Lifting his quill, he looked down at me. “Something wrong?”
“I kissed Seth, and I can’t decide if I regret it,” I said, looking up at him.
“Oh.” Eleos stared at his journal, sighed, and set it aside. “I don’t think you should forgive him, yet.”
“I haven’t.”
“Good.” Shrugging his cloak off, he draped it over me like a blanket and laid down beside me.
“You know,” I said, shifting to face him. “I don’t have to run off with a man, get married, and all that. We could just open a little library together.”
Eleos’ brow furrowed. “Wouldn’t that disappoint you?”
“No. Not if we built it by a lake. Or a river,” I added. “Ifseeing my face is enough for you, why can’t seeing you be enough for me?”
“Ha. You have me there.” Sitting bolt upright, he grabbed his satchel and pulled something out.
Propping myself up on my elbows, I tried to see between his tightly clenched fingers. “What’s that?”
“I got something for you.” He opened his hand. “To pay you back for the quill.”
A beautiful necklace lay in his palm. Reaching out, I touched the blue gem wrapped in silver threads. Gasping softly, I retracted my hand.
“Do you not like it?” He asked, brows drawing together.
“I just realized I’ve never owned jewelry before,” I said. “Everything I have are cheap mimicries for disguises.”
Unclasping the necklace, he brushed aside my hair and set it around my neck. “I’m pretty sure this is real. You can bite it if you want to check.”
“I think that’s for coins, not gems.” I chuckled, touching the necklace where it hung between my collarbones. Shimmying closer to him, I wrapped him in a hug. “Thank you.”
Eleos squeezed me back and planted a gentle kiss on my head. “Can I hold your hand tonight? I want to try something.”
“What?” I asked, slipping my fingers through his.
“You’ll see,” he muttered, laying back down. “I’ve heard psyches can bond overnight. Let’s see if it’s true.”
Curious what he meant, I drifted off, warm and safe with him beside me.
Our thoughts entwined as we slept. Beneath my dreams, I sensed the glowing core of hope pulsing beneath his breast, but with each breath, it dimmed. He’d found nothing that could save Percy.
It troubled him terribly.
Worry swam in dark waves through his heart. Worry our faith in his father was misplaced, worry he’d lose us all. He’d clung to hope since the day we’d met, but for the first time, I realized how fragile his grasp on it truly was.
A dream manifested before my eyes, but it did not belong to me. An owl perched on a branch, far above my head. Its feathersfell from its body, one by one, each falling loose with a trickle of blood. I could do nothing but watch as the bloody pile formed at my feet, and the beautiful creature above my head died.
When I woke, I was alone.
The cloth hanging in the doorway flung open as Percy stepped through, pulling down his ornamental hood. “Morning,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’ve brought word from the Oracle.”
Scrambling to my feet, I smoothed out the wrinkles in my shirt.
“You slept in,” Percy said. “The boys are arguing outside, and Seraphim insisted we let you sleep.”
“Ugh.” I kicked a loose sheet off my foot. “They’re going to make fun of me.”
“I know. That’s why they don’t ever wake you up.” Percy winked.
