Urian shook his head. “No one has thwarted that part of the curse yet. At least not to my knowledge. Though I’ve heard of some who’ve tried.”
All had ended in disaster. It seemed Apollo was determined to make sure no one with a drop of Apollite blood would ever again see the light of day.
“Majesty?” Niva nervously cleared her throat from the doorway shadows. “Forgive my interruption, but my lady bid me to remind you of your duties.”
Ever his horny mistress. He sighed. “I’ll be right there.”
She scurried away.
“Duties?” Archie mocked. Then he sobered. “Truth. Are you happy?”
He couldn’t honestly call what he had herehappy.While it wasn’t miserable or abusive, he’d only ever been really happy with one person.
Xyn.
And since she wasn’t here and he was never able to see her …
“I’m content.”
“That’s not happiness, Urian.” Theo passed a concerned glance toward Archie.
How he hated the fact that his family could read him so easily. He’d never been able to hide anything from them. No matter how hard he tried. “You two worry like old women. But I would ask one thing before you leave.”
“That is?” Archie cocked his head.
“Would you escort my children home to their mother? They’ve been missing her and I know they’d like to see her.”
“Sure.”
Urian inclined his head to Archie before he went to ask Niva to gather them for the journey. Nephele in particular had been begging to see her mother. Keeping them away from Xanthia had been the shittiest act of spite he’d ever done in his life, and given some of the things he’d done to his older brothers as a boy, that said a lot.
But the truth was, they’d been the only part of his marriage to Xanthia that he’d enjoyed. And they’d been the one thing that had kept him sane here with Sheba and her people. A balm against his loneliness and his own homesickness.
Especially where Sarraxyn was concerned. He’d needed them as a distraction so that he didn’t dwell on how much he missed his friend.
Nay, not friend. The only woman he’d ever loved.
The one woman he could never have.
And the thought of being here without his children …
Heartsick, Urian sighed. It wasn’t fair to Geras and Nephele, and he knew it. They didn’t belong here and they were miserable. He was being selfish and it was time for them to be with their mother. Not their stepfather.
“Baba!”
He paused at his bedroom door as he heard Nephele’s call from the other end of the hallway. Her voice echoed off the stone as she came running toward him. Even though she tried not to show it, he saw the excitement on her beautiful face as she neared him.
“Are you really taking us home?”
Those words were a fist to his gut. How he wished, but if he went home, he’d never return here either and that would cause a war between their people.
Urian sighed at the tears that choked him. “Nay, love. My brothers are here. They’ll take you and Geras back to your mata.”
“Oh.” Her voice mirrored the same disappointment he felt. “What about you?”
Pain swelled up inside as he fingered her blond braids. “I have to stay here with the Marzanni. But if you wish to stay in Kalosis, I won’t force you to return. I shall miss you terribly, though.” His voice cracked on that last bit. He would miss them every day.
Tears welled in her eyes as her lips trembled. With a sob, she threw herself against his chest.
