Page 79 of Bonds of Hercules
I tumbled off, sprawling brokenly in the gore-covered grass. A conspiracy of ravens flew past.How fitting.
Government drones were the last thing I’d ever see. I smiled weakly as emotions bubbled in my chest.
Nyx slithered over and flicked her tongue against my cheek. I tried to raise my hand and feel her scales, one last time, but I couldn’t find the strength to move. I turned my head, resting my cheek against her face.
“I … love … you,” I whispered between gasps.I love you, Fluffy Jr., Charlie, Helen, Drex, and maybe—
A whistling sound cut off my potentially disturbing revelation.
Pops, grunts, shouts, and slaps echoed.
It took a second to decipher the blur of bronze skin.
Augustus stood over the Titan.
His black and white hair was undone, blowing behind him—he strangled the Titan with one hand wrapped around a metal chain, and fired a gun with his other, pumping its chest full of bullets.
Has ambidexterity always been so hot?
Splattered with black, teeth bared, crimson dripping from his eyes, Augustus looked positively feral.
Maybe it was the blood loss.
Maybe it was the pain.
Maybe it was the fact that Augustus wasdisturbinglycapable of eliminating evil.
But suddenly, I couldn’t understand how I’d ever thought I was asexual.
The chain was attached to Augustus’s hip, the end tied around a third wingless Titan—it was trussed up with a tag stabbed through its bottom lip, and he was using the middle part of that metal chain to choke the Titan that had been attacking me.
Whatever this is, I’m into it.
Augustus holstered the gun, buried two knives into the Titan’s eyes, then resumed firing from point-blank range.
A hand grabbed my face, turning me away from the carnage.
Kharon tipped my chin to the side and froze, staring at what felt like a hole in the side of my skull.
Oh yeah, my ear’s on the ground somewhere, chopped into tiny pieces.
His eyes hardened into chips of unyielding ice. Kharon reached for his holster and raised up a wickedly sharp dagger.
Wait …
He sliced the blade clean through his left ear.
Someone screamed silently in horror.
It was me.
With a determined expression, Kharon pulled a small box out of his cargo pants.
A needle and thread glinted.
Augustus came back into view as he stalked across the lawn.
His gun was raised high as he fired at the last Titans. Poco perched on his shoulder with narrowed eyes—his fluffy raccoon arm was raised, pointing at the Titans, his thumb flexing rapidly.
