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"I'll drag you around the city, Hector-like." Kavinsky laughed at the endless night. "Can you imagine that ? Man. It'll be glorious."
"Hector died."
Ronan didn't know what good pointing it out will do. He helplessy watched Kavinsky tie Gansey's feet to whatever could hold them, under the car.
"Hector was a soldier," Kavinsky pointed out. "Isn't Dick some kind of king ?"
"K—"
"You can worry about the other three, though."
Ronan's heart dropped. There were just enough cars for each of them. Gansey shook weakly. His eyes were dull, all mind taken by whatever Kavinsky had given him to keep him still.
Kavinsky had baited them one by one, with illusions and dreams. Why this tragedy, why tonight ?
Ronan looked around. Everything was still. Once they were tied, each to the back of a different car except for Gansey and him, Kavinsky decided to wait that the drugs have withdrawn from their system. The process had already started for Gansey. Ronan didn't know about the others.
Gansey coughed, drawing attention to him. Ronan had been laid down by his side. He lifted his hands and noticed that they had been tied together. A fleeting second happened before he turned his head not to keep facing Ronan. His whole upper body followed the movement. Kavinsky stepped on his chest, preventing him to sit up.
Gansey didn't voice his complaints. He breathed quickly. The night was too warm to offer any relief. Even the grass under him itched. He felt ants climbing on his arms and neck. Winged ants. They were growing in size and numbers.
"Gansey ?" Ronan called.
"I'm— I can't feel my feet."
Kavinsky pushed Gansey's face on the side. Gansey's distress was obvious. Ronan shifted away a bit. His friend threw up, bits of bile and mush of whatever he had eaten last.
"You're going to break his jaw," Ronan snarled.
Gansey had already open his mouth under the pressure of Kavinsky's foot. He was in pain. Kavinsky sighed and stepped back.
"We're taking off soon. Dick's girl is taking her time."
It made sense that Blue had a harder time kicking out of it. She was smaller. Gansey and Ronan had a quick, silent discussion, taking advantage of Kavinsky's momentary absence. Adam's voice interrupted them. He wasn't making coherent sounds. Ronan wanted to throw up, too.
"He's the most fitting, Patroclus wise." Kavinsky spoke as naturally as if they were conversing on another day. "Let's be real."
He retold the myth but using Adam's name instead of the soldier's.
"That makes you Achilles, baby. Where is your heel ?"
Adam felt utterly alone, the replica of Proko's car being a bit away from the rest. Had Kavinsky run out of patience while driving ? He shivered, sending a jolt of pain through his newly created wounds.
Blue searched for something to amplify, that may help. The Magician was kept away. Everything else was rocks, moss and rehearsing cicadas. Maybe there was something in the otherwordly cars.
Gansey lost himself in the stars for a moment. Ronan caught his hands and started working against the knot. He quickly caught the rope in his hands.
"Your ankles won't break," he whispered.
Gansey sat up. He was shaking a bit. The drivers were shouting at each other. Swan was ahead, dragging Noah's frail body. Gansey broke free. Ronan kept his own hands out of reach.
"Go help Blue and Adam."
Gansey lingered a second too long before sprinting. It made sense. The car took off, behind him. There were no other drivers, when all three of them thought there had been.
"Ronan is though," Blue whispered, but her voice was unsure.
Strange symbols have been carved in Adam's palms. His cheek was already swelling. His lips were so badly messed that Blue wondered how many times have a fist collided with them.
Kavinsky had gotten it wrong, Ronan thought. Gansey was Achilles and his mother had simply forgotten to drop him in the Styx. His whole body was his heel. That gave the role of Patroclus to either Adam or him. If anything, Kavinsky would be Hector, killing Patroclus to be targeted by Achilles' wrath. He didn't hear himself screaming that conclusion but felt the sound being thrown over the engine. He had managed to catch the strange handle over the trunk and was holding on for his literal life.
"Modern interpretation," Kavinsky yelled back. "Keep up !"
Of course, he wouldn't care if Gansey got away, or Blue or all of them. He swerved, attempting to get Ronan to let go and fall back. Didn't work, but the highway stretched for miles ahead. That was plenty of time.