“Have you read it?”
I nodded. “I did.”
“Then you know a lot, already.”
“It doesn’t explainwhyno one remembers you—theAstrals,” I accused.
“I’m not an Astral,” he corrected coldly. “Not anymore. And it’s because of this.” He pointed at Amyntas journal. “Becausehewas stubborn enough to choose Anastasia as his Maiden when I told him not to. BecauseIdidn’t want to be the next Shard Carrier and tried to reason with our father. Becauseshe”—he slammed his finger on Nefertari’s journal—“was too much of a bitter bitch to let it go.”
My eyes lowered to his mother’s journal. The little I knew about her was that it was her who pushed Lola—Anastasia—into this position. She, who wanted her to beAmyntas’ Maiden.
“What happened?” I asked, tired of unanswered questions, of reading about it when I had the perfect person to tell me exactly what went down.
“It’s not my place to tell you,” he replied and I clenched my fists at my sides. “I fucked up. Anastasia did too. But mostly, our mother fucked us all over and our father let her walk all over him.”
I hit the desk, anger rising again inexplicably.
I needed to read these books, and then confront her. For lying, for hiding everything from me. For keeping me in the fucking dark about all of this.
Vladimir stood up, readying himself to leave only to stop and cast me a hard glare. “Once you’ve had your talk with my sister, tell her we need to have a chat as well. Oh, and next time you strike me? I’ll leave you a broken mess.”
Chapter 28
Lola
October 20, AD 519
“Dimitri,” I half chastised half moaned as his lips roamed the length of my throat.
“I know,” he rasped but didn’t stop, his hands gripping my hips and legs tighter, pulling me closer.
Too close.
“Dimitri,” I repeated. “Slow down, please.”
My voice was barely over a whisper but still echoed in the secret cave. He pulled back instantly, eyes wide, lips parted. The fluorescent hue of the water made his blue eyes so bright it made my heart race.
He was the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen.
And I couldn’t have him.
I whimpered, burying my face in the crook of his neck.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked, breathless. “Fuck…I’m sorry if I—”
“Youdidn’t.” My voice came out muffled. Annoyed. Frustrated.
Everything that I was after spending nearly three whole months with him. Training, talking, hugging.Kissing.
“What’s wrong,dusha moya? Tell me.” His finger came to my chin and tilted my head back, plunging his ocean blue eyes into my fiery multicolored ones. But my eyes couldn’t lie, and the truth he read there melted his worries away in a second. A mischievous smile crept up his lips. “Bless those insanely expressive eyes of yours,” he murmured before crashing his lips against mine, lifting my hips to rock my core against his front.
“Dimitri, you—weneed to stop,” I panted as a wave of pleasure made my leg shake. “We can’t—”
“I’m awareof what wecan’tdo,dusha moya,” he said as he shifted his hips further, his hard length sliding right against the perfect spot. “It also leaves usplentyto do.”
“What? What do you mean, we’re—”
“Do you trust me?”
