“I used to know them.”
He used to know them. The Fates. The fucking Fates of Greek mythology.
“That’s not possible.” I shook my head; it couldn’t be true. There was only one immortal, according to Draco, and that was him. He would know about someone else.
Then it dawned on me.
The bright light, being old enough to remember the scent of the Fates. The way everyone at the society reacted to Dorian in a negative way.
Oh my God.
“It’s you. I heard them talking about the man of light and having been there all along, but they never said who it was. It’s you.”
I couldn’t believe it. Dorian was the man fighting against the Hero Society, and they kept it from me. Both of them. I was caught in a web between the heroes’ omissions and Dorian’s.
“You need to leave,” I said coldly.
“I told you who I was, and you let me in anyway.” He took a step closer, and my heart started beating faster.
He hadn’t lied to me about who he was, just left so much out. He had always said he wasn’t the good guy, but I never thought he meant he was the actual villain of Seahill. Leave it to me.
He kept moving toward me, his eyes staring into mine.
“Get out.”
“No.”
I wasn’t a fighter, so when my hand slapped his face when he came closer, he looked shocked that I had hit him.
“Your mind knew I wasn’t good for you, but you fell anyway. I even warned you, but you pushed me. I told you I’m not letting you go, and I’m still not. You’re mine.”
I went to smack his face again and he caught it mid slap.
His head started to descend, and I knew as much as I hated him right now, I loved him more.
I’d fallen in love with the villain, and that scared the hell out of me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Esme
My heart picked up its rhythm, even though I didn’t want it to.
“You know nothing has changed in your heart. I’m still the asshole you chose to care about.” His lips moved down my jaw and to my neck.
My body responded to his touch, but I didn’t let it show.
He knew anyway, though…how could he not, after all the times we’ve been together?
“I don’t even know who you are!” My voice was hoarse. I really hated myself right now.
“I’m yours.”
I started crying.
There was no stopping the outburst of tears that flooded my eyes and the tremors that shook my body. All of the emotions were too much, and I couldn’t hold it together.
His face pulled back from my skin, and his hands cradled my cheeks, making me look into his eyes.
“I’m not capable of love; that part of me died a long time ago.”
“Dorian, please.” I didn’t know if I was pleading for him to love me or for him not to tell me anymore. I wanted both and neither at the same time.
“You’re beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed the tears that were streaming down my face, which of course only made me cry more.
When his hand let go of mine to curl around my waist, I didn’t put up a fight. I had none in me right now. Too many emotions had been brought to the surface, and I was incapable of doing anything until they ran their course.
Dorian held me on the bed while I let it all out and spoke to me about himself—words I’d yearned for but never thought I’d hear.
He told me of his power to manipulate light, using it to travel even great distances in an instant. Then he told me about being immortal. He never said how he was immortal, if that was a gift or not.
A man that was pure evil—as I’d come to think of the villain of Seahill—would not hold a woman and let her cry until she had nothing left in her but to close her eyes and let the silence of sleep welcome her.
Dorian was gone when I woke up to the sound of my alarm.
I should have called out, but I didn’t.
I should have avoided Dorian, but I didn’t.
My mind was in a complete state of confusion. I was in love with him, and we both knew it. He said he wasn’t capable of love, but his actions were speaking differently, which made everything even more muddled.
Dorian kissed me once in front of everyone during our shift, but I’d managed to leave once it was done, and instead of going home, I headed toward headquarters.
I got a block down the street when I stopped and stared at the stars above.
They had all hid the truth from me.
They were my friends—family, even—and they didn’t warn me about Dorian. They didn’t know I was with him, but they could have said something, and they didn’t.
Instead of heading to headquarters to demand answers, I walked the few blocks over to Grand Bay Park. I sat on the wood bench and looked out at the water, so calm it was like glass.
“I’m sorry.”
I should have known he would come.
“I don’t know what to feel right now.” It was as honest as I could get, and there was no use speaking anything but the truth to him anyway. My head turned to see Phillip all bundled up with a sad look on his face.
I turned my gaze back to the still water and felt the warmth of his body as he sat on the bench with me.
“You had to fall for him,” he said, his voice full of regret. I didn’t say anything, and he took that as my okay to continue.
“You’re the only chance we have. It was a gamble, but I know love. I know the love you have for him is enough to be made into legend. It will be if you have faith in it, Esme.”
I shook my head. This wasn’t the love of legends I’d wished for. This was a tragedy of legends. Destined to love the villain and either lose him or lose humanity.
“The others didn’t tell you because I told them not to. You are one of our family, and they care for you. They’ve tried to protect you, but your heart couldn’t be guarded. You’re the only one who can change him. Forgive them, Esme. Hate me, but forgive them.” He sounded so heartbroken that I couldn’t help but look at him.
His cheeks were pink from the cold nipping at them, but there were distinct tear stains down his face.
“I don’t hate you.” I sighed and then scooted closer to wrap my arms around him. He hugged me tightly, and we stayed embraced in each other’s warmth for a few minutes.
“What do I do now?” I wished I had his power of sight. Then I would know my path and could follow it without doubting my every move.
“Live hard and love strong, Esme, and always have faith in that love.”
I didn’t say anything after that. My mind and heart were trying to accept his words as we watched the sun rise over the calm sea, which had started to ripple from a gentle wind.
Was my love for Dorian enough to change his heart? I didn’t think so, but I decided to listen to Phillip and choose faith. It was either faith or be destroyed.
My fate had been decided the moment I gave myself to Dorian. I knew it then, and I knew it even more so now. My only chance was staying the course and having faith it was all going to work out the way it was meant to happen.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Esme
I was tired after having sat in the park with Phillip into the early morning hours, and all I wanted was a hot shower then sleep.
But all my thoughts went out the window when I saw a large black box sitting on my bed wrapped with a satin bow on top.
My apartment was locked, just like I left it, so I knew it was from Dorian. He had used his power to flash in and leave this.
My fingers were slow to open the box, feeling the softness of the ribbons before peeling off the lid.
Oh my.
Inside was layers of chiffon. He’d bought me a dress for the event tomorrow night.
I reached in to grab the bodice and held it up to my body. It was an off-the-shoulder, whimsical dress, that would be snug around my breasts and waist, then flowed out toward my feet. Attached to the bodice were very loose sleeves
that stopped at my elbows. The color was a grayish blue and white, like the sky on a stormy day. The dress looked like a bohemian version of Cinderella’s dress.
I noticed something shiny out the corner of my eye and looked over to see sparkling shoes sitting at the bottom of the box.
They were a simple style, but the outside looked like it was covered in little diamonds, giving it the appearance of being a glass shoe.
Well, seems I wasn’t the only one who thought this looked like a hippie Cinderella dress.
I shook my head while walking to my closet and pulled out a hanger so this dress could breathe from the box. The material was so soft and fine. I’d never owned anything like that in my life. Dorian had money, and he’d lived a long time, so I’m sure he’d accrued it over the centuries. If he wanted to spend whatever ungodly amount he spent on this dress for me, then fine.
After a long shower, I curled up in bed and was just about to pass out when light flashed in my room, making my eyes squint together even more.
“I’m too tired to have sex,” I muttered, not even opening my eyes to look at his face.
He didn’t say anything, and for a moment I thought that maybe the bright light was something flashing from outside into my apartment, but then the bed dipped, and arms wrapped around me, pulling my body to lie against his chest.
“I like the dress, but I’m curious how you knew my size,” I whispered while nuzzling myself against his apparently bare chest.
“I know every inch of your body. Knowing your size was no difficulty.”
True. I guess that made sense.
I had one last question before I stopped fighting the sleep that was trying to grab hold of me.
“If you’re the bad guy, why do you save lives?”
His body tensed, then relaxed a moment later. I guess he was surprised by my question.
“It’s what I know. But things will be changing soon.”
“Please don’t,” I whispered so low that I’m honestly surprised he heard me.
“I won’t stop now. I’ve come too far.” He shook his head and I didn’t ask him anymore questions.
We slept together for hours, and then I felt him kiss me briefly before leaving the same way he came.
I woke up with hope inside my chest.
Dorian was falling for me, whether he knew it or not. I felt it deep inside my chest. There was no way he could hold me while I slept, buy me a dress that was perfect for me, and honestly not leave me when it would have been so easy to cut his losses, if he didn’t care for me deeply. Especially with my ties to his opposers. He’d never asked me about them or tried to get me to play both sides. He only wanted my body, and that was it. Somewhere in our time together, he’d changed.
I got dressed quickly and went to work, hoping he was working tonight so I could kiss him and tell him officially that I loved him and had faith in that. That I wasn’t giving up on being together. Ultimately, I was hoping he would choose love over his mission to destroy mankind.
Unfortunately, Dorian was off tonight, but I knew I’d see him tomorrow since I was his date.
Melissa Ann was sitting in front of the computer typing away when I arrived at the nurses’ station.
She reached over to a small bag next to her keyboard and snatched some crackers before turning to look at me.
“Don’t get pregnant, it sucks,” she whined, and I laughed at her misery. She was starting to show a good bump, and I thought she looked adorable.
“Can’t be that bad since you did it twice,” I reminded her, and she rolled her eyes. Of course, I was right.
“So, you’ve managed to only kiss your hunk of burning love when I’m not on shift. I’m pretty disappointed you won’t let me live vicariously through you and the doctor.” She ate a cracker and gave me a sharp look.
“My apologies, I’ll make sure to lay a big one on him the next time we’re around you.” I laughed, and she joined in with me.
I told her about the event tomorrow, and the dress he got me. I told her about how things have changed between him and me.
“I’m pretty sure anyone could have called it happening between you guys, except you two. You’re the light to his dark.”
She didn’t know how much her words meant to me, and words wouldn’t be able to tell her just how much I needed to hear them. So, I reached over and hugged her instead of speaking. I was the light to his dark, the star in his night.
I pulled back from the hug, and she gave a little squeeze before letting me go. We went back to laughing and talking about how much of a fool I was going to make of myself in front of all of Seahill’s finest tomorrow evening.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dorian
I told Esme I’d pick her up at five thirty, but I showed up early, not wanting to rush seeing Cinderella all dressed up for the ball. Truth be told, I’d already seen her in a series of dresses for the event, and none looked as good as the one I’d grabbed for her. Now I’d get to see it in person.
She opened the door shortly after I knocked, and I smirked. She wasn’t ready yet.
“You’re early!” She left the door open for me and ran back into the bathroom to finish dolling herself up.
I hope she didn’t use that foundation shit. Her freckled skin was perfect without it.
After closing the door, I went to sit on her couch and wait for her to finish getting ready.
Not for the first time in the past hour, I started questioning what I was doing here, and what I was doing with her.
She didn’t know everything, none of them did.
I’d underestimated her feelings, thinking she would push me away, but she hadn’t. I could tell she was struggling with the person I was, and what I was planning to do, but she was still holding on for some reason. That was a lie in my head, and I knew it. There was a reason.
Love.
Love ruined lives. I’d seen it many times in my life.
It would most likely ruin her as well. But I was selfish and wasn’t letting her go.
“Okay, I need you to zip me up! And don’t get any ideas…I’m not messing anything up for your cock tonight,” she called out from the bathroom, breaking through my thoughts enough to bring a chuckle from my lips.
I stood and walked toward the room and felt my steps slow when I saw her bare back against the soft fabric. She looked like a goddess, standing in that small bathroom.
Instead of doing what she asked right away, my fingers reached out to touch her skin, moving up her spine and across her shoulders, then caressing her back down to the zipper.
“You could have given Aphrodite a run for her money,” I leaned in and whispered against her ear. Goose bumps rose on her flesh, making me grin. Aphrodite had been beautiful, but her personality dimmed her beauty. Esme was beautiful on the outside and the inside. I shook my head, thinking to when I thought she wasn’t worth a quick fuck.
So much time I’d wasted, when I could have been touching her, feeling her against my skin.
Once she was zipped, she turned to face me, and I frowned.
She looked divine, just as I knew she would. But there was something missing.
Without another word I flashed out of her apartment and appeared in my bedroom at my penthouse. There were three visions where I saw her wearing the necklace I’d bought her. Two of them were fine, but there was one that made me pause in giving it to her. It had a very low percentage of occurring, but even that small amount stopped me for reasons I dared not give thought to.
The memory of Jasmine’s broken body came barreling through my head, and then anger replaced whatever I had started to feel with Esme’s future.
She’d be fine; I had nothing to worry about because I wouldn’t fail this time around. I gripped the box tighter and flashed back into her bathroom, but she wasn’t standing there.
“I’m in here.”
She was in her room, putting on those sparkling shoes when I came around the corner. When she looked up at me, th
ere was no sadness or turmoil in those beautiful eyes. And she didn’t question where I’d gone, which I found odd.
“You needed something else.” I walked over and held the box out to her.
“You’re not going to Pretty Woman me, right?”
I didn’t know what she was talking about, so I gestured for her to open it, which she did gingerly.
“Oh God, Dorian,” she gasped and was shaking her head no.
Without asking for permission to do so, I lightly held the heavy necklace and placed it around her neck, quickly fastening it.
There.
Now she was utterly exquisite.
The string of diamonds circled her elegant neck, accentuating her collarbones, and a large teardrop sapphire that was the size of a quarter hung just above her breasts.
“Perfect,” I told her, and she couldn’t stop touching the large jewel hanging against her skin.
“For a man who doesn’t do relationships, you’re really good at spoiling your woman.”
My face scrunched up at her words. We weren’t in a relationship. Not in the way she was thinking. I didn’t know what we were, but it wasn’t that. This wasn’t going to lead to marriage and kids in a suburban home outside the city.
“Time to go, Cinderella, don’t want you to turn into a pumpkin.” I held out my hand to help her up and then led her to grab a coat so she didn’t freeze to death on the way to the event at the planetarium.
The drive was quiet, and we stood for pictures together once inside. Esme was tense the whole time, not used to the attention and all of the lights flashing, but she handled it well, smiling at the appropriate times, all while trying to rush through the area. I wasn’t fond of the process myself, but since I was being awarded something tonight I needed to give them what they wanted.
It made the world trust that I was on their side. Once my plans became reality, that trust would all work in my favor.
We were stopped by many people once inside the large room with the elegant glass ceiling. Too bad the light from the city was too bright to see the stars that were usually breathtaking in the darkness.
Esme’s whole body sagged when she spotted her friends in the distance.
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