My eyes ached from the force of rolling them back in my head.
“Do you want me to bite him?” Nyx asked as I lowered my body and groaned in pain.
“No,” I whispered. She’d killed enough people for me in the massacre.
Also, I wanted to be the one to choke the light out of his eyes.
I do?
Mental note—physical exertion makes me homicidal. Avoid anything above a brisk walk.
Titus said something else, but I stopped listening, because I had free will.
Coughing, I spat more mucus onto the rocks.
Should I be concerned that it’s bloody?
“That’s it, let it out,” Nyx said. “Take deep, calming breaths. It’s totally normal to spit up blood. Very common.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I whispered as I swatted the air in front of my neck like I’d seen a bug. “Slither on the ground beside me.”
Nyx grunted as I hit her head, and scales tightened around my throat.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she hissed as she loosened her grip. “I’m not some common dog—you will carry me, and you will enjoy it.”
“You’re the worst,” I whispered.
The boy throwing up next to me gave me a strange look.
I made a face back at him.
“Everyone, listen up,” Vorex said, standing tall with his hands on his hips, looking bored. His ferret hissed, flashing long pointy fangs.
He wasn’t even sweating. God had his favorites—I was not one of them.
Another initiate keeled over and emptied his stomach.
Relatable. Let it out, brother.
Vorex rolled his eyes as he looked down at us. “Right now you’re going topull yourselves togetherand follow me back down the mountain. We’ll have another break at the bottom, so stop acting so dramatic. This will be theeasiestlap of the circuit you ever do.”
He gestured up to the blinding sun. “The weather’s perfect.”
Spoiler, he was deranged.
The weather was heinous. I’d describe it as a burning day in hell before I used the termperfect.
Vorex trailed off and muttered something under his breath about pathetic, weak bitches.
I would have been offended, but I was too busy trying to find my will to live, like the aforementioned pathetic, weak bitch. The edge of the mountain was looking mighty tempting.
“Let’s go.” Vorex stretched his heavily muscled body, then started jogging easily down the side of the mountain like he was weightless.
The rest of the group groaned as they followed, and I obeyed sullenly.
Alas, the journey into hell continues.
Chapter 9
