Page 23 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘And, of course, the love, Eros.’
‘Eros?’ My head snapped up.
Tee’s eyes sparkled. ‘Sexual passion, Sephy.’ A tingling sensation crept down my spine, making my insides quiver at the thought of having sex with Hades.
I huffed. ‘Ido notlove the king of the freaking dead, Tee! I don’t even know him! Maybe itisjust physical attraction?’
Tee cocked a brow and completely ignored me. ‘You complete and balance each other. Together, you’re whole. You’re physically and emotionally drawn to one another, Sephy. What you’re feeling is the soul bond you two share. We are ancient beings, Sephy, older than you can imagine. We don’t often love, but once we do, you’re fucked, because it’s forever. He loves you; you love him.’
I licked my too-dry lips as nervous energy danced in my core. Did Hades love me?
‘I do not love him,’ I gritted out, prompting Tee to roll her eyes. ‘It’s not as if I’m a guest here, is it? I’m a prisoner until Lord Grumpy and Deadly decides to release me.’ I lifted my chin as nausea gripped me. ‘How can I love someone who kidnaps people?’ Tee puffed out a breath but remained silent, and I needed to change the subject. ‘Anyway, what did you want to discuss with me?’
‘It can wait until tomorrow… Don’t worry. What do you want to do now?’
‘I want to fetch my books… from home,’ I said, giving her puppy dog eyes.
‘Next best thing. Hang on to your panties,’ she replied as she grasped my arm.
She flashed me out of the room again, and as I opened my eyes, I was mere seconds away from punching her until I saw where we were. I found myself in the middle of an immense library. I squealed as I looked around, wide-eyed—a circular room with thirty-foot-tall walls lined with books. A mezzanine level held even more books and was accessed by a wide staircase. When my eyes caught sight of the rolling ladders, I jumped up and down, gasping with excitement. I was in heaven. The high glass ceiling glowed with the light of a bright, sun-filled day, while plenty of sofas, tables, and chairs were arranged in cosy groupings.
‘I’ll be back for you in an hour. We have a dinner tonight, and you can’t wear your combat garb.’
I barely heard her. I was itching to explore. ‘Okay,’ I grunted as I moved towards the shelves, hearing her flash of aether as she vanished. As I strolled along, I trailed my fingers over the spines of books, sighing happily. The deliciously sweet smell of old books wafted through the air; a balmy, comforting aroma of knowledge, adventures, unrealistic romances, and faraway places—it was a calming setting of endless possibilities. I climbed a ladder and rolled it down a bookcase, much like Beauty does inBeauty and the Beast, letting out a little whoop.
‘Don’t break my ladders,’ a voice shouted, and I nearly tumbled off them.
‘Holy crap, don’t scare me like that!’ I glowered down at the floor and almost tumbled off the ladder again. I hurried down and jumped the last few rungs, landing with a thud. I stared at the half-goat, half-man creature. He stood about four feet tall. His lower half was black and furry, with goat hind legs anda small tail. The fur reached his waist, and downy black hair covered his human torso. Small, pointed horns poked through his dark, curly hair, and my gaze settled on his cheeky-looking face.
‘You’re a Satyr?’
‘No shit, Sherlock,’ he said, quirking a brow at me. I ignored his rude comment.
‘I’m Sephy. Pleased to meet you.’ I held out a hand, and he hesitated before taking it—a quick grasp and release as if to say,You’re on my turf, bitch.
‘I’m the librarian,’ he said as he turned to walk away.
‘What’s your name?’
‘Simos. So you’re the one everyone’s buzzing about, are you?’ He eyed me up and down. ‘Can’t see what all the fuss is about.’ The cheeky little shit! ‘Though you’ve got a smoking hot body. I like a woman in leather.’
‘Ugh,’ I huffed, squinting at him. ‘Nice to meet you, too.’
He paused for a beat. ‘How old are you?’
‘I’m twenty-two.’ I snapped, still glaring at him.
He turned and began to walk away, muttering something about babysitting brats and not being a fucking child-care worker.
I bristled, clenching my fists. Dropping him with a roundhouse kick seemed extreme, so I inhaled a calming breath. ‘How old are you?’
He stopped and turned to face me. ‘Five hundred and sixty.’
I felt my eyes widen and croaked, ‘Oh.’
He narrowed his eyes as if in thought, then locked eyes on me again. ‘So, you like reading?’
I nodded, still wanting to punch him in his cute face. ‘I do.’
