Daimon (Guardians of Hades #6) - Felicity Heaton Page 0,15
she had her vulnerabilities. He couldn’t be the only one of them who had noticed that her magic tapped her out, draining her of strength, leaving her as weak as a mortal if she used too much of it.
Ares helped Megan onto her feet and his eyebrows furrowed as he gazed lovingly down at her.
“Oh, stop coddling. Even when you’re not coddling… you’re coddling.” Megan huffed and pushed at Ares’s broad chest, but he stood firm, not moving an inch. Her hand lingered, her touch softening to a caress as she looked up into his dark eyes. “I’ll be peachy.”
She didn’t look as if she believed that.
“You’ll be peachy too, right?”
So that was the reason behind her worry. She was afraid something would happen to Ares.
Ares lowered his hand to her swollen belly and pressed his palm against it, splaying his fingers out. She dropped hers to cover his and a smile wobbled on her lips.
“I’ll just be a few minutes, and I’ll be careful.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead, one she leaned into as she closed her eyes. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
He smoothed the fingers of his other hand over her brown hair, skimming it down to the tips at her shoulders, and then tangled his hand in it and pulled her to him for a kiss.
Daimon looked away.
His eyes landed on Cass.
She frowned at him, and he had the terrible feeling she was trying to pick apart his feelings.
He wanted to tell her not to do it.
“And then we can all have a glass of ambrosia,” Cass said.
Everyone stared at her.
“Well, everyone except Megan, since she’s pregnant.” Cass looked at her. “Sorry, no ambrosia for you.”
Ambrosia? That was what she had in that bottle with the silver filigree on it?
“Ooh, ambrosia.” Valen rubbed his hands together, causing tiny sparks to leap from them.
“Where did you get ambrosia?” Daimon put in, holding her gaze.
Her right shoulder lifted slightly, a coy edge to her smile as she said, “I have my sources.”
Meaning, she had a dealer.
He jerked his chin towards the others in the room with them. “Ambrosia isn’t for mortals.”
“Good thing that I’m not mortal.” Her blue eyes flashed fire at him, warning him he wasn’t going to dissuade her.
At least not easily.
“Just a sip. You could have one now for courage if you need it.” She pretended she was going to turn to get the bottle and then looked back at him.
Why was she pushing this?
He rolled his eyes when it hit him.
She was trying to get him drunk.
This was her new method of attempting to break down his walls.
He shook his head. “Not going to happen.”
“Keras will have a drink, won’t you, Keras?” She smiled sweetly at his older brother, and for some reason, Daimon felt a powerful need to flash fangs and snarl at him.
Keras just arched a black eyebrow at her and stepped, leaving ribbons of black swirling in the air behind him.
Valen raised his hand. “I’ll drink with you.”
Ares loosed a deep sigh. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? Getting drunk, Valen? I thought you were sick?”
“I’m feeling a little better.” Valen shrugged. “I could handle a shot or two.”
Cass pouted. “I don’t feel like drinking anymore. You’re no fun.”
She aimed that at Daimon, but Valen answered.
“I’m more fun than you can handle.” That earned him a smack around the back of his head from Eva. He looked at her as she wriggled off his lap, caught her around the waist as she twisted away from him and pulled her back onto it. “I don’t want to play with the bitch-witch, baby. Let’s wait till she’s gone and then sneak some ambrosia from the bottle and get wicked.”
“The bottle is sealed with a spell.” Cass tipped her chin up, and Valen reacted like she had announced the end of the world was coming.
Daimon looked out at the garden.
Which it probably was.
The otherworld flashed over the present, the future of this world should he and his brothers fail in their mission. The Moirai had made sure they knew what fate awaited the realms if the enemy won, taunted them with visions of it. Beyond the crumbling walls of the mansion, buildings burned, the sky blazed orange, and harrowing screams cut through the thick smoky air.
Many in this world believed the Underworld was hell.
Hell was what awaited both this world and his one if he and his brothers failed.
“It doesn’t look great, does it?” Valen sobered, his deep voice turning serious as