“I crave the taste of flesh.” Skaros dropped his gaze to the path winding through the garden. “Normally, the Thanatos-blessed take death-touched brides. They find comfort and peace in theirmates. But when I look at a human woman, I do not see a mate. I feel an overwhelming hunger. An instinct to consume her.”
“It is my own fault,” Phix said. “An unfortunate inheritance. But it is not something we can change.”
A shiver rushed down my spine. Phix had asked me earlier if I thought she’d eat me. Maybe she had considered it. Maybe she and her son truly wished… to eat people. But at the same time, were they reluctant to do it? How did that work?
“The Moirae are aware of this flaw in my design,” Skaros continued, keeping his voice perfectly level. “They know I can never take a true mate. I would endanger the very person I am supposed to protect. But if the rest of Asphodelia were to find out… I’d have to leave the city.”
Genuine relief softened the fierce lines of his face as he looked back at me. “But you are the perfect lock for my cage.”
“My touch unweaves flesh,” I said, the quiet, brutal brilliance of their plan finally clicking into place.
“If I lost control, I would dissolve before my fangs broke your skin,” Skaros agreed, offering a sad, self-deprecating smile. “You are the only human I can safely stand beside without fearing my own instincts. My unnatural hunger is completely neutralized by your curse. We are perfectly safe with each other.”
A massive wave of gratitude washed over my tired bones, dispelling the last of my lingering anxiety. It was as Daphnehad said. Skaros was a good man. He was just trapped by an unexpected curse. He was offering his name to save his best friend, and in return, he was gaining a bride who kept his deadly secret safe. We were two anomalies shielding each other from the rigid laws of the city.
“The Moirae recognized the symmetry of it,” Phix added, her obsidian wings rustling softly as she settled onto the path. “You require a protector utterly immune to temptation. Skaros requires a bride who guards his secret. And Aion simply requires you. Which brings us to now. And to your true groom.”
Just like that, I knew. Phix hadn’t brought me here to meet Skaros. She’d brought me here for Aion.
“Where is he?” I asked, a frantic, soaring anticipation seizing my heart.
“He is inside.” Phix gestured toward the dark stone archway. “As a concession to the nature of the bride market, you will reside in my home. Skaros maintains his den adjacent to mine. No one will look too closely. To the rest of the city, you are a dutiful bride under your husband’s roof.”
Phix stepped aside, clearing the path into the cavernous den. “Go to him, Medea. He has endured enough darkness for one night.”
I broke into a dead sprint. The glowing white asphodels blurred into streaks of light as I left the sphinx and Skaros behind in the garden. My blood hammered eagerly in my ears, hot andoverwhelmingly alive. And as I rushed blindly across the dark stone threshold, I no longer felt any fear or dread. All I felt was hope.
6
Forged to Claim
Aion
The side chamber in Phix’s den felt entirely too small. Towering shelves of cedar and iron decorated the dark stone walls, almost hiding them from view. Lining the narrow aisles, thousands of scrolls and leather-bound books held centuries of quiet observations in their cracked spines.
As I moved through the tight spaces, my broad shoulders brushed against the wood. The thick rugs protested when my heavy feet sank into the material. I stopped before a stack of journals bound in weathered oxhide. The writing wasn’t like my father’s, and the alien penmanship distantly visible on the scrolls made me feel even more ill at ease.
This was Phix’s den. It was the home of the sphinx who had taken my mate, stepping in to save her when I could not. I felt as unprepared for today as I’d been for the outburst of energy that had given me a mind.
But for Medea, I could do anything. I believed that. And so, I waited.
Please, let this work. Please let this ruse be enough for us to have a future.
I didn’t have to wait for long. The heavy wooden door creaked open, and the stagnant air snapped with a sudden, lethal charge.
I turned, and there she was, just as I’d hoped. Medea stood on the threshold, looking at me as if I were everything she’d ever dreamed of. Her silver hair clung to her damp forehead, catching the dim light of the amber crystals. Before I could take a single step, she crossed the room and threw herself against me.
I welcomed her into my arms, the death energy that flowed through me instantly responding to her presence. She held me tight and pressed her face against my chest. “Aion. I can’t believe it. You’re really here.”
I gathered her up, supporting her weight as I pulled her close. The contact struck deep into my core. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I promised you safety, yet I stood in the crowd and watched. I couldn’t protect you, not really. I failed you.”
She pulled back and looked up at me, tears gathering in her eyes. “Stop.” She gripped my forearms, pressing her fingers hard into my skin. The death energy coursing through my veins surged to meet her. “You saved me, Aion. The bride market is only a means to an end. It’s your touch and your warmth that keep me here. Keep me real.”
“Skaros—”
“Skaros is a name on a piece of parchment,” she interrupted. She was so small and delicate in my arms, but there was nothing fragile about her determination. “He told me the truth in the garden. It’s not something he’s proud of, Aion, but he doesn’t want me. My presence merely keeps his secrets safe.”
It was a little strange to think that for decades, Skaros had kept his true nature hidden from Theron and me. I wouldn’t have blamed him, even if I’d known the truth. But what mattered now was that he could help Medea, even when I could not. “He is my friend. He is doing this for himself, yes, but also for me. For us.”
