My Boyfriend is a Dead Roman Hero | Jason Grace

Will the Underworld

Day Four

Getting kidnapped is really starting to lose its whimsy.

The first time still had a bit of novelty to it. She was ten, for one, so she was easy to intimidate. Luke pretty much just had to smile that sharked tooth grin at her, tap his fingers against the sword at his belt, and Juliette was a wonderfully obedient child.

Kidnapping #2 (does it count, really?) in the Underworld wasn't all that traumatizing. Julie got her voice snatched, but she also got a fancy bow and arrow (Apollo better not have lost it) and a bonding experience with Nico that kicked off a lifelong friendship.

Khione's kidnapping is where things start getting a little hairy. Julie hates the cold. Blame the snake side of her. Getting yeeted to Ogygia wasn't terrible (the weather was nice), but any time Julie is away from Jason, she tends to get a bit grumpy.

Cupid was a fun one. She got some answers. She got to see Nico cry over her, which (as heartbreaking as it was) just can't be anything but flattering.

Then, the most recent one with Nero and Lityerses has to be the most notable. Julie will certainly have PTSD for years to come if she makes it out of this alive. They take the top podium for the 'Who Screwed Up Juliette Aster's Childhood Most' award. Right after everyone on Olympus, of course.

She thinks that's all the times she's been abducted so far. Honestly, her life has been so whack by this point, that it's totally possible she forgot a couple.

The point is, this kidnapping is hardly special. It's definitely not the most creative she's been through either. She'd be totally bored if not for the talking horse.

"My brother can talk to horses," Julie notes, clicking her ankle chains together absently. The echoing of the clacking noise the Imperial Gold makes is satisfying. It's also pissing off the Wicked Witch of the Shopping Mall, and that delights her.

"Ain't that spiffy for him," The horse replies blandly, flicking his tail in disinterest.

"Why are you immortal?" She asks.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"'Cause you're a horse."

"So? You saying horses can't be gods?"

"Well, no, I didn't mean-"

"You ever read anything about the Norse? They know how to treat their horses right."

"I wasn't trying to be, like, species-ist-"

"What about Pegasus? Aryan? Some of us make something of ourselves, you know!"

"Okay! Okay, I get it! Sheesh!" Julie insists, eyes wide where she's plopped on the fancy mosaic floor of yet another throne room. She looks at Medea, feeling petty. "How'd you get even uglier?"

The witch scowls at her as the horse lets out a loud whinny that Julie is a bit proud to realize is his version of laughter.

Medea's dark painted eyes narrow dangerously. "I am going to enjoy taking you apart."

Julie rolls her eyes, manacled wrists in her lap. "Yeah, yeah. Let me know if you think of something more original to threaten me with."

She scans around the room boredly. Julie woke up in here about twenty minutes ago, the magic horse and evil-sorceress-who-tried-to-steal-her-underage-boyfriend both peering at her from their respective places up by the throne. The floor is yet another mosaic of yet another emperor dressed up as a god.

Snore. She's seen that already.

The dais Medea is perched in a chair on is a bit different than Nero's and Commodus', though. It's the first time there's been a second throne next to the larger one clearly meant for the emperor. She guesses the floozy must have somehow seduced her way into power here.