Page 129 of Queen of Legends and Lies
“Humans need permission to destroy land held by another.”
I sputter, indignant. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
“What can I say?” I can almost picture him giving me a flippant shrug. “Gods are complicated.”
I glare in his direction. Of all the ridiculous, bureaucratic nonsense…
“Remember, Narc’s whole intent wasand remainsthe removal of free will. To subject everyone to his purpose alone. After his death many years ago, we formed a pact never to remove personal autonomy from humans.”
Things are starting to become clearer, but I still have questions. “Is that why Nyc couldn’t give me any real information?”
The god blows out a breath. “Do not speak to me of her. Even if I could tell you, you will not like the answers. Xenon is human. That eyril field is on his land. Ergo, you must have his permission to enter for your magic to work.”
Just as my hope was starting to grow. Dammit. “Let me get this straight. I have to go to Xenon, tell him exactly what I have planned, and?—”
“I never said that.”
I’m starting to get really tired of being interrupted. “You’re suggesting…I can trick him?”
“Well,” I can hear the smile in his voice, “the gods do love tricky things. Do you really think I wanted to ask you about your affinity for pastries?”
When I blink, the glow is gone.
I have to be going insane if I’m starting to understand the actions of the gods. Some of them want to help, but something is stopping them. And they keep having to find workarounds. Which is why they’ve been so frustratingly cryptic.
Spinning on my heel, I head for the doorway to the bedchamber. “I hate the gods.”
“We know.”
I can hear airy laughter, faraway but distinct. Apparently, the God of Lost Things hasn’t left yet.
Asshole.Just to be safe, though, I don’t say that part out loud.
Chapter Forty-Three
I slip into the bedchamber, excited energy thrumming through my veins. “I know what to do now.”
The God of Lost Things,arrogantOrin—I will never forget his name—overworked my mind by talking in circles, but he made sense too.
Sterling sits up, eyes still heavy with sleep but also bright with affection. He reaches out and wraps his strong arms around me, pulling me down onto the bed. “I love your enthusiasm. Have I ever told you that?”
I can’t help but smile as his hard length presses against me through the blankets. Wriggling in his embrace, I grind myself shamelessly against him. “Mmm, and I love yours too.”
His lips find mine as he tugs me beneath the covers.
I laugh breathlessly against his mouth. As much as I want to lose myself in Sterling’s touch, a sense of urgency nips at the edges of my desire. “We don’t have time for this. I need to tell you what I just learned,” I gasp out between fervent kisses, even as I arch into his cool caresses. His fingers brushing over my nipple immediately changes my mind. “Which means we’ll have to be quick.”
Sterling chuckles low in his throat, his rough hands roaming all over me. “I can live with that.”
Our bodies tangle together, a frantic slide of my heated skin against his frigid flesh as we shed our clothes.
The magnitude of what we need to do lingers on the fringes of my mind, but for now, I let the blissful oblivion of Sterling’s lovemaking consume me. In his arms, even if only for a fleeting instant, the rest of the world falls away.
He rolls onto his back, repositioning me so that I’m straddling him. “Since you’re the one setting the pace.”
“Oh, yeah?” I laugh, rotating my hips, and he shudders beneath me. “Or maybe you’re just chilly still.”
I summon fire to the surface of my skin.
