Page 23 of Psycho Gods

I was barreling into a war blind.

Free-falling.

I tried to sit up straight, but my shoulders slumped.

My back muscles burned with the phantom weight of retracted wings that I couldn’t get to work.

Even back in the Legionnaire Games, I’d never actually flown. I’d just tumbled toward the dirt and used my wings to slow us down before crashing into a pole.

At least I’m good at throwing myself off high heights. I should be a professional cliff diver.

Time warped.

“Your soulmates disgust you and you hate them?” Dr. Palmer spoke slowly and overenunciated “disgust” and “hate” like she was making a point. “That’s what you said last week. Correct?”

If she was hinting at something, I wasn’t getting it.

I nodded and tugged at the permanent scab on my lower lip.

“Stop picking,” Scorpius ordered harshly.

I jumped and pulled my hand away from my face.

A pen scribbled across paper.

Was she writing about me? Rude.

I rolled my eyes, brought my fingers back to my lip, and ripped off a juicy chunk of skin.

“I told you not to pick,” Scorpius said. “Orion, pull her hand away.”

Anyone else plagued by men? Just me? Nice.

“Touch me,” I said tiredly, “and I’ll kill you.” I left off the “I’ll kill us all” because of the doctor.

All I needed was to be diagnosed as a serial homicidal maniac.

Was I one? Maybe. Did I want to be heavily medicated and locked in a room for the rest of my life? Also, maybe. It depended if Sadie was there.

Orion stared down at me.

I stared at the wall.

I wasn’t the type of person to play favorites, especially not when it came to my enemies—but Orion was my favorite, and Malum was my least favorite. One hundred percent.

I was grateful the quiet man was a buffer between me and Scorpius and the two of them blocked my view of Malum.

The kings were seated in order of descending awfulness.

They had their arms draped over one another’s shoulders and whispered among themselves as Dr. Palmer talked.

The three of them fit together.

Then there was me.

Scorpius leaned forward to glare at me, and Orion’s muscular thigh pressed indecently against mine. We were both wearing sweatpants, but pain streaked down my back.

I exhaled harshly and managed not to whimper.

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