ChapterFourteen
SUNDAY
Istared up at the stone likeness of Persephone Blackthorne, the sadness in her eyes reminding me so much of Noah. The roses twining around her legs, thorns on the stems but never breaking her skin, lent a sinister air to the family’s namesake. They resembled shackles more than the delicate flowers they were supposed to be.
Even still, the soft bubbling of water soothed my nerves as I sat with Moira on the edge of the fountain. This was one of my favorite places at Ravenscroft, especially now that Noah and I were separated. But it wasn’t until after the ball I realized the necklace Persephone wore was a perfect match to the one Moira magicked for me.
Moira’s fingers trailed in my hair as she continued braiding strands of glitter through it. I would end up looking like a faerie if I let her keep going, but if I was honest, it took the edge off.
I hadn’t heard from Kingston since I woke up in the bowels of the church alone. Biting my lip, I glanced back down into my lap and the phone that hadn’t left my side.
No new messages.
Where is he?
I was now two for two on the missing mate scorecard. I sure knew how to rack ’em up and then make ’em run...
“And that’s quite enough screen time for you, young lady.” Alek’s voice slid over me like a warm caress until he plucked my phone from my hands and shoved it in his back pocket.
“Hey! I was using that.”
“I know. I’ve been watching you stare down at it all blasted day. You’d think this damned device held all your darkest secrets.”
My neck prickled with the barest hint of embarrassment. It kind of did. My desperate messages to Kingston were on there. Pleas for him to answer me, angry and hurt accusations when he hadn’t responded, and then apologies to follow those up.
“Oh no. Not you, too, Týr. She’s already got enough stalkers.”
Alek laughed. “Nope. Moira, I’m disappointed. I handed it to you already. Are you really that unobservant?”
I glanced between them. “What is he talking about?”
Moira rolled her eyes. “I’m still trying to guess which god he is.”
“Is that even a question? He’s clearly a Loki. The smirk alone gives him away. I mean, shit, Moira, look at the dimples and those cheekbones.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you fucking kidding me? He’s built like fucking Thor. How can you think he’s the other guy?”
I shrugged. “You can’t believe everything you see in the movies.”
Alek crossed his arms over his chest and laughed, full and loud. “That’s my girl. She knows me so well.”
“So since I got it right, can I have my phone?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, love, it’s already gone. Mischief maker and all.”
I glared up at him, but there wasn’t any heat to it. “I’m going to get you for that.”
“I look forward to it.”
Why did that sound like sex? Why did everything lately sound like invitations for lots of glorious sweaty sex? My heat was over. Was I just a horndog?
“I need it.”
“Not right now, you don’t. Whatever you’re not seeing on that screen is making you sad. I don’t like to see you sad.”
Moira stood and stretched like a cat waking from a long nap in the sun. “She’s pouting because Kingston boned her into the ground for a week and now he’s done a disappearing act.”
Emotion flickered across Alek’s face. It was too fast for me to get a read on, but I would have sworn I saw jealousy.