He bared his teeth.
The internet was right; Chthonics were evil.
“Understand?” Patro leaned forward, and Achilles grabbed his shoulder like he was holding him back. The muzzled man glared at me and his red eyes made it clear that he would eviscerate me to protect Patro.
They loomed over me, radiating hatred.
“You disgust me too?” I started at my audacity.
Their eyebrows rose.
I swallowed the urge to beg for mercy, but I refused to cow before brutish men.
“Good, glad the feeling’s mutual,” Patro said with deceptive softness. “But that’s not what I asked... I asked if youunderstoodme.”
He leaned his head to the side tauntingly; “Achilles” was tattooed in red letters down the side of his neck.
The son of the most beautiful woman in the history of the world radiated hatred.
Chills traveled down my spine.
“Yes, u-understood,” I whispered and ducked my head.
Zeus said something, and they stepped forward, repositioning so they flanked me on either side. Millimeters away.
Close enough to kill.
The shivers worsened.
On my right, Patro leaned down, and the frosty scent of mint burned my nose. “You don’t want to mess with us...” The unspokenwe’ll hurt youhung in the air between us.
He didn’t need to say it; he wasn’t the first person to threaten me.
I shifted away from the chilly breath fluttering against my temple, and my side bumped into Achilles. I jumped and took a step forward to get away.
Patro grabbed my arm and yanked me back between them.
“Smile,” he ordered under his breath. “Everyone’s looking—pull yourself together.”
The jaguar hissed with warning.
He wastouchingme. My skin prickled, and sweat broke outacross my body. There was something off about him, something... cruel.
Panic mounted.
I never should have talked back to him.
What was I thinking?
I pulled away and bumped into Achilles again. He glared down at me with heartless eyes ringed in dark circles. He smelled like amber and fire. Heat radiated off him.
A chill surrounded Patro.
Fire and ice.
“I said—smile,” Patro ordered harshly.
The edges of my lips pulled up, muscle memory taking over. There was comfort in wearing a mask and pretending everything was all right. I’d done it every day of my miserable life.
