Lore lands on my shoulder as I approach the door and twist the handle. I open it slowly and step out, careful to avoid all the creaking floorboards until I reach the stairs.
Halfway down, I freeze, hearing movement in the kitchen.
“The brownie?” I whisper to Lore. She ruffles her feathers in a shrug.
I continue down and curiosity has me taking a detour to poke my head into the kitchen.
But a familiar golden head of hair meets my eyes instead. I stop and move to turn, but my sneaker falls on the only loose board in the living room and lets out an almighty squeak. I grimace and turn back to the kitchen to see Paxton watching me, one eyebrow raised.
“You know, you just ruined my fun,” I say as I enter the room as if I had meant to all along. “I was expecting a brownie, but here you are, probably getting about as much sleep as I do… If you can call nightmares sleep,” I mutter as I turn on the tap and pour myself a glass of water.
Paxton nods and grunts as he swirls his glass in front of him. His eyes travel up and down my body, not admiring, more scrutinizing, and I realize how strange my attire must look at this hour.
“I like to go for runs when I have a nightmare. Helps to exhaust me… makes sleep easier, you know?” I say. It’s not an exact lie, either. But he seems to accept it and looks back down to the counter, his blond hair falling in thick strands over his eyes.
I take a sip of my water and watch him over the rim. His expression is haggard; dark bruises span his under eyes and the rest of his face is covered in sweat. Is this what Lore sees every day when I’m lost in my nightmares?
I drain the rest of my glass and wash up my cup. Moving toward Paxton, I hesitate before squeezing his shoulder, and he jumps as his eyes snap to me. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here. Or if you want to watch movies or play board games when you can’t sleep, come and get me. It would be nice not to have to be alone,” I whisper, hating how vulnerable I sound and feel.
Why do I care? I’m not a nice person.
I shake myself from those helpful thoughts, my feet already on their way out of the kitchen when his hand grabs mine, drawing me to a stop. When I turn, his eyes flash with emotion before he nods, a small smile on his lips.
“I… I’d like that,” he whispers, and my eyes widen.
His cheeks heat as I continue to stare; his voice, though small, wraps around me like caramel. I shake my head trying to get the way it sounds out of my head.
“I knew you could talk but… Damn, Paxton. Are you sure you aren’t associated with Peitho, because you could persuade me to do just about anything with that voice.”
He shakes his head, but his eyes twinkle a little at that, and I narrow my eyes on him. I sift through all the knowledge I have on the gods and goddesses and their creations until a beautiful woman with a fishy tail pops into my mind. I lean back onto the counter, eyeing him dubiously. “No… You’re one of his?”
Paxton nods, then winces at the girlish squeak that escapes my lips.
“Holy shit, have you been to his underwater temple? Have you seen his trident?” My grin stretches across my face, and he snorts, shaking his head with raised eyebrows.
My jaw drops as realization dawns on me, and I roll my eyes at him. “Paxton, I mean his trident. Like, the pronged weapon of the gods… but I mean, if that’s what Poseidon calls his—”
Paxton’s hands cover my mouth, muffing my next few words.
“I… have seen his trident…” he says.
I lift his hands from my mouth and laugh at the mixture of humor and discomfort in his eyes. “You’re never going to be able to see Poseidon’s trident the same way anymore, are you?”
He releases a huffed laugh before shaking his head. “No. It will be very… uncomfortable.” But his eyes soften as they roam over my face. “Thank you. For not… being scared of me. Most people, when they realize what I am, usually run for the hills, but you,” he pauses with a shake of his head and a small smile. “I enjoyed today.”
A mixture of emotions whirl inside me, and I do the only thing I can think to do to. I fist-bump his chest and say, “No problem, man.”
His eyebrows pinch together. I look away as my cheeks flush. “I’m, uh, going to go on that run. Sweet dreams, Pax.” I spin on my heel and head out of the kitchen.
“God, Serena. Could you be any more awkward?” I mutter as I open the front door and close it softly behind me. “The poor guy tries to thank you, and you fist bump him? Who does that? Oh, wait! I do.” I drag my hand down my face as I jump down the porch steps, two at a time.
“Mistress, do you think you could contemplate your romantic affairs at a moment less pressing? Or at least more quietly?” Lore growls in my head.
“Sorry,” I whisper as we trek toward the academy. The moon’s light illuminates the grounds in an eerie, yet beautiful way. The cool air brushes against my skin, helping to cool my racing heart.
I pause when I reach the dark staircase up to the academy’s entrance, Lore flying
