Page 39 of Guided by the Stars
“I told you it was a surprise,” he says, and I lower my head trying to hide the blush as I realize I’ve been silently watching him. If he’s noticed, he doesn’t show it. Instead he takes another bite and goes on unfazed, “I also have another thing to show you. It’s outside, so you have to stay close.”
I smile, suppressing the thoughts of his damn mouth. I haven’t been outside since I took off running. Fresh air sounds wonderful and just the cooldown my body obviously needs. “I promise I will obey, your Highness. I’ll stay right next to you.”
We head into the backyard and Alexius puts out a large black blanket for us to sink into as we look at the night sky. “It’s beautiful tonight,” I say, putting down the ice cream and laying back to relax under the burning stars. They are shining brightly next to a dim moon, lighting the sky with a velvet glow. It makes me wonder what Adriane is seeing every day in the Underworld. I hope no matter how bleak, there’s some light to give her hope.
“See those stars?” My breath hitches in the back of my throat as Alexius lays down. His arm is brushing against mine, sending pins and needles across the surface of my skin. He’s so close, any hope of cooling down vanishes with that tiny touch. “The cluster over there. It’s small, but there’s one burning bright in the middle,” he says, and I nod, forcing my attention to follow the direction he is pointing. “The brightest one is Rotanev. If you follow it down, you have the tail called Epsilon Delphini. Then from there—”
“The dolphin constellation?” I cut him off, surprising him. Bill’s bizarre obsession is paying off for once. Bill’s a history buff working as a museum director, and when it came time to enroll for my courses, he insisted I take astronomy. It wasn’t part of the Marine Biology curriculum, but he was convinced that the wonders of the seas and the stars above are linked. Adriane and I used to get annoyed with his ongoing rambling, thinking it was a load of crap.Look how wrong we were, A.
Alexius chuckles, “Yes, it looks like a dolphin. Its actual name is Delphinus, created in honor of a prized messenger.”
“That’s the dolphin that Poseidon used to go and collect his wife?” I ask, curious. I remember the basics of what I was taught, but no textbook or lecture would ever have prepared me for the reality of these Greek gods.
From the corner of my eye, I see him nod. “Well, Delphin was the King of Dolphins. He had the ability to take on both human and animal form, and was often used by Poseidon and Aphrodite on assignments. During his last one, his efforts were honored, rewarding him by letting him become those stars.”
My laugh dies down when I notice Alexius isn’t joking. “You gotta be kidding me!” I snap, turning my head towards Alexius, almost bumping my nose against his and staring at the truth in his eyes. This guy is expecting me to believe thatthe stars, made up of gas, were once living beings, transformed into a freaking constellation. Shaking my head I continue, “Let’s say I can manage to wrap my head around being turned into a star, how is being nothing a reward?”
“Love, it’s not nothing. As a star, your spirit becomes an entity so powerful it can create fate. That’s exactly what Daemyn keeps explaining about his visions. The stars guide us,” he says lightly as I sigh, looking back up to the damned things controlling my fate. “Being a star represents that your deeds during your existence in our worlds were remarkable enough to permanently honor you as a hero.”
Alexius goes quiet, letting me process his words as we lay next to each other. I cannot deny, there was a time that I believed in fate. It was a romantic notion that life was mapped out and planned for us by a divine entity. That naive way of thinking ended the day that monster pulled the trigger, changing my destiny. My family was taken from me and if the stars are ancient Greek gods, they are some sadistic assholes.
“Beast, why are you showing me this? The Dolphin star?”
“Delphinus constellation. And because those stars are related to you,” he says, his deep voice sincere.
“What?” I sit up and Alexius follows, keeping his face aligned with mine, and placing his hand on my thigh. His rough thumb rubs up and down. It’s a gentle touch, and a part of me longs for it. Skin to bare skin, igniting fantasies I shouldn’t be having and yet I also know his touch is a warning for more ridiculous shit to come my way.
“He had a large family with a lot of children. It was thought that they all died out. That is until I was able to sense you. The blood that makes you special is from Delphin.”
What in the living hell?
“That’s why I’m not pure to you? You think A and I are some weird-ass offspring from a dolphin.” The words fly out before I can stop myself and my cheeks burn with embarrassment, making him chuckle.
“For what it’s worth, I’m learning that you’re very pure. And it’s Delphin. These messengers were known as protectors. They were very powerful creatures in our world. That’s why I’m hiding you from all gods here at Zeus’ Hall.”
Overloaded with information, I shake my head again, trying to clear my thoughts. “I get the bloodline of a century-old creature. That part in all of this can make sense. But why would they want two girls who have nothing to do with your world? Our blood has faded, we don’t live here, and we can’t protect anyone. We can’t even protect ourselves. What is the point?” I ask, letting my hand fall on top of his, grabbing and holding on to him.
“It’s about control, love. Even diluted, your blood is special. No god will allow it to stay in the Mortal World, giving that world something that belongs to us. It’s the way of our existence. We take what we want, stopping at nothing to gain power, even if it means destroying one another. Your blood is a challenge now, making the gods want to claim it for themselves.” He squeezes my thigh, reassuring me, “We just need time to figure this out.”
My mind spins out of control for an entirely different reason. We’re so close. When he lets out his sigh, the warmth of his breath hits me, sending a flash of longing down to my core. The smell of chocolate is reminding me how bad I want to taste his lips.
“Look,” he starts, his hands reaching up, cupping my cheeks and pulling my face closer towards his. His fingers brushing into my hair send a tingle down my spine. “I don’thave all the answers, but I will not leave you hiding in the dark by yourself, love. I got you. I will not let go.”
I should be terrified. I should be worried. Anything else besides relaxed and horny. But one look into his stormy, determined eyes and I feel safe, protected, and wanting him.
Adriane
When Skoteino Emerges
I sneak out, this is my moment to run and I’m not going to sit around and wait for another opportunity. I don’t know which door to take or how long they will be gone, or if there are people around. I’m hiding in the alcove in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs.
I don’t even know how long I have waited at this point, all I know is I have counted to six hundred Mississippis. My heart races. I can feel it thumping around in there like someone knocked it loose. There are so many doors. One of these doors leads to freedom, but I’m sure more than one leads to a worse fate.
I creep silently down the stairs. I inhale deeply and exhale to steady my heart. Quickly, I choose a random door across from the stairway. Grabbing the door handle, I pull, and it leads to a hall. Everything is lit by torches or candles in chandeliers. There are bones displayed as decorations everywhere, mixed with jewels, and red rubies only where the eyes should be.
This hallway is long, dark, and full of doors, but I keep going. The thick red carpet helps to muffle my footsteps as I creep along the corridor. My breath comes out in small, quiet puffs as I do not want to be too loud for fear of drawing attention. The entire palace is black and red with all the jewels one could ever covet. It’s literally built into the black onyx. The paintings hanging on the walls are from the same fields I passed on the way to the palace. They are full of crying women. In one, a man’s ears are bleeding and you can see him trying to cover them like he can try and block out the noise. There are also quite a few of Tartarus, so many people in flames or hellhounds ripping souls apart. I pray to the gods, every single one I can remember except for Hades, that I do not end up in Tartarus.
Finally reaching the end, I push open the heavy, black marble door. The handle is made of pure gold, with rubies and emeralds adorning the door. This room is full of flowers, weeds, and even more gold strewn about. I look around and there are so many flowers I have never seen before. A lot of black roses, red roses, and lavender are growing and it reminds me of Nora so much. I touch my necklace with my right hand.
