Page 128 of The Gods Forbid

Sebastian was simply the most interesting, most alluring person in the room. And I was getting in the way of people having a moment of his time.

“Sebastian,” I said slowly, pulling back to try to meet his eyes. I didn’t need to try at all, because he was already looking at me. “I think we should stop.”

You’d think I asked him if he was willing to light a priceless piece of art on fire, he looked so offended. “And why would we do that?”

If I answered him honestly, he’d just try to convince me that he’d rather spend time with me. He was kind enough to care if I felt cast aside in favor of the people lining up to steal a moment of his time.

So I’d just do it for him.

“I’m tired.” The second I said it, I realized how true that was. I was exhausted trying to act like I hadn’t developed feelings for him. “I think it’s time I go home.”

Sebastian opened his mouth, but I kept speaking. “You stay. Enjoy tonight.”

His eyes moved over my face, taking in every little expression. Every little place where my muscles were tight or my eyes were glassy. After a moment, he slowly released me.

Stepping away from him felt as taxing as running for four hours straight.

“If you leave, I leave,” he said, using a tone that left no room for disagreement. “I’ll only accept you resting on a couch for the rest of the night.”

“I don’t need to be with you all the time,” I argued, though the words held little fire. “In a few weeks, the six months is over. You’ll go back to this.”

Whatever Sebastian was thinking, he kept it inside. “Stop acting like you don’t know that this was never what I cared about. What is going on?” The way he asked that sounded almost … hopeful.

I was too tired, and this was too public, so I simply sighed. “I’ll stay.” I would be making sure I didn’t have to watch him dance with anyone else, but I’d stay if he asked me to.

Sebastian smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He nodded towards one of the sprawling tables on the other side of the room. “Go sit. I’ll be over with a drink.”

I nodded, forcing a smile to myself, though I knew it would be several minutes before he made it over, considering the line forming for people to speak with him. Sebastian squeezed my hand as I stepped away, making me realize that he was still holding it.

Lightning shot from my arm into his hand, my power flaring out of control, but right as Sebastian looked down, eyes blown wide, someone said, “Lord Apollo, a moment?”

Chapter 28

Sebastian

I was seconds away from killing everyone in that room. People kept asking me to dance, though I didn’t have plans to dance with anyone else for the rest of the night.

In fact, I’d graciously dismissed myself mere minutes after Persy had left, moving as far away from the dancing area as physically possible, though that didn’t stop people from bothering me.

There was something wrong with Persy.

It was stupid to have stolen those moments with her, but I had to know what she felt like pressed that close to me, swaying comfortably to music.

It was torture leaving it to my imagination.

And now she was somewhere in this room while I was being assaulted by people trying to talk about shit I didn’t care about. I found that I didn’t quite care about anything other than figuring out the easiest way to get Persy out of her dress. I would frame that dress for all the torture it had caused me within a few short hours.

Persy stole my breath every time I looked at her, but tonight … I was losing control. It was slipping away like water through my fingers, though I wasn’t trying all that hard to curve my hands together and hold it.

I had two weeks left with her, and every bone in my body wanted to spend it convincing her that she should let me stay.

It was hard to get started on that plan when people kept making fucking small talk. After a borderline rude exit from one conversation, I moved to the perimeter of the room to go look for her, my eyes searching for a gold dress that would haunt me for the rest of my life.

I wasn’t even focused on the primary reason this party was happening in the first place, to draw out my family.

It wasn’t until Ariana, the very aunt that had caused this mess, stepped in front of me and planted her hand on my chest that I remembered how hard my family clung to their pride and their desire for power.

“Sebastian,” she said, her voice nasally. “You’ve disappointed me. I thought you were better than this.”