Page 5 of Until Death
I know I should remove myself from him, but I find that I am unable to, my body still stunned by the shock of the fall. My cheeks burn as Eros’ pale eyes fix on me and he reaches up to cup my face in the palm of his hand.
The touch of his skin pulls at me, begging me to give in to him as it threatens to drain me of myself. Swallowing, I open my mouth to say something, but the words never leave my mouth.
Eros’ fingertips dig into my hair as they push their way toward the back of my head, pulling me down to him. His lips find mine, and I’m immediately lost in him as everything else fades. Eros deepens the kiss, searching me, body and soul, as his hunger for me becomes ever more consuming.
My mind reels as I struggle to remember anything else, but all I’m aware of is him, his touch, as my body trembles in want … in need for more. Sense finally comes crashing back to me as I feel his free hand slip lower on my back. Push my hands firmly against his chest, I break our kiss as I once again gasp for air.
It takes a moment for me to realize what just happened, and I can’t help but look away in shame. How easily he seems to weaken me, to break my resolve with nothing more than a kiss.
I should have known better than to let my guard down with Eros … especially so soon after leaving Death’s side.
Guilt pits in my stomach like a sickening weight at the thought of Death and the feelings that still linger for him. Feelings I’m starting to doubt can ever be shaken despite his betrayal.
“I … I’m sorry,” I say to Eros as I remove myself from his body.
“There is nothing to apologize for, mortal,” Eros says with a half-grin as he props himself up on his elbows. But even I can see the disappointment hidden behind his expression. “Here, let me help you.”
Eros rises to his feet, brushing the dirt and twigs from his dirt-stained suit before offering his hand to me. I stare at his hand warily for a moment, the thought of accepting it suddenly seeming far too dangerous given what just happened.
I’m starting to worry that I can’t trust myself around him anymore, not after the way his kiss burned through me, igniting a fire for him that should never have existed in the first place.
Glancing toward the city, I feign absentminded ignorance as I accept his help by grabbing his sleeved arm instead of his hand. I drop my hand from him the moment I’m back on my feet.
“We’re nearly there, I think I’d like to walk the rest of the way,” I tell Eros as cheerily as I can. “It’s not often someone like me can say she walked the streets of the gods.”
He nods once, and we continue on in silence toward the city gates.
As we draw nearer, I steal a glance up at him. It’s impossible to deny the power he carries in his touch, and I can’t help but wonder what giving in to him would be like.
Not that I would allow that to happen, not while I still carry Death so heavily in my heart. If touch had not been so impossible between us, I wonder if I would still feel these baser desires for Eros, too.
Or if I am simply reacting to a need so long left wanting that it’s starting to crave even that which it should not. I shift my gaze away from Eros at this, even as the soft morning rays seem to outline him in angelic light.
Thankfully, the moment my bare feet hit the paved roads of the city, I’m distracted from my thoughts by the chaos that rises up to meet us.
Creatures and beings of all kinds move about with a sense of urgency that puts me on edge. Obviously, something has happened since we were last here.
Eros steps closer to me, uncertainty furrowing his brow as he senses the growing confusion all around us.
“Come,” he urges, grabbing my hand before I can protest as he quickly moves toward a small lane.
I fight to keep up as his pace quickens, leading me through the twisting back alleys of the city.
“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice nearly breathless from exertion.
Eros doesn’t answer as he pauses at the end of a narrow path. Spinning around, he shoves me roughly back against the vines of one wall before covering me with his own body.
Eros is quick to press a hand over my mouth to silence my protest just as several giant men race by. His touch has my mind reeling and knees weakening beneath me, his body the only thing keeping me upright at the moment.
We remain like this for a few seconds longer, my heart pounding in my chest, before he finally steps away from me. But before I have a chance to regain clarity, he’s grabbed my hand again, dragging me across the open street ahead and into another maze of winding alleys.
I’m nearly stumbling at this point, my body aching in more ways than one.
“We are nearly there,” Eros whispers, as if sensing my exhaustion. “Just a few mo—”
He stops short and I slam into the back of him as a pair of stone guards suddenly step into view ahead, blocking our path.
Eros curses under his breath, his fingers tightening on me as I peer out from behind him.
