Daimon (Guardians of Hades #6) - Felicity Heaton Page 0,43

her, and he had mourned her but part of him knew he had mourned what had been taken from him more than he had grieved her.

He had foolishly admitted that the loyalty he felt towards Penelope had been forged as a shield to protect him from the loneliness he had endured for centuries, giving him a reason to not look at other females, a reason not to feel cold and forsaken whenever he was around his brothers and their women.

In the end, only one word rose to the tip of his tongue, the rest of them held back by fear, by pain that had grown since meeting Cassandra, agony that ripped at him every moment he was near her.

“Nothing.”

She bit out a curse in Russian, picked up her cat and cuddled the wretched thing. All the while, Milos glared at him. Daimon glared right back. He knew he was being a dick. He didn’t need the small god pointing it out to him. He was sure Milos had been a dick himself more than once in his life, had probably been a bastard to Cass countless times since she had found him.

“He’s coming with us then.” She tipped her chin up, her sparkling blue eyes daring him to say a word against it.

“Fine. Whatever.” Daimon took hold of her bare arm and stilled as that heat rolled through him again, marvelling over the fact he could touch her and she wasn’t in pain, wasn’t in any danger.

He brushed his thumb over her skin, wanting to feel it without his gloves, flesh-to-flesh, as he had in the bath.

He shut down that need. She couldn’t be his. She already had someone waiting for her.

“Daimon,” she whispered, pressing closer to him, until the heat of her body soaked into his clothes and ignited a need to tug her closer still, so they were pressed together, not a molecule of air between them.

He stepped instead, embracing the cold darkness, letting it wash over him to give him strength.

Milos hissed and growled throughout the teleport, and continued as they landed in the middle of the main room of the mansion.

Cass struggled with the cat, gently chastising it.

Increasing that feeling Daimon had, the one that said she didn’t know the truth about cats.

“Neko!” Aiko leaped onto her feet from the couches in front of him and hurried over to Cass, her dark eyes bright for the first time since Esher had disappeared. “Kawaii!”

She drew that word out as she melted over the raggedy cat who was in no way worthy of being called cute. Milos went still in Cass’s arms, purring now and evidently enjoying the sudden attention.

“What is its name?” Aiko didn’t take her eyes off the animal.

“Mister Milos,” Cass offered.

“Ah, Milos-chan. You are so cute.” Aiko went to touch him and then hesitated, her dark eyes lifting to Cass. “Can I?”

“Of course.” Cass smiled, the first one she had given to Aiko, and it was strange but nice to see her more relaxed around her.

Daimon wanted to warn Aiko that Milos was one cranky son of a bitch, but she touched the beast before he could. The cat was all sweetness with her, rubbing her hand and purring deeply.

Aiko smiled properly for the first time in too long, her eyes lighting up as she petted the cat, who greedily devoured the love she poured onto him.

He watched her as Cass let her take Milos into her arms, as she carried him like a baby to the couches and petted him, a smile constantly etched on her face. He hadn’t been able to make her feel better, no matter how hard he had tried, and gods, that made him feel like a complete failure. He had wanted to make her smile like this, lifting her spirits.

Cass’s gaze lingered on his face.

“Don’t feel bad. You’re a bit too frosty for Aiko to pet and petting cats makes a lot of people feel better about things.” She walked away before he could glare at her and whispered words trailed in her wake. “But I’d rather pet you.”

Daimon turned slightly, looking over his shoulder at her back as she walked away from him, an ache building inside him, a consuming need to go after her so she could do just that. He fought it, waging war against the urges she stirred in him, the attraction that blazed between them, but he wasn’t strong enough to deny those things, even when they only caused him pain worse than anything