Page 23

A faint smile touched his lips. I could barely see it in the dim light of the death crystals. But I knew it was there.

“I don’t regret knowing you,” he said. “I’m not sure how to be what you need.”

Oh, Eryx. You already are exactly what I need.

That was what I wanted to say. What I would have said, if I’d thought he was ready for it. Instead, I leaned into the weight of his arm. He’d reached for me himself, and I wanted him to keep touching me. For the moment, that was enough.

8

The Centaur’s Return

Thalia & Eryx

A few days later

The mint had already begun creeping into the space I’d left for the other herbs. I knelt beside the bed near Petrion’s gates and eased a runner out of the soil, careful not to break it.

“You’ve got plenty of room on this side,” I murmured, settling it farther from the thyme. “You don’t need to take everyone else’s.”

A leaf brushed my thumb. I took that as agreement, though I suspected I’d be moving it again before the week was out. At the shrine, I’d tended beds older than I was. Here, even this small patch was something I’d begun myself. I liked seeing it grow.

Since I’d followed Eryx into the woods, the distance between us had faded. He hadn’t left again. We’d spent a few nights by the fire instead. He’d spoken to me more about his past, about his world, about his memories of his people. I wanted more evenings like that. Or maybe, I just wanted more of him.

Every night, I ached to reach for him. I’d stare at his mouth, wondering how his touch would feel. He hadn’t kissed me yet. When would he? I wanted him, more than I dared admit.

Eryx, can you love me?

A part of me longed to ask him, but I always stopped myself. Maybe Eryx and I were more similar than I liked to believe.

The earth stirred beneath my knees, restless. I frowned, pulled from my thoughts. The last time this happened, Kallisto had rushed Damon in here to be healed.

The Endless Forests hadn’t warned me of any emergency. What was happening, then?

I got my answer when Nessos appeared on the path, his hooves cracking like thunder against the ground.

For a moment, I was glad to see a familiar face. Then I remembered the bride market, his hand closing around mine, and his disappointment when I chose Eryx instead. I hadn’t known what to say to him then. I wasn’t sure I knew now.

Nessos stopped right outside the locked gate, glaring at the heavy bars as though they offended him. “Thalia,” he said, his voice steady. “I hoped I’d find you out here. Will you speak with me?”

“Of course.” I rose, brushing soil from my skirt. “Is something wrong at home?”

“No. Your people are well.” He paused. I let out a breath, relieved he hadn’t come with bad news. “It’s you I came to see.”

There was something almost hopeful in his expression. I wanted to believe it was a good sign, but I knew better. I wished he’d brought news of home, something we could talk about without remembering how we’d last parted. I’d missed speaking freely with him.

“The satyrs told me you haven’t bonded with him,” he continued. “There’s no flower mark.”

My breath caught. I’d been so distracted by my growing connection to Eryx that I’d completely forgotten about the flower mark. I’d believed that, in time, the mark would finally appear on my skin. But Phaedrus had paid more attention to it than I had. Apparently, he’d used his visit to spy on us.

I’d sat across from Phaedrus and defended our work, unaware that he was looking for the mark. Had he gone home and told everyone about it? About what had, or hadn’t, happened in our marriage bed? The thought of those men talking about our bond made my face burn.

“That wasn’t his business to share,” I said through gritted teeth. “Nor theirs.”

“They may have been indiscreet, yes, but in this instance, the truth works in your favor.” Nessos rested a hand against the gate. “You’re his bride, Thalia. You aren’t his wife yet. Come with me. You can still leave.”

So that was why he’d come. Once Eryx and I bonded, we’d be joined forever. I couldn’t bond with another man afterward, no matter what I’d felt at Nessos’s touch. But we hadn’t consummated the union, and Nessos knew he could still claim me. Or at least, he thought he did.

I recognized the same certainty I’d heard outside the village hall, when he promised to protect my people. Back then, I wanted him to walk beside me and let me curse my father. He’d offered me a different life instead. He was offering it again now, despite the bride market pact my people had with Eryx.