Page 204 of Blood of Hercules
My lids shut, and I couldn’t open them.
Hands delicately brushed hair off my forehead. “Be gentle with her,” the second voice said.
“Obviously,” the first voice responded. Fingers gently glided across the wounds on my chest, like I was a doll that would break any pressure.
The hands on my forehead kept smoothing my hair back tenderly.
Maybe they aren’t so bad.
“That doctor pulled her toga down when everyone was present,”the second voice said softly. “If you hadn’t moved in front of her, they all would have seen her exposed chest. He would have dishonored all three of us.”
How does flashing my nipples affect them? Classic men, making everything about themselves.
“I know. I’ll handle him tonight,” the other man said as fingers carefully tucked a curl behind my ear.
“Use your sharpest knife.”
“Of course.”
Wait. What?
Hours later, I gasped awake.
I was sprawled on a chaise lounge in front of a fireplace, with bandages around my chest. A luxuriously soft black blanket was tucked around my shoulders.
The rest of the initiates were seated at the tables, studying.
Everything seemed normal.
Calm.
I must have imagined the voices threatening to stab people.Thank God.
With a yawn, I hobbled over to my usual seat.
“She’s alive!” Maximum smiled widely as I sat down, then grimaced when everyone glared at him.
Leo’s dead.
I rubbed my temples, wondering if it had all been a bad dream.
“It was crazy,” Maximum whispered in a loud voice (he literally couldn’t speak quietly if held at gunpoint). “Patro, Achilles, and Augustus leaped onto the mountain and took us all back to the library. But Augustus absolutely lostit when he realized you weren’t with us and were in danger. I thought he was going to murder everyone.”
“He’s just worried about my mentors becoming generals,” I whispered, and Drex gave me a weird look.
I shivered and pulled the soft blanket tighter around my shoulders.
Maximum narrowed his eyes like he wanted to say something.
“Can you help me with this problem?” Drex asked, and I was grateful he changed the subject.
When we resumed class a few hours later, Augustus was a dark cloud of fury. He screamed at initiates and glowered the entire time.
At least he’s angry at everyone, not just me.
“Alexis!” His voice cracked like a whip.
Never mind.
