Orion leads me out on to the terrace and Laila’s bright lights – which she hung to simulate the sunshine of her home world – instantly dim. I look up at them and then turn my head to narrow my eyes at Orion, wondering if he did that.He just smirks at me, confirmation enough, and leads me to the bal
“It is a secret,” he murmurs, his face moving close to mine, his lips just…three terrible inches away. “If no one else knows.”“Then why?” I ask, leaning into him more, my body taking what it wants as my mind goes fuzzy. “Why wasn’t I first, Orion? Why did you make me wait, make me suffer like that?
“You have courage, Princess,” the God of Death says, taking a moment to look me over.As he does a streak of blue flies past him into the darkness of the terrace and I take a deep breath, reaching for Anton’s fur as he dashes to my side, twining my fingers in his blue light even as I don’t look down
A horrible, strangled cry breaks from me as I hurl myself after him, my nails extended to claws – ready to tear –But he just laughs at me, barely visible as he fades from view. “Careful, little wolf,” he says, the God’s words echoing in the air even as he disappears. “Play the Game. You are replace
A few hours later, Anton and I are fairly sprawled over the bed, pillows knocked everywhere. And, obviously, that’s all my fault, because I’m the only one who can touch the pillows. But considering the expanse of his long boy limbs spread everywhere, I feel that it’s fair to make him share the blame
“Anton, what are we going to do?” I sigh, covering my eyes with my hand, willing the lights in the room to go dimmer, wanting nothing more but to be lost to the dark. “I can’t be bad anymore or else the God of Death will toss me out and bring Seraphina in. And, I mean, obviously she’ll win because s
“Oh, I think he likes you, June,” Anton says with a sigh. “I think he likes you a lot. I just think he’s very aware of the physical effect he has on you, and that he’d like to have you quite a bit more under his thumb than you currently are. For what it’s worth, I think you did a good job of sorting
“Fine, fine,” he sighs, smiling up at me like it’s all he wants in the world. “You are a paragon of still and silent sleep, Juniper. Best sleep partner I’ve ever had.”I narrow my eyes. “How many sleep partners have you had?”But he just grins wider and doesn’t say a damn word.“You’re the worst,” I