Page 169 of Bonds of Hercules
Alexis relaxed back into the bed, and shifted around, fidgeting with her pillow.
“Go to sleep,” Kharon ordered.
“Yousleep.”
“I can’t,” Kharon said through gritted teeth. “I have insomnia.”
“Well,Karen, I can’t sleep either,” Alexis taunted him. “I guess we’re both fucked.”
The narrow bed bounced as Kharon shifted. “I’ve noticed this new swearing trend. I like it, but … why?” His tone changed to contemplative.
Alexis went still. “I’m trying new things … conquering old demons.”
“Wait—” Kharon tensed. “Didn’t you also used to stutter? When did that also stop?”
“Wow,” Alexis said. “Way to be sensitive about it.”
“When did it end?” Kharon pressed. I leaned closer, interested in the answer.
“When I stopped viewing you two as a threat.”
“And … when was that?” I asked softly.
“When you drank my blood to break the bond … when Kharon cut off his ear and gave it to me.”
There was a long, silent pause.
“Oh, princess,” Kharon purred wickedly. “That’snotthe only thing I can give you.”
Thud.
There was a loud yelp.
“Creep.” Alexis huffed.
I turned over on the bed as there was suddenly a bunch of empty space. Kharon groaned from the floor.
Alexis had shoved him off.
She looked at me, her lips pulled up in a small smile.
My breath caught—she was fierce, intelligent,glorious.
Two-colored eyes searched my face. “You know, you really don’t need to make a hit list,” she said quietly. “Ajax was already punished.”
I scoffed. “No—he wasn’t.”
She shook her head like I was a lost cause.
Kharon grumbled from the floor as he got up and repositioned himself at her back.
She shifted to let him in, and the faded edge of the too-small pajama shirt that the Olympians had left in the room bunched up, revealing her ribs.
A perfectly circular white ridge was raised across her bronze skin.
It took me a second to process what I was seeing. When it clicked, a rushing sound filled my ears and everything narrowed, until all I could see was the circular mark—thecigarette burn—on my wife’s body.
There was no way that it was accidental. Feeling like I was underwater, I reached for her.
