Light as a feather, his fingertips dragged across my collarbone as he walked past me. Stepping up to the cloth, his reach for it tightened something in my gut in apprehension.
This god felt familiar in all the wrong ways. His stride emanated the confidence of someone who was used to being in control, a master manipulator. Even the way he fisted the sheet in his hand felt deliberate, like he waswillingthe material to recognize his strength.
Entranced, all I could do was stand there speechlessly andwatch to seewhat came next.
With one firm jerk, followed by another, the fabricseemed to comealive like a ghost, haunting souls of the past. Just as quickly as it came alive, it floated to the floor to become lifeless once more. Nothingmore than a heap of wrinkled bedding designed to give nightmares tohousemaidseverywhere.
Speaking of which, I briefly questioned if I had left my iron on that morning. Before I could dwell on the thought, my attention shifted to what was left in the wake of thesheet’sremoval.?
A massive bird cage made of gleaming silver towered in front of me, my head craning to take it all in. The sheer size of it made my throat tighten. Itwasn’tdesigned tocontainany natural aviarycreature. It was meant for something bigger. At least three humans could comfortably stand inside the space, and that realization was more sobering than being tossed into the River Styx.
Unable to tear my eyes away from it, I still managed to stumble back a couple of steps.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”His voice was a low murmur, distant over the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Breaking the stare from the cage itself, I shifted my gaze to find him looking at the structure in awe and appreciation. His fingers traced along one of the bars reverently, much like onecaressesa lover.
Swallowing hard, I eased back another step towards the door. “Impressive is one word for it. I’d consider ‘compensatory’ a better alternative.”
Yes, Charlee, instigate another god. That seems wise.
My sarcastic thought to myself was nothing short of realizing that my self-preservation instincts weren’t always intact.
A bark of laughter erupted from him. It was unsettling. He didn’t look like a man who laughed on the regular.
Stepping away from the cage, he closed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. His hand shot out and clamped down on my shoulder with an unyielding force that hovered between discomfort and pain.?
He gestured to the barred structure. “You know what this fine piece of history is?”
Shaking my head, the motion was jerky from all the tension locking up the muscles in my body.
There was no delay on his part to appropriately educate me on why the hell he had a massive birdcage just hanging out in this bedroom.
“This is a spectacularly crafted piece of history. These bars once caged Aello after she threw one of her infamous tantrums. When I came across it at an auction a few years ago, I knew the second I laid eyes on it that it deserved a spot in my collection.” His hand made a broad sweeping motion in reference to all the other Greek artifacts on display.
Using controlled force, he guided me closer to the massive prison. He rapped one knuckle against a bar, resulting in a dull hum. It was the type of noise that spoke to the strength of the metal and whatever supernatural reinforcement made up its construction.
“I figured anything that can contain the homicidal fury of a harpy attempting to claw out a demigod’s eyes would be a priceless masterpiece to own.”
Guiding me towards the open door of the cage, every muscle in me locked up. My throat tightened as fear’s icy grip wrapped itself around my neck. No, that washishand grasping the area just below the base of my skull, fingers latched onto me.
My sputtering filled the air surrounding us. Nothing but strings of nonsense and protest came spilling past my lips.
“Shh,shh.” The sound was meant to sound comforting, but it only set me more on edge.?
As he leaned in, his lips brushed against my temple. The scent of him invaded my space before he whispered, “It’s perfect for very naughty girls who are set on misbehaving.” He paused meaningfully. “You should be right at home.”
His hand released me only to shove me between my shoulder blades, sending me stumbling forward right into the confines of this cage. The door slammed behind me with a reverberating clang. The sound registered at the absolute top of my scale of existential dread. At the bottom of said scale was the nonchalant ‘this could go poorly’ sentiment. This particular situation landed far beyond anything I’d ever known. A nameless place where my immortality shit its pants and huddled in a corner, crying for vats of ambrosia and nectar.
Whirling around,the surprise took my breath whenI sawthat he had unexpectedly joined me inside the cage. Rushing to create distance between us, I stepped backonly to trip on the pile of pillows and throws that were a mocking comfort inside this enclosed space.
The unforgiving bars hit my back, drawing a gasp from me while I stared at his approaching figure. He radiated something predatory that made my heart try to claw its way out of my ribs.
Each hand curled around a bar to steady myself. I had nowhere to go as he stopped in front of me. His face tilted down as hestudiedme. He leaned forward and braced his hands against the bars above my head. The heat radiating off his body seeped through every barrier of clothing, despite no contact having been made.
Could he hear the way my heart tried to escape its own cage of ribs and tissue?
We both stood there in the charged moment for what felt like several eternities. When he spoke, it was the quiet of gravel over silk. “Do you know why you’re here,Charlee?”
