He momentarily wished Eris were there to cloak him. Inga could cloak herself—make herself invisible—but her magick lacked the strength to hide others. Eris had no idea he was here, though, and wouldn’t be pleased about it. In fact, she would be beyond angry, especially in her current condition.
So he followed at a distance, keeping to the shadows as the sun fell in the late afternoon sky. Neither Cassandra nor Niko said a word until they crested the same hill where Jordan had found her and were halfway down the other side. Then Cassandra suddenly stopped and turned on Niko.
“How could you do that?” she demanded, her eyes flashing with anger. Jordan watched with anticipation, hoping his sister would do the right thing and rid herself of this useless man.
Niko appeared unfazed. “You saved my life. I just saved yours. Well, at least, I saved you from a life of enslavement.”
“You lied to them!”
“I didn’t exactly lie. I
am
indebted to you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the soldier. “Well, your debt is paid. You can go.”
“No. I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Go.” She flipped her hands at him in dismissal. “Go back to your life. To your wife and children.”
“I can’t go—” Niko stopped. His brows pushed together. “What do you mean, my wife and children?”
Cassandra lifted an eyebrow. “Your son?”
“I have no—you mean that boy? He’s my nephew.”
Jordan’s eyes narrowed as he saw relief overcome his sister’s face, exposing her true feelings for Niko. Now he understood why she’d been so eager to avoid the man.
Cassandra quickly recovered. Her face went stony again. “It doesn’t matter. You have a mother to take care of. Sisters. Other family. Go back to them, Niko. Go back where you belong.”
“Don’t you see that I can’t?”
“Of course you can. You’re not really my slave.”
Niko shook his head. “You don’t understand. That’s not how it’s done here. My own neighbors will stone me, possibly to death, if I don’t meet my obligations. You are my obligation now. I just made it public. I must go with you.”
Cassandra heaved a breath of frustration. Her eyes flashed again, exciting Jordan with their anger. He hoped she would punch the man, just as she’d hit him.
But her head dropped and her next words came out softly.
“How can you even want to be with me? Didn’t you see what happened in there?”
Yes!
Jordan fought the urge to whoop aloud. His attention had been consumed with the slavery part of his plan, and how wrong it had gone. He had nearly forgotten about the other part—expose his sister as the demon she really was.
Niko chuckled. “Quite impressive. You took down a grown man.”
Cassandra’s head jerked up. Her eyes hardened. “And caught a falling stone that he said took three men to carry.”
“And protected my nephew. Saved his life. I owe you for that now, too.”
Cassandra’s eyes widened briefly and then narrowed. “And you don’t have a problem with that? You don’t think I’m … I’m a … ”
“A what?”
She ducked her head. Her voice softened again, to nearly a whisper. “A demon?”
To Jordan’s surprise, Niko laughed out loud. “A demon? As in a spirit? You look quite real and human to me.”
Jordan cocked his head. How had he not thought of this before? He’d been around the worshippers of the gods and goddesses enough to know their beliefs. To know that demon, to them, only meant spirit, neither good nor evil. Why hadn’t he realized this before? Then the answer hit him. Another lie of Father’s he’d fallen for. People wouldn’t think them demons if they saw his family’s unusual abilities, not in the land where they lived. Farther east, where the Jews lived, perhaps, but not here. These people didn’t even have a word for what Jordan now knew as the real demons.
Disgusted with himself for his mistake—he needed a better argument to win over his sister—with Cassandra for her stupidity and with the man who had ruined everything, Jordan flashed away, grateful the Ancients had given him the magick to do so.
“Well?” Inga asked when he appeared at the creek where she waited.
The young witch was already in her preferred state of undress, her light hair falling over her shoulders and brushing the tips of her small, pink nipples. She sauntered up to him and stroked her finger across his downturned mouth.
“Didn’t go as planned?” she asked.
“Not exactly. I—”
Inga let him say no more. She grabbed the back of his head, pushed herself against him and crushed her mouth to his. He let her kiss away his anger. He needed this, the distraction she offered. His hands slid along the soft contours of her body and down to her thighs. He lifted her up and she pulled his chiton out of the way as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He lost himself inside her, enjoying her succulent body, feeling no guilt.
He and Eris had brought Inga into their home for both of their pleasures. Eris didn’t mind his being with Inga as long as she participated, as well. The larger Eris’s belly swelled with baby, though, the less Jordan wanted anything to do with her. Sometimes she would watch Jordan and Inga together. Other times she would fly into a jealous rage. He stayed with Eris, though, and not just because of the baby, but because her magick was unusually powerful and he needed her. And he knew she stayed with him for nearly the same reason—because of his own potential for power.
“I need to get back to Eris,” Jordan said later as they rinsed off in the stream. “She’ll be giving birth any time now.”
Inga trailed a finger over his broad chest. “Are you actually worried about her?”
Jordan chuckled. “You know me better than that. And you know her better than that. She can handle childbirth. I just don’t want to deal with the wrath of Eris because I wasn’t there.”
“I guess I can’t blame you,” Inga said with a reluctant sigh. Then she gave him an understanding smile. “I’ll see you soon.”
She disappeared with a faint popping sound. Jordan waded out of the water, let himself dry before dressing, then he flashed home.
“You smell like Inga,” Eris said as soon as he entered the small home she had brought him to the night they met. She sat on one of the oversized pillows, her disgusting belly resting between her open legs. Her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed. “And someone else. Another woman. Who have you been with, Jordan?”
He didn’t know how to answer her, because he didn’t know if she’d be glad that he hadn’t actually been with another woman or angry that he’d found his sister. The closer she came to giving birth, the harder and faster her moods swung. He braced himself and told her the truth.
“
Cassandra?
” she spewed, as if the name tasted as bad as her brews. “Why, Jordan? Why would you risk that?”
He stood there, silently growing angry himself. Why should he have to explain himself to her?
“You know the Ancients want nothing to do with her,” Eris said, struggling to push herself to her feet. “She’s useless to us. You risk everything by exposing yourself to her. And who else did you risk? Inga?”
“Like you care about Inga,” Jordan snapped.
“You’ll ruin us,” she yelled. “We have so much to gain if you just do what the Ancients want. We can have
everything
. But you’ll ruin it all because of your asinine sister!”
Jordan’s fist balled at his side and he raised it into the air. Eris’s eyes hardened, as if daring him. He wanted to hit her to shut her up because he knew she was right. He
had
risked everything. And only because of his inexplicable need to prove himself right to Cassandra. To prove to her that she’s not all good and great and
angelic
.
Eris stared at his fist, but before either of them moved, liquid splashed at her feet, surprising them both. More trailed down her leg and he twisted his lip in a disgusted smirk as his fist fell to his side.
“Never thought I’d see the powerful Eris be so overcome by fear,” he said and he turned for the door. “Clean yourself up, woman. I’ll be back … later.”
“Jordan,” she gasped.
Something in her voice felt wrong. It wasn’t fear. Nor a plea to stay. It was … different. He turned back to her and her eyes were wide, her hands at her enlarged belly. She gasped again and doubled-over. Strong, icy Eris was in pain. They both forgot their anger as Jordan helped her lay down and then flashed to retrieve Inga, who’d promised to help bring his child into the world.
Chapter 9
“You don’t believe in demons?” Cassandra asked with disbelief … and a little hope. She hadn’t expected this, although it occurred to her now if Niko didn’t believe in angels, he wouldn’t believe in their opposites either. His lack of belief would give her time to convince him she wasn’t evil, a chance she never thought she’d have once he knew she wasn’t who he thought she was. “How do you explain what I did then?”
Niko shrugged. His eyes were alight, never moving away from her, as if he couldn’t get enough of the sight of her.
“I’d say you’re a descendant of the gods. It’s the only way to explain it.” He stepped closer to her, right in front of her, sending her heart into a gallop. His voice came out low, silky. “You are beautiful enough to be.”
She looked into his eyes and all those feelings she’d been suppressing rushed to the surface. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms. And he accepted her! Didn’t believe her to be a demon! She couldn’t have hoped for this. But …
She swallowed. “Niko, you need to go home. You have a life here.”
“I told you. I don’t. My life is with you now. This is what I want. What I’ve wanted since the day I left you.” He reached out with his hand, cupped it to the side of her face, making her skin tingle.
She laughed nervously. “To be my slave?”
He smiled. “If that’s what it takes. I haven’t stopped thinking about you, Cassandra. Ever since I returned, they’ve been harassing me to choose a wife. Fathers have their daughters ready and they’ll deliver. Young girls, thirteen, fourteen, hardly any older than my nieces. The thought disgusts me. But I never really had a choice. Not since I met you.”
“I can’t live like your women do. Jordan told me how you hide them. They can’t leave their homes or even go outside. You know I can’t do that.”
“I do know. You’re free and strong and … just different from any woman I know. And that’s what I love about you.”
Cassandra blinked.
“Yes. I love you. I want to be in your life, whatever, however it is. I will follow you wherever you go. I will stay with you as long as you will have me. Just, please, don’t say no again. Don’t tell me you can’t. I understand you
are
different, very different. But you don’t need to hide. Not from me.”
His eyes were pools of warm water, the color of the sea, and she felt herself falling into them. Falling into him. When he leaned over, she didn’t back away. When his lips brushed hers, she didn’t push him off. When they pressed harder, she kissed him back. She pushed her hands through his dark hair to the back of his neck and pulled herself against him. His strong arms wound around her, holding her tightly, the feeling she’d been yearning for all winter long. Her lips parted, letting him in. She tasted the sweetness of grapes on his tongue and wanted more. More of him. More of his touch. Warmth spread throughout her body and her lower belly tightened. Her thighs trembled.
She reluctantly pulled away and just stared at his face, the face she loved, until she recovered and could speak again.