The Heir of a Thousand Lifetimes (A PJO Universe Story)

Why do dead men keep giving me jewelry?

The city burns before my eyes as furious cries echo through the Persian countryside. The same perfumed smoke, thick with frankincense, once filled Athens. Revenge. Retribution. Hubris punished. Vengeance has finally come.

He has died, and so will the eternal flame. Two eyes, one gray-blue and the other as brown as soil, stare deep into the fire as the funeral pyre burns. His soul seems to leave his body, and I can almost feel his heart crack in half. His sorrow is evident.

For all he has made himself, for all the world sees him as, he is nothing so long as the other does not walk the earth. I hear the whispers: they all fear he is next. The shadows within him grow deeper as his grief and despair become unbearable.

No music sounds. The battlements are razed. He throws himself into his conquests and into building lasting monuments to the dead, who has risen as a divine hero. He dies with images of temples in his eyes, and a hand outstretched with a golden ring between his fingers. His eyes are insistent as he stares at me.

"Tôi kratistôi," he whispers, and I somehow understand. To the strongest. The man famous for his stubbornness remains the same now. He refuses to take his last breath until I take the ring from his hand. Only then does his chest stop moving.

"Tôi kratistôi," I wake up with a start, the words spilling from my mouth. Cassius awakens at my stirring, and he yawns.

"Hey, good morning. What was that?" he asks, curious. His arm is around me, and he subconsciously pulls me closer.

"Tôi kratistôi," I repeat. "To the-"

"-strongest," he finishes. He's suddenly very awake, and he's looking at me with wide eyes. "Where did you hear that? Did you dream it?"

I nod, fiddling with my rings. Then, I flinch. There's-

"Holy shit!" I gasp. "Cas, look!" I show him my hand.

"Your rings?"

"No! Cas, the guy in my dream- he held out a ring in my dream as he said that 'To the strongest,' thing! And it's this ring! This one right here!" I exclaim, emphatically pointing at the object in question. His jaw drops. "How the hell did that happen?"

Cas sits us both up and takes my hand, staring at the ring in awe. A sixteen-pointed sun decorates it, set in a beautiful orange-red crystalline gem. His eyes dart to mine.

"Audra, what...what did the man look like?" he asks. His voice wavers. Why? I shrug.

"I don't know. He had blond hair, I guess. And two different colored eyes. That was interesting," I say after trying to remember. He blinks down at me. The silence seems to echo off the walls of the cabin.

"That was Alexander the Great, and that wasn't just a dream. It actually happened. This ring was given to one of the Diadochi, but now..." he trails off, in a daze, "somehow...you have it?"

I freeze. That was Alexander the Great? The man who conquered the largest empire the world has ever seen? He just seemed like a drama queen. Huh.

Well, why was I shown his memories? I'm about to voice the question, when I remember Josie saying I descend from him somehow. Through his mother, from Pyrrhus of Epirus. Right. Okay, fine.

A second question:

"Why do dead men keep giving me jewelry?" I demand, eyeing the ring with a creeped-out look. "It's getting weird."

"It's not weird. You're wearing the single most sought-after piece of jewelry in human history. It held the legitimacy to an empire," Cassius scolds me.

"It's extremely weird," I frown.

"I mean, it was bound to happen," he shrugs. I give him an odd look. "Not the ring situation. The Alexander thing."

I cross my arms. I frown dubiously.

"Explain."

Cassius huffs. He thumbs the page of the Iliad we left off on last night. He also eyes me still sitting rather guarded and rolls his eyes, pulling me back into his side. I bite back a smile.

"Alright. Alexander and Hephaestion- Alexander's top general, closest friend, and who he considered to be his soulmate- thought of themselves as Achilles and Patroclus come again," Cassius explains. My eyes widen.

"Wait- seriously?"

He nods. "Yep. So it isn't exactly surprising that Alexander is tossed into the mix somewhere in your dreams."

I think for a second. An idea strikes me. "What if it was true? What if that's why we were the ones chosen for the prophecy? Because we're the third iteration. And three's a sacred number, right? Achilles and Patroclus were first, Alexander and Hephaestion were second, and me and you are third."

Cassius stares at me for a long moment. He glances down at the book in his lap before he looks back at me. His mouth opens then closes again. He points at me.

"You just solved it!" he declares, jumping to his feet. He brings me with him, making me stumble into his arms. He catches me and steadies me. I glare at him. "Sorry. But- Audra! You solved the 'why'!"

"Have I earned my detective's badge now?" I ask sarcastically. He rolls his eyes. "Seriously, though. What are we supposed to even do with this information?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. I assume it'll be important. Eventually, at least."

Fair enough.

I sigh dramatically, making Cas snicker. "I need breakfast. This is too much for so early in the morning, especially without any coffee."

He nods in agreement. He leans down and kisses my forehead. "I'll go slip back into my cabin and get ready. See you at the dining pavilion?"

"Hopefully without any possessions by Achilles this time."

•••••

"I swear to all the gods except Zeus and Apollo, because I don't want them within a hundred feet of me, that if you ruin my waffles, I'm going to be pissed," I threaten Achilles as I make my way to breakfast.

Really, I just look crazy. I look like I'm angrily muttering to myself. Maybe this is why I get all the strange looks?

Only you would openly threaten me, Achilles laughs, amused. I shrug.

"Duh. You'd never hurt me," I smirk. "Not that I can hurt a ghost that kind of lives in my head or wherever you are, but..." I pause. "So. When am I going to get to actually meet you?"

Have patience, he tells me. I know you lack this. I always did, as well. But you must learn.

I grumble. So helpful, I think sarcastically.

Well, either way, I get to the dining pavilion and manage to get my waffles and cover them with butter and syrup. I grab a couple sausage links as well, and I toss one into the brazier.

I mutter, "To Hecate," before starting to leave. They can't force me to sacrifice to my absent father, so I won't. I refuse. Achilles coughs obnoxiously in my head, so I roll my eyes. "Fine, have some juice," I say, going back. I pour in a bit of grape juice. "Happy?"

I prefer wine, but that will do, he replies, satisfied. I shake my head and finally go sit down. Chiron is giving me an odd look, so I tap my temple.

"Achilles," I explain. "He wanted something too."

He stares for a moment before nodding. I start eating, determined to smite Apollo if he comes near me. Or, at least attempt to smite him.

Can you even smite a god? I have no idea.

It seems like forever before Cassius finally joins me, but in reality, it's only like ten minutes. He sits across from me, and we both glare over at Apollo, who is sitting at his cabin's table.

"What are we going to do about him?" I ask, taking care to keep my voice low. "We have to go a quest with him."

He butters his blueberry muffin, shaking his head. "I have absolutely no idea. But I have a feeling we're going to have to figure it out today."