Awakened (Eternal Guardians Book 8) (34 page)

“Bullshit.” He took a half step closer but was careful, she noticed, not to touch her with his gloved hands. “You’re both projecting so loudly, my eardrums are about to burst.”

Skata
. Titus had the ability to read minds. She’d forgotten that until just this moment. Her face grew hot, and her pulse turned to a roar in her ears. “You don’t think anyone else knows, do you?” she whispered.

“No. Most of the guys think Cerek’s gay.”

Elysia nearly choked on her tongue. “
What
?”

“We never saw him with a female. In all the years he served with the Argonauts, he never once even talked about a female.”

Cerek…gay? She glanced across the ballroom, and heat rushed through her when she saw the way he was watching her—as if he couldn’t wait to get to her, as if she were all that mattered. Memories of the way he’d all but devoured her last night rushed through her mind, making that heat trickle lower. There was no way he was gay. He was the most heterosexual male she’d ever met.

“Your father suspects something happened between the two of you,” Titus said.

Elysia looked back at Titus. His gaze was fixed beyond her, in the direction of her parents. Panic whipped through her chest before she reminded herself that suspecting and knowing were two very different things.

Titus looked down at her once more. “Callia knows for sure.”

“How? Did you—”

“She did your exam this morning, remember? She knows you’re no longer untouched.”

Elysia’s face absolutely burned, and her eyes fell closed. The healer had asked her this morning if she’d been forced to do anything against her will, and Elysia had answered—truthfully—no. But she hadn’t expected anyone could know whether or not she was a virgin based on a quick magical scan.

“She asked me earlier if there’s something going on between you two,” Titus went on.

Elysia looked up at him. “And what did you say?”

“I said no, of course. She’s your mother’s sister. They share secrets like candy. Besides which, if your father finds out, Cerek’s dead. Demetrius is projecting loudly as well. He thinks Cerek’s a traitor. That Zeus brainwashed him and sent him to bring you back only to kill you in front of your parents.”

Elysia’s eyes widened. “What? That’s ridiculous. Why on earth would he do that?”

“To inflict as much pain as possible. To make us all suffer. Zeus is all about revenge. We’ve bested him one too many times. Cerek could be nothing more than a means to an end.”

A protective urge bubbled through Elysia. “And what do you think?”

“I think…” Titus glanced across the room toward Cerek. “I’m not sure what to think. His thoughts are all over the place. I can’t get a read on him.” Titus looked back down at her. “But I do know this much, you need to be careful.”

“I’m not afraid of Cerek.”

“I don’t mean him. Your parents are moving up your arranged binding with Nereus. They’re worried about Zeus coming after you again. Zeus can’t claim a bound female for his Sirens. But Nereus is not a good match. He cares only about how the union will benefit his political status. Nothing more.”

The pressure in Elysia’s chest intensified, and her throat grew thick. “W-when?”

“Tomorrow night.”

No
. Her heart squeezed so tight, the air felt as if it were wrenched from her lungs. She wanted to whip around and stare at her parents in horrified disbelief, but she forced herself not to move, not to turn, not to show any emotion that would give their awful secret away.

She couldn’t bind herself to Nereus. She wouldn’t. “I-I need some air.”

She sidestepped Titus, but he moved in her path before she could get away. “I didn’t tell you so you’d run. I told you so you could prepare an argument to use against them. Running will only get you in trouble, as it did last time.”

Oh yeah, he’d read her mind. He knew exactly why she’d run and how the Sirens had caught her. But more than that, he was right. She couldn’t run this time. Not if she had any intention of staying in Argolea. And she had to stay in Argolea so she could be near Cerek. He wasn’t safe outside this realm either, and she wasn’t about to let Aphrodite or any of those Siren recruits sink their claws into him again.

“I understand,” she said calmly. More calmly than she expected. “And I’m not running. I just need to use the restroom.”

He stared at her several long seconds as if he didn’t believe her, then finally stepped back and let her pass.

Elysia moved out the tall double doors, away from the lights and people and music and into the foyer. But that pressure in her chest didn’t ease. It only intensified. Felt as if it were burning a hole right through the middle of her heart.

Shaking, she darted past the bathroom, up the curved stairs to the second floor, and into the closest suite. Shoving the French doors opened, she staggered out onto the veranda, where she gripped the stone balustrade as she gulped in air.

Only it didn’t help. Because she still had no idea what she was supposed to do next.

S
he wasn’t on the first floor.

Cerek’s heart rate picked up speed as he skipped steps to get to the second floor. He’d checked every room—even the restroom, where he’d scared the shit out of a couple of females who were probably going to report him as a pervert—and there was no sign of her.

He passed an office, a library, tried a door only to find it locked. His heart beat faster. If she’d gone outside, if she’d moved to an upper floor in this monstrosity of a castle, he might never find her. And he
needed
to find her. Something was wrong. He’d seen the flash of panic in her eyes when she’d been talking to the long-haired Argonaut with the gloves. Something he instinctively knew had to do with him.

He passed an open bedroom door, then jerked back when he noticed the French doors on the far side open.

The dark room consisting of a sitting area, a fireplace, a bed, and two end tables. “
Emmoní
?”

Sniffling sounded from the veranda. Closing the main door quietly, he crossed the floor and stepped out into the darkness. The balcony overlooked the gardens below, and, beyond the castle walls, the twinkling lights of the city of Tiyrns. But his attention immediately shot to the female leaning against the railing, swiping at her eyes.

“
Emmoní
?
”

“Oh, Cerek.” She moved into him and buried her head against his chest.

“What’s wrong?” He closed his arms around her, trying to keep the panic at bay. “What’s happened?”

She sniffled again. “My parents are what’s happened. They’re arranging my binding.”

His fingers stilled near her spine, and thoughts of whips and chains and some kind of sadistic ceremony only Hades would like filled his head. “Tell me that’s not as bad as it sounds.”

“It’s worse.” She pushed out of his arms and swiped at her damp eyes. “It’s a marriage. They’re forcing me into marriage. They’re going to say it’s to keep Zeus from coming after me, but I know the truth. It’s a political arrangement to smooth things over with the Council. They’ve been planning this for months. That’s how the Sirens found me. I overheard my parents arranging it months ago, so I ran. Before I could get to the human realm and freedom, the Sirens intercepted me.”

Cerek had no idea what the Council was or what she meant about smoothing things over with them, but he understood the words marriage and force. He gripped her shoulders. “The weasely-looking male? The one who couldn’t stop staring at your breasts?”

Elysia’s shoulders slumped. “Yes. He’s the Council leader’s son. He’ll one day rule the Council that advises the monarchy, but really they just want to overthrow the monarchy. The political situation in this country is a mess. My mother’s been trying to fix it but—”

“You’re not doing anything with that male.”

Elysia’s expression softened. “I don’t want to. But I don’t have much of a choice here. I can’t run off again. Zeus will find me if I leave this realm, and if that happens, I’ll be sent back to Olympus.” She gripped his forearms. “And I don’t want to leave you.”

“So bind yourself to me.”

She stilled beneath his hands. “What?”

His blood pumped hot and fast. “If their reason is Zeus, bind with me. Then he can’t take you. He can’t take a bound female from any race.”

“You…would want to do that? With me? It’s forever. It’s not just a simple—”

He lifted his hands to her face and stepped closer. “I want you with me forever. It is simple.”

Her gaze searched his face. “But…my father—”

“He doesn’t like me. I know. Which is why we need to do this right away. He can’t say no after it’s done. And he can’t force you to marry someone else when you’re already bound to me.”

She stared at him and swallowed hard, and he knew she was wavering. That he had to convince her.

He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers. Then he looked down at her with every bit of emotion he hoped she could feel. “I need you, Elysia. Say yes.” He kissed her again. “Say yes to me. To us.”

Her hands landed on his hips, and a soft moan echoed from her chest as she opened to his kiss, drawing him into the heat and life of her mouth. “Yes,” she whispered against his lips. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Relief filled his chest like air, but it was fleeting. He drew back. “Is there someone you know who can do the ceremony?”

She bit her lip. “Yes. One person. I can send word.”

“Do it.”

“We’ll have to go tonight,” she said. “My parents are moving up the binding with Nereus. Titus told me they’re going to announce it tomorrow.”

He nodded. “To—”

Voices echoed from the corridor. Cerek looked toward the closed door and pushed Elysia deeper onto the veranda, out of sight of the door in case anyone came in the bedroom. “Someone’s coming.” He kissed her again and let go. “I’ll find you at midnight.”

Reaching for the balustrade, he climbed onto the railing and moved toward the castle wall.

“Wait.” She turned after him. “Meet me in the downstairs library.”

He stopped and looked back. “You’re sure you’ll be able to get away?”

“I’ll make it happen.”

He smiled. “It’s a date,
emmoní.
Now go back to the party before anyone notices we’re both gone.”

“Can’t you just use the door?”

“People are in the hall. I don’t want them to see us together. Besides, I can’t let you have all the fun climbing sides of buildings.

A smile spread across her beautiful face as she turned for the bedroom door. “Just don’t fall to your death between now and midnight,
ómorfos
.”

“Not a chance,” he said after her
.
“You’re mine.”

And in a few hours, she’d be his forever.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

T
he party had run later than she’d expected. After Elysia had excused herself close to midnight, she’d had to hide out in her room until the last of the guests had left. Now, at just before one a.m., she rushed down the dark stairs, hoping Cerek hadn’t given up on her.

He’d left the party with his father sometime around eleven. She’d watched him go, wondering where they were heading. Elysia knew Aristokles was still worried about Cerek, but she hoped that worry wasn’t translating into constant supervision.