Page 72 of Bonds of Hercules
These days, all I had was spite.
I’m a strong independent woman.
I jumped over rubble and skeletons. Stumbling, scraping against jagged bricks, I righted myself and ran faster down the alley.
The Titans screeched above, flapping gruesome wings.
Actually, I feel like men should be handling this.
“Move!” Nyx hissed with panic as her scales slid like she was looking up. “Faster.”
I skidded out from the safety of the alley. Arms pumping, I headed straight for the sheltered walls of the Colosseum.
A boom echoed and the ground shook.
Both Titans slammed down into the grass park that surrounded the ancient structure, directly in front of my path.
Their tattered wings slowly folded in.
What a nice day to die.
Stumbling back, I raised my weapons.
They stalked forward in a slow approach. Fluffy Jr. barked, the sound loud and harsh, as he once again stood in front of me defensively.
I unclicked the safeties.
“You need to get out of here,” Nyx hissed. “Right now.”
I nodded in agreement.
A light flashed brightly and a camera clicked.
Both Titans stopped moving, their heads tilted to the side—they focused on something off to my left. In tandem, they opened their mouths, razor teeth glinting. Saliva oozed as they licked their mangled lips with long black tongues.
I mentally focused on leaping to a safe destination.
“Dom—”
Someone whimpered.
I turned my head, heart dropping—I’d missed them in my blind spot.
A group of a dozen elderly men and women were frozen with horror, seated at concrete chess tables set up in the grassy park. One of them lowered a camera.
The Titans were zeroed in on the people, their intentions clear.
“Leap away, Alexis!” Nyx shouted. “Go—save yourself while you still can!”
I tipped my head back.
“Were the human casualties avoidable?” Persephone whispered in my ear.
I raised my guns and fired.
Bullets peppered the Titans’ flesh; they shrieked, but their attention remained locked on the group of people.
Arms wide, I jumped in front of the humans protectively.
