Chapter 22
CORDELIA
‘You look dangerously sexy in that dress,’ Si said as we walked, his hand finding the small of my back. ‘I will have you, Little Red. I can fulfil your every desire; spend all night unravelling your every curiosity—if you'd let me.’
His eyes sparkled with mischief, and blood surged to my cheeks... and other, more delicate places. Great. Now my nipples were tingling.
Awesome.
‘You really don’t know when to stop, do you?’ I asked, aiming for calm and missing by a mile.
He leaned in closer, his voice a low murmur at my ear. ‘I’m going to spank your pert ass and suck on your throbbing clit. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’ A heated curl twisted low in my belly, and goosebumps prickled my flesh.
‘Let’s stop with the sex talk, shall we?’ I said tightly. ‘I liked you better when you wanted to throttle me.’
‘That’s fear talking,’ he whispered, his breath ghosting over my skin.
‘Soon it’ll be violence,’ I snapped. ‘So button it, or I’ll make your immortal life hell.’
He chuckled, completely unbothered. ‘You already do… but I like it.’ His voice dipped.
‘You want me, Cordelia. I can taste it when you're near. Sweet and sharp—like cherries in the rain.’ His voice was like sin and smoke.
‘Would you like me to fuck that warm cunt, Cordelia?’ I blinked several times, at a loss for words, but carried on walking.
He was a walking storm cloud of temptation and chaos, and worse—he knew it.
‘If you weren’t such a volatile god, I’d dick-punch you.’
‘Ah, foreplay.’
‘Ugh. No. Just… no.’
We stepped through massive bifold doors into a wide, open space. ‘You can’t fight it forever. Your greedy pussy wants my cock.’
That did it—my pulse jumped, traitorous and loud in my ears. He knew exactly what he was doing, and worse, so did I.
Anger flared, hot and immediate—not just at him, but at myself. At how easily he could slip past my walls with a look, a word, a tone that slid under my skin like silk and saltwater.
I’d built myself out of steel and spite, and somehow he was the only one who made it feel like armour could melt.
I hated that. Hated him for knowing it.
I didn’t stop moving, but I did lift the hem of my dress, pull my blade from its thigh strap, and, without missing a beat, drove it into his side.
He barely flinched; his side would be healed within minutes, but his expensive shirt was toast. I wiped the blood on his shirt and slid the knife back into its sheath.
‘Your shirt’s ruined,’ I said coolly.
He glanced down and chuckled darkly. ‘Worth it.’ His stormy blue-green eyes shone with amusement. Damn him.
I spotted Sephy waving and made my way towards her as Si went to chat to Hades and a group of men.
‘Did you just stab him?’ Sephy asked as I stopped in front of her, eyes wide with a mix of horror and glee.
Damn, I didn’t think anybody had seen my lapse in composure. She snorted, then laughed—actually looking pleased… weirdly enough.
‘He makes me so furious,’ I whispered through gritted teeth. ‘I think I need to go home and lock myself up. I may have a rage problem. A big rage problem.’ I blew out a ragged breath. ‘Maybe the cure is meditation. I should enrol in a class or two. I might need something peaceful and less stabby.’
Sephy pressed her lips together, fighting a smile.
‘He deserves it,’ she said, and I squinted at her, but she continued unbidden, tilting her head, eyebrows lifted. ‘So… any particular reason Ixion hired you to assassinate the king of the sea?’
I gave a half-shrug. ‘I’m the best in the world. I learned from the best and have had a crap ton of experience.’
A grin almost split her face. ‘I’ve wanted to kill that man more times than you can imagine.’ She raised a hand for a high-five. I squinted at her again, unsure, but she gave me an encouraging nod, so I slapped her hand lightly.
‘Why?’ I asked under my breath.
‘Because he’s an egocentric dickface… And his temper?
Oh man! He’s even worse than Hades, before I kicked his ass into shape.
’ I spurted a laugh. ‘With you, though, he’s different.
’ She regarded me with a frown, her tone turning thoughtful.
‘Anyhoo, I have a feeling we’re gonna become besties.
’ She winked and handed me a glass of wine. ‘Cheers.’
We clinked glasses just as a beautiful woman with a radiant, terracotta-brown complexion and flowing black hair materialised out of thin air, making me yelp.
‘Bronte!’ Sephy squealed, flinging her arms around the stranger.
‘What the… ’ I breathed, staring wide-eyed at the stunning woman.
Sephy waved a breezy hand in my direction. ‘Cordie, meet one of my best friends, Bronte. Bronte’s a mage. She travels through teleportation gateways. Don’t worry, it’s totally normal.’
Yeah, totally normal. Of course it was.
‘Good to meet you, Cordie,’ Bronte said, her voice pure velvet.
She tilted her head as she gave me a slow once-over; her incandescent golden-brown eyes were warm, curious, but not judgy.
Her midnight-black hair flowed in waves to her waist, and her tailored trouser suit hugged every curve of her spectacular figure like it had been stitched by actual gods.
‘So, you’re the woman who has caught the eye of the fractious god of the sea?’ Bronte’s golden-brown eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked me over again, like I was both a puzzle and an answer.
I blinked. ‘Apparently. I must’ve lost a bet in a past life.’
She laughed… a deep, smooth sound that made her seem even more regal. ‘Or won one, depending on your taste for chaos.’
‘Oh, I’m all stocked up on chaos, thanks.’
Sephy spluttered into her wine. ‘You have no idea how much. I still can’t believe he didn’t kill you after you tried to assassinate him. He must have it bad!’ Her tinkling laughter rang out like wind chimes on a summer breeze.
I groaned and covered my face with one hand. ‘Can we not bring that up like it’s a funny anecdote?’
‘Oh, honey, it is a funny anecdote,’ Sephy grinned, clearly delighted.
Bronte raised an elegant brow. ‘You did try to kill him.’
‘In my defence, I was doing my job,’ I muttered into my wine.
‘And now you’re drinking wine with him and flirting at parties?’ Bronte’s eyes gleamed. ‘You move fast.’
‘She stabbed him again tonight,’ Sephy helpfully added.
Bronte looked way too pleased. ‘I like her already.’
‘Half the divine pantheon is obsessed with you,’ Sephy said a little too cheerily. ‘And the other half’s waiting for the drama to unfold.’
Bronte sipped her wine, then grinned. ‘I, for one, live for drama, and you, Cordelia, are giving main-character vibes.’
‘I didn’t exactly sign up for all this. It’s a fucking nightmare,’ I muttered sullenly.
Sephy leaned in, eyes glittering with mischief, her grin sharp enough to cut glass. ‘No, Cordie. It’s not a nightmare, it’s karma. You’re his karma, and trust me, there’s a difference.’
‘And probably his future aneurysm. Honestly, it’s romantic,’ Bronte added with a smirk.
I groaned. ‘I need new friends.’
Sephy and Bronte clinked their glasses together. ‘Too late.’
Thanatos joined us with Hecate, Perseus, and three men I’d never seen before.
‘This is Charon,’ Thanatos said, gesturing to the striking stranger.
So this was Charon—the guy myths painted as a creepy old boatman.
His Achilles-like golden hair tumbled around his shoulders, and his unfathomable honey-brown eyes shimmered with curiosity as his gaze met mine. I smiled politely and shook his hand.
‘And I’m Dionysus,’ said a large man, squeezing between them, his voice rich with amusement.
The god of wine and pleasure. Honestly, finally—a job description I could get behind.
Dionysus was effortlessly dashing, with a roguish smile and an air of mischief that clung to him like expensive cologne.
He wore tight leather pants and a garishly bright Hawaiian shirt that hugged his Corinthian shoulders like it had been tailored by a drunken god with excellent taste.
‘Hello Cordelia. We’ve heard a lot about you.
I’m Hermes.’ The third man stepped forward.
Hermes was tall, with wavy, chin-length auburn hair and a neatly trimmed beard.
His topaz eyes sparkled with mirth, and the corners of his mouth twitched in a knowing smile as he cocked his head.
Hermes was god of speed and messages, and from the way he grinned at me, I figured half of Olympus’s drama probably started with him whispering shit just to see what happened. Honestly? I liked him already.
I noticed Charon giving Bronte full-on puppy dog eyes, like she hung the stars and moon and probably made his coffee in the morning. I smirked. The poor guy was a goner.
She, of course, was utterly oblivious. A walking, talking siren in stilettos, and completely unaware she was leaving a trail of heart-eyed immortals in her wake.
Sephy leaned towards me, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. ‘Charon’s staring at Bronte like he wants to write sonnets about her.’
I almost choked on my wine.
‘Should we tell her?’ I asked, glancing at Bronte, who was currently explaining portal physics to Hermes with terrifying enthusiasm.
‘Nah,’ Sephy said, sipping her drink with a wicked glint in her eye. ‘Let’s see how long it takes before he actually speaks in full sentences around her.’
I grinned. Poor Charon.
‘Apparently,’ I mused to Sephy, ‘gods can alter their language intrinsically to suit anywhere they go. Can you do that?’
‘No idea.’ She gave a half-shrug. ‘I told you, I’m still new to this whole god business.’
‘Cordelia,’ Erebus’s smooth voice came from behind me, rich and velvety as smoke.
I turned, pulse skipping, because of course the god of darkness was stupidly beautiful. Eyes like a thousand stars in an inky black void, and a smile sharp enough to cut. Great. Just what I needed.
‘So you belong to Poseidon, huh?’ His tone was silk, threaded with something darker.