Page 11 of Villainous Greed

“To steal me like everyone else?” I gritted my teeth together. I dared him to deny it.

“Yes, to steal you,” he admitted, and coincidentally, the truth stung my chest. I sucked in a breath as he added, “But not until you want me to.”

I frowned right as Odin charged August. I felt Odin’s magic pull to his chest, then sizzle in his palms. As he thrusted his hands out, the magic shot out for August, who vanished. My gazedarted around just as his power seeped behind me. He was so close the energy off him heated my back. Before I could turn, he wrapped his arm around my waist, then he jumped. I forgot about ‘boom’ and all the ways I could have gotten free of him. My stomach felt like it fell to the ground as I bounced through the air in his hold. I screamed, squeezing his arm as we stumbled onto a tree branch. My vision blurred when I saw how high I was. I reached out for the bark. The dead wood bit into my palms as I latched on. August laughed, glancing down at a raging Odin and a frantic Sofia.

“That’s how easily I can take her from you,” August called down at Odin.

August scared me, Odin… All of us to prove his point? Rage bubbled up in my throat. How could I let my guard down like Sofia? Enough for someone to touch me. He could have killed me. Grabbing August’s wrist, his head swiveled to face me. His smile disappeared. “Oh, come on. I’m play—”

“Boom.”I seethed.

August’s scream pierced my ears. He was so close. Blood splattered across my face and dress as August’s arm turned to meaty chunks and bones. I didn’t catch him as he fell backward off the branch. He had to be in extreme pain, but the immortal still landed on his feet, and he grimaced at his bleeding nub before scowling up at me.

“Ow, ow,ow,Nova!” He practically ripped my name from his chest it was so guttural. “Stop exploding my heart and body parts just because you know I’m immortal!”

Grabbing her mouth, Sofia bent over and threw up when she saw the meat hanging out of August’s arm. “Are you okay, Sofia?” Cloud patted her back.

“Don’t touch me,” I warned him. “Ever again.” He was huffing and puffing below me, but I ignored him and focused on the tree. It was too big for my hands to wrap around, but I had no choice. I needed to get down and get them as far away from August as I could. I didn’t know what the immortal wanted, but I had bigger problems if Derrick noticed the immortal’s presence in the woods. My stomach spasmed again when the bark bit into my fingers as I scooted myself off the branch. My shoes slid against the wood and splinters caught underneath my nails and on my palms. I winced and made the mistake of glancing down.

Oh, Hades. There was no choice but for me to fall, and I was so high up. I wasn’t immortal like August. That could be dangerous for me.

August quietened several seconds before saying, “Don’t come down. My arm’s already mending. I’ll come get you.”

“That’s so disgusting and cool at once,” Odin said. I didn’t dare risk turning my head to find them below me, but he must be talking about August’s arm growing back. I didn’t know how that worked with an immortal.

“Did it hurt?” Finn asked.

“Let me put a bite size Nova bomb on your arm and you tell me,” August muttered.

My arms and legs trembled. I couldn’t even muster the strength to yell at them for talking to him.Just fall, Nova.Which would be harder to recover from? A broken tail bone or broken legs? I was too high up not to suffer from something.

“Relax,” August dared to order me. “Your entire body is trembling.”

“Yes, because I’m so high up and it’s your fault!” I screamed, which was a bad idea because it made me turn my head slightly.That minute movement swayed me backward, and there I went, flaying and screaming.

Eyes closed, I fell and fell. But it was weird. I never seemed to land, and I kept flapping my arms around, but the deep plummet in my stomach was no longer felt. Snickers grew louder than my terror, and I stopped panicking and opened my lids. I wasn’t falling anymore. I floated midair and August watched me with a smirk while the kids laughed.

“Put me down!” I yelled, heat burning my face and pricking my eyes with tears. Something in August’s face changed, and he sighed. Dropping my feet down slowly, I wobbled once before turning away from him.

The kids stopped laughing when they saw me. Sofia approached me first and took my hand. “August was just playing with you,” she told me.

“A joke, Nova.” Even Odin, who had been moody, seemed happier and tried to hide it as he stared at me. “He whispered to us what he planned to do. I thought you would think it was funny, too. I’m sorry.”

“You’ve never pranked another before?” August asked behind me, and I stiffened.

That weird wave of heat plastered my face again. It made my chest heavy. Then I understood what I felt must be humiliation. Embarrassment filled me. I didn’t know what they were talking about and hated that I couldn’t understand it. That I couldn’t enjoy anything. The kids were with their families before coming there. Me… I’d been with Derrick. What I lacked… I understood how different I was, and the pain in my throat intensified.

“Hey…” I felt August’s presence near my back. “I’m sorry. You were terrified. I took it too far.”

“Don’t touch me,” I said when I feared he might.

“I… know. I won’t.”

My gaze lowered and widened at the spots of blood all over me. I had to get rid of the stains out or… I didn’t want to think about it. “Let’s go, kids.”

“Nova—”

I cut August off. “Don’t follow us.” Swallowing nervously, I added, “Please.”

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