Page 162 of Fallen Stars

“No,” Enzo growled. “Elara, fuck no. Don’t you dare utter what you’re about to.”

“I made a bargain with him,” she said. She forced herself to raise her chin as Enzo slammed the heel of his hand into the rowboat’s side.

“What did you give him, hm? What did he take?” Enzo shouted.

“My blood—as a promise to grant one favour for him, any favour that he wished.”

Enzo cursed. “Elara, you’re smarter than that!” he cried. “For me? For my tether? You should have let me die rather than be tied to him!”

“Let you die?!” Elara’s voice raised. “Enzo, nowyouinsultme.Do you have any idea what I’ve been through to get you back here? The things I’ve had to see? And now you talk as though your life means nothing at all?”

“Yes, I do have an idea of what you’ve been through,” Enzo snarled. “After all, while you were in the world of the living, I was being tortured daily just for existing,alone,on the brink of death.”

“So now we’re arguing about who suffered more?!” Elara cried.

“No, we’re arguing about the fact that you fucking hid this from me, Elara! And created a blood bargain with a god who can now call upon you for any kind of favour he wishes. What if his wish is for you to give him your power?”

“I would do it,” Elara replied.

“What if his wish is for you to leave with him tomorrow to Perses?”

Elara closed her eyes. “I would do it.”

Enzo’s laugh was cold. “What if his wish is for you to live in unending pain and torture?”

“I would do it,” she screamed. “I would do it for you! Don’t you see? I would have died for you. Given my life so that you could live.”

“And that is exactly the problem,” Enzo roared. “BecauseIwould rather die than see you in any kind of pain or sadness. And now I have to hear that the most evil of gods, the god of war and wrath himself, has control over a part of you. He could ask for any sick and twisted favour he wished, and you wouldhaveto oblige.”

Enzo’s chest was heaving, his eyes alight. Elara’s jaw was clenched as she tried to hold back tears, her throat thick with the want to sob. She raised her chin even further as her lip trembled, holding Enzo’s gaze, magick crackling off them both.

“It is worth it,” she finally replied. “It was all worth it, to have you with me now.”

Enzo closed his eyes, a shaky breath leaving him. “Gods, Elara,” he gritted out. “You just—”

“What?” she snapped.

He sank to his knees, the boat rocking gently.

“You make me so…” The muscles in his neck strained as he clenched his teeth.

“What?” she asked again, more softly.

He shuffled towards her, so tall that while kneeling he still looked down on her.

“You drive me fuckinginsane,” he snarled before crushing his mouth to hers.

Elara met his ferocity instantly with her own, so angry, yet so relieved, that her passion was alight in her veins as she kissed him back. Enzo let out a hiss of frustration, pushing his tongue further into her mouth, as though he wasn’t deeply enough entwined with her. His hand wrapped in her hair and pulled tightly as he devoured her with his lips.

Elara was shaking from head to toe with adrenaline, anger, desire, she didn’t know.

She shoved him away for a moment, blinking her desire away. “I’m still angry with you,” she hissed.

“So am I,” Enzo replied. “What are you going to do about it, angel?”

She hated herself for how easily the nickname softened her. Enzo’s lips quirked slightly before pulling back into a scowl.

Elara pushed herself forwards so Enzo had no choice but to back up. And then, with a small smile of her own, she shoved his chest again, hard, and watched him go overboard.

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