Chapter 22 Enemies Who Crawl for You
ENEMIES WHO CRAWL FOR YOU
ALEXIS
Nyx rose higher, opal fangs distended and glistening with venom.
“Is this … enough of a weapon for you?” I asked sarcastically. “Husbands.”
A single droplet of blood spilled from the corner of Augustus’s eye, tracking down his scarred cheek. “Put the venomous beast down,” he said slowly. “And step away.”
I brought Nyx up to my lips and kissed her head.
“No.”
Kharon lunged forward like he was going to dive across the table, but Augustus grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him away.
“We need to save her!” Kharon said.
Augustus glared at me like he didn’t know what to make of the situation. “How long have you had a … pet echidna?” He choked over the last word like it physically pained him to say it aloud.
I shrugged. “Forever.”
Augustus inhaled deeply. “Of course you fucking did.”
Kharon pulled away from Augustus, straightening his cloak and crown, serrated hunting knife still in his hand; a raised patch of scar tissue where his ear used to be.
“That’s a class seven dangerous beast.” Kharon’s voice was so deep it was barely more than an animalistic growl. “It’s ranked as dangerous as Titans.”
He slashed his knife through the air.
Whatever he saw on my face made his eyes narrow. “Do you even know—” Kharon overenunciated each word “—what class seven means?”
I shook my head no, curious to see how he’d mansplain Nyx to me.
Kharon glared at Nyx with pure disgust. “Class seven beasts are designated kill on sight—it’s a crime to harbor one in Sparta, a threat to the safety and well-being of all sentient life, penalized with a lifetime of imprisonment in the Underworld.”
Augustus’s scowl deepened.
“Echidnas are uncontrollably dangerous,” Kharon continued mercilessly. “Their toxin can kill full-grown Spartan children and put adults into comas … forever.”
Spartan boys screamed as they fell away from me, dying in the sand of a gladiator stadium.
Nyx’s head lowered, her eyes not meeting mine as she gently squeezed my arm. Black scales disappeared as she went invisible.
“I’m so sorry, kid,” Nyx hissed quietly. “I should have told you. I just … You could talk to me and my kind is almost extinct. I was … lonely.”
I tried to remember what she’d said about being bonded. I’d assumed she’d meant she was someone’s protector. What if it was something else? Was she bound by a Spartan oath? Was it something more sinister?
“Put the echidna down,” Kharon said. “Just put it down and we’ll handle it. No questions asked.”
Nyx made a wounded sound.
Head spinning, I sat down in the chair and leaned back with a shaky exhale.
“That’s it,” Kharon said. “Now just take the echidna off your arm and put it on the table. You’re doing great.”
“No questions asked?” I whispered.
Kharon nodded. “No questions asked.”
Dragging my hand over Nyx’s scales, I pulled my forearm to my chest, my left arm positioned in front of her protectively.
“No questions asked.” I chose my words carefully. “It’s a good thing then—” I leveled a glare at all the men across the table. “That none of you saw anything.”
Kharon slapped his hand on the table. “Alexis—give me the monster.”
Covering her with my arms, I said, “Never. Drop it … Or else.”
“Are you threatening me?” Kharon seemed flabbergasted.
I arched an eyebrow mockingly. “Obviously, Karen.”
He clenched his jaw, looking equally impressed and furious.
Nyx sniffled.
Augustus met my gaze, his face stony. “Is that what you want? Are you sure, Alexis?”
I nodded.
Lightning flashed.
Augustus took a deep steadying breath. “Fine—it’s settled.” He paused pointedly. “We will respect her wishes. None of us saw anything. If anyone dares say differently—” he glanced down at Patro and Achilles “—I’ll gut you myself.”
“But it’s not fucking safe,” Kharon argued.
Augustus glared at him. “We didn’t see anything.”
Warmth filled my chest.
Deeds, not words.
Kharon tipped his head back and closed his eyes. “Fine.”
“Let’s move on to the purpose of this meeting.” Augustus straightened and pulled a familiar vial of blood out of his pocket. “They want you to murder us—wife?”
Lightning flashed again and shadows flickered through the dark dining room, as Patro and Achilles struggled in their chairs.
Augustus held the vial up—blood sloshed back and forth. My blood.
Kharon pointed his knife at me, looking betrayed.
“So it’s come to this,” Augustus said, his words clipped as he glared at my mentors. “They want you to use your power to free yourself from the marriage bond … from us.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, to explain that I was never going to do it, then clicked my jaw shut. How dare they act like I’m the one at fault. It was Patro and Achilles’s plan, not mine.
I was done apologizing to men.
They could beg for my forgiveness or go fuck themselves.
Kharon smiled cruelly as he stepped back from the table—Hell and Hound left my side and sauntered over to Kharon, flanking him—crimson filled his glowing eyes.
His protectors’ turquoise gazes also changed—their flame eyes flickered a vibrant red.
Kharon straightened, his face unnaturally slack—he opened his mouth, and so did his beasts.
“I am my hellhounds.” His words echoed strangely around the room as all three of them spoke at the same time in a growling cadence. “What they see—I see.”
Ringing increased in my left ear.
His stalking was even worse than I’d thought.
Kharon bared his teeth and nodded, so did his hounds; a puppet master and his puppets.
“I heard your discussion with Patro,” Kharon’s garbled deep voice projected eerily around the room. “I saw your longing for what they were offering—wife.”
Fluffy Jr. growled next to me.
The blood slowly receded from Kharon’s eyes and his hellhounds looked back and forth between the two of us like they didn’t know who to choose—after a long moment, they slunk away and lay in the corner of the room.
Kharon lazily twirled his hunting knife, waiting for my reaction.
Dark emotions churned in my gut, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of showing that I was afraid.
“So … are you going to kill me?” I asked softly.
Augustus’s smile was sinister. “Oh no—wife. You’ve got it all wrong.” He turned, revealing a drink cart. He picked up two empty whiskey glasses and placed them gently on the table.
Kharon held my gaze and he stuck out his tongue.
Wait.
He brought the sharp edge of the hunting knife up to his open mouth.
I shouted as he violently slashed it across his cheeks, lips, and tongue. Scarlet poured down his chin.
Augustus uncorked the vial with a pop and dumped my blood into the two crystal glasses.
They wouldn’t.
“Don’t worry,” Augustus said silkily, his midnight eyes predatory. “We’re going to give you exactly what you wanted, my carus.”
Kharon handed the knife over and picked up the glass of my blood. “Cheers, Alexis.”
Kharon threw back my blood and swallowed. Augustus stuck out his tongue, cut himself with the knife, then drank from the second cup. They both smiled—revealing my blood mixing with theirs, covering their teeth.
They did.
“Fuck you,” I whispered with horror, gripping the arms of my chair. My sternum ached as my power reacted.
“Well, wife.” Kharon arched a brow, licking his mutilated lips wickedly. “Go for it. Break the bond—free yourself from us. I fucking dare you.”
I shook my head and gritted my teeth, chest heaving as I fought to try to calm myself.
Patro jerked and I met his panicked gaze. He was trying to tell me something with his eyes.
What did he say to me back in the gladiator sands? Calm my breathing?
I gasped for air.
Excruciating pain burned inside my chest. For the past weeks I’d been trying to access my power in the shower, and now it wanted out.
Kharon and Augustus sauntered around the table.
Wood scraped against marble as I turned my chair to keep them in my line of sight.
My vision blurred.
They stopped in front of the hearth, and the orange haze behind them created the illusion that they were standing in front of the gates of Hell.
Cheeks flushed, their eyes were unfocused, and glazing over with agony. They’re feeling my pain.
There was fifteen feet of open space between us.
Too far to touch; close enough to kill.
All three of us gasped for air like we were suffocating.
They swayed slightly as they also fought an invisible battle.
Patro shouted something louder behind his gag and the table shook as he kicked it.
None of us looked over.
“Do it, carissima.” Kharon’s voice dropped an octave, eyes hooded as he spit blood onto the floor. “Take your revenge—I know you want to. I saw your face. Just go for it … Man up, sweetheart, and pull the trigger. For once, hit your fucking target.”
His words were fire, and I was the oxygen.
Pain exploded in my chest.
Lightning flashed as I reared back in my chair.
“After all … isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” Augustus arched a dark brow, his scar an angry slash. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out now. Not when we’re giving you exactly what you want. Take the offering. Have your divorce … MURDER US!”
“Or were you waiting for the men to handle it?” Kharon pointed across the table at my mentors. “And now you’re too afraid to do it yourself?”
There was nothing left of the man who’d knelt beside me in the pouring rain.
He was heartless. Brutal.
“I guess,” Kharon taunted wickedly, “you really are just another pathetic girl who’s never had to do anything herself.
It’s a real shame—the House of Hades lineage was wasted on the likes of you.
” He pursed his lips and mimed rubbing away fake tears.
“Poor little Alexis needs Patro and Achilles, the big, bad Spartan men to save her because she can’t do it herself and—”
A scream ripped from my throat.
Kharon and Augustus fell to their knees, shoulders shaking, foam dripping from their parted lips.
Even as they convulsed, they held my gaze, their smiles sad.
White stars danced as my vision tunneled, their pain mixed with mine, and I felt it all.