Page 280 of Blood of Hercules
“But why have I never seen them before?” My voice was raspy from screaming.
The world had a dreamlike quality.
Nothing felt real.
“They’re invisible to Spartans,” Kharon said. “It’s a gift from my creature heritage—I can see them.” He kissed my thigh.
Persephone is part creature. Is that why I can understand animals when others can’t?
I drowned in my thoughts.
Kharon continued, “And since I’m using my Spartan power right now—which lets whoever I’m touching see and feel what I do—you can now also see my hellhounds.”
“Oh,” I mumbled articulately.
Head swimming, I tried to process everything.
Kharon’s pleasure had combined with mine into unimaginable ecstasy.
Is that why I felt strange pleasure whenever he touched me in Corfu? Was I feeling whathefelt all this time?
Oh god.
“No wonder you’re such a hit at the symposium,” I whispered as I laid against Augustus, who played with the ends of my hair.
Both men stilled.
“I wouldn’t bring up your—performance at the symposium,” Augustus growled. “After you’ve just been punished for it.”
I grunted in annoyance, too boneless to do anything else.
Kharon bit my thigh, hard enough to leave marks, then lapped at it.
“That’s why my nickname is Sex,” he rasped.
I startled.
It really is Sex.
I whispered shakily. “So does theWstand?—”
“War,” Augustus cut me off, kissing my temple softly. “I’m War—because of what I can do to people’s minds.”
Shivers exploded down my spine.
One hellhound woke up, dagger-sharp canines flashing as it yawned, a shadowy tongue stretching. Ice blue flames burned where its eyesshould be.
It turned and whispered something to the other dog. It was too far to hear.
It sounds exactly likethe whispers I’ve been constantly hearing.
The urge to scream hit me.
“They can speak,” I said on numb lips.
“No,” Kharon said. “They just make strange grunting sounds.”
No.
