Page 47 of Guided by the Stars (Creating Destiny #1)

With Daemyn’s agreement, I managed to get changed and cleaned up in record time before heading back down the stairs. Relief overwhelms me as I walk back through the door and see Alexius laying on the couch still asleep while Daemyn grinds the horn into powder.

“It’s easier to spread into his wound this way,” he explains as I make myself comfortable on the couch, needing to be closer to Alexius. Daemyn doesn’t miss a beat and smiles, “Guess you’re not mad at him?”

“I’m sorry, I know he hurt you—”

“Baby Girl, this was Hera’s doing. Alexius had no control tonight.

” I nod to him in agreement as he continues, “She’s powerful, and by the looks of it that mark will keep going.

I have no idea how long it will take, but this,” he holds up the powder in a glass jar, “will keep him asleep until her power fades.”

With a sense of numbness taking over, I pull the blanket over me and rest my head close to Alexius’ chest, listening to the beat of his heart to remind me that I didn’t lose him.

Daemyn’s voice hits me before the exhaustion takes over, “I’ll be right here watching. Goodnight, Baby Girl.” Leaning in, he gives me a kiss on the head and lets me sleep.

** *

A welcome breath hits the back of my head, causing my thoughts to focus on the whispered voices above me.

“Stop it right now. She’s fine, Alexius.

” I keep my eyes closed, sensing his head inching closer towards mine as a whiff of rain mixed with fresh air flows over me.

He’s holding me securely, with his arm tight around my waist. “You controlled it. One minute you were ready to strike, and then you stopped yourself, for her.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? I grabbed her. I hurt her! She’s not safe around any of us.”

“Maybe not, but here we are and she came in choosing to save your ass. She’s tough.

Give her the credit she deserves.” Unwilling to open my eyes, I pay attention to the shuffle of Daemyn’s feet as he moves from the couch.

“The blood has stopped, but whatever she used is keeping the flesh open for longer than I would like. Want more to sleep it off?”

Alexius’ stubble from his chin scrapes against the back of my head as he nods. “You’ll watch her, right?”

A brief movement happens before Daemyn’s feet fade away. “Always. Now sleep.”

My heart jumps an extra beat as the Alexius’ lips touch the side of my head. The softest kiss brushes against my temple before he whispers, “Sweet dreams, love.”

Within minutes, the opium’s power lures him to sleep and I follow shamelessly, welcoming the security his protective hold brings.

I wake up to the touch of his hand creeping higher under my shirt, warming me up hotter than the morning light shining through the window.

With his nose nuzzled into my hair, he whispers his good morning while pressing his body into mine, his dick nudging against my ass.

The guttural growl escaping him lights a tingle of electricity across my skin and heat travels from the outside in, sparking that primal need deep in my core.

“Alexius,” I barely breathe out, grinding myself against him, feeling the sensation of his fingers tracing small circles around my nipple.

I’m lost under his touch, burning with need as he swings his legs over mine, capturing me between him.

“Good morning—” Daemyn’s voice trails off as his knowing smirk meets our shocked faces. His smile fades when the beast of Alexius clears his throat, pulling himself away as quickly as possible. “Well lovebirds, figured we had certain issues to discuss.”

Alexius stands and hisses, “Give me a minute,” as he storms out of the room without so much as a look back.

Daemyn fills the cold void Alexius left by pulling me up into a quick hug before spinning us around towards the kitchen. “Come on, Baby Girl. I made you a cup of tea already.”

“Today, we need something stronger.”

With a smile spreading across his face, his eyebrows wiggle suggestively. “Wine and bread?”

With my legs already heading to the bottle, I nod. “My thoughts exactly. Wine and bread. And lots of it.”

Alexius doesn’t take long to join our little kitchen meeting. He strides in like the god he is, commanding my absolute attention. He’s fresh out of the shower, holding his t-shirt in his hand and wearing only a delicious pair of gray sweats, low on his hips.

Not even an hour ago, I’d pushed every inch of that body against mine, wanting and needing more. Now he stands there at a distance. His arms are crossed and a cold, firm edge of annoyance graces his face.

“I think you might have some drool piling up there,” Daemyn whispers in my ear before making his way towards Alexius. “Let’s see it,” he demands .

Tension builds among us and Alexius flashes his eyes towards mine for a split second before stretching out his arm for Daemyn’s inspection.

“Guess the bitch gave me a piece of her I’ll never forget.

Another fucking external reminder that my existence depends on her,” he spits out as Daemyn studies the image of Hera’s face.

“What did she use this time? Was it the peacock?”

Peacock? This time?

What do these boys go through? Last night was proof enough, these markings are just scratching the surface of the daily agony these gods inflict on each other. With effort, I prevent the tears from falling and move closer to Alexius. “How many times does this happen?”

Alexius stands rigid, frustration seeping from every strained muscle in his body.

By his avoidant look alone, it’s clear he doesn’t want this conversation, or at least not with me.

But I refuse to be kept in the dark. I turn my attention to Daemyn.

“How many times? And what the hell type of peacocks does Olympus have?”

At Alexius’ lack of communication, Daemyn rolls his eyes and explains, “Hera’s choice of animal is a peacock.

Not just any, but the ones she breeds herself.

She tends to them proudly, feeding them the blood of her once-loyal servant.

” If he saw my eyes bulging out to that comment, he didn’t bother to acknowledge it.

“Her peacocks are strong and designed to become her eyes whenever she needs them. Just like her servant was.”

“She rips off their feathers and bleeds the peacock out, then uses that to scorch into our blood.” My stomach turns with Alexius’ sudden, disturbing input.

“She’s discovered that by searing that blood in, she has more influence over how she wants her mind games to work.

It gives her the power to control a person’s mind. ”

Daemyn pinches his nose between his eyes and then nods towards Alexius.

“Right. And this time she’s learned how to make it last longer and further away.

Somehow, she’s able to let her electricity burn you repeatedly and still control you from as far away as the Halls.

She must have laced it with something.” Daemyn nods in agreement to his own thoughts and questions, “Any idea?”

“I don’t really know. I was in the Feast Hall with Zeus.

My orders were to stand as his keeper…” he trails off, clearing his throat, “as he was becoming familiar with a few nymphs. Hera jetted out of the corners with the damn feather already grasped in her hand. She convinced Zeus with a simple bat of her eyes that it was my fault she had to bear witness to his,” again his eyes darted to mine, before continuing “conquering another creature. She must have snuck in prior.”

“Wait, you were in the room when he was…you know…with…what type of creature?” The warmth of my cheeks spreads with the failed attempt to stop my mouth from blurting that question out.

What the hell overcomes these gods?

Both boys chuckle at my expense, but seeing the small amusement in Alexius’ eyes was worth it. “Yes, Nora. It was an irrelevant water nymph that Poseidon brought with him.”

Growing more serious, his voice lowers as he redirects his sole attention to Daemyn, “Point is, Hera was ready. Zeus struck me without remorse. Next thing I felt was the chains pinning me facedown on the table as her hands made their way over my body.”

Fuck that bitch !

Jealousy, completely out of place, flies through me. Before I can ask anything about her hands, Daemyn jumps in, refocusing my thoughts on the genuine issue. “Think about it. You had to have seen stuff. I’m guessing this was in her garden, like that one time?”

That one time?

Alexius closes his eyes several times, creases lining his forehead as he concentrates.

“She had the typical stuff. Some petals, the jagged chains, blood, and some potions. I’m sure she got those from Persephone.

” Then, as if remembering something, he shakes his head with an annoyed chuckle.

“The bitch went out to her pond and came back with a set of lotus flowers, roots and all. She’s warned me about it before. ”

“Fuck, we can’t have any more mistakes. Check the room next time.” Daemyn’s voice is lined with annoyance, but his face softens when he turns back, looking into my confused eyes. “The lotus flower re-blooms on its own, but the roots in her pond are what anchor it and allow it to regenerate.”

Knots line my stomach at the memory of seeing him in pain, those roots capturing hold of his mind, transforming him into a being he loathes.

With a step forward, I place my hands on his chest, needing to touch him, wanting to remind him that that’s not who he is.

Before words can even leave my mouth, he lowers his head towards me with an intense darkness blazing behind those blue eyes of his.

“Look Nora, steer clear of me, of all of this.” His voice raises in anger as he continues, “I’m not a prince in shining armor or whatever the fuck you are looking for here.

This is our fucked-up life, our reality—”