I shook my head. No, he was doing it to ensure their plan would succeed. I was simply a means to an end. And still, that path included keeping me alive, and no matter what differences stood between us or my feelings about his kind, he wasn’t the antagonist in my story.
My arm lifted toward his shoulder but fell quickly beside my body. “Eros . . .” was all I could muster.
He offered me a faint smile, his gaze still vacant. “It is all right. Your death would be something I could not forgive myself for.”
I nodded and stepped inside the room, filling my lungs with air. The events of tonight seemed to shift things between us. I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing, but it felt oddly like we were at square one, starting from scratch.
My legs carried me to the chair, and I sank into it, hearing the soft click of the drawer as he opened the secret compartment in the bookcase.
“I assumed you would prefer to read the information rather than have me explain.” As he spoke, Eros clutched a leather book between his fingers, sending a small cloud of dust swirling in the air as he wiped his hand across it. “Each god possesses this book. It is calledThe Codex of Bonds. A god must not reveal it to anyone, including the individual they are to be bonded to.” He handedThe Codex of Bondsto me, encouraging me with a bob of his head.
“Then why would you give it to me?” I gazed up at him between my eyelashes, observing how he removed a strand of hair from his forehead, searching for the right words.
“What is one more rule to be broken?” Eros smiled, repeating my question from the other day. “You will discover what is of your interest on the first page.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as I flipped it open.
“You are still at liberty to change your decision,” Eros added, stuffing his palms into his front pockets. “We can proceed without your involvement. As I stated before, this is not your battle to fight.”
“You know I won’t change my mind.”
“I am aware, yes.” Eros took a deep breath, taking a few steps back. “You may find me in my room, should you need anything.”
He turned, the muscles in his back rippling under his shirt, fists clenching and unclenching as he stalked to the door. It wasn’t until the door pressed shut behind him, and the sound of his steps vanished that I took a deep, grounding breath.
I grazed my fingers over the buttery-soft cover, my attention stalling on the cream-laid pages that rustled like dry leaves.
The Bond of Gods & Errors.
The union of a god and its error must be consummated upon the successful completion of the divine gambit. Failure to meet the necessary conditions could render the bond disadvantageous and will incur repercussions on behalf of both participants.
Upon finalizing the bond under the wrong circumstances, both parties will experience the following consequences:
? An inability to maintain spatial or temporal separation.
? Potential heightened love or hate, as the degree of mutual affection between individuals is determined by their feelings for one another.
? Experiencing the emotions and physical sensations of another as if they were one’s own, including pain.
? Subjects may experience internal communication.
? A permanent cutaneous mark will be applied to both parties.
? Should any party in a loving relationship become attracted to, or engage in physical intimacy with another individual, the relationship will irrevocably dissolve, transforming love into hate.
? In the event of illness among the parties involved, the bond shall ensure their survival under its effect.
To initiate the bonding process, each party must drink blood drawn from the neck. As the blood settles within each person’s system, the bond will compel both individuals to reveal their most profound secrets, thus concluding the bonding.
A shuddered breath escaped into the air. The consequences weren’t the reason for my concern—Eros was going to reverse the bond the moment the plan would succeed—but the process wouldn’t be pleasant. It required intimacy at a level I hadn’t experienced before. My skin crawled at the thought.
The idea of opening myself up to him filled me with worry. It wasn’t the act itself, though it undoubtedly contributed to my nervousness. It was the emotional exposure, the stripping away to one’s essence, the complete lack of control. Dismantling those walls, letting someone peer into the raw, unfiltered truth of me . . .
Shaking my head, I dismissed my swirling thoughts, set the book on the table with a soft thud, and left the room.
Inside his bedroom, Eros sat on the edge of the bed, his hands wrapped in his ravished blond hair.
“I’m ready,” I murmured, observing the way his shoulders tensed at the sound of my voice.
