“And you looking at me like that,” I added to Kirill's list of worthwhile things. “I would do anything to keep that look on your face.”
Kirill pulled me up his chest, and I turned to slide over him; pressing my hands against his heartbeat as I pressed my lips against his. His fingers wove through my hair, pressing against my scalp to draw me closer. The smell of lion and man overpowered the blossoms around us, and I groaned into our kiss. It was just getting good when a laughing little girl pounced on us and ruined the mood.
But neither of us minded. Kirill and I joined in Lesya's laughter as we turned to tickle her together. She squealed, throwing her flowers in the air, and a rain of petals floated down around us as she giggled.
“We've received another summons from Athena,” Odin said as he walked up.
Now, that was a mood killer. Our laughter died as Kirill and I stared at each other over Lesya's head.
“Is it bad?” Lesya asked with a serious, cerulean stare.
“It could be, Kotyonok,” Kirill said gently. “But Mama vill take care of it.”
“Okay,” she said in the trusting way of children.
Kirill looked at me. “You go ahead, I'll stay vith her.”
“Thank you.” I kissed him and then our daughter goodbye.
Kirill gave me another grim look before he picked Lesya up. Then he pasted on a grin and tossed her up in the air. Lesya's giggles returned, and Kirill nuzzled our daughter as I followed Odin out of the garden. There was nothing like seeing Kirill and Lesya together; their long, dark hair swinging and their sapphire eyes sparkling. I decided to focus on that image and burn it into my mind as I often did when I killed someone. I remembered all of my kills to prevent myself from turning into a psychopath, but perhaps I'd been focusing on the wrong things. Maybe it wasn't death that would keep me sane but life and love. We draw to us what we focus on after all.
“Did Alex say anything?” I asked Odin.
“Hestia is missing.”
“Hestia?” I asked in surprise. “So, Narcissus didn't go for Apollo?”
“It appears not.”
“Then he either got wind of Athena's plan or has other motivations.”
“I think Hestia is weaker than Apollo,” Odin mused as we headed downstairs. “He's culling the herd and gaining confidence.”
“Humph. I didn't think Narcissus had the brains for that.”
“It's an animal technique, Vervain,” Odin pointed out. “It doesn't require a lot of brains, just instinct.”
“Fair enough,” I muttered.
We stepped out of the elevator to find the rest of my men waiting for me. They were worried. Rarely did all of them feel the need to attend me. Even Toby was there, his long, raven hair gleaming like glass. The black feather that hung from the end of the slim braid at his temple nearly disappeared into that darkness but its magic made it gleam in a different way than his hair. Toby's strange eyes—deep blue with a ring of oak brown around them—stared at me steadily. All of my men stared at me in a similar fashion. Yep; definitely worried.
“We'll figure it out,” I said brightly. “We always do.”
“I'm sure we will, Lala,” Re agreed. “It's just unsettling. I wish I'd never found that damn mirror.”
“I think it was the other way around, and the Mirror found you. Regardless, there's no point in wasting wishes like that.” I kissed his cheek. “Better to wish for things you can have.”
“But all of my important wishes have already come true.” Re smiled tenderly at me.
The other men didn't so much as groan; there had been too much raw truth in Re's words. Re's raw truth; now, that was kinda funny. But no, even I couldn't tease him after that naked honesty.
“Mine too,” I said instead. “More than I wished for.”
And that was the truth as well. My fulfilled wishes stood before me and played with our daughter in a butterfly garden above me. These men were my happiness, and if I had to fight every day of my life to protect that happiness, I would, and I'd count myself lucky.
“I'm the one who let Narcissus out,” I said. “If he's been taking the Greeks, I need to set things right.”
“Let's hear what Athena has to say before we go vowing vengeance on Narcissus,” Trevor cautioned. “The guy rose my hackles, but we still don't know for certain that this is his doing.”
