“I believe so.”
She looked up at the sky with a murderous glare. “And here I thought he loved me.”
“Gods are interesting creatures. Their brand of love isn’t always human.” Although I couldn’t imagine what purpose knocking down a tree served. But like I said, gods did not think as mortals thought.
“Thank you, Dr. Phil,” she deadpanned. Her snark was clearly unaffected by the fall.
Demi tried to stand, but her knee buckled.
Instinctively, I reached out and caught her, sweeping her up into my arms.
She stared wide-eyed at me, frozen.
I expected her to protest, but we stayed locked in our gaze as I berated myself for enjoying the warmth of her body against mine, the feel of her soft skin, and the way she smelled like sandalwood, earthy and sophisticated. Familiar, in a way. Like it was something I’d once dreamed about but had forgotten.
The connection from the night before surged back, stronger. Thicker.
The powers within me unleashed and went straight for her heart, desperate to unlock whatever she’d buried deep inside. They prodded. Pressed. Pleaded. But nothing. Her heart was sealed tight. A vault with only one key. A key I didn’t possess. It belonged to her true love.
And still, I didn’t let go.
I told myself to release her. To step back. To stop giving her access to the storm inside me—emotions I couldn’t name, or control, and probably couldn’t afford. She was confusing the hell out of me and even the part of me that had never been unsure before. That divine part of me always knew what direction we should go, but there was something about Demi that had both of us unable to see heads or tails. Had me thinking there were two parts of me when I only used to ever see one.
“Why did you lock your heart?” I blurted out, hoping to sever her access to mine.
Demi shook her head as if dazed, making me wonder what she’d gleaned. Had she felt how attracted I was to her at the moment? Did she know I blamed her for the void I felt in my life? Did she feel how torn I was about wanting to help herbut fearing how the world would fare if she kept running the Bureau?
“Why does anyone lock their heart?” she whispered. “To protect it.”
“From what?” I asked, too eager.
She stared at me for several beats as if debating what to say. “More likewho.” She shook her head, obviously regretting opening up to me. “It doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done.”
“Do you regret it?”
She nodded almost imperceptibly before squirming to get out of my arms. “I need to go. And you don’t need to be nice to me just because Zeus is making you.”
Of course she would think that. But I had to stop and consider whether it had been Zeus or me. It was me, right? It was the decent thing to do—help her. But I let her think what she wanted. Especially because I wasn’t sure.
I held her firmly but gently in place. “You’re not getting far on that leg.”
“I could hop on one leg.”
I chuckled.
“I have no doubt, but the way your bird is eyeing me, she might claw my eyes out if I let you do that. And though I’m sure that would thrill you, maybe you could take some mercy on me and let me carry you back to your cabin.”
She mulled it over for a second, grinning as if the thought of me being mauled brought her genuine joy.
“Hmm. My father probably wouldn’t like if I let Lady Goldy have her way. And you do have nice eyes—it would be a shame if they were gouged out,” she rushed to say.
It shouldn’t have given me any pleasure that she liked my eyes, but admittedly it did. I didn’t mention it.
“But this doesn’t mean that I’m a damsel in distress,” she added.
“I don’t think anyone would accuse you of being one.”
“Okay. Fine. You can help me. But quit trying to read my heart; it hurts.”
