“You’re shielding her,” Elva said. “As long as you’re with her, it can’t sense her.”
“I told you this would happen!” Erik yelled, looking furious. “Is this enough proof for you, Gray? On top of everything else, we’ve seen tonight. Will you let it be now? Will you listen?”
Gray growled, “I’m taking her home. We’ll discuss this tomorrow.”
He didn’t wait for a response before we were back in his home, in his room. Gray placed me down on the edge of the bed and kneeled before me.
“What happened?” he asked seriously.
“I have no idea. I fell asleep and then I woke up to voices. It was like I had to listen to them. I had to get in the water.”
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second and then opened them again. “Did anything happen? Did you see anything?”
“No. I stepped in. I would have gone further if you didn’t show up,” I whispered. “What’s happening?”
Gray looked up at me. “It’s a lot for a mortal to take in, Quentin. You’ll stay with me or one of the others from now on, understand?”
I nodded, and he rose from the floor. “You’re staying with me tonight.”
I didn’t argue, but I hated the fact that I appeared so weak in front of him. I wanted to tell him I’d be fine, but the loss of control had rattled me. Crawling up the bed, I got under the covers and Gray joined me.
“Gray?”
“What?”
“What did Erik mean when he asked about proof?”
I hadn’t realised I was shaking until Gray took me into his arms and rubbed my back. It was a gesture of comfort, and I rested my head on his chest. I hadn’t had a panic attack in a year, and I used his heartbeat to steady my nerves.
After a few moments, Gray answered the question, “It’s the same argument he’s been having with me since we got down there. No mortal and God should have relations.”
“But what does that have to do with what happened?”
“He doesn’t think mortals should be up here.”
There was a hesitation in all his answers, and I wished I knew what he was thinking. If I had to guess, Gray thought I was weaker than he first assumed and that he was correct when he met me. That thought alone made my heart sink as we laid in silence.
I’d heard every single thought that ran through her head, and she couldn’t have been more wrong. Quentin wasn’t weak.
The Goddess in her had woken the moment the pool realised someone unclaimed was nearby. Her divinity wasn’t strong enough to be sensed by the pool when she was near a pure God, so the moment I’d left her alone, it began to call to her. If we hadn’t reached her in time, the whole of Elysia would have been in uproar.
“Don’t worry about Erik. It isn’t your fault,” I told her as she laid next to me.
Unsurprisingly, she had a soft spot for my brother. Aside from panicking over her loss of control, Quentin worried that she’d upset Erik.
“Will it happen again?” she asked.
“Not if you stay with us.”
“But what if you need to be somewhere?”
Quentin was nestled against me in bed and thin wisps of black grew from me as a heat ran from my body to hers.
“You have my mark,” I told her. “A ward to keep you safe.”
“Do you think Gareth felt it?”
“I doubt it. Hunter and Larkin would’ve been with him all day.” I sighed. “Scott, try to get some rest. I promise things are fine. You got overwhelmed.”
