Page 31 of Wild Hunt
I hesitated, reluctant to leave him, even if the truth was that I was no longer quite as certain he was the killer. "How?"
"Because I went to Atlantis to use the portal to the underworld," he answered. "It's tightly secured and keeps a record of every passage through. Hermes himself sees to that."
I gulped. That was pretty rock solid evidence if he was telling the truth. Hermes' card was still burning a hole in my pocket, so I told myself I'd see about calling in that favor later to corroborate his story.
"Say I did believe you," I said, for the sake of argument. "If we’re tethered, doesn't that mean if I die, you'll die, too?"
I could tell from the agitation in his gaze that I was closer to the truth than he wanted me to be. "It doesn't quite work like that, but your premature death would have unpleasant ramifications for me, yes. For all intents and purposes, I am your master."
"Master?" I scoffed. "Now you've gotta be kidding me."
"I'm afraid not. As a result, we're linked, and that means we have to stay in close proximity to each other.”
"Why?"
"Because that's the way it works," he said impatiently, making it clear my questions were getting on his nerves.
My head was still spinning from the new developments, but I knew I had limited time to get the information I needed out of him. "How close do we have to be?"
"By my estimates, anywhere on the Academy grounds is a safe distance. Outside of that, I begin to experience a pull."
"A pull?" I thought back to the strange dream I'd had the night before, the one that had woken me out of a sound slumber. "Exactly when did you take these estimates?"
"Around three in the morning last night," he answered.
Of course. "Before you decide to do any more experiments, do me a favor and try to pick a decent hour."
"No promises," he said dryly.
"So, what now?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Hades shrugged. "Now we just wait and see what happens. And I need assurance that you're not going to tell anyone about this."
"I'm not, but short of taking my word for it, what can you do?"
Looking into his eyes made it clear I was going to regret asking that question. "There is a spell."
“What kind of spell?" I asked warily.
He came even closer, stopping once the fabric of our uniforms brushed together. "It's called the seal your lips spell," he said, running his fingers along the curve of my jaw. "I'm sure you can guess how it goes."
I glared at him. "Does all your magic involve a kiss?"
He chuckled. "It is a simple yet intimate gesture. It makes the transfer of energy easy."
"And if I say no?" I challenged.
A dangerous look came into his eyes, and it had the opposite effect of what he probably intended. What the hell was wrong with me? "There are other less pleasant measures."
I usually would've argued just for the sake of arguing, but something told me he wasn't going to let me leave the rooftop without assurance of some kind. The truth was, I didn't mind the prospect of another kiss as much as I should have. The last one was still burned in my mind, unfinished and tingling like a dream that longed to be complete. "Fine," I muttered, trying to sound as unenthusiastic as possible. "Just get it over with."
He put his other arm around me, pulling my body flush against his. In the moment I gasped, he brought his lips to mine, and I realized my memory had downplayed the last kiss. I felt a rush of energy, cold and hot like his hellfire. The energy wound around the information he was so desperate to keep secret like so many cords, binding it tightly. It didn't hurt. In fact, it was a strangely pleasant sensation, but the forceful brush of his lips against mine was too distracting to pay much attention.
I returned the kiss. It wasn't something I did consciously, but before I knew it, my hands were in his hair and his tongue was in my mouth. He seemed surprised at first, but it didn't take long for him to catch up. He deepened the kiss and pushed me back, keeping his arm around my waist for support until he managed to push me up against the brick wall on the other side of the door leading up to the roof. My breath left me in a rush, and before I could scold him, he claimed my lips once more.
The curses on the tip of my tongue gave way to his, and it felt too good to bother arguing. I gripped his hair hard, his hands settled on my shoulders, crushing my upper arms in his grasp. God, he was strong. Heat surged between my legs, as traitorous as my lips, but I was enjoying it too much to care.
Somehow, all the hatred I had for him seemed to ignite the spark of passion that I hadn't even realized was there before. Now, it was so blinding and all-encompassing that I wondered how I had ever missed it. He was kissing me with force, his lips now at my neck as he sucked hard enough to leave a mark and bit down just to make sure of it.
