He remained there for just a few moments to observe her before entering her room. He found her sitting on the side of the bed, her gaze unwavering. It was obvious that her mind was elsewhere, probably replaying the first trial that had ended earlier that day.
As the moon shone down, the copper and red strands of hair that rested on her shoulders gleamed. She looked like a goddess herself. Her face reminded him of an open book; a canvas of emotions that changed so rapidly it was hard to comprehend, as if the pages were turning faster than anyone could read. That was how quickly her feelings flickered across her face.
Even without speaking to her, Shadow already possessed a keen understanding of her emotions.
Her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips pursed into a straight line. The stress surging within her made her fingers fidget restlessly in her lap, as she began to tear at the little pieces of dry skin around her clean nails.
Perhaps the next trial that is set to begin is the cause of her worries?
I’m eager to see how you’ll feel once I expose your failure in successfully making everyone believe that you are in love with the God of Love.
After merely a second, Shadow opened the window of her room and effortlessly slipped inside, taking note of how Charisma remained unfazed and did not show any fear upon seeing him. This time, she could only offer him what was left of her crumbled confidence—she was obviously scared to let him see that she was anything but fearless.
With a tone that was both gravelly and low, he began to speak.
“Hello, my awkward mortal.” His voice made the fairy come to a stop on her shoulder, moving to hide behind a strand of her long hair. “It has been brought to my attention that your chances to portray yourself as deeply in love with Eros were lacking.”
As she looked at him, her narrowed eyelids and flared nostrils made it obvious that a growing sense of anger and confusion was taking over. She absorbed every word spoken by Shadow and remained silent, a sense of fear written all over her face.
Shadow crept closer, his intense peony scent surely invading her personal space as she maintained her straight posture. Her eyes narrowed at him, and she swallowed hard, struggling with the lump stuck in her throat.
“To prove that you are in love with the God of Love, you are expected to stay at his home, starting this night. You shall only know the feeling of his bed, mortal.”
As Shadow’s soft statement reverberated throughout the room, the only sound he could discern was Charisma Sinclair’s words as he slowly faded from her presence.
“At least do me the courtesy of answering some questions before leaving…” Her voice faded as he continued to move farther away from her room.
Those were the final words that Shadow heard her utter, and he knew that if he would’ve been a living being, he certainly would have smirked at her continued efforts to persist in her fight for her own free will.
But he knew she possessed enough intelligence to know that there was no such thing as free will in the Elythra.
Chapter 14
Charisma
My limbs locked as I watched Shadow disappear into the night, leaving only a trail of peony scent behind. I blinked, my eyelashes ghosting over my slender cheekbones while I stood there, the moment settling on me like dust.
Contemplating, I swept my teeth over my bottom lip. Even if I agreed to the Shadow’s first task—solely because of that vision—a nagging doubt, like a discordant note, still lingered.
My survival was at the mercy of the God of Love, but for what reason? Wasn’t I supposed to be just a pawn in their twisted games like the others? Wasn’t the game the only reason I should be frightened for my life?
I dug my nails into my palms. The god’s bed was where I had to spend my remaining nights; the only way to convince them of my love forhim.
The idea sounded stupid, like a joke. Despite my best efforts to find the logic of it, pretending to love a god for my safety made no sense.
Except . . .
The thought of it scrambled my brain, like wires crossed. When Zeus realized his powers were ineffective against me, Iwas sure his next move would be a harsh reminder of my insignificance, and yet nothing came. Or at least I believed so. The whole God of Love and Shadow matter had to be Zeus’s handiwork.
I could sense the malevolent tactics Zeus might use to exploit my love for a god, but I couldn’t see any benefit if he forced me to fake affection for one.
Wait.
Zeus didn’t want me to pretend to have feelings for the God of Love. He wanted for me to be completely infatuated with him, so he could control and influence me to do his bidding since he lacked the ability to do so on his own.
My lips pressed together in a thin, rigid line. In the end, it turned out that the Shadow had, in fact, been truthful. His orders were meant as a warning, though I had initially perceived them as a jest.
It was possible that Shadow was not something Zeus had planned, but a risk he hadn’t foreseen—that someone could overhear and foil his plan.
