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The Goddess had gone against the advice of the other gods when it came to interfering with matters on Earth. But without her, the Earth would have been destroyed. What would happen to the gods if there was no one left to worship them?
“The gods are selfish bastards at times,” Lucian replied. “But in the past, taking sides on Earthly matters and lending their aid usually made matters a thousand times worse. And when there are two gods on opposing sides, it means there will be hostility in this realm. So they made a vow not to interfere.”
"But how could a god even think of taking sides with the vampires?”
Lucian shrugged. "I don't claim to know how the gods think, and I don't want to know. Some of them are ancient, born well before the birth of the Earth. Sometimes I think they’re all just shallow. All they seem to care about is themselves."
Rumir wasn’t shallow. In fact, I think he probably felt a little too much. Of course, he was only half god.
Lucian got up, and I glanced down at my bracelet. Tapping it, I noticed I’d missed three calls from Rumir.
And yes, I was being childish by ignoring him. But I wasn't ready to speak to him. Not yet.
Even though I understood why he’d been so angry last night, I wasn’t happy with the way he’d spoken to me. And when he’d asserted his dominance over me? He’d crossed the line. And the way I responded to him now would have to be strong enough to convince him never to try it again.
“Let’s go,” Lucian said, leaning on the patio. He pointed to the barn-like building to our left. “She’s finally awake. This is what I wanted to show you.”
"Who is awake?" I asked, just as the barn door flew open, and a griffon flew out. “Holy hell!”
Wait, no, it wasn’t a griffon. Although I’d never seen a griffon before, I seriously doubted it would have two long tails like this creature. Its massive black wings took it into the sky, where it circled the pond before descending.
Lucian jumped over the railing to meet the beast as it walked forward, its wings flapping happily.
It had the head of a bird with two sets of eyes, and its body was entirely black, like a panther’s. Its hooked beak opened and closed as it scurried over to Lucian, who held his hand out. I watched in wonder as the creature nibbled playfully on his skin.
It had short horns on its head, black and curved, and I stilled as it looked directly at me. Then it bent its head, and Lucian waved me over.
“Jump over. She won’t hurt you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked as I climbed over the railing, keeping an eye on the beast. “What is she?”
“She’s a driggom, and a rare one, at that. It’s uncommon to come across one that is totally black. I found her after she was abandoned by her mother. Her name is Sif.”
I walked closer, and Lucian took my hand, holding my palm out to Sif. She stretched her head out to find my scent, then nudged the palm of my hand and bent her head for me to pet her.
As my fingers slid through her soft feathers, I said, “Hello, Sif, I'm Natalie."
She chirped, then bumped me with her wing, knocking me off balance. I laughed as I stumbled, but I was caught by Lucian before I could fall.
“She can be a little rough.” Lucian held Sif’s beak gently before scratching between her eyes. "Driggoms can live for centuries. Sif here has been my companion and my friend for most of my life in this realm. So I thought it was a good idea that you meet her."
I said nothing, blushing. It was sweet of him to introduce me to Sif, who was clearly very important to him.
“I’m sure you’ve had a few lady friends to keep you company over the centuries," I teased him, grinning innocently. But Lucian grew deadly serious.
Oh, hell.
"I was only trying to get a rise out of you," I said.
He gave me a tight-lipped smile. “And you did. But to answer your question, no, I haven't been with anyone since I arrived in this realm."
I couldn’t believe it. All this time?
And clearly, he could tell from my expression that I had some doubts. "I know you don't believe me. But I assure you, it's the truth."
My gaze fell to the chain around his neck before it returned to his face. Whatever he was feeling right now was hidden behind his unblinking stare.
Then who did the ring belong to?
