’t take her like this.” Like this? Like what? I was missing something, I had to be.

I kept my arms wrapped around my body, and a last desperate thought coursed through me. I lifted a hand to Ernie, and he shot close to me. I whispered to him, “Get as many people infected with the virus here as fast as you can. Take Smithy and the others and get them to help.”

His eyes were full of worry. “You will be alone.”

I nodded. “I know. Go.”