Page 52 of Spellbound
“Elle.”
I jumped. He’d followed me. I stepped back, almost tripping on a log. “I didn’t tell them.” I swallowed thickly. “Please, don’t.”
“I’m not going to hurt you.” His tone softened. “Is that what you think?”
I opened my eyes, flexing my fingers at my side. What could I possibly say? I felt as if someone had reached their fingers into my chest and twisted them around my heart. “You’re a god. You lied about everything. You planned on killing me.”
Wind-swept rain hit me from the side, soaking me through. I looked him up and down. His black hair curled on his forehead, leaking rain down the side of his face. His white shirt clung to his muscles, showing his skin and tattoos beneath, tattoos marking his life, a history spanning centuries. “I was never going to kill you.”
I hesitated. She’d said he was going to kill me, but then he could have killed me any time and hadn’t. He’d stopped Freya from hurting me, too. But he was dangerous.
“You must have a lot of questions.”
I held my breath.
He tilted his head. “Please talk to me.”
“Which one are you?”
“Raiden.”
Right. She’d said his name. I inhaled deeply. “The god of beasts.” I remembered from the conversation with Maddox and Naomi.
“God of creatures,” he said, correcting me.
“Right.” It said as much in the book I’d read the other night. “Why are you here? In Deadwood, I mean.”
“For my family. That’s why I need to be a keeper, so I can access the vaults.”
My heart pounded; I could feel my pulse in my closed fist. “What’s in them?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?” I blew out a tense breath. “Ialreadyknow too much.”
“You’re not going to leave until I tell you, are you?”
I shook my head.
He eyes darted up as he took a moment to consider. “I’m searching for two keys belonging to my sister and brother’s prison realms. They’re in the vaults, and that’s why I’ve been trying to gain access.”
“Oh great.” I glanced down then climbed my gaze back to him. “You want to free more gods. That doesn’t sound dangerous at all.”
“It could be, but they’re my family.” He closed the distance between us. “Let me get you out of this rain.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. Cold seeped through my skin and into my core, but I didn’t care. “I’m not going anywhere with you. You ruined my life. Maddox almost died because of you.”
“I didn’t expect Freya to turn up like that. She had been hiding from me.”
“Still your fault.” Tears trickled down my nose and cheeks.
“Anything else?”
“Yes. I have no chance of being keeper. You’re a god. An actual god. You can pass any test, so I’m never going to be able to see my sister now.”
He brushed his fingers against my cheek. I batted his hand away. He stretched his rain-soaked lips into a smile. “You can find her, still. You’re the only one standing in your way.”
“I can’t go.” I looked at him incredulously, blinking droplets from my eyelashes. “She might...”
