Daemon Grudge

by Stacey Brutger

  “The stone won't hurt me.” The men turned to stare at her with various expressions ranging from denial to are you fucking crazy? “Pythia told me the stone won't kill me, and I believe her.”

  Hope surged through him, but he ruthlessly crushed it. That just meant she could die by something else before the stone had a chance. Warrick crouched, doing his best not to scoop her into his arms and run. He desperately wanted to believe her, but Eldon’s death was too fresh. “What else did she say?”

  Those beautiful blue eyes of hers captured his, her lilac smell luring him closer, and he couldn’t stop his hand from coming to rest on her knee, needing to touch her. His fingers brushed against her leg, reassuring himself that she was all right.

  She was still alive.

  “That if we want to survive, I need to learn how to use my abilities. War is coming, and if I fail, we all die.” Determination hardened her sweet voice, and it took him a second to process her words.

  Instant denial shot through him, and he straightened his spine.

  No harm would come to her, not while he had breath in his body.

  Warrick scanned the pit, noticed the stares, but didn’t sense any overt threat. He glanced at Nikos. “Were you able to mask her abilities before anyone else detected anything?”

  The last thing they needed was to have any of the demigods get curious and investigate.

  Nikos shook his head. “I only noticed something was wrong because I was touching her at the time. If I hadn’t seen her eyes change, I would never have guessed anything was wrong.”

  Atticus stared at the girl like she would disappear if he blinked. If she so much as moved wrong, his beast would burst out of his skin and hunt her down. While Warrick could understand his fascination, shared it himself, he didn’t like the way the wolf had laid claim to the girl.

  No one could know how important she was to them.

  They couldn’t risk letting anyone else take interest in her. It was bad enough when Travers and his team recognized her. They needed to keep her presence secret long enough to teach her how to protect herself.

  Sharp interest sparked in Keegan’s eyes. The guy could seduce any woman he wanted—he found them easy prey—but something about the way he watched Octavia showed more than just a mild curiosity. She was a combination of mystery and pure stubbornness, something he wouldn’t be able to resist unravelling and claiming as his own.

  Not to mention she was fucking beautiful.

  Warrick and the rest of the guys had been out of the daemon underground for years and weren’t as sharp as they needed to be, not if they wanted to keep her safe from the rest of the daemons. The guys were scattered, not as focused as they should to be—the girl was getting under their skin, and it needed to stop.

  “Nikos and Atticus, stay with Octavia, run her through the most common abilities. We need to learn if she’s a mimic, or if she is more, as you suspect.” He rose to his feet, conscious of how the girl seated in front him made his protective instincts roar to life, his skin practically able to feel her nearness and crave her touch. “Keegan, you and I will work with the others and weed out the biggest threats. We’ll modify her training once we learn about the competition.”

  Octavia rose to her feet, her narrowed eyes on him, and his cock hardened further. It was all he could do not to pin her to the wall and taste her. The other guys sensed the tension, each of them becoming more alert, as if they were going to fight him for her affection.

  She was messing with his well-balanced life.

  Their lives.

  The last thing the team needed was to fracture and fight each other over a woman.

  They needed ground rules. He wouldn’t risk them losing their lives over a woman, even one as distracting as Octavia. When he turned and walked away from her, it felt wrong, like he was leaving part of himself behind, which pissed him off even more.

  He needed to find a way to get her out of his system, because he couldn’t risk her figuring out a way to burrow into his soul. He was in charge of keeping his team safe—and a girl like her would consume his thoughts until nothing else mattered.

  As much as he wanted to get burned, he didn’t have that luxury, not if he wanted to keep them alive and stop a war that threatened to destroy them all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Octavia watched Warrick stride away without acknowledging her, and she hated that it hurt. His opinion shouldn’t matter, but the rejection stung. Keegan stepped in front of her, blocking her view, and she tipped her head back, suddenly alert and wary.

  His lips curved just a tiny bit, as if he could read her thoughts, and she tried to ignore the way her heart leapt at his nearness. A calm surrounded him that belied the turbulent emotions she saw sparking in his eyes. He loved the challenge, the mystery she represented.

  She wanted to duck away from his scrutiny, knowing he would only be disappointed when he discovered that she wasn’t who they all assumed.

  She wasn’t the savior of the world.

  He already knew all her secrets.

  She’d been on the run for most of her life. She didn’t have time to become anyone but a person determined to survive.

  “Be patient with him,” Keegan murmured. “We’ve become compliant in the past decade, moving through life but not living it. You’ve shaken up his carefully planned world. Give him time to get used to your presence. He’s going to be a prickly asshole, but he’s worth the wait.”

  Before she could stutter a reply, he winked, turned on his heel, and strode after his commander.

  “Wait—what?!” she called after him.

  Nikos snorted, then grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet, and dragged her to the opposite side of the pit. “Ignore him. Keegan has a weird way of flirting. It’s an acquired taste.”

  Octavia allowed herself to be pulled away, her brain too tangled to think clearly. “Flirting?” She glanced over her shoulder and squinted at Keegan in confusion.

  Atticus trailed behind her, giving her a nod. “He’s right. Watch how they interact with the other trainees.”

  She stopped walking and the guys came to stand on either side of her. They stood so close their arms brushed against hers. She didn’t think it was a conscious decision on their part, more like they felt the same need to be close to her as she did to them. Her mind screamed at her that she needed to step back, maintain her distance, but she couldn’t get over the idea Pythia had whispered to her…mates.

  A yearning so deep it cracked open in her chest swelled, threatening to drown her in the avalanche of emotions. She ached to be part of the bond the guys shared, the certainty that someone would have her back no matter what stupid shit she pulled.

  She shook off her fanciful thoughts and turned toward Warrick and Keegan.

  It only took her a minute to see what they meant.

  Any hint of the Keegan and Warrick she knew vanished. If she thought Warrick was an ass when she first met him, she was wrong. Both men were in full warrior mode, neither of them pretending the kids were anything but an annoyance to them. Instead of training, they would select students and put them on the ground in seconds. Then do it again and again without showing any hint of emotion.

  They were ruthless, not caring that the kids were trainees. Warrick barked orders while Keegan systematically beat his opponents to a pulp. There was no amusement, no communication, no hint of softness in either man.

  Not that the trainees were putting up much of a fight. Most of them watched in awe, like the two guys were celebrities, a number of them clustered in the back to avoid being noticed. A brave few smirked, thinking they could take the two, but it only took her a glance to know they were no competition.

  She didn’t understand it. Though her curiosity was killing her, she refrained from asking either of the guys why she was treated differently. It wasn’t that they were any gentler with her. If anything, they pushed her harder.

  She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.

  “Co
me—let’s see what other abilities you’ve got hidden.” Nikos nudged her away from watching the duo fight since she was too mesmerized to pay any attention to what he just said.

  It took more of an effort than it should to tear her eyes away, triggering a physical pain, like someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her lungs while she turned and gave them her back.

  Atticus and Nikos stood with legs apart, arms crossed, both of them observing her. Then Nikos gave a nod, as if deciding where to start. “There are nine main Greek abilities passed on through the bloodlines, plus a few minor ones that are mainly extinct or so weak they’re not worth mentioning.”

  “Every daemon has one specialty, along with one or two minor abilities. Most of the time they’re passed down through the bloodlines, but a wild card does pop up now and then.” Atticus pointed his thumb to himself. “I’m of Heraclides descent, which means I’m strong enough to crush rock or bend steel. You’ve seen my Lycoan beast—we’re like wolves, but faster and more cunning. My fighting abilities come from the Spartans.”

  Octavia pursed her lips as she absorbed the information, then turned toward Nikos. “You’re the healer.”

  Nikos nodded. “My main abilities are Atlantean, which encompasses water and healing. I also have a touch of Maenads, which helps with the healing—herbs and potions. I can tell by touching plants and potions what can be used to heal and what can kill. I’m also Spartan like him,” he pointed toward Atticus. “But I’m more nimble.”

  He wiggled his brows suggestively, and she snorted at his antics, rolling her eyes, not willing to admit that she was charmed. Not wanting to encourage him, she quickly quashed her smile and looked over her shoulder at the others. “And them?”

  “Our team is unique…we’re the only group who has been touched by each of the gods. Most daemons with similar abilities are attracted to their own.” Atticus nodded to the trainees around the room, and she noted people were standing in small clusters.

  “If you concentrate hard enough, you should be able to sense those with abilities similar to yours.” Nikos surveyed the pit, then his eyes narrowed at the twenty or so people who were watching Warrick and Keegan, before turning back toward her. “Scan them and tell me what you read.”

  Octavia turned, immediately finding and locking onto the guys, drawn to their raw power. She waited for instinct to take over, waited for recognition to set in. Though her skin warmed, she didn’t know enough about the abilities to decipher what she was feeling.

  Instead, she watched the way they moved, instantly identifying it. “Warrick is Spartan, but not Keegan. He moves too gracefully. He said he was Moerae, Atlantean, and Amazon.” She wasn’t sure which one allowed him to move like that, but she was very aware of her desire stirring as she watched.

  “You’re sensing the Amazonian in him. They’re more assassins than foot soldiers, so silent they don’t even disturb the air around them. It’s one of his weaker traits or they wouldn’t have allowed him to remain on our team. Amazonians are too valuable.” Nikos came to stand next to her. “What else?”

  “Atlantean means Keegan has the ability to heal like you.” She turned in time to see Nikos raise an eyebrow in surprise, then he puffed up like an offended cat.

  “No one can heal like me, darling.” His brown eyes shimmered with amber, the smell of sun and beaches distracting her. Damned if his smarmy smile didn’t make her feel all warm and fluttery, and she quickly scowled, refusing to allow herself to fall for the deranged psycho.

  Determined to ignore him, she changed the topic. “What are the Moerae?”

  “They are soothsayers, although some people call them the Fates.” Atticus shoved Nikos out of the way with a swipe of his palm and took his place. “It’s the reason Keegan is the tactician of the team. He relies on intuition, and can tell the best options to take to keep us alive and ensure the mission is successful. He has a constant need for information, hence you will normally find his nose buried in a book.”

  Octavia suppressed her smile when she saw Nikos glare at the big guy for usurping his spot, and she knew the wolf would pay for it later. “What about Warrick?”

  She steered the conversation back to the topic, hoping to distract Nikos. He tore his gaze away from Atticus and gave her a devilish smile that made her gulp.

  “Can’t you tell?” He lifted a brow at her, being an obnoxious shit.

  She crossed her arms, refusing to let him antagonize her. She turned toward Warrick, struck once again by his commanding presence. The trainees watched him, hanging on his every word, something clicked in her brain, and she wanted to growl. “He uses his charisma to bend people into doing what he wants.”

  He fucking oozed sex appeal.

  Even from this distance, she could see lust gleaming in the eyes of the few girls in the pit. While it didn’t affect the men the same way, they still fell under the influence. They wanted to be like him.

  “You’re close. He’s part Nereid, or what some might consider a sea nymph.” Nikos smirked at her. “If he really turns on the charm, he can reduce someone to a puddle of lust in under a minute…” He leaned closer, heat warming his brown eyes as he whispered to her in a seductive voice that made her shiver. “…all without touching them.”

  Ugh…she wanted to smack him for even saying it out loud.

  It was her worst fear.

  She wished she could blame her attraction to Warrick on him manipulating her with his particular magic, but if he used it on her, she doubted it was intentional. While the attraction didn’t feel natural, it wasn’t because of him.

  No, she suspected Keegan was right…her own magic was working against her.

  Son of a bitch.

  “What else?” She glared at Warrick, and he turned, catching her staring at him, as if sensing her rising anger.

  Atticus reached out and smacked Nikos on the back of the head before the dickhead could dance away. The wolf edged closer to her, silently offering her comfort, and she found herself leaning in to him before she caught herself.

  “He’s a strong gorgon, which means he can cause an opponent to freeze if he looks into their eyes.” Atticus gazed at her earnestly, his voice a soothing rumble, belying his alarming statement.

  “He can turn people to stone?” She whipped around and gaped at Warrick like a simpleton, quickly dropping her gaze to avoid his eyes when she found him staring at her. A massive scowl darkened his face, and she resisted the urge to look into his eyes again.

  The attraction of the forbidden—know you shouldn’t do something, and your mind automatically wanted to do it.

  “No, of course not.” Atticus snorted at the absurdity.

  She spun, barely resisting the urge to smack him, planting her hands on her hips to resist the temptation, and pinned him under her glare. “Explain.”

  His eyes widened, as if she just realized she was furious. “Mind control. He can force a person to freeze. If he really exerts himself, he can make some people obey simple commands. The stronger the will, the less they can be manipulated. It’s like hypnosis…some people are susceptible, while others just aren’t.”

  Her soul shriveled at the idea of anyone being able to control her with just a look. Her skin crawled with the need to escape, her heart skipping a beat, and she struggled to hold her panic at bay.

  She wasn’t aware that she took a step away from them until Nikos appeared in front of her, capturing her face in his hands. “You’re one of the few who are immune.”

  She blinked at him while his words slowly penetrated.

  Relief flooded her, and she locked her knees to keep her legs from folding.

  Then understanding hit her with the force of a sledgehammer.

  “He tried to control me?” Anger slammed into her like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her, heat burning up her insides as magic tried to surge out of her. She shouldn’t be surprised, but a sharp pain still tore through her at the betrayal.

  Nikos’s eyes widened in al
arm, and he hastily stumbled away. She didn’t have to guess to know her eyes were glowing. The magic in her bones snaked through her system with the need to destroy and rampage, and she struggled to rein in her rioting emotions.

  Nikos held up his hands as if to hold her back, giving a playful smile. “Of course he tried it. You’re a pretty girl. It’s the only way he can get dates. In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s a complete ass.”

  Against her will, a snort escaped her, and part of her anger evaporated even though she tried to hold onto it. “Fine. I’ll deal with him later.” Images of her fist planting in his face, the crunch of bones came to mind, and she shook it off. “Train me.”

  Pythia told her if she wanted to survive, she needed to be able to control her abilities. Due to her unusual circumstances, the guys were the only ones able to help her. She was stuck. But she would no longer be distracted by their pretty faces or their sculpted bodies, each with enough sex appeal to make Aphrodite’s panties wet.

  Atticus pushed Nikos aside, then proceeded to pummel the crap out of her for the next two hours, while Nikos gave her instructions for how to use her abilities to trounce the wolf, who moved just a little too fast and hit a little too hard.

  It didn’t take long to learn her powers worked more by instinct than by any design. Bruised and battered, she held up her hands in defeat. “This isn’t working. My powers are protecting me, but I need to learn how to call on them even when I’m not in danger.”

  She glanced at both of them, her chest heaving as she worked to get air into her lungs. Though she didn’t manage to knock Atticus out, she took pride in noticing his rumpled appearance.

  He’d stopped holding himself back within the first hour, his green eyes sparkling at the challenge she represented, his white teeth gleaming in his dark, reddish-black beard, and it was all she could do not to nip at his lips, craving the taste of the pure joy emanating from him.

  “That will have to wait.” Keegan came to a stop at her side, not bothering to acknowledge her. “We’ve been given an assignment.”