“Stop,” I called out as quietly as I could. “People areresting.”
Helen mumbled into her pillow, unconsciously reaching for the bedazzled pink Beretta on her bedside table.
She wouldn’t shoot me in her sleep, right?
“I don’t care. Come out—or I’ll wake the room,” Patro threatened coldly from the other side of the door. “Now.”
He knocked again, louder.
Helen sat up and raised the gun—eyes still closed—and clicked off the safety.
Blanching, I quietly slid out of bed.
Poco woke up with a sleepy chirp. He climbed up onto my shoulder as I pulled a snoring Nyx out from under the pillow, and wrapped her around my neck.
“Go back to sleep, you stupid cow,” she hissed at me.
Hell perked up on the floor.
Helen mumbled in her sleep, waving the loaded weapon around the room before she pointed it directly at my forehead.
Oh nice.
I backed toward the door, tiptoeing around Charlie.
Fluffy Jr. was next to him whimpering in his sleep, and the large hump on his back was … quivering?
I leaned closer.
Patro rapped sharply. “Alexis—are you coming or not?” He sounded haughty and arrogant.
I miss when he was unconscious with a snapped neck.
Helen pointed the Beretta at the door, then she aimed it back at me. Apparently, her sleep self had decided I was the bigger threat.
A little flattered, but mostly afraid of imminent friendly fire, I slipped out into the candlelit hall with Hell following.
The door creaked shut behind us and I walked straight into an unmoving mass.
I looked up slowly.
Arms were crossed over a wide chest, an unlit cigarette hung from the grates of a muzzle. Achilles stood right outside the door, blocking me.
I stared at him and waited.
Neither of us moved.
Lungs turned to stone in my chest.
Titans screeched, talons sliced through my spine, humans sobbed, blood everywhere, suspended in the air above the city, “Domus.”
Weeks later, abject terror still left a bitter residue in my mouth. I understoodwhyhe did it, but something about the way Achilles hadn’t bothered to apologize set my teeth on edge, especially since he knew I would understand his signing. If anything, he acted like he was mad at me.
During workouts, I’d constantly find him glaring at the side of my face, glancing between me and Patro with open distaste.
“M-move,” I whispered.
A growl echoed from my feet, bones pressing against my leg as Hell tensed next to me protectively.
