Page 117 of For the Love of the Gods

My blood heated at the reminder

“Is she okay?” Adrian asked, concern slipping between his eyebrows

“Now.” There was no scarring that I could see. Thank the Fates. “It was the night of Corrina’s party. Before the Council meeting.”

Adrian nodded, processing. “And nothing since?” I shook my head tightly. “Good. Let’s hope it stays that way. We don’t need anything other than isolated.”

“Rose is checking right now to make sure it is.”

Adrian nodded again, breathing out a resigned breath that carried the weight of his birthright. “Shit like that kid is bound to happen. There is always someone pissed at the gods. But the second it becomes organized, turns against all of us, that’s where I get worried.”

“Is there anything to worry about right now?” Lukas asked, propping himself up a little higher.

“I don’t know,” Adrian replied honestly. “It’s hard to tell who just hates me or if the entire godly system is threatened. I’ll say this, we can’t afford any more disruption.”

Lukas paled a little. It was hard to tell, given he didn’t have his normal color, but it was there. I waited for him to say something, but he stayed quiet. Whatever caused that was between him and Adrian.

“I’m sorry for anything that Rose and I caused,” I said. One apology at a time.

“No, you helped,” Adrian said, letting out a tired laugh. “I can’t imagine the shit storm that would have hit if one of you died.”

“That’s not happening any time soon,” I said, my voice snapping. Lukas raised an eyebrow at me but stayed silent.

Adrian sighed and dropped his head. He carried too much blame on his shoulders. “Anything, and I do mean anything, that seems organized, you tell me.”

“I will, brother,” I assured him. He dealt with enough just because of his name, who his parents were, let alone a full blown coup, Fates forbid.

“Who put the herbs in Rose’s dress?” Lukas asked.

I shuddered before I could stop it. I should have known that the pained look she gave me while we were dancing at Corrina’s party was genuine pain instead of her excuse of an uncomfortable dress. I’d had my hands on that dress, and the material was soft and delicate. “One of myformerstaff.”

“Fuck,” Lukas muttered.

“You knew?” I snapped. He knew what I was talking about. The quitting, the refusal to work for her. All shit she didn’t deserve.

“Woah, man,” Lukas said, lifting his hands in surrender. “Daphne told me.”

I raised an eyebrow. From what Rose told me about Daphne, it didn’t seem like her to run back to her fiancé with all of her best friend’s secrets.

“Don’t tell Rose that,” Lukas warned. “Daphne only said something because she thought I could help. She was worried about her. Or whatever.”

I shoved aside the million questions I had about that explanation. How could he help? Why had he said Daphne’s name twice in the span of thirty seconds, when he’d refused to even acknowledge she existed for an entire year? Why did hisor whatevercome out in the most brutal, clipped tone I’d ever heard him use?

“It’s dealt with,” I said, heaving in a breath. This topic stressed me the fuck out. “Won’t happen again.”

“Someone care to explain why we are all suddenly harboring concern for Rose?”

I whipped my head towards Adrian so fast it formed a knot. “Excuse me?”

Adrian didn’t back down at the threat in my voice, his authority unwavering. “She killed Pine. We remember that, right?”

I growled and Lukas laughed. Asshole. “There’s more to the story.”

“Oh, yeah?” Adrian asked.

“Well, she hasn’t told me everything,” I clarified. “But there is.”

Adrian let out a bitter laugh. “Wow, she must be a firecracker in—”

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