Page 29 of Touch of Death
I blush at this thought, ashamed to realize my eyes have dipped to trace his lines ever lower. Quickly lifting my eyes, I return them to his face.
Eros towers over me, though not nearly as much as Death does, and has to bend as he takes my face in his hand. I inhale sharply at the heat of his touch, his intoxicating scent crashing over me and filling me with a strange sense of longing.
He’s surprisingly gentle, and tender in a way I wouldn’t have expected the God of Lust to be familiar with. And yet, it is hard to miss the way he oozes desire and lust.
As his fingers linger on my cheek, though, Eros’ expression gradually changes. His brow furrows slightly, even as the corners of his lips remain turned up in a smile.
“What are you?” he asks, his voice coming out breathless as he lifts both hands to cup either side of my face. “You seem familiar, but I cannot …”
He trails off, and it is only in this moment that I realize Eros isactuallyblind, his fingertips moving slowly across my skin as if trying to learn every little detail they can about me.
Of course, he would have to rely on his other senses toseeme. It makes so much more sense now than it did but a moment ago.
While his touch is light, barely more than a whisper of his skin against mine, it almost seems to bleed me of myself … while at the same time igniting a smoldering fire deep within me.
I find myself torn between wanting to give in to it and wanting to pull away. My mind begs me to put as much distance as possible between us, but then some other, primal, part of me cries out for his touch, welcoming it as if I were long craved for affection.
Eros cups the side of my head as his other hand slips lower, his fingers trailing over the delicate skin as sparks shoot through my body.
Our eyes meet, and though I know he’s blind, I swear his sight pierces me to the depths of my being. As if he can see the very essence of who I am.
Suddenly, he bends, his lips parting as he pulls me closer, running a hand through my hair. I don’t have time to react, my breath catching in my throat before his mouth finds mine. Eros’ kiss is passionate, desperate, and full of longing as if he were trying to consume me with it … and succeeding.
My heart races, my skin tingling from the heat of his touch as my mind spins in confusion. I feel like I’m drowning, losing myself with each passing second.
The next thing I know, Eros is thrown back from me amidst a sudden flurry of shrieks and screams from the creatures around us.
I collapse to my knees, my body weak and trembling. Gasping, I try to regain my composure as I watch him writhe on the floor, shadows licking their way up his body to wrap around his neck.
“Death, no!” Persephone cries out, but Death ignores her as he stalks toward Eros.
“Howdareyou touch her like that,” Death roars, the beasts that were previously restraining him scurrying away in terror as he raises a gloved hand to signal for his shadows to tighten.
For a moment, all I can do is stare in shock and horror at the scene unfolding before me. Blinking, I regain control of my tongue as I reach forward to lay a gentle hand on Death’s leg.
“Please,” I say softly, forcing my eyes away from Eros as I look up at him. “Please, don’t do this.”
I see a flicker of what looks like pain in Death’s eyes as he glances down at me, but then he blinks and drops his hand. Quickly turning to kneel before me, he grabs my arms and helps lift me back onto my feet. Instantly, his shadows return to him, leaving Eros gasping for air on the marbled floor.
Persephone quickly moves to Eros’ side, dropping to her knees to check on him as Death searches my face.
“I am sorry, little one,” he says after a quiet moment. “I … We should leave this place at once.”
He pulls me to his side, slipping a hand around my waist for support, before turning toward the door just as Eros pushes himself up onto his elbows.
“You cannot leave,” he says, his chest still heaving.
“Do not make me—”
“She is mortal,” Eros interrupts. “Her soul, you are going to need my help to save it.”
Death freezes, his shoulders tensing as he slowly turns us back to look at the pale god.
“I need no one’s help, especially not when it comes from the likes of you.”
Eros lets out an unsettling laugh at this, waving away Persephone’s offered hand as he rises to his feet.
“You are going to need all the help you can get, if I am not mistaken as to why you came here,” he says, his white eyes slowly lifting to meet Death’s as he rubs his neck. “Besides, it was not an offer. It was a statement. You came for my brother’s help; take mine in his stead.”
