Chapter 8 #2
As with the last time he showed me, I seemed to appear in the forest. As they were the Onis’ memories, I was seeing everything the same way they had, through their eyes.
By the suddenness of my arrival, I could only presume I had teleported directly to this location.
A shadow loomed behind me. I turned around to find a dark portal swirling before me.
It was barely a third of the massive size of the portals which took us into the Veil.
Through the memories of the Onis, I walked into the portal, and the illusion immediately stopped.
I groaned in frustration before peering at Lyall. He gave me an apologetic smile for having nothing more to show me before or after, which might be of any relevance.
“They must be using some incredibly powerful wards to shut you out so completely,” I said pensively.
“They’re not shutting me out,” Lyall corrected gently.
“They’re wiping out the Onis’ memories specifically to avoid their secrets being revealed in case they’re caught.
I can only see what memories they possess, even subconscious ones.
But I cannot recover anything that has been permanently erased. ”
I pursed my lips with a dejected expression.
“I just wish I knew who and what exactly we were dealing with. This is too elaborate to simply be about a random man with a clubfoot wanting to fix his aesthetic and acquire a bit more power. My gut tells me we’re about to uncover something far more sinister. ”
“I agree,” he replied with a frown. “Therefore, we cannot give up.”
“I never do,” I said forcefully, making him smile.
He leaned forward and gave me a surprisingly tender kiss that had my toes instantly curling. Too soon, he ended it and helped me onto my Galadia’s back. He shifted into his favorite creature, and we resumed what was increasingly starting to feel like pointless exploration.
By the time we got back home, I was beyond frustrated.
We went to his room—which he had moved me into—and we took a shower together. We didn’t have sex although our hands did a bit of wandering. However, he did give me a rather welcome massage while washing my back.
Lyall and this entire relationship confused me.
He seemed very possessive of me but also extremely caring.
Even now, as we finished showering, he made it a point to be the one drying me.
The first time he did it, I expected it was to have an excuse to grope me.
But he always did so in a gentle and very respectful fashion.
I didn’t know what this was between us. To me, it had just been a very brief affair, scratching an itch with a mouthwatering demigod.
But Lyall wasn’t acting like a fling. I didn’t like anyone thinking they had ownership over me.
And yet, I weirdly liked all the ways in which he interacted with me, including his occasional possessiveness and bossiness.
Maybe it is time for me to distance myself from him.
Nine Hells! Why did that mere thought sting so badly?
It was a smart idea. While I wanted his help, we didn’t need to be lovers.
After all, there was no future for us. As soon as this mission was done, I would return to the Curia.
It wasn’t like he could simply tag along and become an Inquisitor.
In fact, I didn’t even know what he did, or if he had any type of profession.
Clearly, money wasn’t an issue for him. Then again, I had never heard of a broke demigod.
“Why are you so tense?” Lyall asked, snapping me out of my musings as he was pulling a chair in front of the table on the large terrace where Morrech had laid out a feast for us.
My cheeks heated, and I gave him a sheepish smile.
“Sorry. I was just thinking.”
“About what?” he insisted, helping me into my seat before sitting at the head of the table next to me.
I hesitated before deciding to just be honest. “I was thinking about you… about us.”
It was his turn to tense. “What about us?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
I shrugged, unsure what to reply.
He frowned. “That’s not an answer.”
I made a face at him before begrudgingly confessing. “I like you.”
“You say it like it’s a problem,” he said, confused.
“Because it is,” I admitted with an apologetic expression.
He slightly recoiled. “Why would that be a problem? The opposite would make sense.”
I sighed. “Because it would be foolish for me to grow too attached. It will make it harder when it’s time for me to leave.”
He stared at me for a few seconds with an unreadable expression. And then he snorted dismissively before starting to put some of the food from the feast on the table into my plate.
“Who says I will let you leave?” Lyall asked in a conversational tone.
I burst out laughing. “I say you will let me leave. You wouldn’t hold a woman against her will. If nothing else, the one thing I know for sure is that consent is extremely important to you.”
To my surprise, his face closed off. A cold shiver ran down my spine. It was as if a door had been slammed in my face.
“Do you want to go back to the guest room then?” he asked in a neutral voice.
“No!” I exclaimed a bit too eagerly.
“Then what are you saying?” Lyall asked, sounding a little irritated.
“I merely answered the question you asked. The fact is that I’m reflecting on our situation.”
“Why do you need to reflect? Are you already tired of me?” he asked, his face still devoid of any expression.
I frowned and gave him a look that was both confused and annoyed. “Why are you so intense? I told you I’m just thinking. You pressured me to share my thoughts before I was ready, and now you’re making a bunch of assumptions and being displeased that I don’t have the clear answers you want?”
I instantly felt bad for the sliver of hurt that flashed through his red eyes before he lowered his gaze.
“Look,” I said in a conciliatory tone. “I just found you incredibly attractive once you turned back into your normal form. As we’re both consenting adults, I figured there would be no harm in indulging in our mutual desires.
But I’m developing a serious crush on you.
And I’m not the type of woman to crush on anyone. It scares me.”
His eyes flicked back up to mine, growing more intense with each word as he studied my features.
“Would it be so bad if whatever is happening between us became more permanent?” Lyall asked in a soft and careful voice.
“Yes!” I exclaimed as if it was self-evident.
That took him aback.
“Why?” he asked. This time he didn’t appear hurt but genuinely confused.
“Because I’m an Inquisitor!” I replied in the same obvious tone. “Once this mission is complete, I will leave and go back to the Curia.”
“So?” he challenged, shrugging his shoulders in a way that implied my statement was irrelevant. “I could come with you.”
My jaw dropped. He held my gaze without flinching, making it clear he meant every word.
“Could you?” I nevertheless questioned, my tone dubious.
“I just said as much, didn’t I?” Lyall quipped with a hint of mockery.
“But don’t you have duties keeping you here? A job?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t.”
I blinked, my mind racing. “So what do you do all day?”
“Whatever I want,” he retorted with another shrug. “I mostly roam the world, both in the Mortal and Shadow Realms, wreak havoc and cause mischief, with the occasional good deed if I’m so inclined.”
“Wreak havoc and cause mischief?” I echoed with an inquisitive look.
“I like killing bad stuff, especially if they happen to enhance my powers. You’d be surprised what kind of foul creatures and people lurk around,” he said with an almost malicious grin.
“That sounds like you are performing good deeds,” I countered.
He snorted. “My victims would beg to differ. But yes, the broader population would likely think so, if they didn’t believe me to be an even bigger monster than the ones I eradicated without their knowledge.”
“Why do I have a feeling you deliberately let people believe that you’re a monster?” I taunted.
Although he didn’t answer, his smile was confession enough. I glanced around the large terrace and into the opulent master bedroom of his stunning mansion through the open doors, then returned my attention to him.
“How are you paying for all of this if you travel the world killing nasty stuff?”
“Money is not an issue. I am very wealthy, both from generational wealth and smart investments of my assets,” Lyall replied nonchalantly.
I shifted in my seat, a frown still creasing my brow as I reflected on our little exchange.
Heaving a sigh, I shrugged in defeat. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know, or you don’t want to?” he challenged, although his voice remained soft and non-confrontational.
“It’s not that,” I replied honestly. “Things aren’t that simple.”
“Then what is it? What needs to be simplified? Is it the Church?” he teased.
I chewed my bottom lip before slowly nodding. “Yes. The Church will balk at our pairing.”
“It will balk or forbid it?” Lyall insisted.
My back immediately stiffened in outrage. “The Church cannot forbid me anything where my personal life is concerned.”
“Then there is no issue,” he retorted, his tone implying that this entire conversation made no sense.
I scrunched my face, starting to wonder what indeed the issue was, if he was willing and able to come with me. Why was I still hesitant and unconvinced?
When I failed to answer, Lyall grabbed my hand and gently tugged, pulling me towards him.
I got up from my chair and let him draw me into his lap.
He cupped my face with both hands, his thumbs gently caressing my cheeks before he leaned forward to kiss me.
The familiar flame of desire immediately sparked low in my belly.
I pressed myself against him as he tightened his hold around me.
To my dismay, just as I was parting my lips to let him deepen the kiss, Lyall pulled away.
But the tenderness with which he looked at me had me melting in his arms.
“My mother constantly tells me that I overthink and overcomplicate things. I systematically disagreed and just felt like she was doing the opposite. But now, I see in you what she actually meant.”
I snorted, which made him smile before he sobered.
“I like you, Eleni Stavros. You like me, too. So let Fate take us where she will. Live in the present and enjoy what it has to offer. Who knows what the future holds?” he said softly.
“You make it sound overly simple,” I argued weakly.
“Because it is,” he replied. “I claim you as my woman. Do you challenge that claim?”
I blinked, taken aback by the almost solemn fashion in which he spoke those words. The most disturbing part was how badly my tongue burned for me to scream yes.
“Are you mine?” Lyall insisted when I failed to answer.
“Are you mine?” I challenged with a frown at his possessive tone.
“Of course, I’m yours,” he replied as if it was silly for me to even question it.
To my undying shame, my toes instantly curled, and I found myself melting even more against him as my own wave of possessiveness surged within me.
“Then yes, Lyall. I am yours.”
My stomach did a backflip when an almost feral smile mixed with something I couldn’t quite define settled on his lips. The claw of his index finger extruded as his right hand slipped down to my neck, seconds before he froze.
“What is it?” I asked when a troubled expression flitted over his beautiful face. And then it hit me. “You wanted confirmation of my thoughts by tasting my blood?”
His grayish blue skin darkened, and he lowered his gaze, guilt and embarrassment plastered all over his face.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
I stared at him for a second before giving him an indulgent smile. “I should be offended, but I will give you a pass this time. Go ahead.”
He immediately shook his head and pulled his hand away from me. “No. That’s not necessary.”
“I insist,” I said firmly.
He opened his mouth to argue, but whatever look he saw on my face silenced him.
I didn’t know why I wanted to give him this confirmation even though one could perceive it as a lack of trust. However, I understood at a visceral level that the issue didn’t lie with me.
This powerful male—a freaking demigod at that—actually hid a lack of self-confidence behind a mask of cockiness and ruthlessness.
Still reluctant, Lyall complied. He pricked my neck with his claw and brought his index finger to his lips before licking the drop of blood that clung to it.
To my shock, his vertical pupils dilated, becoming almost fully round while the red hue of his eyes shifted to the most beautiful shade of purple.
The pale streaks under his skin lightly glowed, and for a split second, I could have sworn the ghostly shape of a luminous set of wings hovered behind him.
But the air of pure adoration on his face reclaimed all my attention.
I didn’t know what that drop of blood had revealed to him, but it blew me away how deeply it moved him. Any reservation I might still have had regarding this faded away.
“My mate,” Lyall whispered before reclaiming my mouth in a passionate kiss.
The air seemed to shift around us, as if charged with electric particles that made my skin tingle.
It was brief but powerful enough for me to realize that something had just happened.
But my man’s hands all over me wiped those thoughts out of my mind.
Our tongues mingling, I let him carry me back to our room, all thoughts of our meal forgotten.