The Darkest Touch
Page 117

Since Torin’s abandonment, she’d had to fend off Hades at least once a day. He’d visited her wherever she happened to be, romancing her as promised, offering her gifts. Ancient artifacts, weapons, her favorite foods, stories about all the ways he’d love to pamper her. Last night she’d finally told him to stop, just stop. She’d had enough. Nothing was ever going to happen between them. He’d had his chance, and like Torin, he’d blown it.
Men sucked.
Except for all the other Lords. They hadn’t turned away from her because Torin had. They brought her breakfast in bed, sat beside her while she cried, distracting her, telling her stories about their lives.
In her desperate state, she’d instinctively bonded to them. They’d helped her in ways they couldn’t understand, strengthening her in ways she’d never known.
Buoyed by them, she’d been able to locate the boy Anya cared about. He’d been living on the streets of LA, using his ability to go invisible to his advantage. But he’d refused to come stay at the fortress, and Anya hadn’t wanted to force him, so the goddess was watching over him as best she could.
Multiple times Keeley had tried to locate Pandora’s box without success. She’d hoped against hope she could obtain the Morning Star and make Torin eat his words. But now...now she was done.
Done with all of it.
Her new life plan: make it through each day without crying.
She was packing a bag, ready to strike out on her own despite her new bonds, leaving her chess pieces and origami flowers behind. Tears burned her eyes as she stuffed one of her gowns inside with more force than necessary. Stupid Torin.
“So you’re planning to leave? Just like that? I bet you weren’t even going to say goodbye.”
Anya. Great! Can’t ever catch a break. Keeley didn’t bother to turn around. “Isn’t that what you’d prefer? William tells me I’m supposed to steal his book from you, and if I stay, I’ll do it. Well, I’ll probably do it, considering I never actually agreed to anything.”
“How about I give you a page of the book, and we call it good?”
“Fine. Whatever. Mail it to me.”
“For sure. I’ll put half a page in the mail tomorrow.”
“But you just said—”
“Don’t worry. The post office is totally reliable. You’ll get your quarter of a page no problem. So let’s get back to this no goodbye thing. It’s not very queenly behavior, is it?”
“I don’t actually care.”
“You should. You’re a warrior, not a runner.”
Even warriors got hurt and needed time to heal. “You’re two seconds away from a spine removal—through your mouth.”
“Better.” Anya flounced over and threw herself on the bed, shoving the bag to the floor. The contents Keeley had spent an hour organizing spilled out. “You love him, don’t you?”
Him—like Keeley really had to guess the guy’s identity. “Yes, but I’d still like to scoop out his black heart and eat it in front of him.”
“I did that to a guy once,” the girl said. “I recommend you sauté it in butter first. But guess what? We all want to kill our men. It’s a side effect of living with an alpha.”
Keeley returned the bag to the bed, bent down and gathered the clothing and weapons and artifacts.
Anya kicked the bag a second time.
Deep breath in...out. “I’m not afraid to hack off both of your legs and beat you to death with them, goddess.”
“As fun as that sounds, I’m going to decline. But not for me. For you. You’re going to need my legs.” Anya stood. “Packing can wait. We’re going out and we’re doing filthy, dirty things. That’ll get your mind off Torin and his leaving ways. He’ll learn a lesson he’ll never forget.”
“I don’t want to teach him a lesson.” Her lie-dar buzzed. I want to teach him. Bad. “But okay, fine. I’m in.”
“Great. You have five minutes to dress like a two-dollar whore while I gather my fave party animals. Kaia and Nike. Oh, and Viola! Forgot she’s back. Be in the foyer and don’t be late or we’ll already be drunk and will probably forget all about you.” Grinning, she flounced away.
Keeley spent a full minute reeling. Was the goddess for real?
She spent the next minute changing into a diamond-studded bra and shorts that arched above the curve of her bottom. She paired the “outfit” with six-inch stilettos. Then, because she had time to spare, she slathered glittery lotion all over her skin. But...no one was in the foyer when she flashed there, and as the seconds ticked by she had to wonder if Anya had tricked her. If this was to be the first nail in Keeley’s battered self-esteem coffin.
Knives stabbing into my already-wounded chest.
But then Anya came flying down the steps with three women: Kaia, Nike and the gorgeously blonde Viola. They were dressed even more scantily than Keeley—in pasties, panties and garters.
Anya fist-pumped and shouted, “Ho team...assemble!”
It was in that moment Keeley bonded to the females.
More and more power flowed through her, more than she’d ever known. It was intoxicating and wonderful.
How am I going to live without these people?
Maddox came striding around a corner but stopped when he spotted them. His jaw dropped, his eyes glittering with mirth. “Do your men know this is happening?”