Page 84 of Guided by the Stars
“Thank you, this has just become my most cherished possession.” He brings my hand up and kisses my fingertips where our hands intertwine. We both know this is goodbye. Staying has so many ramifications that we don’t know yet. So we do what we know we have to do. We pull up our big boy boxer briefs and say goodbye. We are from two different worlds and Hades has him bound to this world. I smile with no real joy in it.
I take my hand and place it on his face. “Goodbye, my Skoteino.” It is what he called me after our first time together. I practiced how to say it over and over until I could pronounce it correctly. The look in his eyes is pure pain and heartbreak, and he touches the back of my hand as he pulls it from his face and brings it to his lips, kissing my fingertips. “Will I ever see you again?” I ask. I must be a sucker for heartbreak, but I also want to know if there is any hope. He pulls me then, hurrying us to a running stream.
“This water is the same water that makes up Styx, the river you crossed.”
I shake my head. “Ok,” I say, because I don’t want to be rude.
“Ask me again,” he says, looking me in my eyes so intently.
“Will I ever see you again?” I ask.
“I swear upon the Styx, I will find my way back to you.” A chill goes through my body, but not in a bad way. It is like the goosebumps you get when you know you’re going down a rollercoaster and it’s going so fast and you don’t know if something bad will happen.
“What was that?” I look at him because I’m wondering if only I felt it.
“I forget that you don’t know this universe you’re a part of, but you’ll see. What is it you humans say? Google it. Remember to always wear what Jax gives you. It’s also a part of me, just as this necklace will always stay on me.” He smiles, then he walks me back over to Jax, who places the helmet in my hand. I pull my hand back and walk away before tears slip out. I don’t want that to be the last thing he sees of me. Jax has fallen into step beside me and I notice Cerberus is asleep. I quickly put the helmet on and I don’t even know if Kai or Jax have the power to see me or feel me. But I don’t look back all the same as I keep my head up and move forward.
There is Cerberus, snoring and drooling everywhere. I know now that Kai has always controlled him the same way he did the hellhounds. Once we arrive at the gates and I see Charon’s boat, I take a huge gulp of air and force myself not to turn around. I want to run back and tell him I choose him and that we will be happy together. I can feel his eyes burning into my back, but I am afraid it is my imagination and what happens if I turn and he isn’t there, or worse, what if he is still there, watching me?
I know I will have no comfort here, any word or comfort from Jax will give me away. So I stand there, looking ahead, because I can’t change my decision. I wish it was Kai with me, but I know that in order for me to get away he stole the helmet and Hades will know it is missing. He is buying us time to get out of here and to reach Nora safely.
Stepping onto the boat, I don’t look back, I keep my face forward and I allow the tears to come because my heart is breaking. It’s being replaced by something which is dark and cold. I am losing a part of me and I am going crazy because I know that without Kai I am lost to this never-ending night and I don’t know if I will find my way out of it.
Would I endure the torture from Hades if it meant Kai and I could leave? Would I spend a month in Tartarus being tortured and watching those horrors over and over? The answer is yes, I would, because Kai means that much to me. But I wasn’t given those options. This was a plan set in motion without me, and I have to accept it. I wipe the tears from my face as the boat moves along the river Styx. I turn my head to the side, not enough to allow me to look back, but enough to whisper, “Goodbye, Kai. My dark prince.” I have a feeling deep in my bones that I won’t be seeing him again. I hope and pray to all the gods and goddesses that it isn’t true, but when have things ever gone my way?
Alexius
When Choices are Made
“Sit, woman. I mean it, don’t get up from this chair until I’m done.” She almost listens, walking to the patio chair only to whip herself back around with a telling smile painted on her fucking perfect face.
“Or what, your highness?” She folds her arms across her chest, arching her brow and purposely putting on her sass. “I think I’d rather stand.”
This girl amazes me. A few hours ago, that bitch, Rose, had sunk her thorns into Nora’s arms, right after Raynor sent us a fucking warning. It’s been one obstacle after the next, terrifying my very soul, yet here she is, standing strong, challenging me.
Taking the bait, I stalk towards her, slow and deliberate, one step at a time, and line my face with a stare that I know creeps under her skin. “My love, you can choose. Either you’re going to sit and watch something no one besides Daemyn has ever seen.” I look down as I hover over her. She dropped herhands and is now fidgeting with the side of her boxers. She’s easily flustered, but that face, that’s what riles me up. Nora is a shy, innocent girl, yet somehow determined and hard as iron. When she wants something, my feisty girl won’t back down. She’s a fucking beast of a woman.
“Or,” I continue and dip my head, giving her neck a small bite. “Your sexy ass can march upstairs and wait for me there. I’ll make sure you will never forget to listen again,” I whisper, taking a step back.
There she is, that spark in her eye lights right up. “That’s where you’re wrong,” she counters, inching forward as she runs her hand up my jeans against my cock, twitching it to life. “I’m pretty sure whatever you plan to do, will make me never listen to you again.” She glances down, licking her lips and squeezes her fingers around my dick before popping her eyes back up to mine. “Just to make sure you do it again.”
Fuck, this girl.
“By the gods, don’t make me whip my dick out. There’s only so much a person can take, watching the two of you. Or did you forget that I was out here?” Daemyn says, laughing behind me and Nora jumps up, dashing towards the chair. She’s flaming red, biting on that damn lip of hers. There’s no doubt she forgot he was there, we tend to get lost in one another, but at this point I don’t give a fuck who’s around to watch. This girl is mine and I’ll take whatever moments I can with her.
I swallow deeply and give her a little wink. “Stay there, love, and enjoy the show,” I say and make my way further onto the lawn, creating enough distance to keep her away from any potential sparks. “Ready whenever you are,” I call over to Daemyn as he kneels down next to Nora.
“Kai made these stones of onyx,” Daemyn explains, holding the rocks up in front of Nora, letting her inspect them beforechucking them towards me. “The mineral they are made of, if infused right, will allow my brother and I to create a shield to protect you from evil.” Nora looks between the two of us with interest as Daemyn pauses. She’s learned how he operates, waiting patiently for him to think through his next words. “Well, it’s simple actually. Alexius’ power jolts the mineral to life. Once we portal out, my brother Jax and I will work our magic.” He smiles reassured with the plan in his head and tilts his chin up, letting me know his shield is in place.
My gaze swings back to Nora, her mouth turned up with the same ease as Daemyn’s. Both are relaxed, content in the knowledge that we are one step closer to making her safe. There is still so much to figure out between us, but for the first time in centuries, I feel at peace. She’s broken down my barriers and there is not a single part of me that will turn away from her.
I shut my eyes, blocking them out and concentrating on the night sky, drawing in my powers. I breathe out slowly, focusing my mind on the energy around me and I lift the surrounding vapor into the air. I pull clouds in, filling them with crystals, feeling the twitch in my fingers as small pulses of electricity drum through me. It’s light, starting at my fingertips and gradually crawling up along my arms, vibrating against my skin. Needing more, I focus on the rain and command it to fall heavily, each drop building the charge within me.
Everything around us is heavy, and the pulses within me are pounding through my veins, throbbing with static energy, begging to be set free. I take a deep breath in, lifting my hands towards each other. The friction between the sides is so strong, it’s pulling and pushing against each other and igniting the voltage I need. The sides of my palms collide and a flash of light strikes, hitting between my hands. The jolt of electricity consumes my entire body and I grunt, releasingthe built up energy into the stones I’m holding, sealing them with the charge of my light.
“You wanted secrets. Well, this is the only one left about who I am. The one thing that if Zeus knew, he wouldn’t hesitate to destroy me for,” I shrug, lifting my eyes towards the most beautiful girl. She’s standing with her lip tucked between her teeth, pride in her eyes, looking at me like I could be her world. And by the gods, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
“Alexius,” she whispers into the night, running towards me and jumping into my arms, wrapping her legs around me. “Beast, I—’’ She stops mid-thought and her hands fist into my shirt, yanking me closer to her as she smashes her lips to mine. She’s fierce, demanding. I waste no time dropping the stones into Daemyn’s hand and taking my woman to our room.
