“You’re joining me, right?”
His expression softens as his eyes heat. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I think we have some catching up to do now that all the drama is over.”
Atlas guides me down another hall. “I’m glad it worked out the way it did.”
“Me too. If I’d realized she had magic, I might have been more on guard against the ancestors getting to her eventually. But I don’t think I ever would have expected her to retaliate. Gotta admit, it was pretty impressive.”
“It was.” I agree. “I did wonder how it would end though, since neither of you seemed capable of hurting the other.”
“Oh no, we were, it just takes a while. We’d exhaust ourselves battling the magic, until one of us was weak enough that we couldn’t anymore. To be clear, that would’ve been her. She may have had ancestral magic on her side, but I was stronger than all of them, and I’m even stronger now that we’ve bonded. It wouldn’t have ended well for my sister.”
He shudders. “Glad it didn’t come to that.”
“Me too. Maybe we can even have some kind of relationship.” I drag my hand through my tangled hair. “I should’ve done more that night. I shouldn’t have just left her there.”
“Hey.” Atlas cups my face. “You said it yourself, you were just a teen, you were scared, and you had to get away. She got the help she needed.”
I nod. “I guess so.”
“Come on, love. Let me get you in the shower.”
Love. What a nice word when said in that way. When I wanted to bind my magic to him, I never expected it to be permanent or for us to have a relationship after, but for the first time in my life, I don’t want to run. I want to experience what it feels like to let my guard down and trust someone with my fragile heart. I want it to be Atlas.
I lean against the wall, watching him turn the shower on and adjust the temperature.
“As hot as you can stand it,” I call out.
“I’m made of stone.” His voice is full of amusement.
“Crank it the fuck up, gargoyle.”
Atlas chuckles. “Got it.”
The shower stall is huge, carved from rock, with several showerheads jutting out in different directions. Such unexpected luxury. This place is nicer than any of my above-ground homes.
As I peel out of my clothes, I wonder how this will work though. I’m still a human and don’t plan to spend the rest of my life in the underworld, but what does that mean for Atlas and his job? I shake my head. Too much to think about right now. I’ll deal with it later.
The bathroom turns steamy as I step into the shower and under the hot water. Atlas joins me seconds later, his big body pressing up against me from behind. I lean into him, dropping my head back to rest on his shoulder. We sway together in silence, and it feels nice. Really damn nice.
“Let me wash your hair for you,” Atlas says.
“You have shampoo?”
“And conditioner. Fully stocked bathroom,” he brags, kissing my shoulder.
“I guess it’s nice to have when you have company.”
Atlas opens a purple bottle. “It’s handy right now. I’ve never had company here before though.”
I glance over my shoulder. “What?”
“Nope. I’m no saint, but I do all my playing above ground. Down here, this is my sacred space. No one’s ever been important enough to invite into my home.”
My chest warms and flutters. “Are you saying I’m important enough, gargoyle?”
“You’re my mate, Rune.” He nuzzles my neck. “You’re the most important thing in the world to me.”
