Page 116 of Lost and Stolen Gods
“Almost.” Anu ran over to the double doors and hefted the bar up. “Come, come.” He pushed open the door and ushered us through. Squat buildings, whitewashed by the moon, sat at the bottom of a gentle rise. There was another well and a bell tower too. It reminded me of the quaint villages back home.
Our party dispersed into smaller groups, but I stayed by Araz’s side as the elite strode off to inspectthe several carts lined up on the road. Each was covered in tarp, tied down firmly, and hitched to a pair of equine creatures that looked like a cross between a horse and a hunting hound but were the size of a large donkey.
A group of people sat under a shelter on the side of the road. Their hardy boots and winter wear marked them as ready for a trek. Guru Mihir joined them, speaking to them in a hushed voice, but one of the women broke off and headed our way.
Her kohl-rimmed gaze found Araz, and my stomach clenched. I didn’t like the way she was looking at him. And now she was smiling, all even white teeth. And what the fuck? Araz was smiling back, and oh gods, that smile…It was devastatingly beautiful.
Why was it aimed at her?
“Araz, it’s been a long time,” she said.
The up and down look she gave him was one that hinted at intimacy. I stepped closer to him, and her gaze flicked to me. “Hello.”
I smiled thinly. “Hi.”
“Aradha, this is my demigod, Leela.”
Her smile lost some of its wattage. “You were bound…” She frowned. “Oh…Araz, I am so sorry.”
Heat stained my cheeks. “Excuse me?”
She made an ‘o’ with her mouth. “Goodness, I meant no disrespect, just that…I know it isn’t something Araz was hoping for.”
He’d spoken to her about his wants and desires?Which meant they’d been close…closer than maybe just sex. Emotionally close? “How do you two know each other?”
“Remember I told you I helped build this place,” Araz said. “During that time, I was stationed here a lot, and Aradha and I became friends.”
“Oh, come now, Araz. We were more than friends.” She looked up at him through thick lashes, clearly flirting.
I was so done with this bullshit. “Okay, I get you. You guys had a thing back when. But he’s mine now, so put your tongue back in your mouth and keep your eyes to yourself.”
She gasped and then let out a bark of laughter.
“What the fuck is so funny?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” She held out her hand to me. “It is truly nice to meet you, Leela.”
What was going on here? I took her hand and shook it, totally confused, because I’d just delivered a smack-down, and shouldn’t she be more upset or pissed off or something? But no, she was grinning like an idiot.
“The Shakti do know what they’re doing, Araz,” Aradha said. “She is perfect for you.”
I looked up at him to find him watching me with a mixture of awe and annoyance. The awe I’d take, and the annoyance could suck it.
“Oh, well,” Aradha continued. “At least I havePashim to keep me entertained on the long road ahead.” She redirected her flirty smile at him. “You’ll be my escort, won’t you?” She lightly touched his arm, and my hackles rose. She arched a brow my way. “Don’t tell me he’s yours too?“
I was acutely aware of both Araz’s and Pashim’s gazes on me. I opened my mouth to speak, to say that Pashim was free to make his own choices, but Pashim beat me to it.
“No. No, I’m not hers.” His smile, while wry when aimed my way, morphed to something warm and inviting when it settled on Aradha, and my insides rioted. “I’d be happy to be your escort for the journey,” he said, smooth and dulcet.
I wanted to claw out her eyes.
I had no right to feel this way.
Maybe I’d just pluck out her eyelashes.
Gosh, I needed help.
Pashim and Aradha stepped away, talking in low voices, and I turned to Araz. “So you slept with her then?”
