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"That would’ve been disastrous!" She looked half enraged, half wary
He reached forward to brush his thuet us back to where ere before we got interrupted"
"Asex from me" She jerked away from hirabbed her upper ar from you"
Her lips parted, but then she seemed to collect herself "Just because Sorceri don’t dwell on regrets doesn’t mean we set ourselves up for them either What you want to happen between us justcan’t We’re too different Our families and factions would never accept this"
"Maybe a relationship between another sorceress and a Vrekener would prove ih too much We’ve earned each other You can’t deny that If you took away all the strife surrounding us, could you accept aze
"Look at me, Melanthe"
When she eventually faced hi that same vulnerability he’d beheld when he’d been about to clai to understand it
In Pandemonia, he’d discovered his mate yearned for love She’d never found it with another--and she clearly wouldn’t settle for anything less She’d told hihtat her now, he comprehended that she felt vulnerable--because her heart was already in play He believed he couldfroo, Thronos"
"And if I say never?" In that moment, he realized exactly how he should handle her sorcery in the Skye The solution was so blindingly obvious, he alroan of frustration, she kicked his shin; he cupped her nape, pulling her close for an overdue kiss--
A s, snaring hiods, it’s like the tentacles!" She dropped to the ground, cringing away fro!" When he clawed the metal, sparks erupted Mystically protected
Just as he scented foreign creatures over the sparks, Melanthe cried, "Stheno sentries!"
Before he could reach her, she’d been snatched out froet free, until one of the towering creatures propped Melanthe up like a doll to hold a trident at her neck
They were surrounded by a dozen vicious Sthenos, nine-foot-tall gorgons with crimson sea snakes for hair Each sentry carried a trident
"Release us," Melanthe co "Release us now!"
The largest Stheno, and obvious leader, said, "Your poill not work on us, sorceress We have been divinely shielded"
Tiaze flicked as he calculated his next severalhis mate threatened her with more than a trident
Sea snakes coiled down to drape over one of her graceful shoulders, their fangs bared, forked tongues twitching
Melanthe sed "Their poisonIup his hands
The leader said, "You’ve erred by trespassing in Sargasoe, kingdood?" Melanthe asked
"The deity Nereus, our lord and master You will attend hi on His Highness’s uests--or the entertainment"
FORTY-ONE
The Sthenos had bound and blindfolded their captives,cliff to sea level even more perilous for Lanthe She wanted to tell them that she could never, ever find her way back to Nereus’s keep But they hadn’t exactly been chatty
--What is this god like?-- Thronos asked her on their unending trek along a beach
Lanthe supposed the Vrekener was getting over his telepathy hang-up --Nereus is a party-hearty trickster, like a cross between Pan and Loki He’s notorious for his games and manipulations--
--What happens if we’re "entertain that’llshower and scrub your skin with steel wool Let’s just put it this way: I don’t think I’ll be able to twerk my way out of this--
--Don’t knohat twerk asoe is a hidden realoal should be to get Nereus to transport us fro too much of themselves
--Do you think you can ensorcel him?--
--If he can shield the Sthenos from my power, there’s not a chance And he’d likely killlost in his own thoughts
Though Lanthe’s skin was gradually healing during their long walk, she was drained fro up with the fast Sthenos Their lower halves were fat snake coils, kind of like Cerunnos, except Sthenos gorgons were all fe snakes for hair Oh, and brass hands and claws
Whenever Lanthe tripped in the shifting sands, her Stheno personal guard would heft her up, those claws digging into her arht?
Wrong
A blast of ocean wind buffeted her When Lanthe tottered and got clawed yet again, she snapped, "Watch the claws, bitch!"
--Melanthe?-- She could all but see Thronos raising his eyebrows Just because he was cool and collected didn’t mean she had to be He’d had his tantrum--his mantrum--on the Order’s island, and it was now her turn
--I have no ive Okay, Vrekener?-- She’d hit her li captured, sick of being food or potential food
--We’re going to escape once more Worry not--
--Why are you so cal hts and days was notSo to all his other attractive attributes, she could add not psycho
Finally, their entourage slowed, entering so space A sea cave?
They descended for what must be miles When pressure made her ears pop repeatedly, she realized they were deep beneath the ocean No flying for Thronos, even if he got free
She felt syhts She couldn’t iine how difficult this must be for him
Probably as difficult as she would find the Skye Still, she asked: --You okay with this?--