Chapter Thirty-Seven
A week passed in Greece. We slept in Fira but Hermes transported us to different places daily. We ate in a new country for every meal. America for breakfast (they did breakfast best), Italy for lunch, and Istanbul for dinner. He kept us moving as if afraid that if we stopped for too long, he might be forced to admit that there was no going backward. We would never be what we once were. And Hermes didn't want that either. He just wanted me to stay his, waiting around for him to see me on his terms. This farce about trying to make me forget the hounds was just his way of holding onto me without guilt.
The thing was, when Hermes did accept that I wouldn't forget the others, I wasn't sure how he'd react. He could get violent, force me to stay, or maybe he'd surprise me and let me go. I wasn't holding out a lot of hope for that last one.
“Come in the water,” Hermes called to me.
I was on a blanket on the beach while Hermes was in the water. What beach? I had no idea. It was on one of the Greek islands. I didn't recognize it since it wasn't one of the touristy spots. This was a private beach, secured by the staff of the Sea Nymph—Hermes's private yacht. Their boats were pulled up on the sand, but Hermes had brought me there with magic. Some of the staff guarded the tree line, only fifteen feet or so from the water, and others brought us refreshments whenever Hermes so much as crooked a finger.
“I don't feel like swimming,” I said petulantly.
This strange captivity had gone on for too long. I worried about my guys. Were they still in Spokane? Had they continued their search for Michael? They'd have to go back to Seattle soon. They couldn't leave such a large metropolitan area unguarded for long. Souls other than Michael could be causing problems.
“Don't make me swim alone.” The steel in Hermes's voice had been sliding in more regularly as patience had been fading from mine.
I got up with a sigh and pulled off my cover-up. Beneath it, I was wearing a string bikini—something I never would have purchased for myself. Hermes had picked it out. As he had been choosing all of my clothes lately. After that first shopping spree, where he had merely made some suggestions, our shopping trips had become all about him. What he wanted to buy for himself and me. It was a glaring sign that he was done trying to woo me.
Now, Hermes was turning up the heat. Slowly making me his belonging again. His slave. Gone was the sweetness and tears. The sweet words and romance. Every day brought more commands. Small commands, but orders nonetheless. Like this one, veiled as a request. I knew what he was working up to.
One of these nights, Hermes would command me to make love to him.
It would be such a subtle shift, such a small step from what he was doing, that he'd be able to convince himself that it wasn't force. That's right, it had stopped being about convincing me and started being about convincing himself. It shouldn't have surprised me. It was always about Hermes. Even when he said those sweet things to me, it had been about him. I'm not saying they were lies. In fact, I was certain they weren't. But when Hermes wanted something, he used everything in his power to get it. Even his true emotions. Every good conman will tell you a con works better with a little truth woven in.
I walked across the warm sand, the sun bright overhead. Even the water was a pleasant temperature—not too cold, just cool enough to be refreshing. I waded in slowly, watching Hermes watch me. Skin gleaming, hair slicked back, and water dripping from him, he was stunning. But I only saw my hounds when I looked at him. Or rather, I saw the ways in which they were better than him. Every feature got compared to theirs and even his perfection couldn't assure him a win. I didn't want perfection anymore. I wanted the perfect imperfection of the Hounds of Hades. I wanted the rough angles of their jaws, the jewels of their eyes, the varied feel of their hands on me, and the beautiful buffet of their bodies. Three was better than one, even when the one was a god.
“Lomasi!” someone shouted.
I turned, heart racing at the sound of Braxen's voice. And there they were, running across the beach toward me. The staff tried to stop them and got mowed down for their efforts.
“No,” I whispered. Then I shouted, “No! Don't come any closer! Turn back!”
But Hermes was already emerging from the water, his expression one of pure hatred. His arms spread, hands sparking with magic as water sluiced from him, turning the magic into rainbows.
“No!” I screamed and jumped in front of Hermes.
Just as he released his attack.
The blast hit me, sending me tumbling. I rolled to a stop before the Hounds. They cried out and dove for me.
“I'm fine,” I said breathlessly. I wasn't fine, but I would be. The wound in my back was bad. I could tell by the pain and blood gushing around me. But I'd heal. If Hermes got a hold of them, they would not. “Go! You have to go! He'll kill you!”
“Get away from her!” Hermes roared and sent another blast of magic at Rune.
“Rune!” I screamed as he flew backward, away from me.
Braxen and Merrick rose slowly to their feet, teeth bared.
Hermes drew back a hand.
“Hurt them, and I will never forgive you!” I shouted at Hermes.
Hermes glanced at me, eyes narrowing. Magic gathered around his hand. Rune groaned, but I couldn't look away from Hermes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brax and Merrick prepare to pounce.
“I will cut your fucking head off while you sleep, Hermes!” I snarled, trying to claw my way upright.
Everyone went still.
“What did you just say to me?” Hermes whispered.
Groaning, I sat up. Braxen hurried to help me.
“I said, stay away from her!” Hermes was suddenly beside me and shoved both men away. Just a push from his hands, and they flew even further than Rune had.
“Damn you!” I punched Hermes in the face even as he bent to pick me up.
His head turned with the blow, but he didn't drop me. In fact, his hand on my back healed me instantly. “Do not fight me, Lomasi.”
“Oh, I'll fight you until the day you're forced to kill me if you hurt those men. You'll never be able to spend a single night with me without worrying about whether I'll attack you while you sleep. No peace, Hermes. Not with me. Not ever again. We will be enemies.”
“Lora,” Rune called weakly.
I glanced at him, just long enough to assure myself that he would live, then steadied myself and looked at Hermes. “But if you let them go, I'll be yours again.”
Hermes blinked. “As we were before? You will not hold back?”
“Yes.”
“No!” Brax snarled as he climbed to his feet. He stumbled, then collected himself, preparing to charge us like a fucking bull.
“Take us back to the ship. Now,” I said, knowing better than to ask him to take me to Fira. If my hounds had found me on that beach, they could find me in Hermes's home. I had to get onto the water.
Hermes lifted his head and looked at the humans who were still standing. They were gaping at us. I knew they knew about Hermes, most of them had been with him for years, but this was probably the first time they'd seen immortals fight.
“Help the wounded into the boats and get back to the ship,” he said to them. “Leave everything else.”
Braxen started to run. As he ran, he shifted into a massive white hound and then that hound went spectral. It was a smart move. In that form, Hermes couldn't touch him, not even with magic. But he couldn't stay a ghost dog forever.
“Now, Hermes!” I growled.
“Not until the humans are on their way. I don't want your puppy dogs following them.”
I looked from him to Braxen. He was closing the distance fast.
“Braxen, stop!” I cried.
Brax didn't stop. His stare was fixed on me and his ghostly expression was carved in stone. Just before he reached us, he slammed into an invisible barrier. With a howl, he fell back and became physical. But he got back to his feet instantly and clawed at the ward. Meanwhile, Merrick got up and dashed in a wide arch, trying to get around the ward. He wound up near the staff who were helping their dazed friends get into the boats. But Hermes had cut the whole beach in half with his ward, and Merrick hit it too.
“I love you,” I said to Braxen. That love burst inside my chest. It felt tangible, so massive that my body couldn't contain it. For a second, I swear I could feel all of them. It was as if our love connected us. Their hearts beat in time with mine until it was only one heartbeat. I gasped through the profound feeling and turned to look at Merrick, “I love you.” Then finally, I met Rune's stricken stare. “I love you enough to let you go.”
The boats slid into the water and after a few seconds, the sound of engines started. The humans sped away.
“No!” Rune cried. “Lomasi! Don't do this!”
“We were cursed from the start, Rune. Destined to fail. Maybe the magic will find you someone else.”
Hermes made a low, furious sound, then took us back to the ship.