He nodded. "They thought for the longest time that I was blind. It took me years to make them understand that I could see perfectly."
"I take it they're from your mother."
"Yeah, and my father hated them. He said it was just like looking at her all over again and that they made his skin crawl with revulsion. Sometimes he'd just walk by and slap me for having them."
"How awful!"
He shrugged. "Believe it or not, you get used to it. You know you're going to get slapped for something so you don't even react when it comes. Besides, the slaps didn't hurt all that much. I preferred those to being lashed by his tongue."
She couldn't imagine being hit over something she'd been born with. Something she couldn't help.
Something so beautiful and unusual.
"You know, Ren, I think you're the most fascinating person alive."
She could plant corn in the furrows his frown created on his forehead, they were so deep.
"Why?"
If there hadn't been so much doubt and confusion in that one single word, she'd have laughed. But he really, truly didn't see it.
"You're born of two entirely different ancient cultures. Your mother was a goddess, Ren. An actual Greek goddess who loved you so much, she sent another goddess to watch over you. You said you understood Apollymi. While your mother didn't try to destroy the world over you, you were her world. She loved you so much that the worst punishment Zeus could give her was to cast her into the sky as a comet so that she would never see the baby she loved so much. And yes, your father was definitely a dick, but he was also the chief of a tribe of legendary fighters. You were one of those warriors that our people still talk about in hushed and reverent tones. You led an army ... okay, it was an evil army, but you led an army of demons-you have demon blood and powers. And you fought my father for a year and a day. Gracious, Ren, you're the most fascinating man I've ever met. You draw power from three different cultures. How many people can do that? Seriously? That's impressive. You're impressive."
Those words made his heart race.
No, not the words. The passion behind them. She meant every one of them. They weren't spoken out of flattery because she wanted something from him. She meant every word she spoke.
"I love how you see the world, Kateri." Most of all, he loved how she saw him.
As she soaped his chest, she paused at the necklace. "Where did this come from? You didn't have it earlier."
Ren hesitated. He didn't want to lie to her, but he damn sure couldn't tell her the truth. "It came with the armor."
"Oh. It's very cute."
"Thanks," he said drily. "That was so the look I was going for."
She laughed at his sarcasm. "Sorry. It looks all hot and manly on you."
If she only knew ...
He could never remove it, and with it, Grizzly could summon him anywhere. Anytime.
So long as you wear it, Kateri's safe. That thought was the only thing that made his slavery bearable.
"Hey, Ren?" Sundown called from the hallway. "You in there?"
"Yeah."
"Have you seen Kateri lately?"
He gave her a lopsided grin. "Um ... yeah."
"Where is she?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to embarrass her. Most likely, she didn't want them to know she was sleeping with him.
But before he could think up an answer, she called out to Jess. "I'm in the shower with Ren."