Chapter 16 - Declan
“Ithink we should start there.”
The heavy moment between Aric and Star breaks and everyone turns to look at me.
“Start where?” Quaid asks.
“With them.” I point to Aric and Star. “Clearly, they have a strong connection. She saw Aric in the maze and they were already…” I pause here, tying to find the right words.
“They were already getting to know each other. And Aric saw her in the maze. Some kind of vision. They were talking to each other. Plus, he knew about her song. He knew the words.”
“No,” Aric is shaking his head. “She’s not gonna run the maze with me.”
“Why not?” Star asks.
“Why not?” Aric scoffs. “Because we’re gonna die, Star. Probably thousands of times. And I don’t want you to go through that. It’s… soul crushing. I would never ask you to help me. Not at that cost.”
Star smiles. “You didn’t ask. I offered.”
“All of this is pointless,” Quaid says. “We can talk about how to get out after we figure out the power structure. Aric, it’s not up to you. We’re all involved here. If Star wants to use her power to get us out of this maze, then I say yes.”
“You would,” Aric says. “You’re nothing but a selfish piece-of-shit mortal.”
“OK,” I say, stepping between them. Then I look at Aric. “He’s right, though. You’re jumping ahead. You and I need to figure out how our powers combine with Star’s.”
“Figure it out?” Quaid asks. “Figure what out? We’ve done that part. It’s… sexual.” And the strangest thing about these words he says, is the way he says them. Especially the last part. Because it comes with a bit of longing.
Which I understand, I guess. He’s been left out. He’s got no powers to share with Star so, he’s jealous. Maybe even feeling a thirst for her, as he hinted a few minutes ago, despite the growing animosity between them.
He’s also right. There’s no point in pretending. It is sexual. I mean, perhaps one could coax our powers into mingling with some exceptional feelings of joy or probably fear, as well.
But sex—it’s just too easy compared to that.
Not to mention more pleasurable.
“Go on,” I say, pushing Aric towards the bathroom. “It’s your turn.”
Star looks unabashedly excited about this, so I smile and point to her. “Aric, look at her. She wants you, bro. She wants you. Give her what she wants.”
“That’s not fair,” Star says. “I mean, I do want him.” Her gaze glides up to Aric’s and wow, she really does.
It’s like she’s picturing his cock inside her right now.
But then her eyes come back to me and they go a little lazy.
Half hooded, so to speak. Like she’s got a fantasy of me rolling around in her head as well.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you too. ”
Funny thing is, it’s my cock that gets hard here. Not Aric’s. I’m not ashamed to admit I looked. I reach for her, running my fingers through her long, dark hair. “I’ll be right here waiting when you’re done.”
She bites her lip, trying her best not to smile, but not entirely succeeding. And then, inside my head I hear her voice. Her thoughts, actually. If it were up to me, I’d take you both at once.
And it’s not just a fantasy on my part, because in this same instant, she blushes a very bright pink.
I chuckle. “Any time, darlin’. Just say the word.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Star says.
But she does. And she and I both know that.
There’s a connection being made here. Between her and I, and her and Aric and… I like it.
I like all of it.
“Go on,” I say, pushing Aric towards the bathroom again. “Quaid and I will hang out over here to give you two kids some privacy.”
But it’s not me who gets Aric’s feet moving, it’s Star. She takes him by the hand, encouraging him to follow her with a tug.
Quaid and I glance at each other as they disappear into the bathroom.
He opens his mouth to talk, but I hold a finger. “Bro, you’ll get your chance. Don’t worry.”
“What are you talking about?” he asks. “That’s not what I was thinking.”
I roll my eyes. “Right. Then what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking… well, wondering actually, if maybe we were all sent here at the same time for a reason.”
“Well, sure. We were all sent here to get Star.”
“Yeah. We were. But we were assuming that it was for different reasons. Or, at the very least, they were separate missions. But what if my god is working with your god—or goddess, as it is—and they’re both working with his.” He gives a chin nod in the direction of Aric.
“Why would they do that?”
“To see what happens? Because they must know something about Star. Something that makes her desirable. Other than her hot body.” Quaid adds this last part with a chuckle.
I point at him. “You like her. You’re being a dick, but you like her.”
He shrugs. “I’d hit that.”
And I laugh. “Yeah, so would I. I mean, there are worse things to be burdened with than a hot little demigoddess who lights up the room with glowing symbols and gets me more power when I work her up.”
He frowns. “All she does is break me.”
“Maybe,” I say, completely understanding his frustration. “I mean, obviously she is interfering with your glasses, that’s for sure. But you, Quaid?” I shake my head. “No. She doesn’t break you.”
“You don’t get it,” he says. “The glasses are me. They’re the only power I have.”
“You’re right, I don’t get you. I have no idea who you are. But Apollo sent you, Quaid. Which means you’re necessary. You should let that be enough for now.” Then I slap him on the shoulder. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To watch, of course.”
I snicker all the way over to the doorway of the bathroom and then lean up against the wall on one side, while Quaid leans up against the other.
“Shhhhh,” I say, putting a finger to my lips.
Then I peak around the corner.
Star and Aric are having one of those awkward sixth-grade, spin-the-bottle moments. In other words, acting like a couple of teenagers who both know they like each other, they're just not sure how to get from first to second base.
Aric mumbles something, which makes Star move in closer to him.
Her breasts press up against his chest as her hands move down to his waist and then slowly begin to explore his back.
Lucky bastard is already shirtless, having taken it off, so this skin-on-skin contact excites him enough to place his hands on her face and give in.
If it was ever a struggle in the first place.
Chills erupt all over his tattooed torso and I realize, I’m holding my breath, waiting for them to kiss.
It doesn’t disappoint. The moment their lips touch, all the reservations are gone.
Aric leans in, opening his mouth, and Star responds by leaning up on her tiptoes.
He holds her face in his hands and I’m actually getting excited, heart pounding in my chest, as Star’s fingertips play with the button on his jeans.
Next to me, Quaid exhales loudly. “Fuck, that shit is hot.”
And I’m about to laugh and agree, when the two lovers just… disappear.