“I’mfine.”
“Don’t.” She pulled away, feeling as if her heart would shatter. “Everything she said is true anyway. I-I can never give you what you need. Only she can. You even stayed with her through themillennia.”
The hard set of his features realigned into one of frustration. “Because it was easier. For that reason alone and noother!”
“That’s what you think,” she whispered. “For her, it was acommitment.”
As illogical and painful as it was, she would have far preferred if he’d gone to different women. Then this goddess wouldn’t be gloating at how he’d stayed faithful to her through thecenturies.
“The others wouldn’t come when I requested. They…they were scared of me, of what I’d become anddone.”
At the deadness in his eyes, the self-loathing there, confusion overtook Shae’s unhappiness. “How would they know any of this if they didn’t…” She broke off, her gaze zipping to the smirking woman standing a few feet away. “You bitch! It was you!Youturned them againsthim!”
Kaerys’ smile vanished, replaced by an innocent look. “I didn’t. The first time when I sought to help Dagan, he-he ravagedme…”
A dark red stained Dagan’s face. His gaze flickered away. Anger swept through Shae like a gale force. He’d told her he had no control in those early days. She, more than anyone, knew just how tightly leashed his restraint was now, helped by those sedative cigars he smoked so he wouldn’t hurt her—wouldn’t hurtanyone.
“It took me days to heal. You know it’s true, Dagan,” Kaerys told him. “The others saw my ruined throat. It’s why they wouldn’tcome.”
Shae’s power battered against her mental shields for release, to avenge him. She hung on by a breath. “You’re a damn goddess, you couldn’t self-heal?”
“Not from what he’d done. But it didn’t matter to me, I loved him, I stilldo—”
“Love?” Dagan’s cold gaze flashed to Kaerys, his handsome features like stone. “What you love is the excitement, the thrill of knowing you’re fucking a dangerous creature born from the horrors of Tartarus, one who could tear you apart in a single heartbeat,” he said, tone flat. Emotionless. And all the more lethal for it. “I let it slide because it suited my purpose. You were never faithful to me, not that I asked you tobe.”
“How dare you?” she cried. “I remained loyal through theages!”
“Really? Then explain Nab, Astor, and Caelif to me? Those were the latest ones in a long list. And Michael? You told him I was too dangerous to be allowed among mortals? Did you think he’d boot me out of the job so you could have me at yourmercy?”
Her mouth opened then shut. Color drained from her face. “How…what, I don’t know what you mean. Yes, I spoke to Michael. I wasconcerned—”
“Cork it, Kaerys.” A cynical smile rode his mouth. “I have the gift of touch. I see things…incidents when I touch someone’s possessions. You didn’t know that, did you? And you left your trinkets from your lovers behind a few times. But I digress. Yes, my sire was a whoring bastard. He didn’t care about the sanctity of his mate-bond. Unlike me.She…” He pulled Shae close again, pressing her against him, his mouth caressing her head. “I took one look at her, and I knew she wasmine.”
Shae froze, her heart pounding like a Ping-Pong ball against her ribs at his confession. Yes, Dagan cared about her, wanted her, but it was the first time he’d said something likethis.
He glanced at her. Despite his coldness, his eyes blazed with a deep-seated emotion. “Hell, you drive me crazy at times, Shae-cat, but this heart of mine beats only foryou.”
A smile trembled on her lips, warmth replacing her pain. And she fell deeper intohim.
“Aaargh, you males are so foolish!” Kaerys stamped her foot, her face flushed in rage. “When you find she cannot fulfill you and you come crawling back, I will make you beg before I acceptyou.”
“Fuck off, Kae, before I really lose mytemper—”
“You ungrateful wretch! After all I’ve done. You will pay for that!” Power crackled inher.
Dagan shoved Shae behind him just as Kaerys flung out her hands, a sizzling shard of light arrowing toward himinstead.
“No!” Shae dashed in front of him, her own power unleashing, shattering through her mental shields like lightning. “Don’t you freakin’ dare! I’m so sick of your damn shit—for everything you’ve done tohim!”
The winds started, picking up speed around her in a tempest, a red haze stealing her mind. Then, everything slowed down. The goddess’s bolt of power distorted into a shower of blue sparks. If she wanted, she could flick each firefly gleam away. Instead, the power slid straight into her and continued toflow…
From a distance, a disembodied shriek echoed. “She’s gone crazy, she’s draining me. Dagan, stopher!”
“Shae, lock down your mind shields,” Dagan yelled, his voice rife with panic. “C’mon—c’mon, baby, shut down,now!”
Feeling as if her mind would explode at the energy roiling inside her, Shae grabbed her head, struggling to re-erect her fallen shields. Suddenly, the link between her and the goddesssnapped.
Kaerys went flying to land hard on her back some distance away. She lurched to her feet. “You won’t get away with this! The law-keepers will know about you and this mortal.” In a furious shimmer, shevanished.
