She knelt next to Cerberus, not caring that blood soaked her jeans. He was lying on the ground in his dog form, whimpering.
Lexi pulled one head into her lap and stroked his ears. “I’m so sorry.” She wanted to say it over and over again until the words accomplished something. They never would. She rubbed one of his necks instead.
“I have a place you can go,” Apollo said. “I can’t guarantee it will hide you for long, but it will buy you a little time.”
“We only need time to finish the prison for Hades.” That was Icarus. Why were they talking like nothing was wrong?
Because they didn’t have a choice. The sorrow filling her didn’t change the situation.
“It’s a one-time trip for each of you, so bring whatever you need.” Apollo spoke with urgency. “Coming and going will increase the odds of Hades’ finding you. Especially Alexandra.”
Lexi hated that the gods called her that. Her preferred name wasn’t a secret. The irritation prickled under her skin in a way it never had before. “It’s Lexi.”
“I apologize. Lexi.” Apollo sounded surprised. “I need to ask something in return. I don’t have a right, because this is already a fair trade, but I’m going to, anyway.”
“All right.” Lexi forced the response out before someone else could tell him no. He’d fought with them. He was helping them. He deserved to be heard.
“Bring Cassandra back?”
Lexi clenched her jaw until the ache distracted her from what lay inside. “Ultimately it’s her decision, but I’ll try.” She didn’t know why, but it felt like the right thing to do.
“Give me five minutes, and I’ll be ready,” Icarus said, before heading inside.
Cerberus stumbled to his feet and padded to Apollo. “I need to bury my brother. Will I be able to join them later?” It was odd to hear Cerberus speak like this. His voice was an illusion when he was in dog form. Lexi caught ripples of both the illusion and the mental projection, plus a third echo through their connection. It added to the sensation that she was clawing her way through the world around her.
Apollo nodded, and a small stone attached to a leather cord appeared in his hand. He hooked it around Cerberus’ neck. “You’re familiar with how it works. Everyone will be waiting for you.”
“Do you want company, or to be left alone?” Lexi asked.
“I need to do this myself. But what we talked about earlier? I’m not upset about Icarus or the cord, and there’s nothing to forgive. I love you, and I’ll see you soon.” He stepped back to Orthus’ body, and they both vanished.
Icarus returned a moment later, a pack slung over one shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Their surroundings were replaced with an apartment. The view implied they were high up, if not on the top floor, and the vast open floorplan said penthouse suite.
Icarus raised his brows. “Is this... a Sunshine Seasons Resort?”
“Of course it is,” Apollo said. “This floor is shielded, and reserved for myself and guests. No one will know you’re here. If Hades guesses that I’m hiding you, he can go knocking at every single resort. He’ll find you if he searches enough of them, but there are two-hundred-forty-seven, so cross your fingers that he starts at the other end of the list.”
That was almost encouraging. Numbness seeped into Lexi. “Thank you.”
Apollo gripped her fingers and kissed her knuckles. “Godspeed.” He vanished.
She wanted to laugh at the ridiculous statement.
The place was more like a sweeping home than a hotel room. The living room was sparsely decorated with a futon, leaving a large throw rug mostly visible. Wicker furniture decorated the balcony. Compared to Artemis’ house, the two places were night and day.
Another wave of irrational laughter bubbled in Lexi’s chest at her pun. She was losing her mind. She must be.
Actaeon and Icarus were silent. She swore tension flowed between them, but she had so much of her own that she wasn’t certain.
“Should we tour the place?” Actaeon asked. He gave Icarus a look she couldn’t interpret.
Icarus nodded.
Actaeon hung back as they wandered through the suite. The kitchen was stainless steel with stone counters. There were two bedrooms on this floor, and a set of stairs lead to a loft with three more rooms. Each space had a similar setup with a bed, nightstand, chair, and an adjoining bathroom with a shower.
It was both simple and opulent. Impressive combination.
Actaeon was struggling to keep up, leaning against nearby walls whenever they paused. He looked battered, and his face was pinched. How did she miss that before?
“You need to rest, to heal,” Icarus said.
“I’m fine.”
Lexi wasn’t in the mood for false bravado. “We have to face Hades again. If you’re beat-up and lying about it, you’re a risk to everyone.”
Actaeon clenched his jaw, then pushed away from the wall. “I’m going to shower and lie down. I won’t need long.” He headed into the nearest room.
When he was gone, an unfamiliar awkwardness settled over Lexi. A different thing to feel. Yay. She didn’t know how to act around Icarus.
He nudged her shoulder with his. “You sleeping anytime soon?”
“Maybe never again.” She forced a chuckle.
He brushed his fingertips over her injured ear. Instead of pain, a spark of calm seeped into her. He dropped the strap of his bag into his hand and reached inside. “I collected clothes for all of us.” He handed her a folded stack. “Wash the blood off and find me in the kitchen. I’d like your help.”
Help. She could do that. Anything to occupy her mind.
LEXI WAS TEMPTED TO take her time in the shower. Having access to hot water that didn’t run out had spoiled her during the last few weeks. She let the stream wash over her and tried to relax into the heat.
As her mind drifted, too many thoughts assaulted her at once. Some of the images were from her time with Lorelei, but those didn’t haunt her the way she expected.
More of what she felt came from Cerberus, wherever he was. Lexi’s heart ached for him.
And something was wrong with Actaeon, beyond physical pain. Was she grateful or disappointed she didn’t share any sort of mental link with him?
It would be nice if she could help either one of them. Once again, she was powerless. Icarus needed her assistance. That was something.
After talking to Cerberus, she felt a little silly, making such a big deal out of a stupid ethereal string. If she wasn’t going to let fate control her life, that meant not acting out of spite either.
She washed away what water and soap could cleanse, and shut off the faucet. After she dried off, she dressed. Her second set of brand-new clothes in less than twenty-four hours. It almost felt like when she was younger, and a good day involved more than having a roof to sleep under that kept the elements out.
She joined Icarus, who had spread a large number of items across the stone island in the kitchen. She recognized wires and circuit boards but couldn’t put names to most of his collection.
What he’d done with the sword, as well as the jukebox in the bar, the volume on the TV, came back to her. “What is it you do?” she asked.
He looked up, startled, then smiled. “As in, what’s my superpower?”
“I guess so.” Her short laugh felt natural, which was calming.
“I mix the magical and electrical. I see energy as it flows through the air, and I bend it to my will.” He shook his head. “I’m not doing a very good job of explaining.”
She got it, though. “You’re like Neo.”
He furrowed his brow, studying her. “Did you just make a Matrix reference?”
“Dad—my stepdad—was a fan of the classics. You might say he raised me well.”
Icarus smiled. “That explains so much. Maybe not that much, but enough. Are you ready to help?”
“I am, but I can’t do what you do. Understanding and being able to mimic are two differe
nt things.”
“I need you to be a sounding board. I’m not always... I have a bad habit of missing pieces when I create. I have no idea if this will work, but I think you can help me fill in those holes. You don’t have to go above and beyond or do anything different than being yourself. Listen to me, tell me what you’re thinking, and we’ll take it from there.” As he spoke, he worked with some of the wires.
“You make it sound easy.” Nothing was that simple.
“I’m hoping it is.” He fiddled with a small board, using his finger to melt solder. A tiny drop hung suspended in the air, then floated and landed on the point he’d made with copper and circuit.
“You’ve built this prison before, though.”
He sighed and rested his palms on the counter, leaning his weight in. “I did. And it had flaws. I figured one of them out, but I need to make sure there are no others.”
He wasn’t lying, but he was holding something back. She’d push, but this wasn’t the time to start another argument. “In that case, talk to me.”
“What was your favorite?” he asked. “Out of everything your dad introduced you to.” He was the first person she’d met in this sub-world who didn’t refer to him as her stepdad.
“That’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite child.”
“Every parent has a favorite.”
She was surprised at the flippant response. “Who was it for your parents?”
“Not me.” His tone went flat.
She shouldn’t push, but now she was curious. “How many siblings do you have?”
“One.” He gave a tiny shake of his head, and a flat smile appeared. “Tell me this instead. If you could watch or read or listen to one right now, what would it be?”
Dad would want her to say Star Wars. “I’d re-read The Billionaire’s Accidental Email Baby.” She paused, waiting for his laugh.
Icarus didn’t flinch. “I have a copy of that book back home.”
“Now you’re fucking with me.” Except she knew he wasn’t.
“It’s not mine. Esper stumbled on a stash of romance novels at a yard sale, and was too embarrassed to admit to her dads that she was reading them, so I keep them for her. I’ve read it, though.”
“And?” Lexi asked.
It was fascinating, watching him work. He didn’t look at his hands, and he dedicated as much focus to the conversation as to what he was building. His concentration and skill were sexy.
He fitted two pieces of board together. “I wouldn’t pick it over the fifth trilogy, but I’ve read it more than once. I liked The Stepbrother’s Intentional Mafia Baby better.”
It felt good to smile and relax. Which seemed wrong.
He studied her. “What’s up?”
“I feel guilty, having fun, with so much going on.”
“You enjoy the moments as they come. Trust me, even though you have centuries ahead of you, if you ignore something because you don’t think it’s the right time to feel it, you’ll regret it.”
His words tugged at a thought she’d had in the shower, about not fighting whatever was between them. Letting things happen as they would, instead. It was time to stop holding back. “You know something you’re not telling me. What is it?” she asked.
“I could say the same to you.”
She looked at her hand and followed the red cord to where it tied around his finger. “All right. I’ll spill. There’s a red cord that binds me to Cerberus, and one to Actaeon.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. We had that conversation.”
“There’s another that ties me to you. And it’s much more distinct.”
“Oh.” He met her gaze. “That’s why you freaked out in the bar.”
“Yes.” She expected him to be mad or irritated or defensive.
Instead, he watched her with curiosity. “Why are you telling me now? It’s not just because you want to swap a secret for a secret.”
She liked that—how he plucked information from her and filled in the blanks. “I won’t let fate tell me how to live my life. I pushed Cerberus away because it scared me, and I can’t give it that kind of power over me again.”
“And Actaeon?” Icarus asks.
She didn’t know. Things with Actaeon were... She couldn’t describe them, and after what he did with Cassandra, she didn’t know if she could trust him. “Maybe all true love is predestined, or it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy once someone pushes the issue. Perhaps I have a choice, and perhaps I don’t. I fell for Cerberus before I knew fate was involved. It doesn’t matter what a magic piece of string or a goddess of love says; I’m going to enjoy my life and make the decisions that feel right to me.”
“Where does that leave us?” Icarus stopped what he was doing and moved to her side of the island. He was close enough to touch, but didn’t reach out.
“I don’t know. I’m thinking in the figuring-things-out stage.”
“If I kiss you again, will you push me away?”
“No.” Heat raced through her veins. This wasn’t the time or place, but what he said about not passing up opportunities rang true. “In fact, I’ll be disappointed if you don’t. But I’ll understand if you feel we’ve lost the moment.”
He searched her face, and her heart hammered in her ears as she waited for his response.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Icarus cupped Lexi’s face and kissed her. She gasped against his mouth and stumbled until her back hit the wall, not wanting to break contact. Unbridled need filled her. It wasn’t like with Cerberus or Actaeon. This was hands trying to be everywhere at once. His lips on her neck, sucking and moving down at the same time. Her hands roaming his chest, wanting to feel everything.
“What if this is just an outlet for stress?” She hated the breathless question.
“This isn’t just anything.” He glided a palm up to squeeze her breast, then pinched her nipple. “And there’s nothing wrong with releasing some tension.”
Her chuckle faded into a moan. “Goddess. I like the way you think.”
He kneaded and teased, sending fissures of pleasure through her. Each touch pushed another thought into the background, until the only thing that mattered was being closer. Feeling more. She thrust her hips, grinding against him.
“I’ve been fantasizing about you since we met.” He nipped her good ear.
Lexi sighed and leaned into him. “I know. I’ve been in your dreams. Your head is a wicked place.”
“Takes one to know one.” Icarus trailed a finger down and over her stomach, pausing to undo her jeans before slipping under her panties.
He parted her folds and dipped between. When he brushed her clit, she bucked against his hand. He traced circles around the tender nub, teasing with a hint of contact before pulling away again.
As the playful touch brought her closer to climax, clouds filled her head. Not the haze she’d been stuck in before—this was exhilarating and intoxicating. Orgasm spilled through her, clenching over every inch of her body with intensity. She floated along the wave until the rush ebbed.
“You’re stunning when you come.” Icarus brushed his lips over hers.
The only response she could find was to sink into his kiss. This was fun, but desire still clawed her senses, demanding more. She hooked her thumbs in her jeans, shoved them to the ground along with her panties, and kicked the clothes aside.
He dragged his fingers down her back, and she swore her skin sparked everywhere he touched. “Your wish is my command,” he murmured against her mouth, before cupping her ass and lifting her.
She wrapped her legs around his waist. Her back hit the wall harder, and she giggled at the gasp the impact knocked from her. This was... fun. Not meaningless, but not fraught with expectation, either. It rode somewhere in a wonderful middle ground.
Lexi reached between them, to drag down his zipper. She refused to think about how the physics worked. Icarus held her up without visible effort, and that was enough for her. She worked him free, drawin
g a long groan that she felt all the way in her toes.
He thrust inside, filling her up. The sensation was amazing. The pace started slow, but built to a rapid hammering as he slammed into her.
Closing her eyes, she sank into the moment. The slap on her skin each time he pounded against her. The texture of the wall biting into her back. His grunts, loud and unrestrained. And the tasted of his kisses when he crushed his mouth to hers again.
It was distinct and ran together at the same time. Nothing existed but them. The world stopped spinning as he fucked all of her senses at once. She was vaguely aware of her cries when she came again and the way they mingled with his voice.
He came inside her, not slowing until he was spent.
They sank to the floor, a tangle of limbs and breathless panting. She rested her head against his chest. His pounding heart beat in time with hers.
She didn’t know how long they sat there. Her butt was getting cold and her pulse returned to normal. He tipped her chin up for another kiss, a smirk decorating his face.
“Was it that good?” she asked.
His smile grew. “You’re incredible. And I know what’s missing from the prison.”
“Does that mean I can brag that sex with me is inspirational?”
He kissed her on the nose, then helped her to her feet as he stood. “You’re my fucking muse. You can tell people whatever you’d like about that.”
“Muse? I’m pretty sure for everything in my lineage, I’m not a muse,” she teased.
“You’re my muse. That’s all there is to it.”
ACTAEON COULDN’T GET Icarus’ accusations out of his head. None of it was true, but it still burrowed under his skin, burning hotter than the rapidly healing wounds Hades left behind. Bits of the argument mingled with Lexi’s words, her frustration, when she discovered Cassandra was nearby.
Icarus was wrong though. Actaeon didn’t reach out to her, didn’t bring her back to the shop, because he had some twisted desire to suffer on behalf of those who were suffering.
Cassandra had answers.
Other people have answers too. Athena promised me access to the library. I didn’t even make it to the third person on my list.
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