I nodded, squinting as we stepped out into her garden. Larkin’s grounds were unlike the rest. No stone statues or intricate topiary. Her gardens reminded me of the glossy images of LA mansions. A large pool took up the centre of the space and there were tennis courts and neat rose bushes.
“They’re your flowers,” I said, brushing my fingers against the petals.
“Yes, they are.”
I sank onto a sun lounger, pulling my knees up to my chest, and Larkin perched on the edge.
“I hoped bringing you here might cheer you up. It’s a little brighter than Gray’s place.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I appreciate you bringing me to your home.”
“I can always take you back to him. But Gray can be a little intense and you looked like you needed some space.”
“I love him.”
“I’m not arguing that.”
“He’s doing the best he can, but he’s not in my shoes, and sometimes I don’t want to admit everything I’m thinking to him.”
“Do you want to talk to me about it?” Larkin asked.
I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to untangle the mess of thoughts that had caught me in knots. “Everyone thinks I’m going to cause trouble and I’ve tried everything to show them I won’t, but this is my fault.”
“What is?”
“All these deaths.”
“No, they—"
“They weren’t happening at this rate before, Larkin.” I rested my forehead against my knees and steadied my breathing. “If anyone else makes the connection that the Gods who are disappearing were against the demigods, it won’t take long for people to point a finger at me.”
“You don’t know that.”
Slowly, I raised my head. “Tell me it’s not what you would have done a few weeks ago.”
“I would have,” she admitted.
I appreciated Larkin wouldn’t bullshit me. There was no point hiding the truth, and I didn’t hold it against her. If our roles were reversed, I would have been highly suspicious of her.
“It’s not just that,” I whispered. “I don’t want anyone else getting in trouble because of me. Erik and Sloan have the kids to think about. Gray shouldn’t have called him.”
When I first landed back at Gray’s place, I held a small grudge towards Erik for the lack of contact. But I understood he wanted to protect his wife and his children. They were the most important people in his life. I didn’t want to cause tension between us by continuously being at the heart of fatal issues.
“This isn’t your fault,” Larkin said firmly. “I never imagined Archer would be capable of something like this. He’s very skilled at lying, but murder isn’t his style.”
“Yeah, well, he’s been glued to Hunter’s hip recently. It’s probably rubbed off on him.”
“Hunter won’t be content until he has everyone dancing to his tune, or he’s destroyed them for defying him.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but a bell rang through the house. Larkin’s brow furrowed at the noise.
“Strange,” she muttered, pushing herself from the lounger. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. Are you okay if I answer the door?”
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
She squeezed my shoulder with her slender fingers before walking back into the house.
I stretched my legs out and leaned back against the seat, trying to find some comfort. Anxiety was chaos. If this was what Grayson was attuned to, it was a miracle he functioned because the constant madness made it hard to breathe.
