Elixir

My eyes flew open.

The top of Alex’s head came into view as she placed her cheek on my chest and let out a little sigh. Every muscle in my body locked up. Was I dreaming? I think I stopped breathing. What was she doing over here, on the couch. with me?

“Alex?” My voice sounded gruff. “What are you doing?”

She lifted her head enough that I could see the shreds of amber peeking out from behind her lashes. The shattered eyes were the damndest thing to see at night. “My head hurts.”

I started to sit up, but Alex shifted, throwing a leg over mine as if she was asking me not to move without saying a word.

“Uh…” I’d never been more unsure in my life, or unable to read a person. “Do you want me to get you some more aspirin?”

“No.” She placed her head on my chest again, snuggling down. “It feels better now. Empty.”

I swallowed. Hard. “Empty?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, shivering. “It’s quieter when I’m near you.”

My heart stuttered. “Quieter? Are you hearing things? A person?”

“I don’t know. It’s like…” She yawned, splaying her hand across my chest. “It’s like someone talking to me far, far away. Does that make me.?”

Seth. Anger surged through me and I fought to keep it out of my voice. “What?”

“Crazy? Does that make me crazy?”

“Not at all, agapi” I lowered one arm and reached down, tugging the quilt up so it covered most of her. “Can you make out what the voice is saying?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to know. I don’t have to, do I?”

“No.” I ached for her.

“Good,” she said, and I wondered if she smiled. “Can I stay with you?”

“Always.” Good gods, I didn’t want her to be anywhere else.

Silence fell between us, and her breathing became steady and deep. So the headaches were a sign of Seth trying to contact her, which explained the brief flashes of pain I’d seen before the Elixir and confirmed my suspicions all along. The connection hurt somehow. And now the bond was muted, but it meant she definitely needed another dose tomorrow.

A new wave of fury rolled through me, but I kept my body relaxed, not wanting to frighten her. I’d truly believed that Seth had grown to care for Alex, perhaps even love her in his own way—whatever way that was. Especially after Caleb died, he’d cared for her, protected her when I hadn’t. In New York, he watched over her and would’ve killed without a thought to make sure no one learned that she’d killed a pure in self-defense. Had it all been a ruse? An act to ensure that Alex would live so that she could Awaken, giving him the power of a god- killer?

Yeah, I’d never fully trusted the punk, moments when I’d seen something I could never name in his cold eyes—eyes that had belonged to Alex for a period of time. Something about him set off my warning system and pissed me off like nothing else. That could’ve just been his interest in Alex, but still.

I’d never expected him to hurt her.

If I ever got my hands on that little bastard, I was going to kill him or die trying.

But right now, Alex was lying beside me, and hell if I was going to think about Seth. Very carefully, I lowered my left arm and wrapped it around her too-slender waist. There was another soft sigh from her. She seemed incredibly small beside me. How could I’ve not noticed that in the past? Maybe because all I ever saw was her strength.

I could’ve suggested that she go back to the bed or that both of us move there, but I didn’t have the heart or desire to move her. Not when she was close to me like this, pulling loose bittersweet and tender memories. I flicked through the days spent in my parents’ house and the brief time in Ohio.

Alex murmured something and tipped her head back, brushing the tip of her nose along my chin and jaw. A wealth of warmth spread through me and before I knew what I was doing, I turned my head. My lips brushed her forehead.

“G’night, Aiden…”

My pulse sped up and a smile pulled at my lips—a real one. “Good night, agapi”

CHAPTER 8

ALEX TOOK THE ELIXIR AND THE COMPULSION WITHOUT protest the following morning. Four days later, she did so again. Each time, I was more affected by the process than she was. Alex didn’t really understand what I was giving her, only that afterward I spoke to her in Greek and she was generally tired.

But with each passing day, a little of her old self shone through while we were alone. Her typical sharp tongue was still absent, much to my dismay. Who could’ve known how badly I’d miss her smartass responses? She did smile more often and even though she rarely left my side, she didn’t freak out too badly when Lea and Luke popped in on us one day. They were good with Alex, if not a little shocked by how different she was. They didn’t stay too long.

I think it scared them—seeing how very real the Elixir was, what it could do to them. How it stripped Alex down to nothing more than a shell. I caught Lea staring at her once, and it was clear what she was thinking. This could be me. She was seeing herself in Alex’s dull, shattered eyes.

By the third day, the headaches started, and each time she looked at me and mentioned the pain, I wanted to break each of Seth’s ribs individually.

A sort of routine developed between us while we waited for Apollo to show, hopefully with good news. We spent the day together and at night she eventually made her way over to the couch. Admittedly it was my favorite part of the day. The bed was still off-limits. There was an intimacy to that, one I desired and had a hell of a time refusing, but with her like this, it would’ve crossed the line.

Alex pulled out the chessboard and placed it on the coffee table while I watched her. Gods, I loved just watching her. Sounded creepy as hell, I know, but my eyes just sought her out. There was a gracefulness about her that she’d retained, even after three doses.

“Play?” She plopped down on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

I’d been teaching her how to play chess. When I nodded and moved to sit on the floor, she grabbed one of the pawns and placed it in the row closest to her.

Teaching her how to play wasn’t really going well.

When she looked away, I reached over, replacing the pawn with a knight. Clasping her hands under her chin, she listened while I went over the rules again. Once I was finished, she went first, moving a pawn forward one space.

I tried picturing playing chess with Alex in a different time, like a month ago. Imagining her sitting still long enough and having the patience for a game like chess was impossible. Knowing her, she’d have thrown a chess piece by now. I laughed.

Alex’s chin jerked up and she grinned. “What?”

“Nothing,” I told her.

Still smiling, she crawled over and sat beside me, then reached across the board, moving another pawn right into position to be taken by mine. I laughed again. “You can’t sit next to me and play chess, agapi”

Her shoulders lifted. “I like sitting beside you.”

And I liked it, too. I moved a pawn forward, not taking hers.

“I like when you laugh, too.” She placed a finger to her lips, her brows furrowing as she studied the board. “I think I just like you.”

My mouth opened but nothing came out.