Page 24 of Marginally Yours
When we finally make our way to the previously empty gazebo, one of the benches is no longer empty. It's been in our view the entire walk up the path, but somewhere in between blinks, a man appeared out of thin air. Even sitting, I can tell he's huge. He has to be well over six feet tall. He's wearing a tailored black suit with golden cuff links and stitching, and I'm suddenly glad for Callie's makeover. He sits with one arm over the back of the bench, the other scrolling through the phone he holds on his lap. He doesn't even look up when he speaks.
"You're late," he drones, sounding incredibly bored, and I'm hit with a wave of irritation. As if he can feel it, he looks directly at me, eyes locking on mine in a sneer. His eyes are a shining, metallic gold, and his gaze is piercing. He's annoyed to even be here, and he wants me to know it.Awesome.
"We're notlate," Callie argues quietly, hands clasped in front of her. She's wringing her fingers together nervously, but her voice is steady. "You'reearly." He stuffs his phone into the inside pocket of his jacket and turns his attention to her, lacing his fingers together and leaning forward on his knees. His gaze rakes over her from head to toe before he speaks, and I know I caught a flash of hunger in it.
"Early is on time, and on time is late. Youknow I hate to be kept waiting. Why did you call me here?" He glances at me again in silent question.And why is he here?
His voice is deep and smooth, with an accent I can't quite place. Logically, it should be Greek, but it doesn't sound like any Greek accent I've ever heard. Maybe the accent morphed over the centuries, and this isancientGreek. Either way, he sounds like an asshole. Callie clears her throat quietly before answering him.
"I want to bargain for my contract," she tells him, locking her violet eyes with his golden ones. He scoffs, arching one eyebrow in amusement. She narrows her gaze at him. "I want to know the cost to buy it out," she continues, trying to appear unfazed.
He leans back in his seat and drapes his arms over the back, and I'm overcome with a visceral need to kick him in the teeth just to wipe that look off of his face.
"And why, exactly," he drawls, dragging out the words. "Would you want to do a silly thing like that?" He turns his attention back to me, and we both know that he already knows the answer to his own question. He’s just daring her to say it out loud. I stay silent, letting her take the lead and share only what she wants to, but I know he knows. And I know he's not happy about it. Callie steps closer to me, drawing his gaze back to her.
"Do my reasons matter? I no longer want to be bound to the muses, and he wants to buy my contract." She nods her head to me, but Apollo doesn't budge. "So, what's the price?"
Apollo is silent for a moment, glancing back and forth between us. It's the sly smirk of a plotting man, and it's making my skin crawl. After what feels like an eternity, he stands gracefully, making no noise at all. He's even taller than I thought, and his suit strains across his broad shoulders. A few steps close the gap between him and Callie, and he leans down so they're almost face to face. He hooks one fingerunder her chin and pushes until she can't help but look him in the eyes.
Instinct tells me to rip his hand off of her face, but logic tells me she'll ask for help when she needs it. I shove my hands in my pockets before I do something stupid and fuck everything up, but keep my eyes trained on hers for the smallest hint that things are not going as she had planned. She meets his cloying look with indignation, waiting for her answer.
"The price, sweet girl," he declares, his words dripping with the poison of a man who feeds on the suffering of others. "Is your immortal life."
Chapter Sixteen
"What the fuck," I sputter. “No.” I take a step forward instinctively, but Callie stops me with a hand on my chest. I glance down at her, and she nods, the message loud and clear.I've got this.
"That makes no sense, Apollo." Her tone is bored, like his nonsense is grating on her patience. She's doing an excellent job of appearing more confident than she's feeling, but I'm willing to bet he can see through it. I turn my gaze back to him and his shit-eating grin confirms my suspicions. I'm sure she notices, too, but she doubles down.
"Why would the price for my freedom be my own life? You think I'd free myself just to die?" She rolls her eyes, as if the whole thing is beneath her. A waste of her time. The silence hangs heavy in the air, but she doesn't jump to fill the void. She just stares him down, arms crossed in annoyance.
"Well, you're welcome to bargain, of course." His gaze is predatory, and I want to light him on fire. I follow his gaze with mine as he traces her curves before dipping his head, eyes darkening. "I could always use another wife," he suggests with a wolfish smile.That's it, motherfucker.
I'm vibrating with barely controlled rage at this point, and she knows it. She uncrosses her arms and slips one hand into mine, squeezing hard. Of course, Apollo misses nothing. The delight on his face is absolutely infuriating.
"Oh my," he trills with a giddy laugh. "It seems there may be another chip on the table for you to bargain with? It's not worth as much as an immortal life, but I might be willing to accept his mortal one as payment instead."
That finally cracks the mask. She whips her gaze to him, fury burning in her eyes. "You will do no such thing," she grits out. He holds up his hands in mock surrender, stepping back and returning to his seat on the bench. He crosses his feet at the ankles and leans back, a wide smile splitting his face when he returns his gaze to hers.
"Doesn't seem to me like you have much else to bargain with." He brings one hand to his face, pretending to inspect his nails. Nowhe'splaying bored. "You seem particularly overprotective of this one, Callie. Tell me, love. Does he know what happened to the last one?"
Her hand tenses in mine and she glances back at me. I catch a flash of shame on her face and shake my head. He's trying to drive a wedge, to create enough doubt that I'll back out, and I won't let him. Whatever happened, it has no real importance here. If it did, she would have told me. She's still frozen, and Apollo is loving every second of this. I decide that now is the time to take over.
"We're here to bargain, Apollo. A bargain benefits both sides in some way" His lip curls in a sneer at my voice, disgusted that I would dare to speak to him so informally. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Are you not willing to offer us a bargain worth taking?"
He's silent for long enough that I don't think he's going to bother answering me. He chews his cheek, like he's deciding what to say. When he finally speaks, it's to Callie.
"Tell him now, little bird. See if he still wants to fly away with you." He huffs out a laugh. She hesitates, turning to look at me but saying nothing. "Go on, or I'll take my leave. I tire of this."
She takes a deep breath and turns away from me. Her voice is so low that I almost don't hear her.
"My last charge was obsessed with me," she mumbles, fists clenching at her sides. "When I started the contract, I took the apartment next to his. I..." She stops for a moment, and I hear a telltale sniffle. I reach for her hand, but she pulls it away just as I make contact, cradling it with the other in front of her chest. "I kept making mistakes, and he connected the dots too quickly. He noticed he wrote better when I was around, and he worked out exactly what I am. I... I couldn't lie to him when he asked me, and I made the mistake of telling him I was only assigned to him until he finished his first book."
I'm immediately seeing red. I know exactly where this is going, and it's not going to end well for this piece of shit when I find him. She finally turns to look at me, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. My face crumples, and it takes every shred of control I have not to reach out for her again. I know she needs to get this out first, so I shove my hands in my pockets and give her an encouraging nod. She takes a deep breath before continuing.
"He... Well, he was a really good liar. He convinced me that we were friends, and I would come over to help him write." My brows knit together in a scowl, and I realize too late that she thinks I'm mad at her. Her face floods with panic, and she rushes to explain. "Not... not like us, I swear."
"Hey, it's okay." I shake my head, trying to reassure her. "I'm not mad, I promise. Not at you." She eyes me warily, chewing her bottom lip nervously. I do my best to soften my face, and some of the tension on hers fades away.
