Page 274 of Bonds of Hercules
Long silky black hair tumbled out.
Rattling echoed.
Three pale serpents rose from her head, pink eyes bright in the candlelight—Gorgon snakes.
An ominous hissing sounded, and all the men went still.
The snakes slithered down to her chest, twining around raven hair. She raised her right arm to shield them.
Achilles’s eyebrows rose.
“Hello again, my precious darlings,” Nyx hissed in greeting.
The other snakes fell silent, turning like they were bashful.
Patro pointed at me. “You idiot! I thought I must have been wrong. There was no way that youreallydid it … but you … you … you freed her.” He looked at me with betrayal. “You’rethe reason for the interrogations and—”
“I know you’re not speaking to my wife like that,” Augustus said quietly.
Kharon glared at Patro. “Apologize—now.” He narrowed his eyes, but there was something different in his expression.
Hurt flashed across Patro’s face. He’d been blindsided by the truth earlier, yet he’d still lied to Zeus’s face for me.
He’d risked everything to help me.
I was in his debt.
“He doesn’t need to apologize,” I said with a sigh, and my husbands looked at me with confusion.
Patro threw his hands into the air. “Obviously—you freed MEDUSA! What were you thinking? She’s a criminal!”
Medusa shook her head infinitesimally, as she silently begged me not to reveal her secrets.
I narrowed my eyes. “They need to know what you went through.”
She shook her head harder. “Please don’t.”
Patro turned on her, radiating his signature haughty arrogance. “Why are you looking at her like that?” He spit at her feet. “Traitor.”
Medusa’s snakes rattled, rearing up from her head.
Kharon yanked me protectively behind him.
Smoke rose around Achilles’s muzzle as he stepped up beside Patro, ready to attack.
“STOP IT!” I screamed. “You heard Zeus—she was framed, she’s innocent.”
Patro chuckled darkly. “She’sMedusa.” He said her name like it was the highest damnation. “A fucking abomination.”
Medusa stepped up to Patro, poking his chest. “That’s rich coming from the son of Aphrodite.”
Patro reared back. “What’s … that supposed to mean?”
“Oh—I think you know.” Medusa bared her teeth. “Your House is known for its seduction and deceit.”
Achilles glanced between them, then turned to me. “How could you?” he signed. “You put all of us at risk. You endangered Patro.”
Hot coals burned my insides.
