Page 19 of Underworld
None too soon because the moment he was out of sight, I lost the battle with my will.
Spinning so that I had my back to the room, I covered my face with hands as the tears fell.
Because for the first time, one of my Virtues had broken me.
Chapter 5
Behind me, Orion and Hendrik fell silent.
Too quiet, the kind of quiet that comes before a storm. I’d already dealt with enough of those today.
Pressing my fingertips to my temples, I breathed in slowly, trying to still the raging emotions twisting through me like a whirlwind with serrated knives, all despair, misery and confusion.
I had to get a handle on this.
Behind me, the tension between Orion and Hendrik has grown until it was thick enough to choke on. “We’re not doing this.” I decided as I spun on them.
Neither of them blinked.
“Did youhearme?” The words came out a hard slap. This time, I got a reaction. Orion’s mouth tightened while Hendrik slanted a look at me, his expression hard.
“Orion, can you give me a few minutes with Lily?” he asked, gaze stroking my face before moving to my wings and onward to my body.
Orion crossed his arms over his chest, massive biceps bulging. “After the shitfest I just saw? I don’t think so.”
I felt the blistering emotions in our bond. Hendrik was pissed. There was no doubt about that.
But, unlike Dante, he wasn’t pissed at me.
“I can take care of myself,” I said, turning to my demigod. “You know that, Orion.”
“Indeed,” Hendrik murmured.
Ignoring him, I held Orion’s gaze. When his expression remained stony, I went to him and traced his cheek with my fingers. “Orion. It’s okay. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a long time. And I’ve held my own against all of you before all of this.” I smirked, because it was true. Before I’d bonded to my Virtues, they had tormented me.
And I certainly had gotten even. While I’d never been through anything like this, I was a Princess of Hell, a succubi’s daughter, and a freaking fallen angel. Even death hadn’t kept me down.
Orion pressed his lips to my brow, hands holding my arms as if he didn’t want to contemplate letting go.
“I won’t be far, Lily. If I eventhinkyou’re upset, I’ll be back and I’ll pound that sad excuse for a mage into the ground.” He glared at Hendrik for good measure. “He won’t even be a bloody smear when I’m done.” The look in Orion’s eyes shone with violence that could compete with Dante’s rage.
Hendrik laughed. “Is that a promise, Freckles?”
Orion glowed—and I didn’t think it was because he was pleased. Pressing my hands to his chest, I said, “Out, okay? I’ll be fine.” I swapped my gaze between them. “Plus, if I have to deal with one more pissing contest, I’ll scream.”
Thoughts of Dante’s furious, pained gaze flooded my mind and I looked back to the door. He was long gone, the rawness of our bond a pulsating ache inside me.
Orion huffed a sigh. “Fine.” He glowered at my Dark Mage. “But if she so much as sneezes, I’m coming back.”
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded and looked past me, his expression changing as if that super-human hearing was at work again. “Yuri is rounding up the others. It shouldn’t take long. You and Lily need to be at the Council Meeting in half an hour.”
“We just need a few minutes to talk,” Hendrik said, an alluring mischief to his tone that suggested there were other reasons he wanted to get me alone.
Orion shook his head, then after a quick kiss on my lips, he left.
I still didn’t turn to face Hendrik. Everything in me felt scraped raw, like an exposed nerve, and I doubted anything Hendrik would have to say would make me feel better.
