Page 45 of The Blood of Gods and Monsters

At the end of the day, it never has been. First, it was mine and my father’s. Then it was mine and the entire Underworld. Now, it’s mine and the Darkhavens. If I were less than my morals, it would be so easy to turn away, to refuse to play these games.

I can’t.

I have no interest in saving the lives of the Mortal Gods of this Academy or the others for that matter. I have no interest in saving the lives of mortals or Gods alike. They’re all cogs in this clock tower of horrid hierarchy. Just because they’ve sat back and let this society grow and fester the way it has, why do I have to be the one to fix it? Why must I be the one they turn to?

It’s not fucking fair.

I didn’t ask for any of this.

I don’t want it.

I just don’t want the people I have actually come to care about to be killed because I know too much, because I’m a threat.

“What you need is a hero,” I tell him. “Someone from the storybooks.” I pick up my queen and reach for the game box. Slowly, methodically, I take each piece off the board and put it back in the box before I fold up the mat and place it inside as well.

Then, and only then, do I lift my gaze to meet his. “I am no one’s hero,” I say. “And I’m certainly no one’s salvation.”

Chapter 18

Kalix

The serpents are restless. That fact seeps into me like a cold wind, pouring through my insides and sucking away all of the warmth. It’s a curious thing, feeling the emotions of animals connected to me. Without them, I wonder if I would ever have any true emotions of my own.

That thought drifts away like mist though as the chamber door opens and Kiera steps inside. Her head is down, her hair covering half of her face as she turns to quietly shut the door behind her. Ruen and Theos are both asleep already. They would have stayed up for her, I suspect, had a Terra not stopped by to inform us that she’d been called away by Caedmon.

I, however, could not rest until her return. Now that she has, though, I’m curious as to why she appears so agitated. From my position against the low burning fire in the hearth, my shoulder propped against the stone, I watch as the woman moves further into the chambers. She shoves her long silver hair back over her shoulders and marches towards the door leading to Ruen’s bedroom.

About halfway there, she stops, though. Her muscles tense, and in incremental movements, she pivots to face me. The shadows upon her face nearly hide her expression. What I can see of her features are the soft but strong line of her jaw, the petite ridge of her nose, and the side of her forehead. The rest is encased in darkness.

“Kalix.”

That’s it. One word. I never knew my name could make my cock stand at attention so quickly. Yet, here it is and my serpents are squirming inside the walls, behind closed doors, sensing my impending burst of arousal. Does she know yet that we can affect our familiars as much as they can affect us?

I don’t speak. Instead, choosing to wait for her. Kiera turns more fully towards me until the shadows pull back from her features, revealing more. Her plush bottom lip disappears as she bites down, drawing it into her mouth before releasing it abruptly.

“Where were you during class today?” she asks.

I tilt my head to the side. “Do you want to know?”

She blinks and frowns, stepping towards me. The sudden movement captures my attention as I look down at her clothes. She’s changed out of the sand caked trousers from earlier and is now dressed in a similarly dark pair and a black tunic that molds to her chest and sides. The brown leather belt around her waist gives me insidious ideas and before I can stop myself, I feel a smile blossom over my face.

“I really don’t feel like playing any more fucking games tonight, Kalix,” she snaps, her tone tight with irritation. My cock hardens further at the sound. The serpents hiss in my mind, hungry.

Pushing away from the stone wall next to the hearth, I stride towards her with slow, measured paces, not stopping until her chest is barely a hair’s breadth from mine. Her face is aimed right at my throat, but she tilts it back until she’s looking up her nose at me.

“You seem upset,” I comment.

She blows out a breath. “Can you blame me?” she replies. “This whole … everything is…” She waves her hand and rolls her eyes, unable to finish the statement.

Unable to help myself or the craving I find to touch her, I lift a hand to her face and brush a lock of silver hair back behind her ear. It’s thin, softer than anything I think I’ve ever beheld, ever so much like a spider’s silk. The urge to wrap it around my fist and yank is so violent within me that it’s a shock I manage to hold myself back.

“Kalix?” Stormy eyes, the color of monstrous seas and clouds, stare up at me, through me. I suspect she knows exactly what I’m planning for her. My lips widen further. Still, she doesn’t run away.

My little liar is brave.

“Sssssssss…”

My smile drops and my gaze flashes up to the serpent peeking its head out from the railing above us. A bolt of fear shoots through the creature and it disappears from sight in an instant.

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