Page 319 of Psycho Gods

“Good work. I love your performance,” I said, sleepiness was making me more sarcastic than usual.

John glared. “That is just hurtful.”

Luka punched him in the shoulder and ordered, “Take off your shirt.”

Scorpius made a harsh noise, and I nodded in agreement. “Now, that is what I’m talking about. That’s a good present.”

Both twins pulled their shirts off.

I sat up straight and mentally prepared myself for a lap dance. I just needed to find some coins to throw at them and I’d be ready.

They turned around.

The pipe fell from my lips.

That did not go in the direction I thought it would.

If I were a fainter, I would have passed out cold on the floor. Unfortunately, I stayed fully conscious.

I couldn’t breathe.

Ice spread across my fingers and up my forearm.

“WHORE” was carved into their skin, exactly the same letters and font on my back.

I felt queasy.

Snow drifted around the room faster.

"This isn’t funny,” I whispered, squeezed my eyes shut, and prayed to the sun god that I was hallucinating.

“Put your shirts back on right now,” Malum barked. “Why the fuck wouldn’t you just explain to her what you did?”

The men argued.

It snowed harder.

I lay down on my back as I hyperventilated.

It was all too much.

“The knife that was used on your back was a blood enchantment,” John said quickly as he knelt above me and cradled my face. “You can only reverse blood with blood—it’s a tenet of the natural world. Enchantment removal is an ancient practice still used in the Olympus realm. You won’t feel pain anymore—I took the cursed enchantment from you.”

I opened my eyes.

Holy sun god.

When I kissed Malum earlier, I hadn’t felt any pain.

“But will you feel it instead?” My stomach knotted with fear.

“No.” John flashed his dimples. “It hurt like a bitch for days after getting it, but then it healed. My blood neutralized yours.” He smiled like everything was fine in the world.

My head spun.

He fluttered his fingers. “Surprise.” Dimples flashed.

I turned my head to where Luka hovered behind him. “But then why is your back also—” I breathed quickly as I tried not to think about how they’d mutilated themselves.