Page 28

PLAYING CATCH UP

Okay, so clearly, I had missed a lot.

Something that became truly apparent when Jared told me Lerna and Koro were married, causing me to drop the metal shard I had wanted to stab Koro with. After that, it was like an information bomb exploded, starting with me accusing Lerna of keeping this from me. Then she threw back about her wanting me to trust her. And then I threw back about trust starting with truth… or at least at the time, it sounded way more philosophical. Which of course ended with us both arguing and being separated by our men, giving us time to cool off.

This prompted words from them both like, ‘it’s been an emotional time’, ‘it’s been a long day’, ‘we each just need to calm down’. Honestly, the next thing I expected was for someone to ask if we were tired and needed a nap! I felt like a child but then again, I suppose, technically, this was our first argument as siblings.

At least for me it was.

Which meant that I was left to hear of everything that had happened from Jared as we travelled to a place Koro assured us would be safe. But then, it wasn’t just about what had happened since entering Hell for Jared, but more learning about what had started all that time ago. The parts I had been trying to get Lerna to tell me. The part of the past she had been cagey with me about from the start.

And now I knew why.

“I think she kept it from you because she didn’t want you to feel guilty,” Jared told me, making me throw my hands up dramatically and say,

“Too late for that!”

“Ella.” The sound of my name invoked a soft rumble from his chest.

“No, don’t you do that soft, tender name calling with me, I started this, I was the cause of what they did to you. I was…”

“Ella, stop, just stop, sweetheart,” he said, now coming to face me, holding my hands in his as I had been flaying them around in my melodramatic way. We had been traveling down an old looking road for a while now. Although, for me, it felt like ten minutes considering the amount he had told me. Most of which, I should have heard from my own sister, despite how hard it was for her to say anything.

“How can you be so calm… you, of all people?!” I exclaimed, making him smile down at me before saying,

“Because I have found peace with it all.”

“But how c…” At this he covered my lips with his fingers and told me,

“Simple, because it brought me you.”

I sighed before speaking with smooshy lips because he still hadn’t moved his fingers,

“Aww, Jwaard.”

He grinned before removing his hand to bury it in my curls and tilt my head back to kiss me. A kiss I noticed the second I opened my eyes, was witnessed by one angry looking Viking. He stormed past us, looking halfway between chewing glass and wanting to rip Jared’s head off. Meaning the harmful fun I had thought his flirting to be, might have been wrong, and Asher had been right.

Viking God had it bad.

Which meant, this was not good. Because if Jared ever found out, then let’s just say this was one added drama in Hell we didn’t need. Now as for telling Jared the very obvious thing he didn’t know, I had yet to find the right time. I didn’t think telling him I was pregnant as he was explaining how his fake wife, my sister, had orchestrated this whole plan just to save me from my uncle, was the best time.

Jeez, talk about fucked up families… this was something else. Although, according to Marcus, this was pretty tame compared to most Greek Gods and their family trees.

As for where we were heading, it was the ruins of Lúpe, which Jared told me was an abandoned town near the Cocytus, the river of sorrow. Something I was quick to tease,

“Sounds cheery.”

He scoffed and informed me,

“Lúpe is no better, as it means sadness, unhappiness, and suffering in ancient Greek.”

“Well not exactly the romantic destination I envisioned for our reunion, but at this rate, if there is a bed, then I will take it,” I joked, making him laugh.

“Yeah, well when I get home, I am thinking about buying a fucking tropical island for us to get stranded on.” Again, I laughed at that.

“Only if I can bring the snacks and sun cream… I burn like my skin’s been bathed in butter,” I told him, making him smirk.

“Then I will just have to keep you covered…under me.”He winked, making me giggle.