He wanted them all gone, busy with other things, their eyes no longer on him.
Megan swayed to her right and leaned against Ares’s shoulder, a sigh escaping her as she rubbed her belly. “I’m so full but she wants more.”
Ares chuckled and covered her hand with his. “She has my appetite.”
They had recently discovered the baby was a female, not a male as they had been expecting.
That news had been enough to place several of his brothers on edge.
It had placed him on edge too.
None of them wanted what had happened to Calindria to happen to another female in their family.
He cursed the Moirai for making the child female.
Females were vulnerable, weaker than males.
An image of Enyo flashed across his mind, sword a silver arc as she gracefully cut through a horde of enemies, her moves more like a well-choreographed dance than a fight. She spun and dropped, the black leather pieces of her skirt lifting upwards as she hit the ground and rolled. Her onyx hair flowed behind her as she came onto her feet in a lightning fast move, the silver plates on her armour flashing as they caught the bright sunlight.
She decapitated the warrior she faced and twisted, soft green eyes bright with the high of battle.
Perhaps not all females were weaker and more vulnerable than males.
Keras dropped his head and rubbed his temples, harder and harder, trying to purge thoughts of her. Emotions tangled inside him, had him shaking with a need to reach into his pocket and seek the calm oblivion of another pill.
It was getting harder to stop the feelings from coming.
“Keras,” Megan murmured, concern in her tone.
He shook his head, hoping to stop her before she could ask him what was wrong, before she could show more feelings for him that would only stir emotions in response.
“I am just tired.” He pushed to his feet and didn’t miss the way Ares looked at the food he had barely touched. Hoping to fend off his brother before he could make a fuss, he smiled tightly. “I will eat more later once I have slept and am feeling better.”
Ares continued to stare at him, a calculating edge to his sharp gaze, and then he gave a slight nod. “Fine. But I’m holding you to that.”
Keras drifted away from them, the sound of the conversation that surged to life the moment he was out of sight drifting into the background as he trod the well-worn boards of the walkway.
Thankfully, Cassandra had vacated his room, moving into Daimon’s one instead.
He eased the panel that acted as a door open and then slid it closed behind him.
Turned towards it.
Kneeled.
He rested his palms on his thighs, closed his eyes and waited.
It wasn’t long before the house fell silent and still.
He focused his senses, sharpening his internal radar until he could pinpoint everyone. They were all in their rooms.
All except Daimon and Cassandra.
Keras pushed to his feet, shook it off when he wobbled a little, fatigue rolling over him, and opened the door of his room. Cool air kissed his skin as he stepped out onto the walkway and cloaked himself in shadows, moving stealthily past the other bedrooms in the south wing of the house.
When he reached the separate building that contained Esher’s cage and the daemon, he let the shadows dissipate and pushed the wooden door open.
“You look like shit,” Daimon muttered as he glanced at him, lifting his gaze away from Cassandra.
“I am fine. Fed and rested. You two should do the same.” He looked at the daemon who was still sleeping curled up on the bottom of the square cage. “Anything?”
Daimon shook his head. “It’s like he’s hibernating.”
“Conserving his strength.” Keras ran an assessing gaze over the wraith, from his black hair, over his tattered long black robes, to his bare feet. “Go. I will watch him. I doubt he will wake any time soon.”
He was going to wake.
Keras was going to wake him.
He schooled his features as Daimon studied him, not allowing his younger brother to see his intent.
“You sure? You don’t want company?” Daimon looked reluctant to leave.
His brother was suspicious and he wasn’t the only one. The sorceress looked as if she didn’t believe him either.
“Do not make me issue an order, Daimon.” Keras eased down onto one of the benches that lined the walls of the square building.
For a moment, Daimon looked as if he might, but then he jerked his chin towards the door. “Come on, Cass. Let’s see if anyone left us some food.”
Daimon issued him a black look as Cass swept past him, pausing for a second before following her out into the fading night.
Leaving him alone with Eli.
Keras’s green gaze slid to the sleeping daemon.
Shadows rose from the ground and snapped at the cage, rattling it as they tried to pierce the barrier that surrounded the enchanted metal.
Eli shot to his knees in the centre of the cage, violet eyes darting to the shadows. He jerked left and right as those shadows lashed at the cage, rocking away from whichever side of the bars had been hit.
Keras leaned forwards and rested his elbows on his knees as he folded his hands together.
The daemon looked at him and hissed, flashing fangs.
Keras slowly smiled to reveal a hint of his own emerging fangs.
The wraith stiffened, realisation dawning in his eyes a split-second before he tried to back away from Keras. His spine met the cold metal bars of the cage and he tossed a fearful look at them and then Keras.
Keras’s smile widened as their eyes locked.
The world dropped away, everything familiar to him blurring into nothingness.
Something pushed back against him.
Keras gritted his teeth and resisted it, drew down a breath and focused all of his will on breaching that barrier that stood between him and what he wanted. Pain splintered across his skull
