Page 77 of Blood of Olympus

Slowly, the grey receded, leaving her tarnished scales a glittering metallic purple — just as magnificent as they were before. Once the limb turned back to flesh, he focused on the duo of gaping holes left by long, serrated fangs. They too closed over as if they’d never existed, and he released a harsh breath as he finished.

Slowly, Apollo turned back to me, something akin to despair in his warm, gilded eyes.

There is something you must know, he signed, resignation weighing heavily in his limbs.

I rushed forward, expecting the worst.

Velira must have landed hard… too hard… for she is mended, but no longer whole.

Perplexed, I shaped quick words with my fingers. What do you mean?

My eyes skated over her limb. As far as I could tell, nothing was amiss.

Surely he was mistaken?

In answer, Apollo took one step to the side, revealing the bulk of Velira’s right hind foot.

Metallic purple scales decreased in size as her leg narrowed, the smallest of which led to her sharp, ivory claws. Lying beside her two whole taloned toes on the warm, weatherworn cobblestones, lay something long, grey and rock-like.

A thick, stone, taloned toe.

Oh.

Velira took one look at the appendage and snorted. A brief burst of flame escaped her nostrils as a low rolling rumble emanated from deep in her throat.

Exactly what is so funny? I asked the delirious beast.

She snorted again.

Looks like we get to keep a mementoe of this battle after all.

My brows flew up to my hairline. You’re joking.

Dragons don’t joke. They do, however, toe the line between wit and irony.

Vel! I admonished, stifling the giggle that threatened to flit past my teeth.

What? You’re not toetally innocent of that either, Majesty, she said sarcastically, sniggering huskily as she spoke.

“Is she okay?” Caelus asked, stepping up beside me, concern lining his bloodstained face.

A quick glance confirmed he was as confused as I was, though he was spared the toe-themed humour.

“Toetally,” I answered. The giggle finally slipped free, joining Velira’s snorting chortle.

“You are both…” He began, crossing his arms, looking for the right word. “Bewildering.”

At least we don’t tiptoe around that fact, Vel cackled through my mind, earning another hoot of laughter from my gullet.

Caelus and Apollo shared a look of perplexed horror, neither understanding what exactly was driving us to the brink of hysteria.

Eventually, though, the events of the day hit home and our laughter died out.

The fact that we stood on a road stained crimson by mortal blood, black by Tartarian serpents, and gold by the hallowed blood of gods, was impossible to ignore. The fact that mere feet away, crows plucked the eyeballs from casualties both foe and ally, levelling our amusement. Razing it.

“Do we know how many were lost?” I asked finally, feeling the remnants of death drifting away. Souls — leaving this place behind.

Caelus shook his head. “Not yet. Athena was organising a final count, last I heard.”