another explanation.”
“Such as?”
“My brother.”
I wince. “Poseidon?”
He sighs calmly. “It seems he’s twisted his trident deeper into my business than I thought. I can’t put the blame squarely on her, even if she was complicit in stealing you away.”
“Why would he meddle in this?”
“I’m not sure, but I intend to find out.” He downs the last of his drink, glaring at the loud waves crashing into the sand as he does.
“I think Mom’s covering,” I declare bluntly. “But not because she wants to. It’s like she’s been compelled to.” I grimace, already hating how ridiculous that sounds. “Like she’s…afraid.”
I hope to hell she’s not afraid of Z. My trepidation swells when his irises darken. His casual demeanor seems to solemnify.
“If she’d been made to feel afraid,” he says, his words low and measured, “trust that I’ll be getting to the bottom of it soon enough. What’s done is done. But now that I’ve found you, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let anyone keep you from me again. We’ve already lost too much time.”
For a long second, I’m just as unmoving as him. How many times have I had daydreams about a moment like this, drenched in the intensity of my father’s pride and possessiveness? It’s here now, feeling just as awesome as I’ve hoped—but a thousand times more awkward.
He seems to take in some of the meaning in my silence. His gaze is filled with scorching blue strength as he leans in, unflinching now. “No matter what she says, no matter what she’s told you or hasn’t, you’re my son. Nothing can change it. I know you. Better than any mortal ever will.”
His declaration—and its implications—hit me harder than possibly anything ever has.
I’m really his son.
His demigod offspring.
The phrase resonates through my senses, turning the moment into something surreal. My nerve endings crackle. My equilibrium is my enemy. I seek out focal points to banish it. The wind along the deck outside. The rhythm of the waves against the sand. The core of my own heartbeat…
Which brings me the answer I need most.
The person I need most.
The single creature in this universe who, in all her half-demon perfection, will restore my humanity better than anything or anyone else right now.
No matter what’s happened in my past, no matter how unbelievable or tragic or strange, Kara’s the future. My future. She’s the one who’s unlocked all of this. She’s turned my curses into something I can live with. Something I can embrace.
And as much as I crave more answers from Z, something tells me he won’t be hard to track down.
“We should head back,” I say.
He sighs loudly. “Good idea. I have a feeling Veronica Valari has big plans for you this week.”
I stifle an answering groan. Barely. “Can’t wait.”
He grins. “If it buys you a lifetime with your little devil, I’d say it’s worth it, wouldn’t you?”
I nod without thinking. I don’t have to for this one. I’ll do anything to have Kara safe. To earn more days with her. To have a lifetime with her… The possibility makes my breath snag painfully in my chest, but it’s a welcome discomfort. I don’t have to ponder how much I already want it. I just know. The way I know it’ll rain. The way I know how incomplete I feel without her by my side. The way I knew, from the moment we touched, that she was going to change me forever.
Chapter Six
Kara
“Where have you been?”
The second the words fly out of my mouth, I cringe at how they sound. Frazzled and desperate and panicked. All things I feel but nothing that Maximus deserves to be on the receiving end of.
He halts, seemingly frozen in the doorway despite the late-afternoon sun beaming in from behind him. His eyes are tired and his hair is wild and windblown. He smells like the ocean, ramping my curiosity higher. At the moment, it’s a welcome break from my worry, allowing me to indulge the gratitude that he’s finally here.
He finally steps inside fully, shutting the front door behind him. “I was with Z. You knew that.”
He comes a few steps closer, and I can feel his exhaustion. It brushes against my own weariness, making it heavier. Making this whole day feel like it’s already been a week. I twist a lock of my hair tightly around my finger, wishing I could roll things back thirty seconds and give him a better hello than this. Except it’s too late.
“You were gone a long time.