Page 29 of The New Gods

I couldn’t catch my breath, but as he pulled his hand away, I felt before I heard, the low rumble of his voice.

“You’re okay. I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

Was I?

The door to my apartment opened, and the wind swirled around me, chasing away Pollux’s warmth.

One moment, I was on his lap, the next, he shoved me behind him and stood.

“Get out of here.” His tone went through my skin into muscles, freezing me in place.

Peering around the huge man, I stared at the man in the doorway. “Orestes?” My knees were weak, but I got to my feet. Hand on Pollux’s elbow, I stood at his side. “What are you doing here?”

Pollux

Orestes stared past me at Leo.

His face was pale, golden eyes too bright for this darkness. He whirled toward the door as if to escape, but where was he going to go?

And more importantly, why? He was here to kill her, so why was he running away?

Leo struck like a snake, reaching past me to snag his sweater. “Wait. Stay.”

“You know each other.” My statement of fact came out a lot calmer than I felt. I thought I’d gotten here in time, that I had headed off any opportunities Orestes could have taken.

I was wrong.

I couldn’t read the emotions on Orestes’ face. He’d shut down so fast, I hadn’t had a chance.

“No,” he answered at the same time Leo said, “Yes.”

Her face flushed. “Sort of. I was almost hit by a car. He saved me. But wait. You know each other?” Why didn’t she move her hand from his arm?

The sight of her pale hand, back smattered with golden freckles, overwhelmed me. Why did it bother me?Didit bother me?

Flooded with feelings I didn’t even want to begin to examine, it took me a long moment to process what Leo said. I ignored her question, focusing instead on the relevant part of her story. “Saved you?” Now I met Orestes’ gaze. Or would have had he been looking at me.

He wasn’t. His eyes were fixed on Leo, taking her in. A flare of jealousy, hot and spiked, stabbed me right in the gut.

Mine.

Up until this moment, she’d been mine. I hadn’t had the conscious thought. Self-examination wasn’t something I did.

So watching Orestes watch Leo… I didn’t like it.

And he still hadn’t moved his god-damned arm out from under her hand.

Crowding him, I forced him to step back, or stand uncomfortably close to me.

“Saved you?” I asked again, because neither of them seemed to have heard me. That spark of jealousy threatened to turn into a flame.

Orestes seemed to shake himself. I caught his gaze flick to his arm, and I wondered if he could still feel her touch.

The flame burned hotter.

“Americans,” he answered, like that explained everything.

Leo took up where he left off. “I was distracted when I was walking. It was instinct, look left then right, and cross. But here, traffic comes from the other direction. It was stupid. Orestes pulled me back before I was flattened.”

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