Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)(14)

Agatha rolled her eyes and sat down primly on the couch. “You’re such a bigot.”

“Oh please,” Patro said. “We’re all thinking it.”

Kharon stared blankly at the wall.

Medusa was his sister.

Poco clambered up my chest, whiskers prickling my cheek as he licked at my eyebrows.

“Thanks, buddy,” I whispered, not really sure if he was helping or making it worse.

He purred and pulled out a chunk of my eyebrow.

Definitely worse.

Kharon picked up The Falcon Chronicles and sat down next to me on the couch. He unrolled to the next story.

“Interesting,” Kharon said as he read. “An Olympian doctor has successfully stitched human body parts onto a Spartan.”

I grunted, not really that surprised.

Spartan physiology was adept at transmutation.

We could regenerate soft tissues like brains, eyes, and organs. But we couldn’t regrow missing hard tissues—bones and cartilage. If a bone was badly fractured, it would heal with time because most of the pieces were still intact.

As a result, we couldn’t regrow missing appendages, but our bodies could accept other people’s.

Immortal biology was nothing if not fucked up.

Thousands of years ago, it was even a tradition for lower-ranked Spartan soldiers to slice off their fingers, hands, feet, and sometimes entire legs. They’d stitch them onto higher-ranked Spartans who’d lost appendages in battle.

It used to be the ultimate sign of respect and honor, but the practice was now considered barbaric.

For good reason.

Poco chittered, clapping his hands to get Kharon’s attention.

Kharon put the scroll down, then pivoted. “Pow,” he said as he pretended to shoot Poco with a finger gun.

There was a long pause as they stared at each other.

Poco slumped over like he was dead.

Three seconds later, he popped up and screamed, gray fur sticking out in all directions, as he aimed two finger guns back.

Kharon slumped back with his eyes closed, tongue out.

Poco chittered with excitement.

They high-fived each other, then proceeded to play the “shooting” game no less than a dozen times.

I closed my eyes.

Sleep came quickly.

Bang.

I jolted awake when the door swung open. It felt like I’d been asleep for seconds, but the clock on the wall said it had been hours.

Artemis walked into the room.

The lights above hummed their usual green hue. It was quiet. Poco was draped over my head like a hat, snoring.

Achilles jolted awake where he was asleep next to me on the couch. Patro sat between his knees, still reading the scroll with a frown.

Kharon and Agatha were playing a game of chess on the floor. Drex was cowering in the corner.

I rubbed at my bleary eyes.

Poco chittered on my shoulder and clapped his hands with excitement.

It took my tired brain a moment to process that Alexis was standing next to Artemis.

My heart skipped a beat.

Her bandages had been removed, but dark bruises covered her face. She looked tired and worn out.

We did this to her.

“Who do you choose for your first mission?” Artemis asked with clear impatience as she gestured to the members in the room. “Drex is with Agatha and Hermos, so choose either Augustus and his partner, or Achilles and Patro.”

Kharon stared at Alexis like he was trying to read her mind.

Patro perked up.

“I’ll choose—” Alexis’s voice was hoarse, and she scrunched up her face like she was making a major decision. “Achilles and Patro.”

The pain that zapped through our bond was nothing compared to the twisting in my stomach.

Poco shoved a wad of my hair into his mouth.

“Fine,” Artemis said as she addressed the room with boredom. “The leaders have conferred—everyone will stay at Augustus’s villa until Medusa is captured.” She glanced over at me. “Engage the defenses. You have one week before your next Titan assignments,” Artemis said coldly.

Crack. She leapt away.

Patro smirked over at both of us, his arm draped over Achilles.

“Fuck,” Kharon swore.

Poco wailed at the top of his lungs, then bit down on my bicep, as hard as he could.

After he detached his dagger-sharp fangs, Poco licked at the wound, mewling with regret.

“Don’t worry about it,” I whispered as I patted his fluffy head, blood dripping down my arm. He suffered from anxious biting syndrome.

Poco whined, and I handed him a cookie from my pocket. He carefully took it with two hands.

“It’s not even bad,” I reassured Poco, looking anywhere but at Alexis. My heart shattered.

Poco chittered with relief as he licked at his treat.

I staunched the gushing wound and made a mental note—get stitches and a tetanus shot.

Today was not my day.





5


PRISONERS OF WAR




ALEXIS

Smoke rose as we leapt into a gilded high-ceilinged atrium.

Location: Lake Como.

Goose bumps exploded across my arms.

We were back in the villa where I’d gotten married. Where they devoured me sexually, and I liked it. Perversion really crept up on a person.