Contents
Chapter 27: Sexual Tension & Other Drugs
Overview
Confined before Sparta’s opening ceremony, Alexis clashes with Kharon over control and nearly succumbs to volatile desire with both Kharon and Augustus. Augustus halts it, prioritizing focus for the games, and Kharon forcibly steadies him. Shaken, Alexis records fears about Fluffy Jr. and her mysterious light before guards arrive to escort them.
Summary
In their cell before the opening ceremony, Alexis refuses to share a bed, provoking Kharon’s domineering insistence that she will. He corners her against the wall as Augustus watches, the dynamic thick with power and resentment. The tension flares into heated touching and kissing, revealing dangerous attraction and control games.
At the brink, Augustus breaks it off, declaring they cannot risk distraction before the ceremony. His composure cracks into panic, and—reversing their usual roles—Kharon drags Augustus into the bathroom to calm him amid crashes and curses, eventually restoring their facades.
Left outside, Alexis steadies herself beside Fluffy Jr. while Poco and the hellhounds offer comfort, and she reassures them despite fearing the dog’s condition. She records a whispered diary entry, admitting fear for Fluffy Jr., confusion over her feelings for Kharon and Augustus, the accelerated games, and a new bright light in her hands she cannot explain.
Time blurs as Alexis buries herself in calculations until Kharon and Augustus reemerge, composed. Guards led by Vorex open the cell with sparking batons; Nyx hisses as they announce it is time for the opening ceremony, forcing Alexis to confront imminent public trials while her powers and loyalties remain unsettled.
Who Appears
- AlexisPOV; resists Kharon’s control, nearly yields to shared desire, journals fears about Fluffy Jr. and unexplained glowing power.
- KharonDomineering husband; pins Alexis, stokes tension, then restrains Augustus and restores order before the ceremony.
- AugustusHeir of War; participates in the heated encounter but halts it, panics, then refocuses on the opening ceremony.
- Fluffy Jr.Alexis’s massive protector; collapsed earlier, still worrying her as she hopes it’s molting, not illness.
- PocoSmall companion; comforts Alexis by curling in her lap during the aftermath.
- HellHellhound; reassures Alexis that the group is together and okay.
- HoundHellhound; echoes Hell’s reassurance, staying close behind Fluffy Jr.
- VorexGuard leader with wreath; arrives with armed escort to bring them to the opening ceremony.
- NyxAlexis’s shadow-cat; hisses at guards as the cell door opens.