Page 76 of Bonds of Hercules
There was nothing left. Last time I’d been trapped, I had the option to leap. Now there was nothing to do but—Wait. Could I?
My gut told me no, my injuries were too severe.
The Titan squeezed harder and my bones creaked as I screamed louder.
You’re dead anyway.
I focused on the concrete chess table in the middle of the park.
Might as well.
“Domus,” I shouted.
Everything went black.
We slammed down into the empty table—taloned hands released me and concrete broke beneath us.
Smoke was everywhere.Pain.The Colosseum once again towered above.
Chess pieces dug into my hands as I crawled blindly throughthe smoke. Coughing and slipping on blood, unimaginable agony scoured my spine.
Fluffy Jr. launched himself at the Titan as it rose beside me.
With unfocused vision, I pushed up to my feet.
The elderly gaped, huddled together in a tight circle.
“Get out of here!” I couldn’t hear my voice over the ringing in my left ear.
The humans remained frozen, crouched with fear around an elderly woman with short spiky white hair. “Lucia,” they cried out as they touched her red-covered skin.Blood.
There was a long slash across her chest. A chunk of concrete had sliced her.
“Were the human casualties avoidable?” Persephone held my shoulders as she screamed in my face.
I collapsed to my knees next to Lucia. Leaning over, I desperately gathered pieces of her ripped shirt and pressed them against her wound.
My chest ached with pain as I tried to staunch the bleeding.
She said something, but I couldn’t hear it.
I couldn’t see anything; panic, desperation, and exhaustion beat against me. I pressed tingling fingers against her chest like it could save her.
The group sobbed and chanted in Latin.
Screeeeeeeech.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Choking on remorse, I shouted, “Put pressure on the wound,” as I pushed myself to my feet and staggered away.
It’s my fault.
I had to protect the rest of them.
Stumbling, I turned toward where Fluffy Jr. was still attacking the first Titan. It was all a blur.
“Salvator!” an old man cried out in Latin behind me.Savior.
Knees buckling, I leaned over and puked, unable to handle the agony coursing through me.
