by HP Mallory
“I understand that,” I started as I swallowed hard. He was just… so close. “But, it’s something I want to understand, all the same.”
“I think it’s one of those things we’ll never understand. It just is.”
I nodded because his explanation made sense. Maybe it was enough to recognize that there was something there between us, even if neither of us understood it. “Are you planning on continuing this adventure with us?”
“This adventure?” he asked, frowning at me.
“If what Alaire said is true, there’s going to be a battle for control of the Underground City, and maybe even for Afterlife Enterprises, and that means the road ahead of us won’t get any easier. We could… use you.”
Asterion shook his head. “It’s not us versus them—at least it doesn’t have to be.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“What do you believe?”
“I believe… we need you.”
“Do you need me?”
God, I wanted to kiss him! I wanted to grab his head and pull his lips down to mine and I wanted to taste him. I shut my eyes.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Trying to control myself,” I answered.
“You wanted to kiss me, didn’t you?” he asked and his words sounded closer. His breath tickled my cheeks.
“Yes,” I said even though it shamed me to admit it.
“Can I tell you something, Lily?”
I opened my eyes and found he was mere inches away from me. “What?” I breathed.
“Because I’m part animal,” he started as my heart continued to pound against my ribs. “I can smell when you’re in heat.”
“In heat?” I repeated, shaking my head. His words were raw and they made my insides clench even harder than they already were.
He inhaled deeply and his eyes narrowed as he concentrated on me. “I can smell the slickness between your thighs.” His nostrils flared. He was right. I was wet.
I paused for a moment as I fought for the right words. “We can’t do this.”
“You need to walk away from me,” he said and clenched his eyes shut tightly.
“What? Why?”
“I’m seconds from losing the ability to control myself.”
“Control yourself?”
“I can smell the effect I’m having on you. I can smell your desire for me and I’m… seconds from bending you over this railing and rutting you right here.”
“Oh!” I said and immediately backed away. I didn’t stop backing away until I was standing outside of the door to my bedroom. But, I also didn’t go inside either. Instead, I just stood there staring at him.
Asterion remained where he was, looking out over the banister. His breathing was coming in deep gasps, evident by the rising and lowering of his chest. When he finally turned to face me, I could see the outline of a huge bulge in his pants.
“I’m okay now,” he said.
I glanced down at the more than pronounced bulge and then back at him. “Are you sure?”
He chuckled. “Yes.” He waved me back. “We still need to talk.”
“And you’re sure you won’t… rut me?”
He chuckled again. “I’m sure.” I had to come to terms with the fact that his answer disappointed me. Ugh. What was wrong with me? I had a boyfriend whom I loved so much and yet… yet…
“What is your plan, Lily?” Asterion asked as I approached him again.
“I need to talk to my mother to keep her safe from Alaire and then… then I want to help you find and free Uriel, if you’ll accept my help.”
“You’ll be putting yourself in jeopardy with Alaire and AE.”
I sighed. “I realize that and I don’t care.”
“Make sure you know the weight of those words before you say them.”
“I know the weight of them,” I insisted. “I traded a life of compliance when I was alive for another life of compliance after AE hired me. I’m sick of answering to Alaire and AE. Now I’m trading that compliance for a life on the run.”
“Going rogue against AE isn’t a good idea.”
I nodded. “Tallis made it clear that once AE realizes I’m MIA, they’ll be after me.”
“And if they catch you?”
“I’ll be sent to Shade for who knows how long?” I nodded, more convinced of my own ideas than before. “I’m on my own, Asterion.”
“You’re not on your own,” He smiled down at me. “You have me. You have Tallis and you have Bill. And you have yourself, most importantly.” He took a breath and looked down at me again, reaching over to pat my hand where it lay on the banister. I didn’t pull away from him. “You’re strong and you’re smart, Lily, both qualities that equate to a good leader.”
I shifted uncomfortably on my heels and crossed my arms, pulling my hand away from him. He made me nervous, mostly because I couldn’t hide my fascination with him. “I wasn’t like this before I died. I wasn’t strong and fierce or even confident. I was a nobody who never grew out of my awkward phase.”
“Awkward phase?”
I nodded. “The sort of person who could trip over their own feet while walking on flat ground…” He laughed. I continued. “Yeah, that was me. Graceless and painfully ordinary. Nothing special in a world full of beautiful, unique people.”
“I find that hard to believe,” he insisted. “I think the person you are now has always been inside you. Your body might be different, but your soul and your mind are the same. And I would argue it takes a very fierce woman to strike fear into the hearts of Alaire and Afterlife Enterprises.”
“My body is different and it continues to change.”
He nodded. “I admit you look different from the first time we met.”
I nodded, dropping my head because I felt like his words must have been a blow. Even if he didn’t mean them.
“I prefer this version of you.”
I looked up at him, shocked. “You do?”
He nodded and looked me up and down. “Your breasts are bigger, your ass is bigger. Your hips are bigger. There’s more of you to hold onto.” He shook his head then turned his body to face me. “Look what you do to me.”
He wanted me to look down at his cock so I did. And the bulge was there just as much as it had been a few seconds ago.
“You’re doing it again,” he grumbled.
“Doing what?”
“Getting wet.”
I dropped my gaze to the banister below me and felt Asterion move closer. He wrapped his arms around me and I allowed him, even leaning my head against his chest. He felt strong and… masculine. He held me close with a small chuckle that caused goosebumps to sprout on my arms.
“I can’t lie to you,” I whispered. “I want you just as much as you want me.”
“But you won’t act on it.”
“No, I won’t.”
“I admire you.”
“Thank you for saying that,” I started, inhaling his masculine scent. “And thanks for saying what you did before, about my body.”
“What are friends for?”
“Are we friends?” I asked.
“We aren’t lovers.”
I pulled back as I heard the sound of someone clearing his throat to my right, and Tallis glared at me from just a few feet away. His face was flushed with anger as he stalked towards us.
“Why dinnae the two o’ ye jist fuck an’ get it over with, eh?”
I winced and curled in on myself.
“What?” Asterion barked as I pulled away from his embrace and suddenly felt cold.
But Tallis’s angry expression was only for me. “’Tis clear ye been wantin’ him since ye first saw him. Ye can barely control yerself. Dinnae let me hold ye back.”
“Is that what you think of me?” I asked softly, unbelievably hurt by his words.
###
TALLIS
The wounded look in her eyes gutted me. I did not want to hurt Besom, but seeing the two of them standing t
here with his arms around her and her head on his chest… it just made me own head implode.
Not only that, but I could smell her wetness in the air. Just as I was certain the Minotaur could scent her. No wonder he wanted to fuck her as much as he did. She was leading him on.
She dropped her arms and walked right up to me. The anger rolled off her in waves. “I always knew you could be a jerk when you were upset, but calling me unfaithful is taking it too far.”
“I did nae call ye that!”
“Not in those words, but I know what you meant.” Tears glistened in her beautiful eyes. I could tell she was trying to be strong, but her lip trembled, nonetheless. “Asterion and I share a connection we can’t understand. That’s hard enough without you assuming the worst of us, but I would never, ever cheat on you. I told Asterion the same.”
“It’s true,” the Minotaur said, from where he stood behind her, his arms crossed against his wide expanse of chest. Of course, I had seen him in his human form before so I recognized him immediately. But, even if I had not seen him before, I could have easily guessed his identity.
“I would never act on the strange feelings between Asterion and me because I love you,” Lily continued. “And he’s too good a man to do anything despite how low your expectations of him are.”
I did not like to hear her defend him. “I could smell your desire, lass,” I insisted, glaring at her. “I could smell the effect he has on you.”
She swallowed. “I can’t deny there’s something… between Asterion and me. I can’t deny I’m attracted to him and I can’t deny the effect his body has on mine.” Her words stung me but they were the truth and I respected her for saying them. “But what I can promise you is that I will never act on my feelings. You mean too much to me.”
I said nothing because I was dealing with me own feelings of guilt and shame still mixing with the anger of realizing there was something between them.
“We’re trying to understand what this is between us, Tallis,” Lily continued. “Without doing anything we both might regret. So why don’t you stop being so jealous and start being a little more understanding and reasonable.”
Besom was right.
But me anger was far too gone to stop now. “How would ye feel if I were down there with one o’ them Nymphs on me lap?” I asked ruthlessly, watching the hurt in her eyes turn to anger once more. “How would ye feel if she were grindin’ her arse on me an’ starin’ into me gaze like all she wanted was me inside her? Aye, I dinnae think ye would like that, would ye?”
“I know you’re lashing out because you’re hurt, and I understand that. But if you think for one second that me hugging Asterion is the same as some Nymph plopping her raunchy ass in your lap, you’re wrong. Asterion is my friend, and there’s something seriously wrong with you if you think those two situations are at all comparable.”
Besom shoved past me and stormed down the corridor, leaving me standing with the Minotaur glaring holes into the side of me face.
“Aren’t you going to go after her?” he asked, his expression one that read he believed I should.
But I could not though I could not explain why. I shook me head.
He released a long pent-up sigh and went after Lily. ‘Twas me job to look after her, but I could not look at the sadness in her eyes any longer. I stomped down the stairs, ignoring the pointed stares in me direction and ordered a drink from the server behind the bar.
A large blue eye blinked at me where two should have been as he poured me a drink. From behind me, petite hands began to massage me shoulders, but I shrugged off the wench’s touch.
Lily was right, but me pride had won the battle even as me heart lost the war. I took the tankard and downed its contents before slamming it back on the bar. “Got anythin’ stronger than this demon piss?” I grumbled. The server smiled and pulled down a bottle from the top shelf. It was black with a skull topper that let out a satisfying pop when he pulled the cork free. The scent of belladonna, mistletoe, foxglove, and African dream root permeated the air around it. “Ye tryin’ to poison me?”
The cyclops shook its head and poured a glass of vibrant green liquid. “Annice, the mistress of this place,” he started.
“Aye, I know who she is,” I interrupted.
He nodded. “She cures the herbs before the brew.” Then he motioned to the liquid he’d just poured. “This concoction will take your mind places, but your body won’t be affected. You look like you could use a little escape.”
“Aye, I could.”
He nodded again. “Take the glass to your room and get some rest. It’ll be daylight soon and you don’t want to be on that stuff when the rest of the crew gets here.”
“Crew?”
“Annice’s men,” the cyclops explained.
“More refugees an’ rebels?”
He nodded then stopped himself. “They might look like refugees to the untrained eye, but they’re looking for something, if you ask me. They’re mysterious. An’ I don’t like mysteries. Come in here with maps and strange weapons like some sort of army.”
“Can ye tell me what’s on the maps?”
“Looked like the one Botticelli created.”
“That map is nae worth much anymore,” I answered as I took a sip of the liquid and it surprised me with its sweet flavor. “Too much has changed since the days of Dante and the Inferno. The Underground City looks naethin’ like Dante described it anymore. Boot I dinna have to tell ye that.”
“That you don’t,” the Cyclops concurred.
Still, I wondered what Annice’s men were searching for. Mayhap there were clues hidden in Botticelli’s map that Alaire had not found when he took over the Underground City? I thanked the Cyclops and took me glass to do as he suggested, returning to me chamber to rest.
I drank the green liquid and felt as though sunlight had settled in the pit of me stomach. It was bright and warm but grew hotter the longer it sank into me belly.
Sleep found me much faster than most days, and for once I was not plagued by foul dreams. Instead, I laid upon a rocky shore beside the ocean as Besom hummed softly into me ear as I caressed the soft curve of her cheek. She stared up at me lovingly, and I realized how much I missed her. Lily’s mind was not her own lately, taken over by thoughts of war and visions of things that had already come to pass. ‘Twas no good for her mind to linger there much longer. I wanted me lass back. I wanted her happy, even if it meant I had to accept whatever was happening between her and the Minotaur.
Fire burned in me veins when the image of her in Asterion’s arms came tumbling back into me head. I saw the love in the Minotaur’s eyes. Aye, and I also saw the longing. But I had to trust Lily, or else I risked losing her. And that was not an outcome I was willing to let happen. Besom meant everything to me, whether she believed it or not.
And, mayhap, it was for that reason that I was beginning to wonder if I should invite the Minotaur into our bedroom—if I could watch him take her, perhaps it would not be so bad as I made it out to be…
SEVEN
LILY
I was fed up with men at the moment and decided to seek out Annice because I had too many questions and no answers.
She was nowhere to be found downstairs which meant she was either in the kitchen, behind the scenes, or she was in her bedchamber which was on the same level as the rest of the rooms.
I started for her bedroom at the end of the hallway and knocked on her door.
A woman with tattooed runes covering nearly every inch of her body opened the door. Her oil-slick hair was cut short, but it was longer on top and shaved on the sides. She cocked her hip and quirked a slender brow in my direction.
“You look lost, puppet,” she chuckled with a thick London accent. Her eyes flashed from blue to a glowing silver, and the impressive muscles of her arms flexed. “Or are you looking for work?”
“I’m looking for my aunt, actually.” It was the first time I’d referred to Annice as such and it felt weir
d to say.
“Me apologies. We get all sorts here. Mercenaries lookin’ for contracts, drifters tryin’ to make a name for themselves, an’ even a few elves tryin’ to buy things on the underground market. Always best to see who wants what an’ when.” The woman smiled from ear to ear and offered her hand. “The name’s Metra. I’m Annice’s companion.”
I took her hand and felt a strange humming sort of sensation that traveled up my hand and into my arm. It almost felt like an army of ants inching their way along my skin. It was then that I noticed the runes inked into her arms seemed to almost glow. They were of the same language as the runes Tallis had seen downstairs. That meant… Metra was a Druid also?
“Hi, Metra, I’m…”
“Lily, I’d wager?” she answered with a wink.
“Yes.”
She nodded. “Annice told me plenty about ye. I just wasn’t sure what ye looked like but now I know that too.”
Metra moved to the side and opened the door for me to enter. She closed it behind me and guided us through a series of narrow passageways until we came on another door. This one she opened with a key and held the door wide for me.
Sheer purple curtains draped from the ceiling. Colorful bohemian-styled rugs covered part of the glistening wood floors; a large canopy bed was situated at the far end of the room, and a small seating area stood in front of a stone hearth. Annice was curled up on a chaise lounge, swathed in a navy silk robe, with a glass of wine in her hand.
“Lily?” she asked and then catching my expression, her own dropped. “Is something wrong?”
I stared at Metra with confusion slowly creasing my brow. “Metra’s a Druid?” I asked.
“Aye,” Metra answered quickly as Annice simply nodded.
I was confused. “I thought Tallis was the last of the Druids...” And given his Druid magic, he should have been able to detect one of his own nearby. I asked as much. Annice and Metra glanced at one another as though they shared some sort of unspoken way of communicating.
