AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Another round,” Nelle announces, slamming her empty shot glass onto the bar. She shakes her head, her long black beach waves moving around her as a shudder runs over her body. The fiery liquid still burns its way down my throat. I quickly replace the cool glass for the tart wedge of lime and suck the citrus past my lips.
“Maybe we should slow down.” I chuckle, placing my glass onto the bar next to hers. I purse my lips, running the words through my mind once more. A few months ago, I never would’ve said something like that. I open my mouth to take the words back, when Nelle’s hand presses against my forehead.
“Are you feeling alright? You don’t sound like the Liv I know,” she exclaims, her brown eyes creasing in concern.
Am I alright? Memories of what brought us here flit through my mind. Not only did I find out that I’m actually a god, not a demigod like everyone thought, but I have the powers of a light major. A point that was made very clear by the sudden appearance of a pair of massive wings. I feel an echo of them between my shoulder blades, although I hadn’t known of them before, they were like an extension of me. Maneuvering them had been as easy as moving an arm or a leg, like a limb I never knew I had, but my brain had instantly made the connection.
On top of that, headmaster Mavros was revealed to be Titus, the God of Vengeance, and was responsible for all the previous attacks on the school, including the one during the Ascension ceremony. A shiver runs up my spine at the memory of the shadow demons and the dread that sat like lead in my stomach once we realized they were able to duplicate once cut down. The anger that had burned through me at the thought of them hurting any of the guys or my friends, and the fire that burst forth from my palm as that rage burned through me.
Fear skitters up my spine at the memory of power, at the nearly bottomless well of energy just waiting to be formed inside me. My throat closes up, I won’t be using them any time soon if I have anything to say about it. Having that power in the palm of my hand, the death and destruction I caused … there’s no way I will be attempting that again and have the chance to injure someone innocent this time.
It’s easier to be alone, there’s no one to let you down when they don’t show up. I have myself to rely on, and my friends of course. With that I shake those thoughts from my head, owing it to these girls to be present, especially after they dropped everything to get away with me.
“Wow, I feel like I was just possessed for a second. Pour em up.” I chuckle, swiping Nelle’s hand away. Am I alright? Probably not. Am I going to attempt to forget my problems on the beach with my girls and a margarita? Abso—fucking—lutely.
“That bitch Rebecca, the responsible ghost, better stay the fuck away from us,” Nelle warns, shaking her fist at the sky. As though some invisible being is just biding its time, waiting for us to let our guard down and control us into making better choices.
“That bitch Rebecca, always trying to make us stay sober. Boo, she sucks.” I join in on the joke, finally putting Nelle at ease. She turns to the bartender and orders us all another round. I don’t miss Kali’s blue eyes narrowed in a disapproving stare from the corner of my eye. Which I sheepishly ignore, my lips tipping down into a frown. These two are going to be the death of me, like an angel and a devil on my shoulders. Yet, this angel isn’t very innocent, I note as I watch her bringing a shot glass to her lips and tipping her head back, her long red curls falling behind her. She sticks her tongue out at me once she notices my amused gaze on her.
“What? I’m allowed to have some fun.” She huffs, placing her glass back down on the counter. I mime zipping my lips and throwing away the key. I flash her a grin and throw back the shot waiting in front of me, shivering at the harsh alcohol making its way down my throat.
“Pool or beach?” I ask, gathering my beach bag from my feet. I pull out some cash from the pocket, tipping the bartender before we make our way out of the covered poolside bar.
“Definitely beach,” Nelle blurts, handing me a margarita in a to-go cup. I shake my head, huffing out a breath of amusement and gladly accept it. Kali nods in agreement, accepting her margarita. We wander down the narrow path to the sandy beach. The fine white sand flows into my flip-flops, the grains working between my toes.
“Good morning, ladies,” Alejandro, our butler provided by the resort greets us, before guiding us over to our cabana.
“Morning, Alejandro,” Nelle croons back at him, overpowering both mine and Kali’s greetings. We slide onto the large beach bed one at a time, and I relax back against the pillows, sighing at the feeling of sunlight bathing my skin and the fresh ocean breeze tickling my nose, as the gauzy curtains sway in the wind. Nelle is staring after Alejandro, her eyes glued to the tight khaki shorts of his uniform. I elbow her in the ribs, startling a chuckle from Kali. Nelle turns, shooting a glare in my direction.
“Was that necessary?” She huffs, her bottom lip pulling down into a pout. She gets over the interruption quickly, remembering the margarita clutched in her hand.
“What about Domenic?” I ask, half-joking with her, half actually wanting to know if anything would happen between my two friends.
“Who knows?” She shrugs, taking a sip of her drink. “You can have four boyfriends, so that’s what I’m aiming for too,” she announces proudly. I pause, my easy smile evaporating at her words.
Unbidden thoughts of the four gods I ran away from only a week prior float through my mind, Adrian’s sly, sexy smirk, his crystal blue eyes, sparkling in the sun, and his sunkissed brown hair. Kyros’ honey-brown eyes are so warm and comforting, pairing perfectly with his adorable dimples and his artfully tousled curls, always sitting in the perfect place. Mateo and his hazel eyes, and cropped chestnut hair, his bulging muscles begging to be gripped, the way he attempts to hide his amusement, but I can always tell by the slight quiver of his lips or crinkling of his eyes. Maximus’ emerald green eyes, usually hard as stone, but I swear I can glimpse the warmth in them, his black hair and sexy stubble, the perfect length to trail your fingers along his chiseled jaw.
Mate. The word echoes inside my head, seeming foreign, yet right at the same time. Why, though? Was it all because of this mate bond? Maximus spelled it out for me before when he admitted that he was stuck with watching me because no one else had wanted to. Had the mate bond forced them to fight for me, even though they didn’t want to? And even if they’d wanted to stop me, did I really want them to? The thought of mates, of being tied to someone else for eternity absolutely terrifies me. Despite that, I can’t help but feel a pang of regret deep in my chest, a sliver of loss in my heart at what I thought I was building with Adrian, and the connections I had with Kyros, Mateo and Maximus.
No, Liv, you need to stop thinking about them. I left to get away from them, especially since they want nothing to do with me. I need to get over them, I need something to take my mind off of the clawing ache in my chest at every memory of them.
“Fuck,” Nelle curses, seeing my face drop. I wave her off, taking a sip of my drink to save myself from having to respond right away. The buzz of alcohol creeps along my skin, the warmth mixing with the glorious feeling of the sun heating my body, causing a small smile to play on my lips.
“Let’s do something,” I exclaim, shooting up from my seat. Kali raises with me, concern creasing her brow. Nelle merely covers her eyes with her hand, having relaxed back into the lounger.
“Do we have to?” She groans, rolling away from me.
“Yes, get your ass up.” I grab her shoulder in an attempt to turn her back toward me. But she brushes off my grasp, moving out of my reach.
“There will be alcohol,” I coax.
“Fine,” she gripes, slowly getting up, still acting as though she isn’t intrigued, despite the keen interest I see in her eyes. I tap my chin in thought, glancing up and down the beach.
“You seriously made me get up when you don’t even have an idea yet?” she asks incredulously, her voice raising an octave with her annoyance.
“Ssssshhhhh,” I press a finger to her lips, removing it quickly at the feeling of her sticky lip gloss. She swipes a hand towards me belatedly, her arm moving slower than her brain could register, colliding with her own face instead of my hand. I choke on the burst of laughter that spills from my lips, and belatedly clap a hand over my mouth, too late to stifle the sound. Her eyebrows lift, stunned after the blow she dealt to her own face. Her look of shock is absolutely priceless.
“I swear to god, Olivia—no wait, I don’t swear to any gods,” she corrects herself, the slip only causing my laughter to increase. She grits her teeth, groaning in annoyance. I begin composing myself. Kali has a hand clasped over her mouth, attempting not to further antagonize Nelle.
