the thick, warm fluid reached her lips, she knew it was blood. His blood.
It poured into her mouth and down her throat. She gagged, coughed, tried to force it out, but her tongue wasn’t working. The salty, metallic liquid gurgled between her lips and slid down her chin. He tipped the cup higher, holding her mouth to the edge. “Drink it all.”
Tears spilled over her eyelids. She couldn’t breathe, was sure she was going to choke to death. And then he was pulling the cup away, rubbing his bloodstained fingers through her hair, smoothing his hand down her cheek. “That’s all. No more. You did well. Breathe now.”
Cynna couldn’t do anything else. But she wasn’t well. She could feel his blood settling in the pit of her stomach, sending a rolling, nasty heat all through her body.
“That’s it. Let my blood become part of you. I know this won’t be easy, but to break him, we have to give him something to live for. That’s you, my love. You were right, and I should have listened sooner. This is the only way.”
She didn’t know what he meant, but a fire was building in her veins. One she was suddenly afraid would consume her.
“You’re going to earn his trust.” Zagreus stroked her hair as if she were a pet rather than a person. “You’re going to make him think you’re saving him, make him fall for you. He won’t be able to resist. He’s halfway there already. All he needs is a little push. And when he finally turns his back on that useless hero honor and chooses you over his precious people, then we’ll have what we want. Then I’ll come and reclaim you both.”
He leaned close to her ear, so close his hot breath was all she felt. That and his bloody hand closing tight around her jaw to squeeze until pain made her eyes water and darkness creep in at the edge of her vision. “But remember that you are mine. No matter how you fuck him. Whether it’s with your hand or mouth or your slutty little body, never forget you belong to me. My blood flows in your veins now. Mine and no one else’s. We made a deal, and you will never be free of me. Not until I have what I want. That I promise.”
He let go of her jaw. And vaguely, she felt his hands traveling down her neck, across her bare breasts and over her abdomen, but she didn’t care. That darkness was claiming her, pulling her under, drawing her into a murky abyss. And she relished it. Because there she wouldn’t have to endure whatever else he had planned for her. And there she couldn’t worry about what he was going to do to Nick.
“Sleep now, agapi . And know I will come for you. Soon.”
S oft humming woke Isadora.
Rolling to her side, she peered through the open doorway of her bedroom that led into the nursery. A low light burned in the darkness, and her daughter’s happy coo drifted from the other room, but it was the sweet male voice that pulled her from the bed.
She ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair as she crossed the room, her pulse picking up, her stomach tightening as it always did when he was close. The sleeves of her silky blue pajamas fell past her fingers as she reached for the doorjamb, and her feet drew to a stop.
Warmth curled outward from her chest and expanded through her limbs. Demetrius stood near their daughter’s crib, cradling Elysia in one of his big arms, letting her hold on to the index finger of his other hand with her little fist while he swayed and hummed a lullaby Isadora recognized from her youth.
The Argonauts all seemed surprised at the softness he exuded when he was near his daughter, but Isadora had known it was in him for a long time. Ever since those days they’d spent on that deserted island together, when she’d gotten her first true glimpse of the real man, not the closed-off and hardened guardian he wanted the world to see.
He was still dressed in the black pants and long-sleeved thick shirt he always wore when he was fighting in the human realm. A smudge of dirt smeared
It poured into her mouth and down her throat. She gagged, coughed, tried to force it out, but her tongue wasn’t working. The salty, metallic liquid gurgled between her lips and slid down her chin. He tipped the cup higher, holding her mouth to the edge. “Drink it all.”
Tears spilled over her eyelids. She couldn’t breathe, was sure she was going to choke to death. And then he was pulling the cup away, rubbing his bloodstained fingers through her hair, smoothing his hand down her cheek. “That’s all. No more. You did well. Breathe now.”
Cynna couldn’t do anything else. But she wasn’t well. She could feel his blood settling in the pit of her stomach, sending a rolling, nasty heat all through her body.
“That’s it. Let my blood become part of you. I know this won’t be easy, but to break him, we have to give him something to live for. That’s you, my love. You were right, and I should have listened sooner. This is the only way.”
She didn’t know what he meant, but a fire was building in her veins. One she was suddenly afraid would consume her.
“You’re going to earn his trust.” Zagreus stroked her hair as if she were a pet rather than a person. “You’re going to make him think you’re saving him, make him fall for you. He won’t be able to resist. He’s halfway there already. All he needs is a little push. And when he finally turns his back on that useless hero honor and chooses you over his precious people, then we’ll have what we want. Then I’ll come and reclaim you both.”
He leaned close to her ear, so close his hot breath was all she felt. That and his bloody hand closing tight around her jaw to squeeze until pain made her eyes water and darkness creep in at the edge of her vision. “But remember that you are mine. No matter how you fuck him. Whether it’s with your hand or mouth or your slutty little body, never forget you belong to me. My blood flows in your veins now. Mine and no one else’s. We made a deal, and you will never be free of me. Not until I have what I want. That I promise.”
He let go of her jaw. And vaguely, she felt his hands traveling down her neck, across her bare breasts and over her abdomen, but she didn’t care. That darkness was claiming her, pulling her under, drawing her into a murky abyss. And she relished it. Because there she wouldn’t have to endure whatever else he had planned for her. And there she couldn’t worry about what he was going to do to Nick.
“Sleep now, agapi . And know I will come for you. Soon.”
S oft humming woke Isadora.
Rolling to her side, she peered through the open doorway of her bedroom that led into the nursery. A low light burned in the darkness, and her daughter’s happy coo drifted from the other room, but it was the sweet male voice that pulled her from the bed.
She ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair as she crossed the room, her pulse picking up, her stomach tightening as it always did when he was close. The sleeves of her silky blue pajamas fell past her fingers as she reached for the doorjamb, and her feet drew to a stop.
Warmth curled outward from her chest and expanded through her limbs. Demetrius stood near their daughter’s crib, cradling Elysia in one of his big arms, letting her hold on to the index finger of his other hand with her little fist while he swayed and hummed a lullaby Isadora recognized from her youth.
The Argonauts all seemed surprised at the softness he exuded when he was near his daughter, but Isadora had known it was in him for a long time. Ever since those days they’d spent on that deserted island together, when she’d gotten her first true glimpse of the real man, not the closed-off and hardened guardian he wanted the world to see.
He was still dressed in the black pants and long-sleeved thick shirt he always wore when he was fighting in the human realm. A smudge of dirt smeared
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