Page 77 of Deception

I sigh in exasperation, barely hiding the grin at their possessive nature. I catch Mateo’s eye, and he gives me a smug wink. Seeing past my faux look of indignation, I plaster on my face.

“I was just going to say … ” Orrin trails off, drawing our attention back to him. He gives Mateo a pointed look before continuing. “I would like to help you develop your powers. Your father has told us you have all of his powers, and I would love to help you use the power of wisdom.”

I hadn’t realized that my father had told the other gods, but it seems necessary if all the majors were to unite against the council, to tell them everything. Besides, despite our best efforts, I’m sure they’ve already gleaned as much, seeing as I possess more than one power.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the god of wisdom, Orrin?” Mateo quips, stepping forward, forcing Orrin to take a step away from me. “Do you really think it’s wise to vie for my mate’s attention … our mate?” he corrects, at Maximus’ growl of protest at my side. He wraps an arm around me possessively, as though needing to prove the connection after Mateo’s oversight.

I can’t help but lean into the touch, soaking up the affection and comfort only one of my guys could give. Orrin’s gaze moves to the contact, not missing anything. I would say that he too has a calculating gleam in his eyes, but it’s less devious than Helene’s and more perceptive, as though not much is missed by his keen mind.

“Yes it is. What better move than to ally myself with the new, impossibly powerful god, with four gods as mates?” Orrin chuckles, holding his stomach as though he just told the most hilarious joke. Unfortunately, his amusement at Mateo’s implied ignorance only makes my god of war more hostile. His fists clench at his sides and he growls through gritted teeth.

I go to step between the two before a shocked gasp draws my gaze from the bickering gods.

“Liv,” a female voice exclaims, hurried footsteps following the rushed words. My head jerks to the side, recognizing the voice immediately.

Kali rushes toward me, her face pinched with concern as she jogs through the empty hall, Domenic, Zina, and Lucas following her. Stacia hangs back, sheepishly making her way forward, her gaze nervously darting towards Orrin … her father. I swallow thickly at that, not wanting to be here for such an intimate moment between the two of them.

I squeeze back out between Maximus’ and Adrian’s towering forms, flanking me on either side, desperate to see my best friend after this hellish day.

I push my wings into my back, and they obey me with ease. Hidden away from eyesight but sitting just below the surface, ready to burst forth when called. The movement becomes natural after practicing a few times with Adrian beforehand. I mean, I couldn’t go in there looking like a badass and mess up, could I?

I chuckle as she crashes into me, arms winding around my back, and I wrap her in a tight embrace. Unconcerned by the group of gods, moments from landing blows on one another, standing just feet away from her. But, much to my relief, they use the moment to pacify their earlier tension. Mateo and Orrin straighten as the others join us.

“Tell us everything. How did the trial go?” The words escape Kali in a rush before she pulls back, scanning me, searching for any injuries.

I shake my head in disbelief, stifling a giggle at her overreaction. If I had been injured, either myself or Kyros would have healed it by now. But I don’t say a word, basking in her warm, caring nature and taking great amusement in how confident she’s become. Not even caring about the assessing gazes of all the gods surrounding us.

“I’ll fill you in later.” I give her a pointed look, my gaze flicking to the side. Silently attempting to communicate, ‘not in front of the others.’ To my relief, she nods, sheepishly glancing over at the gods surrounding us before disentangling herself. As though just registering their presence.

My father draws closer along with Nyssa. The brunette god, Phillipa, the god of love, sneaks off to the side, slinking through the grand doors before anyone else can notice.

I scan the rest of the hallway, spotting the rest of my friends just over Kali’s shoulder, and I give them a small smile, not wanting to display too much emotion in front of gods I don’t actually know at this point.

I meet Domenic’s gaze, and his shoulders seem to relax, and his lips widen in a relieved smile. The look evaporates a moment later as he frowns at my four mates, as they move around me, picking up their protective positions once more. I shake my head in disbelief, noticing how Mateo still stands by Orrin as though keeping him at bay and ensuring distance stays between the two of us.

“Thank you for your offer, Orrin,” Kyros steps forward, begrudgingly moving away from me to intervene between Orrin and Mateo, the two gods’ tempers flaring once more. “It’s up to Olivia, but I think it would be a great idea for her to master the power of wisdom with your aid.”

Kyros gives Mateo a pointed look, silently instructing him to stand down. Mateo huffs out an indignant breath, gritting his teeth at Kyros. I catch his gaze, raising a brow in question. His mouth pops open, before he snaps it shut, and crosses his arms over his chest, signaling for us to take over.

“I would appreciate that.” I nod in Orrin’s direction. Not wanting to piss off one of the few gods that’s on our side, let alone miss out on the chance to learn another facet of my power. “I’m sure we can figure something out in between my other training,” I add on, giving Kyros a pointed look for him to intercede. Sure, it was important to keep Orrin on our side, but I didn’t want any of my guys to feel uncomfortable, so leaving it up to Kyros seems as though it will be the best course of action.

Kyros is about to respond, when Nyssa steps in, interrupting him.

“I, too, would like to lend my skill and teach Olivia how to use the power of justice.” She nods her head in respect to me before glancing at Kyros, who sighs a breath of relief at Nyssa’s statement.

Orrin glares back at her, pinning her with a look of contempt, which she ignores, keeping her gaze focused on Kyros.

“Perfect, we’ll start Olivia’s next round of training tomorrow, and we’ll all be there to observe,” he adds. Mateo’s face is pinched with irritation.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow then, let’s go, Orrin,” Nyssa gestures to the exit, and I sigh a breath of relief, grateful for her intervention.

Orrin looks back at her as though he’s about to argue when another familiar voice sounds behind Kali.

“E—excuse me, Orrin … god of wisdom?” Katrina steps up behind Kali, and she moves to make room for her, chewing her lips nervously as she looks between the two of them. I blink in surprise, not having noticed her before. Stacia steps up to her side reluctantly, rubbing her bicep nervously as her sister approaches their father.

“What do you want?” Orrin snaps, his gaze swinging back to Katrina, taking out his irritation on her. My eyes flit back and forth between the two of them, taking in their similarities—their hair, the same shade of blond, the same rounded end of their noses.

“I—I just wanted to meet you,” she stutters, clasping her hands nervously in front of her. “I’m—we’re your daughters,” she corrects, gesturing at both herself and Stacia, who hangs back despite Katrina’s beckoning wave, clearly uncomfortable with the public introduction.

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