Page 19 of The Gods Forbid

I looked down at her outstretched hand, regarding it like I’d never seen a key in my entire life.

“That’s for you.”

“I assumed so.”

“Then take it.”

I did, realizing too late that the key was too small for an easy pass off. I had to fold my hand over Persy’s to allow her to transfer the key into my palm. I didn’t even feel the press of metal into my skin as I was entirely too focused on the borderline painful shock that ran up my arm.

“Sorry, that’s—” Persy jerked her hand back, immediately reaching up to adjust her hair. “I don’t know why that happened.”

“I’m not bothered by a little lightning, love.” Especially from her. I’d felt the full force of her brother’s power shooting into my chest, suffered the white-hot agony as it shot through my limbs and rendered me unconscious. Hers was more mellow, like the way your limbs prickled when you slipped into hot water after standing out in the cold.

“Right.” Persy nodded, taking in a few deep breaths.

I clamped down on my jaw to prevent myself from asking what had changed in the past few minutes.

She lifted a hand to the door and opened it quickly, stepping inside and offering me a look.

The contents of that room made me want to run more than anything else I’d suffered.

“This was a waste of your resources, Persephone,” I said, my voice barely more than a rough scrape out of my throat.

“I don’t agree,” she said, her voice back to its calm, confident lilt. Alright, so sparring with me got her back to straights. Noted. “I think this is exactly what you need.”

“I haven’t picked up a paint brush in four years.” And why did I just admit that?

I was distracted, clearly. Distracted by an open room, fully stocked with canvases, easels, and more paint than I’d seen in as long as I could remember. I had to clench my hands into fists to stop myself from reaching out and grabbing a tube of paint.

“That’s no matter,” Persy said, stepping fully into the room and into yet another well-placed beam of sunlight. Fucking hell. “This is here for you if you want it. I think you should use it, but I’m not going to push you. However, I do think you should consider doing something you love. It’ll make the rest of it easier.”

I stayed in the door frame, not quite able to step fully over the threshold. “And what’s the rest of it?”

Persy smiled, before releasing a heavy breath. “Well, tomorrow you meet your doctor. And after that you and I are going to start working on an antidote.”

“Together?” I sounded more like an exacerbated child than a man of thirty-one.

Persy nodded. “Yes. I need to make sure you are doing it right. Can’t have another attempt on Reyna’s life.”

I caught my flinch at the last second. Or so I thought. Persy’s eyes tracked the pinch in my shoulders like she knew it was coming.

Oh, she had. Little devil. And now she was smiling again. “I’m sorry for my choice of words, but I needed to see your reaction.”

“It was well-played. No need to apologize.” Even I could admit that was smart.

Persy nodded, temporarily soothed. And then she turned back to the room and took it upon herself to run her perfect hands all over my supplies.

After a moment, her limbs turned jittery again. She turned towards me quickly, already wringing her hands together. “Right. So, this is yours to do with as you want, like I said. My only request is that you don’t go through that door.” She pointed at one behind her. “The key works for both, so I guess I’m trusting you to listen to me. So, again, please don’t go in there.”

All I could do was nod in agreement, because I was already trying to restrain the urge to do exactly that the second she left.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice picking up again. “Okay. Um, I have to go … work, I have to go work. I’ll be back around dinner time. Do you want me to bring food?”

This time, I shook my head. I could at least distract myself by cooking.

Persy nodded quickly, starting towards me and the door in a half-gallop, like she was trying to get out of here as quickly as possible. I moved my hand to block her right as she got to me, her stomach slamming into my arm. She looked up at me in surprise, her eyes blown wide.

I bent down, eclipsing the inches between us to make sure she heard me. “You shouldn’t trust me.”