Chapter 4 #2
False cheer lifted her voice. “Oh my gods, what a great idea. You know what I like best about it? The part where you included me in approximately zero of the decision-making process, barked marching orders at me, and still haven’t explained what you’re lying about.”
Aidan brought his hands together and leaned on his forearms. “That was hardly an order.”
“Sounded like one to me.”
“Then where do you think you should go first? Never mind that it’s traditional for you to visit the temple and be initiated, and to not do so would be a slap to the women and people who helped guide you home.” Dry amusement lifted his brows.
Elysia awkwardly paused. What? “I—I didn’t know that. And this isn’t home,” she muttered, hating that she kept running her mouth instead of just asking. She was on edge, still cranky about the marks and questionable guilt he didn’t seem keen to give her an answer about.
The hollows of Aidan’s face deepened. “Again, please ask if you would like to know something. I would have explained if you’d given me five seconds instead of assuming the worst.”
Unsure if he deserved her apology, she shrugged. “Habit.” For better or for worse, she was primed to attack at the first sign of being pushed around. It was unsurprising, really, given her history of being lied to and taken advantage of by every single man in her life.
Aidan’s gaze heated, his voice dropping lower until it rumbled, drawing her in far too easily with its rich sound. “Trust me, you’ll know if I’m giving you an order.”
That should be illegal. She unthinkingly clutched the counter as her body betrayed her with a heady slap of desire. Glaring, she dug in her heels. “I need to go to Kava. I have a few things to attend to before I go traipsing about the realms for your trinket.”
Dark humor crept into Aidan’s tone, and yet it sounded like a warning. “Is that so? You think it’s wise to return to the city of your near-execution so soon after?”
“There are things I need to do that are none of your business,” she shot back.
A fog of dark soot-stained magic crawled to her, lifting her chin, and forcing her gaze to his. The blue embers of heat in his eyes dashed out to ice as he promised her, “There is nothing for you in Kava anymore.”
His deathly tone swept through her, emptying her brain of every single decent thought. Looking away, she gathered up the wickedness inside her. She’d had endless practice with a mouthy prince after all. Rolling her words into a purr, she played with a god. “But there is someone.”
The fog disappeared in an instant. Aidan’s brows rose as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Marked disbelief filled his words. “What we are doing is more important than some boy who was never capable of loving you.”
“Who says I can’t do both?” She smiled flippantly, irritated at his response. She’d meant to provoke and instead he’d delivered a hit to both her heart and pride. Gods, couldn’t she even piss a man off properly anymore?
Aidan paused, visibly slowing himself down and speaking carefully.
His voice was strained. “While I am aware you said that to spite me—I hope you know you are worth infinitely more than what that undeveloped cretin has shown you. Regardless of how disappointing your desires are—I obviously won’t force you to go to the temple or stop you from seeing him.
” His fingers tapped against his opposite arm, but his mouth was shut tight, refraining from saying anything else.
Her stomach dropped, twisting as it went. People in her world didn’t talk like this. Pushing off the counter, her voice went rough. “Don’t you dare condescend to me about love or self-worth or who I desire. You wrecked your realm and my kingdom, remember?”
She stalked over to where he sat like a statue on his stool. Her thumb brushed over his cheek, fingers holding tight onto his jaw in a mimicry of his shadows. “You made a terrible deal with a monster and now you need me.”
Aidan tried to speak, but her voice sharpened, its goal evisceration and distance. “You’re a hypocrite. You mock the love I had for Topp, but there’s no threat of noose or sword here, and yet I imagine you’ll do the same as him. Lie, omit, betray.”
Aidan calmly shoved off the stool, crowding right back into her space.
Body warm against hers, his hands settled on her hips, his words a growl.
“I may have learned to communicate, but I spent my mortal life settling things the hard way with men far scarier than a little princess like you. I may talk sweet in your ear and ask all the right questions, but do not mistake that for weakness.”
Her fingers slid to his, but he clamped down harder on her hips.
“Ask me. Ask me about what you learned as you drank from my waters. Ask me anything and I’ll tell you, so long as the fates allow.”
Elysia’s defiance trickled away, leaving her uncertain. Turning her face from his, she found herself pressed against his neck, the scent of his skin drowning her senses.
“You’re guilty,” she whispered like a dagger. “And I’m going to find out why.”
She made to move, but Aidan held her there, his laugh a low rasp. “I’ll warn you now. I’ve been riddled with guilt for years—a little more won’t kill me if it means I get to keep you. But since you can’t bring yourself to ask, I’ll let you find out what you don’t know from the priestesses.”
Once again, she strained, trying to leave. His fingers dug in as her breath hitched. “Call me every name in the book, throw my mistakes in my face, but do not compare me to that pathetic creature again.”
She slipped out of his hold, annoyingly aware of her flushed cheeks, readjusted her clothing and put much needed space between them. “How do you know about me and him, anyway?”
Aidan glanced at her warily but appeared largely unrepentant as he bestowed one more shocking revelation for the day. “I kept an eye on you, of course.”
“You stalked me?”
Aidan exhaled through his nose as if she were being obtuse.
“I think I’ve already made it clear how much is at stake.
So yes, I had Grim and his reapers watch over you.
They aren’t allowed to interfere, and it brought me more anxiety than relief, but I still forced myself to watch over you nonetheless. ”
Her nose wrinkled, afraid to ask her next question. “How much did Grim and his reapers see?”
Aidan looked disgruntled at the insinuation, rubbing a hand over his face in exasperation. “Nothing inappropriate if that’s what you mean.”
Hand still over his mouth, she swore she heard him mutter. “I’d fucking kill him.”
Begrudgingly, he attempted to explain. “The fates restricted me, as well as every other past god of the dead, from leaving the Deathlands. Between me being unable to leave, and you being unable to access your magic or hold your form here, Grim and his reapers filled the gap.”
He shrugged as if the situation made such behavior acceptable.
“You need boundaries.” Gods knew what he had seen. She fought the urge to cringe—she didn’t owe him an apology for her life.
The skin near his eyes creased as he tried not to laugh and failed. Shaking his head, the dark melody of his voice became forthright and blunt. “Thorn, I would stalk you to the ends of the realms and back again. How’s that for honest?”
Her heart stuttered even as she eyed him like he was an insane person. She didn’t know why he was calling her Thorn, but she doubted it was for polite reasons. Clearing her throat, her Crown voice slipped out inadvertently. “That’s unhealthy. And I know unhealthy relationships, so…”
He fully gave in to his chuckle now, the sound leaving goosebumps on her neck. Aidan set his gaze on her, a dangerous gleam entering his eyes as he moved. She held a hand up. “No, you stay right over there. There’s been enough of…this for one day.”
He grinned. “Do I make you nervous?”
She tossed her head. “Hardly. You need house-training.”
Gaze locked on hers, his voice was a smooth, slow murmur. “What I’m about to say, I can repeat as many times as you need me to.”
Too much, too much. Warmth licked through her, unwieldy and unwelcome. She backed into a cabinet, the door smacking loudly against her head. “We can talk after the temple.”
Undeterred, his next words almost dropped her to her knees. “Damn the fates except for one thing. They might have never planned for you to reach me, but they made you mine.”
She started to protest, but scarred fingers covered her mouth.
“And if you hadn’t come? I would have stolen you through a crack in the earth and fed you with the truth of your belonging and power until you wanted to stay. Because even though you don’t see it, that’s what you deserve…love, adoration, power.”
Stunned, her voice was shaky as she pushed back on his chest. “That isn’t a normal thing to say, Aidan. Especially not to a stranger.”
Aidan stepped back, allowing her to pass with a smile playing at his lips and his blue eyes victorious. “Wouldn’t want you to be confused about where I stand. Besides, we’re not strangers—I stalked you, remember?”
Elysia moved stiffly as she left the kitchen, her head rampant with confusion. She stopped two feet out of the doorway, looking over her shoulder. “You don’t have to do that—convince me of something that isn’t there to motivate me. I meant it when I said I’d do my job.”