“Calm down,” I said.
“Iamvery fucking calm!” Augustus slashed his hand through the air.
“Convincing,” I said.
“Do you need us to protect you from Nyx?” Kharon asked, his voice deepening. “Are you feeling unsafe?”
I choked, this time from disbelief.
Are these men for real right now?
“We were justplaying.” I overenunciated each word. “It wasfunny.”
Nyx twined lazily around my shoulders. “They do know I could just kill them right now if I wanted to—right?”
Kharon’s face was turning purple.
I sighed; men could never understand what it was like to have a venomous snake bestie. They just didn’tgetthe lifestyle.
Long moments passed as Augustus closed his eyes, muttering a prayer to Kronos in Latin under his breath.
Finally, Augustus opened his eyes, shoulders relaxing. “Okay,” he breathed out.
“Okay?”
“I trust and respect your judgment.” His face flushed.
Badump-Badump-Badump.
My heart raced, and it wasn’t from fear.
“Would … you like to dance with us?” Kharon asked through gritted teeth, then he bowed to me, holding out black-painted fingernails.
Augustus also held out his hand.
Badump-Badump.
Dazed, I reached out.
Their hands grasped mine. It feltlewd.
The symposium faded out of focus.
No one else existed.
“Let’s dance,darling,” Augustus said, his voice velvet wrapped in silk. He pulled me forward, our chests brushing together.
Kharon moved at my back.
Once again, I was pressed between the two of them.
We twirled around the dance floor.
Augustus held my hand, while his nails dug gently into the small of my back. Kharon clutched my hips from behind.
Four points of contact.
Their fingers flexed, tightening to keep purchase as we spun—stars sparkled in my vision.
