Page 157 of Blood of Hercules
“Don’t hurt his feelings,” I said. “He’s just... unique.”
The toucan stopped singing and started screeching, which felt like a metaphor for my life.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I whispered to Drex as I backed away slowly so I wouldn’t ruin his bird (robot) bonding time.
Back near the door, the forest thinned and there were no animals for me to disturb with my apparently terrifying presence.
Fluffy Jr. still followed me, this time with a twig in his mouth. (He was holding it by the end, and it seemed to be half down his throat, choking him?)
“Nyx?” I whispered. “Where are you? I take it all back.”
“Do you want me to bite that thing and put it out of its misery?” she asked as she slithered up my body and settled like a scarf.
Grinning, I petted her warm scales. Being snubbed by the rest of the animal kingdom had given me a new level of affection for my best friend.
“No, don’t bite him—that’s Fluffy Jr.,” I explained.
“Oh god, kid,” she hissed. “You named it. Look at it—it’s an abomination.”
We both looked.
Fluffy Jr. gagged on the stick, then he spat it out and started eating chunks of dirt. Aggressively.
It was hard to watch.
“His fur’s just grown in a little weird.” I winced. “But who am I to judge another’s appearance? Apparently I have frizzyhair.”
Nyx hissed, “Your issues can be solved. Nothing is fixing that thing.”
“His name is Fluffy Jr.” I rolled my eyes. “And he’s a dog, a puppy—I think. Maybe?”
Nyx tightened around my neck. “If you bond with that thing... I will kill it.”
“I’m not gonna bond with him,” I mumbled and kicked a rock. “But all the other animals hate me.”
“It’s better to be alone than to have to look at that every day.” Nyx shuddered.
“I think he’s cute,” I said petulantly.
“It’s not.” Nyx’s tongue flicked my cheek, and she hissed, “Also, you probably just freaked the animals out with your weird, depressive hormones. Try to think less about death—animals can sense it.”
I had no counterpoint.
The bronze door flung open. “Time to go,” General Cleandro called from the dark hall.
Distantly, past the lake, a spine-breaking roar echoed. Only an enormous creature could have made that sound.
Initiates sprinted past in a hurry to leave.
Fluffy Jr. whimpered.
My heart broke.
“Next time, I’ll break you out of here,” I promised. “Try to carry sticks in the middle until then.” I picked up a stick and bit down, to show him how to hold it properly, then threw it to him and sprinted for the door.
When I looked back, the twig hit him in the face, and he fell over.
Just before the door closed, he had it shoved halfway down his throat with the end poking out like a dagger.
