couldn’t seem to choose just one. I smothered him in a hug; breathing him in and touching the smooth skin of his arms, chest, back, and face just to make sure he was real. To my surprise, he was also completely healed. It was such a contrast from the last time I had seen him, the time in the cavern could have been a dream.
“I missed you so much,” he whispered and brushed a renegade piece of aquamarine hair away from my face; tucking it behind my ear. The sensation of his soft touch felt so good it hurt.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there - I wanted to come, I wanted to save you -“ He held a finger up to my lips.
“You saved me a long time ago,” he declared in a low voice, as his eyes fell to my lips and he leaned in. I closed my eyes and melted into the soft caresses of his lips on mine, the warmth of his mouth, and the way he pulled me close as if he were afraid that I might disappear. As the warmth of his darkness swirled around me and infused my senses with fire, his hand slid around to the nape of my neck. His kisses endured deeper and he pulled me impossibly closer. The heat of his body and the passion of his kisses healed the gaping hole that had been created by his absence. Unexpected tears sprang to my eyes as I became overwhelmed with relief and happiness.
“Don’t cry, Pasha,” he breathed as he kissed away a tear. “If my breath stinks that bad I can brush my teeth again.” He feigned embarrassment and covered his mouth, eyes wide with fear. I laughed through my tears and pulled him close once again; drinking up his nearness.
“It’s okay, I’ll just hold my breath so I don’t have to smell it,” I joked back. His words reminded me of how horrendous I must look. Morning breath and bed head hair was
“So, when did you get back? Are your parents okay? Where’s Nadia?” I surveyed my tank top and cotton shorts. “And how did I get back?” He simply smiled at the deluge of questions, and propped himself up on his elbow as he continued to watch me with amusement. He laced his fingers through mine and gazed at me with an intensity that sent the thoughts into a tailspin.
“Nadia ran like hell when she saw Dad, so my parents are more than okay. I remember mom and dad returning with me yesterday afternoon and waking up in my body, but mom made sure that I went right to sleep. I must have been out cold too, because I have no recollection of your arrival in my bed. When I woke up to see you beside me, I thought I was dreaming.”
I looked around and realized I was, in fact, in the bed his soul-less body had been lying in.
And the bed his now half-dressed and very much alive body was lying in. Dorien and Tina must have driven me back from Kourion. The fact that Tina had been able to get that dress off of me while I was unconscious said a lot about her level of patience. I was in trouble if I had to get back in that thing without her. That’s when his previous words sunk in.
“Nadia…ran?” A sliver of dread blanketed my heart. “It’s all fun and games until Nadia doesn’t get what she wants. I bet she’s still in the midst of a temper tantrum. Or plotting her revenge.” Indignation coursed through my veins as I thought about her. I envisioned her pouting in a diabolical lair, complete with shrunken heads and jarred body parts; adding world domination to her to-do list right below torturing Finn and suffocating kittens.
“I have a bad feeling you aren’t far from the truth,” he snickered.
“Why was she so hell bent on having you as her husband if all she was going to do was torture you?!”
“She was more worried about obtaining my essence, rather than me,” he explained. “Which explains why she wanted to be bound in the first place. It also explains the vacuum she created. She wasn’t torturing me, Pasha, she was stealing my essence.”
“Being Princess of the Underworld not enough for her?” I replied cynically.
“Unfortunately not. But stealing essence is one thing…infusing it into your own is something else entirely. She wouldn’t be able to do that by herself. This is more complicated than just a spoiled princess wanting to be stronger. Others must have been involved.”
“Excellent,” I sighed.
“Speaking of growing stronger,” he asked with raised eyebrows. “I hear you got to meet your future sisters yesterday?” I couldn’t stop the wide grin that took hold of my mouth as the memory of the day before rushed into my mind.
“Oh my god, I was terrified, but it was incredible!” I relived the events of the Gathering with Finn while he grinned at me with pride. I described the multi-faceted dress, the ruins that were anything but, and the awe- inspiring Nereids. Even thinking about it again made my heart warm with a sense of belonging. Once I finished my story, he leaned back to look into my eyes; his features suddenly serious.
“I’m going to take you somewhere today,” he informed me in a tone that implied there would be no arguing.
“Find Nadia and make her pay for what she did to you? ‘Cause that’s now at the top of my Christmas list,” I told him in all seriousness. He laughed and shook his head.
“I’m sure you’ll get your chance to unleash the wrath of Stasia, but today we’re just going for a little adventure.”
“Do I have to put on another dress?”
“I would suggest a bathing suit,” he grinned wickedly and shrugged a shoulder. “Or nothing.
Whichever.” His face dripped with feigned innocence and I pushed him playfully. “What? Wearing nothing gets my vote.”
“You don’t get a vote.”
“I should definitely get a vote.”
“Nooo!!” A wretched scream reverberated throughout the house and raised the hair on my arms. “Leave me alone!!” As her agony filled our ears, Finn’s eyes hardened and he appeared to sense something. I felt his body stiffen next to mine.
“Carmen,” I explained; my voice thick with grief.
We flew out of bed, leaving only a split second for my breath to catch in my throat when I saw Finn’s shirtless chest and low hanging jeans. We scrambled downstairs and I stopped abruptly at the last step, causing Finn to run into me. Phoebe was sobbing onto the shoulder of Natasha, and Charon was talking in a low voice on the phone. It was not the scene I had expected, and I had a sinking feeling that it had everything to do with the ear-splitting screams that were still coming from Carmen’s room.
Chapter 12
“Something’s not right,” Finn muttered and slipped past me, disappearing into Carmen’s room. I ran after him, followed closely by Natasha and a very distraught Phoebe.
“Who the hell are you?” I heard Finn growl before I made it inside, darkness dripping from his voice. All seven feet of Dorien’s body had been thrown to the floor, where Finn had him by the neck. He slammed his head against the floor when Dorien didn’t answer.
“Finn, stop!” I started to move towards them, but Natasha’s arm stopped me.
“Stasia…wait,” she warned in a hushed voice while her eyes stayed fixed on the now-fuming Finn.
“Talk.” Finn’s hand tightened around Dorien’s neck. Something squeaked out of Dorien’s mouth, but I couldn’t hear what it was. The muscle in Finn’s jaw tightened and he pulled Dorien up to his feet in seconds. Dorien started to cough and gasp for breath before Finn pushed him up against the wall and pointed at Carmen, rage burning in his eyes. “What do you want from her?”
“Nothing…I…” Finn punched him in the stomach and then pushed him back up against the wall again.
“Don’t lie to me,” Finn growled. “What do you want from her?”
“I heard that she’s been to the Underworld,” Dorien gasped and his voice lowered, “and brought
“And just what did you think you were going to do about it?”
“She must be sacrificed!” Dorien yelled at Finn, “She’ll take that demon back to hell with her!”
