Page 134 of For the Gods' Sake

Some idea clicked in Adrian’s head. “Fuck you,” he snapped at his friend when he tried to take my handfrom Rose.

But Dominic was too fast, replacing his wife’s grip with his own and sending a twin chill in the same path hers took. He looked up at Rose and nodded once, agreeing with whatever assessment she made.

Rose sighed heavily, opening her mouth to—

“Don’t youfuckingdare,” Adrian said harshly, his fingers pressing harder into my skin like Rose was threatening to take me away from him.

Maybe he thought she was. I didn’tfeellike I was dying. With every passing second I felt stronger and stronger.

I pulled on his arm to make him look at me, but his focus was on Dominic as he snapped, “Watch it,” and stepped in front of Rose. It took me a second to realize that the storm had gotten worse, and now lightning had joined the fray. It was slamming down outside and it looked like it was inching closer and closer to Adrian—and therefore to Rose.

“I’m trying to tell you she’s okay, you lightning-wielding ass!” Rose yelled, jumping up on her toes to peer over her husband’s shoulder at Adrian. “Now can you chill with the storm, everyone in here is soaking wet!”

Thunder clapped loudly outside, shaking the remaining glass in the windows.

“First,” Dominic said, turning around to face Rose. “Nicknames are reserved for me.” Then he turned around to look at me and Adrian, still crouched on the floor. “Leash the storm. Now.”

Adrian was still breathing heavily, like he couldn’t quite get enough oxygen. It was then I realized that he was likely panicked—and had never quite been pushedto this state before.

With Adrian’s uneven breaths hitting my temple, I looked up at the room. My voice, thankfully, came out healthy and strong as I said, “I’m okay.” Then I looked down at Sebastian’s limp body on the floor, resisting the urge to bend over and stab him with the broken arrow. Even if he hadn’t actually pulled the trigger. “You have a plan for what to do with him, yes?”

When everyone—as in four gods and one guard—stared at me with blank expressions, I looked to Daphne. “Do you?”

She nodded, her face a little ashen. I gave her a small smile, letting her know that I was really okay. “Deal with him.” I moved my hand over Adrian’s forearm and down to his fingers, curling my own over them. “Leave us for a moment.”

After another pause, everyone got to work quickly. Dominic and Lukas each hauled a passed-out guard over their shoulder, while Rose and Daphne did the same, but with more creative maneuvers that allowed them to haul dead weight like it was nothing.

Emre stood watch over Sebastian until Dominic returned, bending down to grab him by the collar and pull him through a portal to somewhere dark and haunting.

When Adrian and I were finally alone, I shifted slightly to look at him. I called his name once. It didn’t seem to pierce through a single cloud fogging his gray eyes. Then I tried placing his hand over my stomach, where I could feel that the bleeding had already stopped. Where my wound was likely already closing.

He only shivered and jerked with a tremor when he felt the blood soaking my dress. Then I tried his nameagain.

For fuck’s sake, his stubbornness was strong even in the middle of what could only be described as a minor panic attack. And it only made me love him more, for some reason.

Realizing the storm was going to turn his office into tatters, more than it already was, I tried the only thing I could think. “I’m cold. The water and the wind isn’t the best combination.”

That pierced through the panicked haze real quick. The wind fell to a distant breeze and the rain stopped immediately, containing itself to the dark clouds floating over Olympus.

If anything, I could have sworn a more pleasant wind, warm like air before a summer storm flicked through the room.

It was only when I was sure that he had his power under control that I spoke again.

“Adrian,” I said and his eyes closed with a pained breath. “Why am I not dead?”

“I asked the Fates to seal your lifeline,” he responded casually. Like that wasn’t insane.

“Why would you do that?” I asked, my throat already thick with building tears.

“Because I’m in love with you.” Adrian’s hold tightened right as I gasped softly, pressing our chests even closer together. “And I’m a selfish bastard that asked one of my friends to give upherfavors just so I could keep you.”

Any remaining pain was promptly chased away from the burst of feeling in my chest, my heart yearning like it wanted to crawl inside his body. “And you want to marry me?” I asked, my voice wavering with unshedtears.

Adrian nodded, swallowing thickly. “I’m going to.”

I smiled softly. “Good.” Even that one word seemed to drastically calm him. “Because I love you.”

Not a second passed between those words leaving my mouth and Adrian’s lips coming down on mine in a desperate, hard kiss. Deep pulls that left me feeling breathless and dizzy.

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