Wicked (Eternal Guardians #9) - Elisabeth Naughton Page 0,124
side on the soft white sheets.
She startled as if she’d heard him and sat up. Blinking quickly, she swiped at her eyes and looked his way. “Zagreus…”
The emotion he heard in her sleepy voice tugged at something deep inside him, but he didn’t move his feet, afraid of misreading her, unsure about why she was here and what this was for.
“I was starting to worry I’d made the wrong choice.” She pushed to her feet.
He didn’t know what she meant. And his throat was suddenly too thick to ask.
She was barefoot, wearing a silky white robe that fell all the way to the floor, with bell sleeves that hung past her fingers, and a sash tied to accentuate her waist. But it was her features he couldn’t look away from as she crossed his way. Her long dark hair falling naturally around her perfect face. Her sweet pink lips turned up in a slight smile. And her violet eyes focused only on him.
She looked like an angel. Like his own personal savior. And with the candlelight flickering behind her, like all the light he’d ever needed in the world.
Her steps stilled in front of him. She didn’t speak. Just continued to hold his gaze. In her glittery eyes, he didn’t see anger as he’d seen yesterday. No shock as she’d shown him earlier today. He saw only relief. Hope. And heat. So much heat it awakened something inside him he’d told himself was dead.
“What is all this?” he managed.
“A gift. For you. I had a feeling you wouldn’t want to stay in the castle tonight with all of our guests.”
“You did this?” He glanced toward the bed with its iron headboard and matching side tables also holding candles.
“Yes. Well, Nysa helped me some.”
He wanted to ask how but couldn’t seem to make his lips work. Because she was stepping closer, and all he could focus on was her hypnotic scents of cinnamon and vanilla and orange blossom surrounding him. Her tempting heat seeping into his flesh. And her lips, so soft and perfect now within reach.
“You know,” she said softly, “you have some explaining to do about those guests.”
He knew he did, but his heart was beating so fast, he couldn’t seem to do anything but stare into her mesmerizing eyes.
“My parents were a little bit of a shock.” She smirked up at him. “I won’t lie about that.”
“You don’t have to stay. You can go home with them. We have enough people to protect the kingdom and help your cousin.”
She pursed her lips and eased closer.
“Talisa—”
“We’ll talk about all that later. Right now I want to talk about what happened yesterday in that forest.”
He tensed, remembering how angry she’d been. The betrayal in her eyes. And how the truth in her words had pierced his chest like a blade.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean those things I said. Sometimes my temper gets away from me, but I… I’m working on it.”
The regret he saw in her violet eyes surprised him more than her words. “You have nothing to apologize for. It’s my fault your cousin is with Pandora. You were right about me. I am selfish. I always have been. You were right about everything.”
“No, I wasn’t,” she whispered. “And you’re not selfish. What you did today proves that.”
He couldn’t seem to answer. Was afraid if he did he’d give too much away. Then he couldn’t because she was moving closer again. So close she was all he could see.
“And I didn’t mean to throw that rock at you.” She reached for his hand, her soft fingers sliding over his skin to ignite tingles everywhere they touched. “I didn’t even know I could do that.” With her other hand, she touched the gem still hanging on the chain around her neck. “All I can think is it must be the amulet you gave me.”
“It’s not the amulet.”
“It’s not? How do you know?”
“Because you’re stronger than you think. And way more important than you or the people of your world realize.”
Her gentle gaze skipped over his features. “I don’t know if that’s true. The only thing I do know is that I’ve been fighting a battle my whole life. Between who I want to be, and who I’m supposed to be. Between where I am, and where I belong. No matter what I did or how hard I fought, I never fit in. Not with my family. Not with the Argonauts. Not even in Argolea, which has always