Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) Read Online Free Page B

times his name’s
meaning had been twisted into something depraved by the other gods.
    But today Flip would be the hero. He’d spent the afternoon
in the great hall, trying to blend in with the furniture as Zeus regaled the
crowd with yet another tale of his victory over the Titans, to which everyone
politely laughed and applauded at the appropriate times. His story was
interrupted when Chronos barged through the doors, wielding an enormous scythe.
    “I hope you have good reason for this disruption.” Zeus
glared at the other god.
    “A human has crossed the time barrier. I thought it might be
more important than another one of your self-aggrandizing lectures.” Although a
long beard covered half of his face, he couldn’t hide the hatred in his eyes.
    “Impossible. No human has that ability.” Zeus dismissed
Chronos with a wave of his hand and returned his attention to the adoring
crowd.
    Chronos threw a handful of black powder at Zeus’s feet. “See
for yourself.” The powder swirled into the air, creating a void of blackness
the same height as the god and twice that wide. The image of a young girl, tall
with long black hair and olive skin, standing in the midst of some old ruins
appeared. As quickly as it came into focus, the image changed. A battlefield
from long ago layered over the scene, complete with all the sights and sounds
of the time.
    “So, that is Artemis’s secret weapon,” Zeus said with pride.
“Don’t worry, Chronos. The bounds of time haven’t been disrupted by a normal human.
She’s an Amazon, and if I know Artemis, she is much more than that.”
    Flip’s jaw dropped as he watched the spectacle unfold. The
girl crossing the time barrier wasn’t what had him captivated. The key that
hung around her neck, however, was.
    He’d hurried from the hall as fast as he could. Now,
struggling to catch his breath before knocking on the golden doors of Ares’s
palace, Flip considered the best way to share the news of his discovery. The
god of war promised many times to compensate him for his services but had yet
to follow through on any of them. His punishments came quickly, but his rewards
rarely did.
    Without warning, Flip was teleported to Ares’s library. I hate when he does that. Thousands of
leather-bound tomes lined the walls, most likely never opened by their owner.   The room had become the god’s favorite place
to address his underlings. The pretentious setting added to the intimidation
its inhabitants endured.
    “Why are you skulking outside my home?” The deep baritone
voice rumbled through Flip’s chest.
    Standing as tall as his stature would allow, Flip spoke with
as much bravado as he could muster. “I have awesome news. I was hanging out at
the great hall earlier and—”
    Ares looked at him with disgust, raising his hand to cut him
off. “Don’t speak as the humans do. It’s difficult enough to remember you’re a
god without you using their ridiculous colloquialisms.”
    “I know who the key-holder is,” Flip said flatly.
    A wolfish grin tugged at Ares’s lips as his eyebrows rose.
“Is that so? Tell me, horse companion, how did you come across this
information?”
    Flip clenched his jaw at the familiar insult. “That doesn’t
matter. What matters is that I know who it is.”
    Ares strode around him, circling like a predator sizing up
his prey. “I’m waiting.”
    Flip swallowed against the lump that had embedded itself in
his throat and took a deep breath. “Not until you make good on your promise.”
    Ares stared straight through him before erupting in
laughter. The walls shook with every bellow, sending books clattering to the
floor. “Well, look who finally grew a pair. I tell you what: you tell me who
the key-holder is, and I’ll give you back your powers.”
    Flip’s heart swelled at the small victory and it took every
ounce of his willpower to suppress the smile threatening to sprout. “Not good
enough. I want you to fulfill the promise you made to me