Ink of Copper

50. In Which a Zipper Takes Center Stage

Chapter 50

In Which a Zipper Takes Center Stage

A fter the evening meal, Evander retreated to his room. He couldn’t stand to be around Maximus. If Liam hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed his commander. He drew his sword before Max could react, intent on severing a limb. Max had refused to engage, and had Liam not stepped between them, Evander would have repeated the past. Later, Max apologized to Evander and then to Ellie. While Evander could begin to forgive, Ellie had done what she does best: slammed her door in his face.

She didn’t join them in the dining hall, so supper was a quiet affair. Liam tried to lighten the mood but soon gave up, leaving the five to eat silently. As Evander walked past her room, he fought the urge to knock on the door, bring her a tray, and comfort her. It was the only thing he could think of when he knew she was upset. And he hated the thought of upsetting her.

Watching her fall had sent his heart plummeting towards the earth with her. Faced with death, Ellie froze. Her body fell in slow motion, arms outstretched, grasping the air. The look on her face was pure terror, and it felt like it took hours to get to her. He was sure his heart had stopped beating until her body crashed into his. Panic and fear bubbled to the surface, and he erupted, roaring, losing control of himself. Raking a hand through his hair, the guilt at having yelled at Ellie as if any of this was her fault coursed through him.

This was his fault.

If he were honest with himself, everything that had happened to her was his fault. Taunting Valerius outside her house, going against Athena, leaving her alone to fight a Chthonian, selfishly wanting to keep her here for as long as he could. She should wash her hands of him. He had failed Ann in his human life, and now, he would fail Ellie. He shouldn’t be craving her, wanting her as he did. The other night, with her on her knees looking up at him, he could pretend it was just the two of them. But he realized sometime around dawn that sleeping with her wouldn’t just affect him; it would hurt her. He was a man without a soul, never free to make his own decisions. It was incredibly selfish to want her at all.

Knocking bounced off his door, shattering the silence of his chamber. He sat unmoving in his chair and blinked at the fire, unsure if he heard a knock or wished for one. When it rumbled again, he padded to the door, his bare feet sinking into the thick carpet before crossing the cool wooden floor. He didn’t have time to reach for the handle before it swung open. She pushed past him, a flurry of curls and skirts.

“Ellie?”

“Do you have a speaker? Or a radio?” She spun around in a circle, looking up into the exposed beams overhead and then over to his dressing area. “Maybe one of those phonographs?”

“Good evening. Come on in,” he said with a smirk and shut the door.

“A speaker. Do you have a speaker?” She walked the perimeter of the room, ducking behind furniture and climbing over them.

“No.” He watched her curiously. Moving a chair, she stuck her hand against the wall, feeling around, mumbling to herself. “Would you like to help me understand, or shall I guess?”

A muffled voice came from behind the screen in his dressing area. “I was hoping you had a way to play music, but louder. Do you have one?” She popped out from behind the screen. “Do you even listen to music? I don’t think we ever talked about that. I mean, you dance, well, in fact. But do you listen to music? Or maybe you can just bippity-boop-boop, and stuff appears, like Liam and Camulos.”

“Bippity-boop-boop?”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “You know. Liam and Cam make stuff appear just because they think of them. I mean, you made your swords appear, but that was your magic. I can make things appear, but I have to connect with it, like the book. Camulos called it something”—she tapped her lips—“it’s some five-dollar word.”

He nodded. “Sure. Sure.”

“A speaker, Evander. Don’t just stand there.” She crisscrossed her forearms over each other, her hands grasping the opposite elbow. Then she blinked and sharply nodded. “Just do that.”

Cocking his head, he frowned. This was new: Ellie frantic and babbling. He assumed she would still be furious over this morning, but maybe all that adrenaline had transferred into what bustled about his room.

“I can’t blink things into existence like that old show on the telly with the genie. I don’t have that ability.”

“Pity.”

She had piqued his curiosity with her odd behavior.

“What do you need with a speaker?” he asked, but she wasn’t paying attention, standing in the heart of the room with her hands on her hips.

“Ellie. Ellie?” He grabbed her shoulder to stop her from moving and lifted an eyebrow, anticipating her answer.

“What?”

He snorted in frustration. “What do you need with a speaker?”

She stared up at him as if seeing him for the first time, her gray eyes large and bright. One of her curls escaped its prison on top of her head and wildly trailed down the side of her face. The urge to slide it through his fingers overwhelmed him.

“Because. I’m here to seduce you,” she said plainly and then blinked.

Shock and pure discombobulation were the only words appropriate after that statement.

“Pardon? I’m sorry, you’re what?”

She pulled his face down to hers, kissing him. Her lips were silky under his own, and instinctively, he dragged her closer. He tightened his grip on her waist as she sunk into their kiss. Then she pulled away. His eyes remained closed for a second longer, the taste of her lingering. When he opened them, she was staring, her face flushed, pupils dark under her light-colored lashes.

“I’ll use my phone.” Turning in his arms, her back to him, she mumbled, angrily pressing her phone screen. “Stupid thing won’t call or text, but I can play music. Play, you bastard!”

Evander shook his head and let out a sigh. From this position, he could see only her wild curls that were gathered on top of her head. Some, refusing to be tamed, fell out of their hold. Defiant ringlets fell down the sides of her face and neck. Hooking one such non-conformist, he watched, mesmerized, as the curl slid over his calloused finger like reddish-copper silk. Twisting the spiral around his digit, it shone in the low light from the fireplace. As he moved aside her curls, he uncovered a part of her neck that he was sure he had unfairly neglected. Leaning down, he gently kissed it, the side, and just under her ear. Ellie shivered at the last kiss, swatting at him playfully.

“I can’t get this stupid thing to play.” She waved her phone in the air.

“First a speaker and now a phone? Should I be worried, Miss Ellie?”

His mouth buried in her hair, and he breathed the delightful scent of sunshine and woodsmoke. She shivered again, causing him to smile into her hair. Slipping his hands around her waist, he splayed his large palms on either hip, keeping her held in place before him. Tilting her head, she granted him more access, which he eagerly accepted. Evander knew he should stop. He should keep his distance and make her leave. Walk her to his door, say good night. Suddenly the phone jumped to life. One of the Rat Pack smoothly crooned a song, and she made a little squeak of glee.

“Alright!” She clapped her hands together and turned around to face him. “Now, you sit there.”

Taking his hand, she led him to the chairs before the fire. Pushing on his shoulder, she forced him to sit.

“What are you about, Ellie? Will you tell me, or will I be made to guess?” He caught himself smiling at her absurd behavior, amused at whatever scheme was happening inside her head.

“I told you,” she said, slightly annoyed. “I’m here to seduce you.”

“It doesn’t sound any less vague the second time.”

Tenting his fingers, he sat back in the chair, his wings folding neatly. She put her fists on her hips, determination creasing her forehead, and began pacing.

“I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about you and this whole vow thing. I’ve tried to rationalize that we were thrown together in weird circumstances and that we won’t be together much longer, so what’s the point? But you were bringing me breakfast. Breakfast, Evander. Don’t you understand? You weren’t ashamed. Not of me. Not of what I did. Or that I liked it. You were bringing breakfast.”

“I’ve brought you breakfast several times.”

She huffed. “I’ve thought about the repercussions. What the council would say, whoever they are. But Evander, how will they know? How will they know? I—I feel something for you. Like magnets. I’ve only days. Just days. I see you and—I’m not ready to . . . ” She paused and stepped closer. “To leave—I don’t want to leave you yet. I miss home, but I’m afraid I’ll miss you more. I would regret this, us. Not giving this a chance. I want—” Her shoulders fell, and she sighed. Those bright, intelligent eyes searched his face, gliding over his features. Opening her mouth, she let out a grunt and closed it. She covered her face with one hand.

“I’m an idiot,” she said, shaking her head.

“Come here.” He patted his thigh as she looked through her fingers. Her hand fell to her side, and she chewed on her bottom lip before plopping into his lap. His arms went around her, and she groaned. Evander chuckled low and touched his forehead to hers. This was where she belonged, with him, in his embrace.

“So, in response to mutually deciding we needed to be friends, you came to find me? And seduce me?” He rubbed his forehead against hers, and her eyes fluttered closed at the contact. “Following orders isn’t your strong suit? What am I going to do with you?”

She looked up sincerely. “You brought me breakfast. You apologized and brought me breakfast. No one has ever brought me breakfast. You tell me I’m beautiful. You tell me you like me, and I’m perfect the way I am. You protect me. You choose me, Evander.”

His heart cracked at the look on her face. So honest. Letting him see past the veil she hid behind. Growing quiet, Ellie faced the fire. Evander smoothed his hand up her back, between her shoulder blades, resting on the back of her neck. The feeling of her hair tickling his forearm registered in the computerized machine he wore, making it feel real. They watched the fire for a few wordless moments, breathing her in as she nestled herself in his lap.

“Ellie, about this morning . . .”

“Maximus. I’m still angry with him.” She spoke to the dying flames.

“He never should have dropped you. It was wrong. So wrong. He should have known better. That mistake will haunt him.”

She drew in a breath and released it. “He showed me what the Chthonian will do. Max didn’t know I would freeze. He thought like a warrior. A warrior would try to save themselves. I thought like me. I’m not a warrior. Still, I don’t know if I can trust him after that.”

“And that is my fault.”

Reaching up, she touched his face. “How’s it your fault?”

He closed his eyes, her palm branding his cheek. “I called Maximus over to flank me. I wanted to tag team you to prove a point. To make you react. Like you did when the daemons attacked. You were brilliant. Bloody stupid mistake, that was. He could have killed you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know he would take off and drop me.”

“You trusted me. We were sparring, and you trusted me.”

“I still trust you.”

His eyes popped open. “What?”

“I trust you,”

Her arms came around his chest, and she sighed into his collarbone. The weight he didn’t know he was carrying dropped to the floor like lead. He didn’t realize until words were out of her mouth how much he needed to hear she trusted him. How he feared she had stopped. He gathered her to him, craving her trust like a solid anchor in his raging sea of guilt.

The music played low on her phone, and Ellie hummed along, content to sit here. Her humming seemed to sway around him in time with the music. She stood, her hips moving to the beat. Evander watched, his eyes following her as she moved. His lips broke into a grin like he was a child stealing a sweet off the table. Having her near calmed him, soothed his worried mind. She was light and sunshine with dashes of sass—captivating and vulnerable, wholly herself, always. The sweetest smile found itself across her lips when she caught him staring.

The longer she stayed inside his chambers, the more likely he’d break his vow. And he wanted to break it. He longed to break it. Not because of lust, although that was part of it. No, he wanted to break his vow because she was the goodness he wanted always. He had craved her nearness since the first time he laid eyes on her in the museum. He didn’t know it then, but it made sense now. Why he couldn’t follow Athena’s orders. Her soul called to him through the dark, drawing him into her light. He liked how one side of her mouth curled into a crooked smile when she held a good hand in dominoes. He looked forward to seeing her each morning, a light shining in the mundane parts of his day. She was this feminine creature, soft and warm, strong and bold. And she trusted him, even when he made mistakes.

He would stand against Athena, against Apollo, against the council, against Zeus. To protect her, he would split Olympus in two with his bare hands. Go to the Underworld and defy Hades to bring her back. His Ellie trusted him, and he would earn that trust again and again. If she wanted breakfast in bed, he’d damn well bring it daily until the stars burned out. He needed her. Especially tonight, right now, at this moment.

Damn it. I love this woman.

His breath disappeared as the realization slammed into him. His fingers curled, gripping the chair arm, turning white. Liam had been right. Maximus had warned him. Camulos had seen it that first day on the ship, their future. They had all warned him because they all knew. He was desperately in love with her.

“Dance with me, Evander?”

A second ticked by before he rose from the chair, pulling her into his arms. He needed to feel her, touch her, cradle her to him, let his heart speak to hers. They swayed slowly, music playing softly. Ellie moved closer and raised her chin to look up at him. The air between them sparked.

“Take my shoe off, please.”

Her eyes glistened as she looked at him; a half-smile played at one corner of her mouth. His breath left him for a second time when she placed the ball of her foot on the ottoman. Evander licked his suddenly dry lips and lowered himself to his knees before her, obeying her command. Tenderly, he undid the buckle and slipped the shoe off her foot. His erratic breathing matched the liquid fire that burned through his veins. She lowered her foot to the carpet and sunk her hand into his hair, ruffling it, pulling the strands through her fingers. Like wildfire, every cell in his body sparked to life at her touch. She was driving him mad. He looked at her from his knees, wanting to lift her into his arms and carry her to his bed this minute. Smiling down at him, she smoothed a wrinkle on his forehead.

“Not yet,” she whispered, as if she read his thoughts. Lifting the other foot, she placed it on the ottoman. When he freed her foot from its patent leather cage, he lowered it to the carpet. As he did, he ran his hand up her heel, to her ankle, then her calf, and to her knee. His thumb caressed the sensitive skin behind the joint, and she shivered. From his knees, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. Her lips parted, her cheeks flushed. Rising, he snaked his arms around her.

“Sit,” came her raspy command.Evander did her bidding obediently. She ran her fingers along his forehead, lightly tracing the contours of his face as if committing them to memory. He grasped her fingers, and, turning her hand over, he kissed her palm, keeping eye contact as he did. He was sure they were both on fire, burning everything in their path. Sparks flew between them, igniting them, setting them ablaze, and raging out of control. He reached for her, but she sidestepped his grasp and tsked. Watching in torturous agony as her fingers gripped the hem of her dress, she painstakingly inched her skirt up. First, she exposed her knees, then her thighs, and her hips. Ellie yanked hard, trying to remove it in one go over her head. It moved a few inches but caught on something and refused to budge. Gathering more fabric from the bottom, she gave it another good tug, but it bunched under her armpits, leaving her arms suspended.

Ellie tried to wiggle the dress back down, but the voluptuous skirt folded over on itself and became stuck. She let out a frustrated grunt from inside the wall of fabric that enveloped most of her torso.

Evander sat there in disbelief at what he was witnessing. She stood before him, caught in a wild mess of fabric, arms stuck in the air like two salamis hanging to dry. He pulled in his lips to keep from laughing.

“Umm, Ellie? Darling?” he choked out. “You alright?”

“Well”—came her voice from inside the tube of fabric—“I’m fine. I’m seducing you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Of course.”

A strangled laugh broke free, and he tried to compose himself when he heard a loud sigh. He cleared his throat and coughed.

“Haven’t you ever had anyone do a striptease for you?” said the dress.

He cleared his throat again, desperately trying to keep in his laughter, but several chuckles escaped.

“What? This isn’t sexy?” Ellie wiggled her hips from side to side as her hands bounced.

Evander lost it then and burst out laughing. It filled the room, mixing with Ellie’s muffled one. He clutched his stomach and doubled over. Tears ran down his cheeks when Ellie tried to walk, mis-stepped, and tumbled forward. He reached out and caught her.

“Evander, I may have a problem,” said the dress in defeat.

He wiped his face. “Would you like help, Miss Ellie?” he asked between giggles.

The dress shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”

He stood and wiggled the fabric down, laughing as he did. Her cheeks were bright red and round like apples when her face popped out. Laughter bubbled up and out of her like a happy well. She wiped her eyes as he pulled her to him. They both lost themselves in giggles for several minutes. Every time one of them would gain some semblance of composure, they would look at each other, and the giggles would erupt again.

“This was the best strip tease I have ever been a part of,” he said as he wiped a tear with his thumb.

“I think I’m gonna hold a class on the art of seduction,” Ellie said, and they both burst into another fit of laughter.

He pulled her down to the chair, fitting her next to him, his arms around her.

“What in the bloody hell were you thinking?” he asked, still chuckling. He kissed the top of her head.

“It sounded good in my head, but I guess the execution gets foiled when you forget the zipper in the back.” She broke into another fit and buried her head in his chest.

“What am I to do with you?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry. That was a bit of a disaster.”

He prickled at her apology. Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he lifted her head.

“No apologizing. You did nothing wrong. Silly? Maybe. But nothing wrong.” He kissed her forehead and touched her nose with the tip of his finger. “You do not know how sexy you are, do you?” he said, serious now. He looked into her gray eyes, noticing for the first time the blue ring around her pupil, the silvery streaks through the iris. They weren’t just gray; her eyes held so much warmth and depth. He could see her soul staring back at him.

And he knew.

“Whatever,” she huffed. “I’m happy with myself. I’m content. But sexy? No, I don’t think so.” Her tone wasn’t sad; it was matter-of-fact. As if she genuinely believed it.

“Ellie,” he leveled his gaze with hers. “I think so,” he rasped. “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you. My mornings are bliss because I know I’ll get to see you. My evenings are filled with contentment, sharing meals, and playing dominoes. Watching you weaving expertly, curled up like a cat. I am caught up in you in a way I never allowed myself to be before. You enchant me.” Grabbing her hand, he placed it in the middle of his chest, placing his on top. “I am yours. All of me. My body. My heart. My very soul, if it was mine to give, belongs to you. I didn’t fall in love with you, Ellie. Falling implies it was an accident. I was a drowning man, sinking into the soundless abyss until you kissed me. You breathed life into my lungs, and I rose, gasping to the surface, my heart beating for the first time in centuries. Your fire lit the way for me to find you. I am intrinsically yours, bound to you, unwilling to untangle myself. There isn’t any amount of time long enough to show you how deeply I love you, but I will spend whatever time we have proving I mean every word. I love you, Ellie Whitemore.”

Fresh tears slid down her cheeks as she listened to his declaration. And for the first time, he knew she heard him. Listened to what his heart had been telling her from the start. His thumb wiped the tears that fell.

“Take me to bed, Evander.”

He claimed her lips in response.