Chapter Twenty-Two
Esme
Dorian had come by a few hours after I’d gotten home and found me waiting for him in the only lingerie I owned: a purple, lacy negligee.
To say he liked it would be an understatement. We hadn’t even closed the door for two seconds before he was on me, and we were on the floor, not caring that we didn’t even make it to the bed.
Afterward we were both tired from working all night, so I told him he could crash just to take the edge off before heading to his place if he wanted. Reluctantly he agreed, and we fell asleep quickly in bed together. My heart melted more for him, and he didn’t even know it.
The need to pee woke me up from a really good dream about being on the beach. There had been puppies everywhere. Really, it was the best kind of a dream a woman could have.
I opened my eyes to see I was the only one in the bed.
Figures.
That need to use the bathroom was stronger now that I was awake, so I hopped out of bed and went about my business.
My appearance in the mirror was sort of scary, but since it was just me in the apartment, I didn’t care. The bed was calling me back to it, and I planned on sleeping for at least four more hours before getting ready for work.
I was lying on my back and snuggling into the covers when a bright light flashed in my bedroom and then was gone.
What the hell?
Looking to where the light had come from, a loud gasp flew out of my mouth.
Dorian was standing there, wearing a blank expression on his face like he didn’t just show up in my room like a flash bomb.
I didn’t even know what to say, and he said nothing. He just stood there, waiting to see what would happen.
I did the only thing that came to mind: my fingers gripped my pillow and I threw it hard at his face.
“What the hell, Dorian?”
So many thoughts were streaming through my head that I couldn’t even catch one to follow.
He caught the pillow before it hit and tossed it back on the bed then scoffed at me.
“Like you’re one to talk, little miss healer. You should really stop healing everyone, by the way. You’re not going to last long if you keep it up.”
I couldn’t move. Hell, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe.
He knew I had powers? Not just any powers, but he knew in detail aboutmypowers. What dimension did I wake up in? Dorian didn’t have powers—unless being a jerk was a superpower, but I doubted it.
“How did you know?” I don’t know why I did it, but I pulled my comforter up to cover myself, like a shield of sorts. I’d always kept it covered, and any healing I did I made sure no one could trace to me.
“I’ve never lied and won’t now, but you don’t want to hear the truth, Esme.” His gaze was burning into mine, willing me to just accept those words and be done with this conversation, but I couldn’t let it go. I felt betrayed, even though I’d kept my powers a secret too.
“How did you know about my powers?” I had to know.
“I have seen your vein and can smell the Fates on you. It’s a lot more potent when you are around the sick and injured. You control their destiny.” His face gave nothing away. He could smell the Fates on me? Like THE Fates? So, Eli and I had been right all those years ago. There were so many questions, and my head started to hurt from all the thoughts that were trying to come out.
“How do you know what the Fates smell like?”
“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.
