Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2)(56)

My finger marks were stark around his pale throat.

“Last chance,” I said calmly, as I flexed my knuckles. “What have you heard about why the Titans are mutating? What do the Olympians know?”

The doctor shook his head. “I told you. Nothing. Nobody knows why they—”

I engaged my powers.

His head rocked back—eyes exploding—limbs sprawled as he slumped unconscious.

Kharon arched his brow.

I smiled.

For the first time in weeks, my headache abated, and a sense of peace settled over me.

“Whatever.” Kharon stepped over the Olympian. “Let’s go.”

He held out his tattooed arm—I grabbed it.

“Domus.”

It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the new brighter light.

The sun hung low on the horizon, setting in streaks of vibrant pink. Birds flew overhead, and insects chirped. The air was crisp and scented with wet earth.

Location: trailer park, bumfuck Montana.

I cracked my neck with anticipation. The site was a reminder—Alexis hid from us that she was partially deaf. Someone was going to pay.

My headache started up again, worse than before.

It was time to get answers, and where Alexis grew up was the perfect place to start.

I wiped wetness off my face, my fingers covered in scarlet.

All this time, Alexis couldn’t hear out of one ear. During the fucking crucible, we screamed at her while she— I needed to stop thinking about it.

Struggling to breathe, to calm myself, to tamp down the madness, I tried to focus on our mission.

Golden hair blowing as she raised a gun and a knife, glaring at the Titans with determination.

Alexis wasn’t weak. She didn’t need my pity.

Kharon palmed a gun. Click. He slid in a cartridge and flicked off the safety.

“What are you doing?” I snapped.

Ignoring me, Kharon stomped down the gravel road toward the row of dilapidated trailers, gun raised and his black cloak trailing behind him.

I stalked after him.

Sighing, I reached down my hand to offer—

Poco isn’t with you anymore.

My heart squeezed.

Kharon banged on the door of a trailer, scoffing at the hand-painted sign hanging above it: Private property, organ harvesters beware.

“Open the door,” Kharon shouted. “Or I’m kicking it in.”

The various metal sheets, patched together to create the front of the trailer, rattled like they were going to fall apart.

The door flew open.

A portly middle-aged man held up a crowbar. “I’m gonna fucking whack you, you goddamned—”

Kharon smiled with his teeth.

“S-S-Spartans?” the man whispered in horror, crowbar dropping as he stumbled back.

Since we stood taller than the peeling door frame, we had to duck our heads to keep him in our vision.

Have humans always been so puny?

I pulled out the pictures of Alexis and Charlie that I’d secretly taken at dinner last week.

“What can you tell me about this girl and boy?”

The man blanched and shook his head, his eyes darting around. “I d-don’t know them.”

“You’re lying.” Kharon held the gun up to his head.

Whimpering, the man’s mouth opened and closed with a wheeze.

A woman appeared.

Gray-haired, wearing hole-riddled clothes, she cleared her throat as she pointed to the picture I was holding. Her arm was covered in fresh bruises.

“Alexis and Charlie,” she whispered. “Those rug rats lived behind the tree line … Good kids. Everyone in town knew about them—especially Alexis … She was a prodigy. We heard she’s a Spartan.” Her voice filled with awe. “Is it true?”

Kharon worked his jaw back and forth. “Why … did no one help her?” he asked.

“Shut the fuck up, Katie.” The man whirled toward the woman. “Don’t say another goddamn word or I’ll—”

Thud.

He dropped to the floor with a splattering sound.

Wincing, because I’d only meant to knock him out, I nudged him with my boot.

Cerebral fluid leaked out of his ears.

Not my best work.

Katie gasped, raising her bruised arms in front of her face protectively as pieces of the man’s brain oozed from his nose.

Fresh rage filled my chest, and I wished I could kill him a second time.

“Really?” Kharon looked at me.

I focused on Katie. “Madam, you’re safe now. This man can’t hurt you anymore.”

Slowly, she lowered her arms, wide eyes staring up at me in disbelief. “Why … why would you help me?” She looked confused.

Alexis’s admission about her ear echoed in the back of my mind.

“Men who hurt women don’t deserve to live.”

Katie made a strangled noise.

Gazing around the decrepit trailer, I patted down my empty pockets with increasing frustration. “I’ll come back with some healing paste and money so you can—”

“Here.” Kharon pulled a Spartan gun out of his holster. “You should be able to pawn this for money. Right? Also, you can use it to protect yourself if anyone else tries to hurt you.”

Katie blinked in disbelief as Kharon placed the gun in her hand.