Was it? Did he?
His chest clenched harder, bones seeming to crack.
She scooted a little closer, as if she hoped to soothe him. “As second-in-command of the entire army, you wield a ton of power. And as someone who has been on the receiving end of your authority, you wield that power well. Obviously, you love control. But do you ever want to throw your hat in the ring and fight to be the big boss man?”
“I agreed to assume the title if necessary, but I’ve never desired to wear the Commander’s helmet. I deal with enough strain. There’s no reason to add more now that I have other endeavors.” Gaining more moments like this. Getting his woman naked and in his arms every morning, every evening. And any yearning to dominate, he could now exercise with his harpymph, who loved breaking and heeding his orders, orchestrating his sexual torment either way.
She scooted closer still. “What do you plan to do after you ascend and kill Erebus? Find another enemy? Have fun?”
He believed he might like to spend the next few decades in bed with his gravita. A promisingly sweet future indeed. In fact, a strange warmth spread through him at the thought. Strange, and yet he thought he might recognize it, as if remnants of it had somehow survived the ages.
Hope.
Rather than looking ahead and seeing eons of old and new burdens to bear between repeated trials and tribulations, he beheld a feast of pleasures and contentment, his for the taking.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever had fun outside of my time with you,” he said.
“Really?” She jolted to her knees, plump breasts bobbing. Tussled dark hair shimmered in the light. She grinned. “You know what this means, right? I’m the best thing to ever happen to you.”
She just might be. “Before you, I despised being touched. With you, I seek only more, but it’s never enough. Before you, I took my lovers from behind and struggled to climax. With you, I struggle to stop from climaxing.”
Her brow knit in confusion. “If you hated being touched, why did you keep a concubine?”
“A momentary release is better than no release at all.”
Rubbing against him... “Well. I’m gonna make you so happy you copped to your deep and abiding obsession with me, Astra. I’m gonna show you supergood times today. The best! By tomorrow, you’re not even going to remember a moment you lived without satisfaction.”
Yes! He wanted this. Satisfaction. Contentment. More. He—A chill dusted him, and he stiffened. Danger!
“Phantoms.” Halo flashed to his feet beside the bed, donned pants, summoned a T-shirt for Ophelia, and gripped a three-blade.
Three phantoms ghosted through the wall, one after the other. Near the foot of the bed, they walked in a circle, oblivious to the world around them as they chanted. “Go to Halo, give him message, eat the girl. Go to Halo, give him message, eat the girl. Go to Halo, give him message, eat the girl.”
Hate the god. Erebus had sent in his minions the second the promise of pure merriment edged within Halo’s clasp.
He glanced at Ophelia. She wore the shirt and sat on her knees, holding a three-blade she must have pilfered from his closet without his knowledge while gazing longingly at the phantoms.
An ache erupted in the center of his chest. “Do you want your first kill, Elia?” He was here; he could guard her. There’d be no real danger.
“Are you kidding? Yes!” She scrambled to his side as fast as harpily possible, her wings buzzing. “Not to complain about your whiplash personality changes or whatever, but what happened to me needing to train before I took on the advanced phantoms Erebus sends your way?”
His whiplash personality? His? “I’ve been assured you are fierce and determined on the battlefield.”
The look she gave him. Halo willed the phantoms to die quickly, just to grab the harpy and throw her back onto the bed. Her emerald eyes were dreamy, as if he’d presented her with the world’s most priceless jewels. A male could get used to a look like that.
He flashed behind her and clasped her by the waist, ready to issue instructions. “Be ready. As soon as they deliver their message, they’ll fly over. You’ll need to strike them one after the other with a single strike.”
“I can do it.”
The phantoms went still. In unison, their milky white gazes shot to him over the harpy’s shoulder. “You are welcome, Halo.” Their monotone voices flowed together. “I know you enjoyed your break from battle. And let’s not forget your woman’s survival. You grow closer to her every day. That is wonderful. For me. I’m sorry to say, it is going to make the next challenge so much worse for you. Ha ha. Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha.”
Fury boiled up, but he ignored it, concentrating only on Ophelia’s safety. “Be ready. They’ll attack in three, two—”