Chapter 19
NINETEEN
Jupiter
I woke up early the next morning feeling surprisingly energized.
After a quick text to Lydia, we decided to meet for a morning run with Tye tagging along.
I needed some time with my friends—my pre-Nightfall Shield friends—to clear my head and process everything that had happened, especially before Percy’s parents got here.
“You’re looking suspiciously good for someone who nearly died last week,” Lydia commented when I met them at the east trail entrance. She was already stretching, her dark curls pulled back in a tight ponytail.
I shrugged, trying to suppress the smile that threatened to give me away. “Good recovery, I guess.”
Tye’s eyes narrowed as he studied my face. “Uh-huh. That’s definitely your ‘I got laid’ face.”
“Shut up,” I muttered, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “Let’s just run.”
The trail wound through the forest surrounding Dominion, dappled sunlight breaking through the canopy overhead. We fell into an easy run, our footfalls synchronizing as we pushed deeper into the woods. The exercise felt amazing after being cooped up with healers hovering over me for days.
“So,” Lydia said after about twenty minutes, “are you going to tell us what’s going on with you and the Nightfall Shield? You’ve been living with them for what, two weeks now?”
I picked up my pace slightly, forcing them to work harder to keep up. “Nothing to tell.”
Tye snorted. “Yeah, right. Those guys look at you like you’re the last piece of chocolate cake at a birthday party.”
“Gross,” I said, but I couldn’t help laughing.
We ran another mile before reaching the small swimming hole nestled in a clearing.
It was one of Dominion’s hidden gems, a natural basin fed by an underground spring that kept it clear and surprisingly warm year-round.
The wards extended just past it, making it safe but feeling wonderfully secluded.
“Thank god,” Lydia gasped, already kicking off her shoes. “I’m dying of heat.”
We’d all worn swimsuits under our running clothes with exactly this plan in mind. I stripped down to my black bikini, while Lydia revealed a bright blue one-piece and Tye shed his shirt.
The water felt incredible as I dove in, the coolness shocking against my overheated skin. I surfaced with a gasp, pushing my wet hair back from my face.
“So,” Lydia said, treading water next to me, “are you going to spill now that we’re away from prying eyes and ears?”
I sighed, floating onto my back and staring up at the patches of blue sky visible through the trees. “What do you want to know, creep?”
“Everything,” she said immediately. “Are you officially their axis now? Is the bond permanent? Have you...” she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
I hesitated, then decided to just rip off the band-aid. “I’ve slept with three of them.”
Lydia’s eyes went so wide I thought they might pop out of her head. “THREE? Out of FOUR? In TWO WEEKS?”
“It just happened okay?”
“Things like that don’t ‘just happen,’ Jupiter!” She splashed water at me. “Which three? Wait, let me guess—Aiden for sure. And Draco. And... Eris?”
Shook my head, feeling my cheeks heat despite the cool water. “No Aiden yet. Well, not completely.” My whole face flushed hot as I remembered the feel of him coming hard down my throat last night.
“Holy shit,” she breathed, eyes bulging wide. “You fucked Percy Whitlock?!”
Tye, who had been floating nearby, shook his head with a laugh. “I knew those guys would be fucking goners once they spent any time with you. You’re too much for most men to handle.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, splashing him.
He grinned. “You’re a force of nature, Jupe. Always have been. They keep giving me these death glares whenever I see them, by the way,” he added, swimming closer. “Like they’re imagining creative ways to murder me.”
I laughed. “They probably think we’ve hooked up before. They’re kinda possessive.”
Tye made an exaggerated gagging noise. “God, no. No offense, Jupe, but that would be like kissing my sister.”
“None taken,” I assured him. There had never been anything romantic between Tye and me, not even a moment’s consideration on either side. Our friendship had always been purely platonic.
Lydia floated over to us. “Speaking of, how’s Kassie handling everything?” she asked Tye, referring to his very serious human girlfriend.
Tye’s expression darkened. “Not great. I still haven’t figured out how to tell her that I need to bond with a shield or form a new one soon. It feels like cheating, you know? Even though it’s not exactly the same thing.”
I watched the conflict play across his face, feeling guilty that my own bond—unexpected and initially unwanted—had fallen into place so easily when he was struggling with the inevitable choice between his zodiac responsibilities and his relationship.
“Have you thought about bringing her into the fold?” I suggested. “Telling her the truth about what you are?”
He sighed, staring up at the sky. “Every day. But you know the rules. Humans aren’t supposed to know unless they’re ready to be bonded to a zodiac, and even then, only after years of proven loyalty and conditioning to be able to handle magic.”
“Rules are made to be broken,” I said softly. “But I get it.”
We fell silent for a moment, floating in the clear water, the sunlight dancing across the surface.
“So,” Tye finally said, clearly wanting to change the subject, “what’s it like? Having four guys in your head all the time?”
I groaned. “Overwhelming. Irritating. It’s like never being alone, even when you’re by yourself. They can feel what I’m feeling, know when I’m upset or happy or...”
“Horny?” Lydia supplied helpfully.
“Yes, thank you, Lydia. That too.”
“They can’t feel you taking a shit, can they?” Tye asked in horror.
I choked, sitting up in the water and splashing him again. “Well now I have to ask!” The thought was momentarily horrifying. But it made me feel a bit better realizing that I hadn’t felt any of them take a shit, so I probably had my answer.
“And the sex?” Lydia pressed, wiggling her eyebrows again. “Scale of one to ten.”
I ducked under the water to hide my blush, but when I resurfaced, they were both staring at me expectantly.
“Eleven,” I admitted. “Maybe twelve.”
Lydia whooped so loudly that birds scattered from nearby trees. “I KNEW IT!”
Tye covered his ears. “TMI, ladies. TMI.”
“Oh please,” Lydia scoffed. “Like you haven’t been wondering too.”
“I really haven’t,” he assured her, but he was grinning. “Though I am curious about one thing. Do they know about each other? Like, are they aware when you’re with one of them?”
I sank lower in the water, only my eyes above the surface. “They can feel it through the bond,” I mumbled after coming back up. “All of them can. It’s super intense.”
“Holy shit,” Lydia breathed. “That’s like... the ultimate voyeurism.”
“It’s not like that,” I protested, though I wasn’t entirely sure that was true. “It’s just part of the bond. Eventually we’ll learn to block certain things, but right now everything’s still new.”
Tye whistled low. “No wonder they look like they want to murder me. They probably think I’ve seen you naked.”
“Which you haven’t,” I clarified quickly.
“Thank god for that,” he agreed emphatically.
We swam for another hour, the conversation drifting to other topics—classes, the upcoming combat trials, Lydia’s ongoing flirtation with Rafe and his shield.
As we finally climbed out of the water, exhausted but refreshed, I caught Tye looking at me with an unexpectedly serious expression.
“What?” I asked, wringing water from my hair.
“Are you happy?” he asked quietly. “With them, I mean. Is this what you want?”
I considered the question carefully. A few weeks ago, I would have said absolutely not. A week ago, I might have been unsure. But now...
“I think so,” I said, surprising myself. “It’s not what I expected or planned for, but... yes. I’m happy? Maybe.”
He nodded, seeming satisfied. “Good. Because if they hurt you, I’ll kill them all, and I don’t care how many fancy medals they’ve won.”
I laughed, throwing my arms around him in a wet hug. “I know you would.”
As we gathered our things and prepared to head back to campus, I felt a familiar tug in the back of my mind—four familiar presences stirring with varying degrees of curiosity and possessiveness.
“Speak of the devils,” I murmured.
“They checking in?” Lydia asked knowingly.
I nodded. “They do that. Usually when I’ve been gone too long.”
“Territorial much?” Tye commented.
“You have no idea,” I said with a laugh. “Come on, let’s head back before they send out a search party.”
Through our bond, I sent a simple message. I’m coming home.
The response was immediate, four separate emotions washing over me—relief, anticipation, desire, and contentment. But under it, there was a hint of wariness, coming from Percy. I was reminded, like a bucket of ice water on my head, that his parents were due to arrive soon.