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My brand of Spartan power was nothing without action, but I never shied from unsavory choices. It was why I’d survived, while the rest of my kind had perished. The future hinged before me on a razor-sharp edge: apocalypse and peace were two sides of the same coin.
nullum magnum ingenium sine mixture dementia fuit. There has been no great wisdom without an element of madness.
My purple eyes and white hair reflected off the mirrored walls.
Mother’s fist once again caught my left eye, and lights exploded. Black ringed my vision. Blood was everywhere. She screamed in my face—I screamed back. Oh, look, we’re harmonizing. Mozart would have loved this.
The world exploded—the window next to us shattered into a million pieces. Glass rained. Oh, look, it’s a crescendo.
Pain stabbed my chest. A panic attack had never felt so sharp. G-sharp at a crescendo.
“You are strong,” Nyx whispered. “You are brave.” Scales slid across the side of my face like she was nuzzling me. “You can handle anything—the universe is yours to command.”
The camera angle shifted. A muscular Spartan grabbed the Titan and threw him hundreds of feet across the forest like he weighed nothing. Then the Spartan stalked toward the Titan with his back to the camera.
The Spartan repositioned to straddle the monster, and for the first time in the clip, his side profile was visible—a black muzzle with a grate pattern was wrapped around the lower half of his tan face. “Holy crap, it’s him,” a student said. “It’s Achilles.” Everyone knew about Achilles. He was the only Spartan who wore a muzzle.
The Spartan Federation had constrained him after his terrifying performance in the SGC three years ago because his voice powers did one thing: torture. He’d put dozens of creatures into comas with merely a few words.
Zeus cleared his throat. “Finally, we have Alexis Hert—the fates have . . . blessed us. Please welcome the first female mutt in centuries.”
“Because of her and their . . . special circumstances, Alexis’s mentors are—” Zeus paused and stared at me with an inscrutable expression. “—Patro the mutt of the House of Aphrodite and Achilles the mutt of the House of Ares.”
Two tall shadows stepped forward from the edge of the arena. They stalked across the bloody sand. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. As the two men headed in my direction, they were somehow more feral than the monstrous wolf and jaguar that walked beside them. Both animals bared their teeth as they stared at me.
They stopped an arm’s length away—one handsome as sin, the other savage with a muzzle stretched across his jaw. The videos didn’t do their size justice. I had to tip my head back just to see their faces. Close enough to maim me. They towered above me in their perfectly tailored suits. On their wrists, gold cuff links glinted with diamonds, but unlike everyone else, they had weapon holsters strapped across their chests, thighs, and arms. They were covered in guns and knives.
“You’re ours now,” Patro said slowly, his voice cold. What a way to greet someone.
“Let me be crystal clear,” Patro snarled. “We own you—and we won’t go easy on you because you’re an abandoned girl.” His lips curled.
On my right, Patro leaned down, and the frosty scent of mint burned my nose.
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.
Achilles stared at me from the end of the bed. Since he couldn’t speak with the muzzle, it was unclear what he was thinking. I was jealous. If I had a muzzle, then people wouldn’t expect me to talk to them. I wonder if he’ll let me borrow it.
“Go—to—hell,” I coughed as I tried to open my watery eyes. The thumb dragged out of my mouth. “Where do you think I came from, carissima?”
My protectors only ever growled at Augustus because hellhounds were extremely territorial—but only around other predators. Since they were top of the food chain, it wasn’t often that they got riled up. Hell bared his teeth wider, and his head turned toward the lithe figure kneeling apart from the group with their head down. He let out a toe-curling sound of aggression. I focused on the initiate. Golden skin practically glowed in the sunlight. Curls shone like silk. The initiate looked up. A white and black eye stared directly at me—the different colors were shocking. It was her again. Alexis
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She’d been out of her mind with delirium and pain, but even writhing on blood-covered sheets, there’d been something intense about her. It was a feeling without a name.
Whatever it was, as I held her chin and fed her pills, recognition had stirred within me. There was an energy about her, an aura that felt like I’d known her before. She’d been so helpless, at my complete (nonexistent) me...
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Hell growled louder. Hound stood up next to him and let out a warning howl. Their canines flashed as they hunched low, like they were getting ready to fight a ruthless predator. They were both fixated on her. What are your secrets—carissima? Are you more than you seem? Twisted interest burned inside my sternum as a new obsession kindled to life. Is her innocent air all an act? Is she dangerous? I smiled wider.
An insane realization hit me, and my breath left my lungs like I’d been punched. Oh my Kronos—she’s killing him.
The boy screamed louder, like he was being torn to pieces as she grappled with him. Whatever Alexis was doing—she was filthy powerful. The obsession that had kindled exploded into a bonfire of pure want. I adjusted my belt to loosen the growing pressure in my pants. Holy fuck, she’s murdering him. She’s vicious.
Kneeling, I touched the boy’s forehead and unleashed my power to finish the job. Pain stabbed through my chest. His screams intensified as I let him see my protectors, and he flailed while Hell and Hound jumped in to feast, but all my attention was still on her. A plan unfolded before me. It would work. It had to. I was the hunter of my generation because I knew how to play the long game—I always caught my prey. I’m going to devour her.
As I collapsed back into my seat, Professor Augustus opened his mouth to say something about my extended bathroom break. His gaze met mine, and he closed his mouth, jaw clenching. Mercifully he said nothing. Whatever he saw on my face kept him silent. But the corners of his eyes crinkled, and his mouth pinched, like he was distressed. I wiped at a tear, rocking in place. He snuck glances at me for the rest of class. His expression tightened as time passed, until he was a dark cloud of fury. What is he mad about now?
I didn’t remember making it to the top, didn’t remember stumbling down the other side, didn’t remember half drowning as I swam pathetically through the river, didn’t remember Kharon glaring at me as I crawled onto the riverbank. Or maybe I did remember, and I wanted to forget. This time there were enough foil blankets after the swim for everyone, but I was too tired to grab one. Augustus wrapped one around my shoulders aggressively and shouted something. I blinked. We staggered into the classroom. In front of me, General Cleandro shoved cups into the initiates’ faces. Augustus swooped in and
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His wide shoulders were in perfect posture. Since I was half-slumped over with my left boob angling toward the floor, this was not relatable.
I squinted at the cruel professor. Have demons always been so attractive? Smoldering dark eyes shot open. “What—are you doing?” Augustus asked slowly. I squeezed my eyes shut. Please don’t let him see me. Please don’t let him see me. “Since I’m sitting directly in front of you, obviously I can see you.” Ohmygod, he can read my mind. I need to kill us both.
Augustus stopped me in the hall, his frown severe. “Are you all right, Alexis?” he asked silkily, and my toes curled. “Who—is this all right you speak of?” I winced as my bloody feet scraped across the rock floor.
Kharon reappeared in the doorway. I froze. He stalked over to where I was sitting. Glacial blue eyes burned with fury. “If you dare harm yourself,” he rasped softly, high cheekbones glinting like razor blades, “I’ll bring you back to life and torture you for all of eternity.” My breath hitched. Long fingers wrapped around the column of my throat like he was demonstrating how he’d do it. His thumb hovered over my fluttering pulse. A strange queasiness cramped my lower stomach, and my head spun.
“Chthonic lives are important,” he whispered harshly, still leaning toward me. “Patro and Achilles will become generals, and you will survive the crucible to make it happen. If you try to deviate from that plan in any way, I’ll kidnap and torture you for the rest of your immortal life. Just for fun.”
“Wahoooooo.” Nyx slithered up my leg. “That’s my girl.” She made a sniffling noise. “I’m so proud right now . . . this is the best day of my life. I knew you had it in you, bestie. Pussy power, crush the patriarchy! Don’t stop now—murder them all. KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM!”
We skidded to a stop in the doorway. I fisted my hands. It was the bane of my fucking existence. Why is she constantly causing fucking problems?
Alexis was standing in the center of the room. Her nose was smashed, her chin was covered in blood, and both her eyes were swelling and turning black. Someone punched her in the face. Red filled my vision. Pure unadulterated rage burned me apart at the seams, and I rubbed at my chest as I breathed deeply.
Alexis’s lips trembled. I will not fall for her games. Hatred and something unidentifiable burned in my gut. She was opening up the possibility of Helen having to take part in this depraved nonsense.
When Kharon had told me just what she was, the hatred had intensified exponentially. How dare she. She was a mockery of everything I stood for. No woman, no matter how strong, should ever endure the crucible. It was dishonorable and wrong.
At Alexis’s feet, Alessander was unconscious and bloody. My jaw dropped as I took in the broken pieces of wood all over the boy, and the piece of wood clutched in Alexis’s hand. She’d smashed him with a chair. Holy Kronos. Fury warred with grudging respect. Another figure moaned. Titus was on the ground, blood pouring off his face as he clutched at himself like a weak coward. She destroyed the sniveling pussy. Both of them. Good. Sharp emotions strangled me, and I didn’t know how to feel. Everything about Alexis was confusing. She was shy and timid, but also bloodthirsty and savage. She made
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The urge to kidnap her and lock her away, then break Titus’s mind into little pieces, was overwhelming. Do it later. Now’s not the time.
Alexis stared at Cleandro with wide, grateful eyes, but there was a dimness in her gaze that was uncomfortably familiar. Life had hurt her. Badly. Just like it had hurt me. It doesn’t matter. Don’t feel bad for her. That’s what she wants. This is all a game to her. She didn’t make sense.
Instead of following him out like I should have, I stalked forward across the library, unable to avoid the pull in my gut. Alexis’s delicate features blanched as she saw me coming. You better be afraid. When I stood a foot away, I leaned close, discreetly inhaling her intoxicating scent. A growl burned the back of my throat, and my fingers itched to find out if her golden curls were as soft as they looked.
As Alexis stared up at me, her long dark lashes fluttered. Up close, I could see the gold flecks in her midnight-colored eye. Her tongue flicked out, and she licked across her blood-covered lips. They were curved perfectly. My silk boxers grew tight, and I instantly loathed myself. Fuck, what am I doing? I was older than her and I was her professor. This was wrong on so many levels. Something about Alexis made me lose all control. She made me feral with rage.
Patro and Achilles arrived first and grabbed a barely conscious Alexis. My knuckles cracked. Why the fuck are they touching her so familiarly, and why do I care?
“Domus,” I whispered and pictured the feeling of home. The world exploded in smoke. I leaped away. Narrowing my eyes with confusion, I looked around the quiet forest. A tarp was strewn across branches in a purposeful pattern. I didn’t mean to leap here.
A pale hand reached toward my face. Flinching, I closed my eyes and waited for the blow. Long, burning-hot fingers grabbed the back of my neck in a vise. Goosebumps exploded down my spine. My knees shook.
“I’m not l-lying about anything,” I whispered, too terrified to speak loudly. “I had it all under control.” He didn’t move. A sarcastic chuckle burst from his lips. He doesn’t believe me. “Kharon . . . I swear it on my life.”
The heat dissipated as he abruptly pulled away. “What did you just call me?” Gasping for air, it took me a second to process what he had asked. “Kharon?” I repeated his name with confusion.
“My name is not Karen,” he spat with vitriol, like I’d gravely insulted him. “It’s pronounced Ch-ar-on.” I narrowed my eyes. “Okay, but it’s spelled with a K.” “Say my name,” he ordered. “Now, Alexis.” “Kharon?” I muttered. “Did you just say Karen again?” “What? No . . .” I squinted.
