I remained still, unaffected by their games, aside from the longing for the only woman whose touch I'd ever truly craved. Honestly, I’d expected something different from them at this point. Something more tempting to bargain with than an ancient hole. At least this little display of theirs was harmless.
Serene’s back arched as she neared her peak, her breasts heaving with each ragged breath. Such a dramatic display for a few minutes of teasing. I didn’t sigh, didn’t look away, and I sure as hell kept my eyeroll to myself. They could entertain the mortals all they wanted to, but for fuck’s sake I hoped they did it quickly.
“Don’t stop,” she gasped, grinding against Vesalia’s face. “I’m so close.”
With a final flick of Vesalia’s tongue, Serene came undone, her moan of ecstasy reverberating through the prison. Her body shuddered and convulsed, riding out the waves of pleasure. As the aftershocks subsided, Serene pushed Vesalia away with a satisfied smirk. “Enjoy the show, Keeper?”
I met her gaze, my expression impassive. “So sorry. Did you want applause?”
“You could have a turn,” she purred, reaching out to trail a finger down the glass. “Or you could have the night. You remember how fun we are, don’t you? Or have you truly forgotten how to please a woman?”
“Yes. Let’s go with that.”
The look of pleasure vanished from her face as her true, vicious self showed through. Finally. “You’re such a dick, Reverius.”
“Aw, come on, Serene. I thought we were just discussing how much you loved that feature of mine.”
She glared. “I’d rather ride it.”
“And I’d rather be trampled by a horde of Hellhounds. You can see the disconnect here, I’m sure.”
“I wish you would have bargained more time, Vessie. How long do you think you can hold him once the final three days have passed? Can he break things as well as his Huntress?”
Vesalia jerked upright, spinning toward Serene. “Stop,” she said, grabbing Serene’s arm. “Now is not the time.”
Serene locked eyes with mine as she spoke. “But isn’t it more fun if he knows?”
Vesalia spun her around. “Unless you’re the one holding him with expansive magic, the answer is no.”
Serene rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
When the two naked goddesses left the room minutes later, I sank into the slowly trickling sand, replaying their words. What the fuck had Paesha broken? The only conclusion was impossible. Sure, Alastor was using her like his own weapon as of late, but she held none of Irri’s power. Only his. The ability to find. Not the ability to break.
I’d seen that damn look in Serene’s eyes though. One of truth and fucking triumph. Which could only mean one thing. She had broken something. There was no way she’d known about the veil though. She hadn’t come close to figuring it out the entire time she’d been in Stirling. Besides, even if she was powerful enough to do it, I would have fucking felt it. My power created it.
Except our power was failing. And each move on the board came with a steep cost. But she was angry and if she wanted revenge badly enough, I had plenty of enemies that would tell her anything for a cost. And if so, maybe that was why Alastor was so enamored with Paesha. Not because she was his soul descendant. Not because she could find things like he could. But because she had Irri’s power sitting dormant in her for all this time.
The walls of the hourglass closed in around me as I focused on the implications. On the words Serene had said. It didn’t matter how I tried to spin it, there were no other conclusions tobe drawn. She hadn’t broken a bargain or bond. She’d figured it all out. And somehow she’d broken the fucking veil to get back to the Fera.
In all these lifetimes. All these hundreds of years, she’d never once come close to figuring it out without being told. But my luck had run out and the only thing left was a woman scorned.
4
Paesha
Ispun in my chair, taking in the little girl with a riot of curly, brown hair framing her face. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes just as tired as Thea and Elowen’s, and her shoulders hung heavy. I was out of my seat in an instant, flying toward Quill and yanking her into a hug even if she didn’t want it, even as she stiffened beneath my touch and held her breath.
“I didn’t know you were friends. Maybe you could tell me about Aeris.”
We stood there for several moments before she relaxed. Those little arms grabbed me, and I felt her let go of whatever was haunting her. And then she began to cry. Those heavy feelings wrapped around me so tight, I couldn’t breathe as I became lost in her sorrow. It dove into my mind, bringing flashes of things that had broken me right to the forefront. Thorne’s face when he gave me his real name, Ezra’s when he shot that arrow, Harlow running across a cobblestone street to take a dagger for her brother, Archer sobbing in my arms at the funeral. Thea crying on the floor when she thought she could do no more for the Maestro, Deyanira sliding that blade across Ezra’s throat, the blade buried into my belly on the Maestro’s stage, his eager fingers as he moved them over the scar.
And then beyond that. To my father, walking away from me, leaving me cold and hungry. Even a glimpse of my mother, who I’d long forgotten as the door shut to the first home I’d ever known. Over and over the feelings of sorrow swallowed me whole, wrapping around my heart until I couldn’t move, couldn’t think beyond the lump in my throat and the ache in my stomach.
“I’m sorry you have to feel these big feelings, Quilly. You must feel so sad right now.”
She nodded, sniffling. “Everything is broken.”
I pulled away, swiping the tears from under those blue eyes. “Then it’s time to fix it. What do we do when we have big feelings?”
