Page 62 of Bonds of Hercules
Achilles turned around and shook his head at him.
Ice wafted off Patro while Achilles reeked of fire. The two dichotomous scents created a toxic combination.
“Why are they acting so weird?” Nyx hissed as she slithered around my neck.
Did they bring me out here to kill me?
Were the Titans all a ploy?
I yanked my arm out of Patro’s grip and took a step back.
Nyx tensed like she was getting ready to strike.
Patro sighed heavily, his cocky demeanor gone as he reached into Achilles’s pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he looked at me expectantly. “Aren’t you going to lecture us on the dangers of smoking?”
I held his gaze. “No.”
These were dark times. If he wanted lung cancer, then that was his prerogative.
“We wanted to tell you.” Patro cleared his throat again, smoke streaming out of his nose. “Both of us … wanted to tell you this for a while now—but we’ve had to wait to get you alone so …”
He trailed off, glancing at Achilles.
We’re going to harvest your spleen and trade it on the black market, I mentally finished.
The first thing they taught us in high school was to always be wary of people who tried to befriend you.
Every year we had an assembly on S.O.R.E.,Snatching Organ Resistance Education. We all signed a pledge to not sell our body parts to anyone but the government.
It was a tad confusing what their message was.
A bird (government drone) screeched above while Achilles glared at Patro like he was trying to set him on fire with his eyes.
Patro pushed his shoulders back and turned to me.
“Penance,” he blurted. “As your mentors.”
What?
Achilles shook his head like he was angry.
“We want to make it up to you—how we acted during the crucible,” Patro said slowly. “We think the best way to help you is to …”
Achilles stepped toward him like he was going to physically intervene.
“Help sever your marriage bond,” Patro finished in a rush.
Nyx gasped, and Fluffy Jr. moved in front of me.
I took a shaky step back.This is about Augustus and Kharon?
Fluffy Jr. moved in front of me, crouching low and hackles raised.
Patro stared at me—the man who’d spent the past yearlaughingwith Kharon as he called me spoiled and pathetic. He narrowed his eyes. “Your marriage is making you miserable.”
No, my entire life is making me miserable.
There was a difference.
