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I guffaw and shake my head. “No, you just made sure of that. You want me in power so you can seize it through me. I’ve known that for years, and I was happy to let you think that’s where things are headed. But you’ve crossed the line. More than once, obviously, but this is one time too many. You can agree to my condition, and then I’ll agree to your terms. If not…” I pull my phone out of my pocket and place it on the table between us. “Then it’s a good thing I’ve recorded everything, and I won’t hesitate to bring it to the Kronos Society.”
Mom’s eyebrows shoot up and she becomes slack-jawed. I can practically see the cogs in her brain turning, trying to find a way around my demand and damning proof.
When she points the gun at my phone, I throw my head back and laugh boisterously. “Do you honestly think I don’t have a backup? Think again,” I sneer. “But if you don’t believe me, go ahead.”
Before Mom can say or do anything, we hear the front door open, signaling Cia and Dad’s arrival.
“Talktome,dove.”The voice keeps demanding my attention, and I keep shying away from it. I don’t even know why, but I trust my gut enough to listen to it. “Leave the boys Abel, and look after my girl.”
My body is being jostled, and I feel like I’m… flying. Yes, that’s the best way to describe it. Gravity has loosened its grip on me, and I’m suspended somewhere outside of time and space, I’m sure of it.
Time…
Why do I feel like that word should mean something to me? Why is it making my icy insides thaw, and warmth spread through me?
I think I fall asleep, but I can’t be sure. Unable to open my eyes, I’m trying to rely on my other senses, but all I smell is… fire. Why the hell am I smelling fire and hearing wings flapping?
My head feels impossibly heavy, my entire body does, and I can’t even peel my eyelids back. On top of the helplessness that starts kicking in, I have the niggling feeling that I’m forgetting something—or possibly someone—important.
As the surrounding voices become more and more frantic, there’s a single voice that’s slicing through the haze I’m in. “Agápi.” It sounds like a strangled, painful groan. Even though it’s barely loud enough for me to hear, my ears perk up and I want to run to the man and put him at ease.
My voice fails me as I try to answer, and instead of making anything better, I’m being moved further away. Or maybe I’m not, it’s entirely possible he’s stopped speaking.
What the hell is going on?
I immediately feel relaxed as I hear the weird flapping sound again. For some reason, my mind is barraged with images of claws elongating and smoke blowing from my nostrils. It’s… weird, yet soothing at the same time.
The first thing I notice as I open my eyes are the piercing blue ones staring back at me. I blink a few times, trying to get rid of the grogginess I feel. The second thing to register is the headache of all headaches. My head is pounding, and the bright light causes me to hiss in pain.
I throw my arm across my sensitive eyes, reveling in the darkness behind my lids.
“Are you okay, Cia?” Why does Gus sound so concerned? This isn’t the first time I’ve been hungover. “Please speak to me. Or if you can’t…” he takes my hand before continuing. “Squeeze my hand once for no and twice for yes.”
I want to smile as a memory of us as kids comes to mind. I can’t remember how old we were, but I think we were watching a movie. Someone asked another person to squeeze once for yes and twice for no, and that never made sense to us. If you’re somehow injured or not okay, it’s easier to do one squeeze than two, so why make them go through maximum effort?
Realizing that I’m getting lost in my head, I hurry to squeeze twice. My lips twitch as I hear Gus take a relieved breath while I can practically feel him easing up.
“I’m fine,” I croak. My voice is so hoarse I have to clear it multiple times to remove the gravel. “How much did I drink?”
As I wait for him to answer, I move my arm to allow a little light to reach my eyes just as I squint. Although it doesn’t hurt as much as before—my sore sockets don’t feel like they’re being stabbed—it still stings, and I hurry to close my eyes again.
Seriously, how much must I have been drinking to be this hungover?
“Where are Liam and Kai?” I ask, my mind trying to piece… well, anything together. Frustrated that I can’t remember, let alone know what day it is, I expel a harsh breath.
“What do you remember?” Gus asks, sounding as exhausted as feel.
“I…” Trailing off, I try to process the last thing I remember. Wasn’t I getting ready for something? I just wish I could remember what. But… “The Claiming,” I say on a choked breath as my memories come back.
Yes, I accepted my place as the female Ruler by letting Kai claim me. I cringe as I recall exactly what that entailed. Is that why Gus sounds so… off? Because he had to watch me have sex with another man? Well, not just any other man… my husband-to-be.
“The Claiming was last night,” my cousin says, affirming that my memories are correct. “But you didn’t drink too much, Cia. You were drugged, we all were.”
My arm falls away from my eyes as I process his words, and I force myself to look around rather than hiding away. “Are we okay?” I ask, biting down on my bottom lip as my eyes fall on the medical equipment that’s surrounding us.
We both have a cannula in our left hand, and we’re hooked up to heart monitors. Now that I’m really focusing, I have no idea how I didn’t immediately hear the steady beeps coming from the machines.
Gus squeezes my hand tighter while assuring me we’re okay. “Abel is taking care of us,” he says, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “You can probably imagine just how little the old fucker has filled me in,” he gripes in earnest.
