Chapter Ten
New Haven
Viola’s wide eyes eat up my every changing emotion.
“It hurts, yes?”
I’m still wincing as the energy swirls calmly in my chest.
Fucking goddess asking if it hurts as if she’s ever felt a drop of pain.
“We feel pain, Zakara. Pain and pleasure and everything in between.” The smooth sensation of her palm against my knuckles makes my spine stiffen. “Be the power that guides them. That inspires them. That saves them.”
Darrio’s heavy boots pull my attention away from her demanding words. His stormy eyes shift from my hand that I’m clutching to my chest to my other hand that’s held in the goddess’s.
“Everything … okay here?” Hard, shifting eyes take in her every move as if the fae might strike this powerful goddess down for causing me harm.
I remain hunched over, trying to find a breath of air.
“Everything is as okay as we can hope.” A light lilt kisses her soft words.
Gods, why does everything she say make a demon want to claw its way up my throat with snarky, shitty retorts.
“Deep down, you’re not as angry as you seem.” She tilts her head at me and my awful thoughts. “These men bring out the best in you.”
That–she is right about that.
Ryder and Daxdyn walk slowly up behind Darrio. Ryder’s uneasy attention drifts between us, his hands held in his pockets.
Baldur steps up quietly, pushing past the three men. A small smile reaches his eyes. I stand to meet the intriguing god. I still don’t know anything about Baldur, but I’m certain he’s the closest thing to a friend that I have here. He doesn’t speak a word as he pulls out what I thought I’d destroyed.
My sword gleams like new, catching the sunlight and shining it all around.
“My sword.” I swallow hard as my fingers wrap around the hilt of it. The metal’s smooth beneath my touch, as if it hasn’t had a single taste of combat before.
“I thought you might … need it.” His rumbling timber is low and calming.
When I look up at him a smile is on my lips, and his kind gaze sinks right into me.
“Thank you.”
Ryder, Darrio, and Dax all look at the god as if he’s just offered me a glass of poison to drink down.
I clear my throat, shooting them all a glare hidden with a smile.
Their hard looks turn slowly away from the kind god.
Ryder shifts his attention even further, turning to Viola.
“There is one more thing, Vi.”
Her pretty eyes settle on the prince.
“You want me to get your army into the mortal realm? All nine hundred and thirty-two of them. That’s a small number in comparison. All the greatest wars had thousands at their disposal. Nations with as many as millions waiting to defend their country.” She still holds my hand with a gentle touch.
“Well there’s that dragon horse too.” Daxdyn’s voice trails off in thought.
“The gift of the gods rallied only nine hundred and thirty-two.” That asinine smile of hers is still spread wide across her features.
