We finally make it to the washroom, but just as I take a deep breath to give my divine lover a piece of my mind, I find myself dragged into the first empty cubicle, the lock activated, and...oooooh.
His invisible mouth covers mine as he lifts me up against the wall, and I forget everything else as I wrap myself around him and kiss him back. His tongue possessively explores my mouth, and I can only tighten my arms around his neck as I strive to keep from making any noise.
His mouth moves down, and I can't help arching my neck as he nibbles on the sensitive skin. I wish this could last forever, but...
I gotta go, I tell him morosely in my mind. I still have classes—-
I know.
But neither of us makes a move, and I only end up biting my lip hard as I feel his mouth nuzzling the valley between my breasts.
Call me that again.
I know right away what he's asking for, and I make a face at him. No.
But this only makes the god chuckle in my mind.
Hearing you use it for the first time was the most incredible surprise, moraki mou.
I did not see it coming, but in hindsight, I realize I should have.
A scowl crinkles over my forehead. Is that some kind of dig?
If you wish me to spell it out, by all means.
What I'm saying is that you are a dirty little girl under your icy shell—-
Fire bursts in my cheeks.
And I love it.
His teeth nip my earlobe as his thought unfolds in my mind, and I buckle so hard that the wound in my stomach makes itself felt. Shit.
The god hears this, and I feel his head immediately lift.
What's wrong?
I shake my head, but because my side still stings a little, some of the pain must've made its way to my expression, and I hear the god suck his breath.
I'm sorry, moraki mou. Your injury has slipped my mind.
The god lowers me back to my feet, and I'm startled when he pulls my shirt up.
You're bleeding again.
While the fresh stain of blood marking my bandage comes as no surprise, what does makes my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline is the chilling note of anger I sense in the god's voice.
Are you okay?
I had hoped I could control myself.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
I meant to let Hades eventually take care of your attacker.
But having seen this...
The god slowly runs his fingers over my middle.
What the fuck?
The bandages have completely disappeared, and I'm left staring at the unmarred skin of my stomach. It's like I've never been stabbed at all—-
Your attacker shall rot in Tartarus for hurting you.
The greatest sacrifice of the divine during the war was their decision to empty themselves of their healing energies. It was thanks to them the ravaged fields of the earth were restored and water once again covered the depths of oceans and seas. But in exchange for this, the gods had paid the heavy price of losing their power to heal even their own wounds. Ageless they might remain, but unkillable they no longer were, and that's a Post-3rd fact I never thought to question...until now.
Gods were supposed to have lost their ability to heal.
Almost all gods did.
But not you?
You already know the answer to this.
The way he's being so deliberately obtuse and evasive makes me want to step on his divine foot...and knee him in his godly balls at the same time.
Ask me the question you truly want to ask.
Oh, so that's why he's making this harder than it should be. He's assumed the situation has made me believe he's able to retain his powers to heal...by not joining the other gods when they risked their divine necks to save humanity. It's a plausible explanation, but...I'm not buying it.
Why can't you just tell me the truth—-
I have.
No, you haven't—-
Only at that time, you did not truly understand what it meant.
The god's voice is grim, and I'm about to ask him to stop talking in riddles when I hear the second warning bell chime.
Shit.
I reach blindly in front of me until my fingers come into contact with hard skin.
Gotcha.
I wrap my arms around his neck to give my invisible god a quick hug, and my lips twitch when I feel him jerk in palpable surprise.
We obviously need to have a long, LONG talk about all the other things you're keeping from me, I warn him. But in the meantime, I have to get to my next class—-
I'm about to step away when the god yanks me back, and his lips cover mine in a hard and deep kiss that has my body instantly tingling and aching with need.
I will never let anyone hurt you again, little bird.
And it will not only be me who shall keep you safe.