Page 15 of The Flower of Death (Forsaken #1)

Whisper of Princes

Grace

I wake the next morning, my body feeling completely refreshed. This bed is so amazing, I don’t ever want to leave it. I’ll live my new life from this bed from now on. Everything I do will be in this bed. I stretch my limbs and yawn, opening my eyes to a naked Kai standing over me, watching me with big red eyes.

I scream.

“Oh shit, Gracie. No, don’t scream.” Kai tries to calm me down, hushing me and touching my hands tentatively.

“Get away from me!” I scream at him harshly. I’m terrified as I scramble backward through the fluffy blankets. What the Infernals was he doing? Was he watching me sleep?

“Ok. Ok. Sorry. I was just watching,” Kai pleads as he backs up to the rich red wall. “I was just watching, Grace.”

The bedroom door slams open, shaking the room. Tai bursts in, brandishing a furious frown, and sees me cowering in bed. His head swings accusingly to Kai. The chaotic God lets out a girlish scream as Tai cracks his neck menacingly.

“I didn’t do anything, Tai, you know it!” Kai yells nervously, his back firmly hugging the wall.

Tai storms the room like a mad hurricane, going straight for Kai. He moves like lightning, grabbing him by the shoulder and swinging a fist into Kai’s face. The sound of them clashing is so loud, it reminds me of two boulders slamming together. Tai punches him again and again, punishing Kai swiftly and fiercely. I can understand his namesake. The man knows fighting. By the time I realize what’s happening, Kai is bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth, laughing maniacally during it all.

“Stop! Please, stop! He didn’t do anything!” I scream, and Tai stops immediately, dropping a dazed Kai to the ground in a lump.

“Grab whatever things you have. You’re coming to my room,” he orders sternly, pointing a bloody finger at me.

Kai jumps off the ground in a hurry, grabbing hold of Tai’s arm. “Please, no brother, I didn’t touch her,” he pleads, spitting blood from his mouth and spraying Tai’s armor.

“I heard the things you were thinking, Kai!” Tai yells.

“I want to stay!” I interject, but no one hears me.

“I wasn’t going to act on them. I was just watching her. She’s pretty,” argues Kai, more blood splattering onto Tai’s chest.

“And what of last night? How far was it going to go?” Tai pushes Kai harshly.

“I stopped! Please, brother. Give me a chance with her,” Kai begs, clasping his hands together.

Tai stares at him intensely, the muscles in his jaw ticking. He takes a long while trying to decide whether or not to let me stay. Kai hasn’t done anything to hurt me. I’m not sure what they’re talking about. He’s only been a little strange and creepy, but I don’t mind because he’s also been sweet and caring. He’s taken me in and has doted on me in a way he knows how. I need the distraction. I need him.

“I want to stay. I like bunking with Kai. I was just a little surprised to see him when I woke up. He didn’t do anything,” I add into the tense silence .

Tai sighs; he stands with his hands on his hips, staring at the ceiling. “Fine. But remember brother, I can hear your thoughts. The moment you act on them, I’ll be at your throat,” he growls and doesn’t wait for a reply; Tai stomps away and slams the door behind him.

The moment he’s gone, Kai bursts out laughing, gripping his bare stomach with tan-muscled arms. “This has been such a fun fucking morning. What should we do next?” He grins at me wildly. Blood has poured into his mouth, staining his teeth red and defining the grooves.

“Maybe we should clean your face up. And after that, I want some answers.” I stare up at him.

“Oh, come on, sweet pea. What if we give each other haircuts instead? Yes, I like that more. I’ll be right back.” Kai runs into the bathroom door, giggling to himself like a small schoolgirl.

Oh Gods, please no. I can’t even imagine the things he’ll do to my hair. What goes on in his crazy head? Kai jumps out of the bathroom holding scissors, a soft-bristled hairbrush, and a handful of charcoal-colored ribbons.

“Ok, I want to do yours first.” He grins at me mischievously.

“Kai …” I’m so nervous; he’s coming toward me with those silver shining scissors, and I want to run. But how do you outrun a crazy God?

Kai climbs on the bed and positions himself behind me. He hums with his melodic accent, deep rumbles coming from his chest, as he gently brushes my hair. The soft bristles tug softly through the knots. It’s taken me years to grow out my hair. I used to have my mother’s hair, for which I prized it greatly. She used to say I looked just like her, with the hair of a great bear. I kept it long for her to braid when I was young and continued to grow it out ever since. I could not be happier that I no longer share her color. I hear snipping and I freeze. I may be happy my resemblance to my traitorous mother has dwindled with my rebirth, but I am not ready to lose the length of my hair. It is all I have left of my old life, the time before all shit broke loose. The time before death ran currents through my life like heavy rapids.

“Kai, why did you tell Tai you weren’t going to hurt me? What does Tai mean about your thoughts?” I prod gently.

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Grace. You have nothing to fear from me,” Kai says. He pauses and continues with a nervous edge to his voice. “The thing is, I’m not alone in my head. When I was created, I was forged in the darkness with my brothers. We are connected. Tai was formed as War, and Ro was formed as Death. I was given something not so simple. Chaos is formed from darkness and the Void, I’m formed from havoc and mayhem. There is a part of me, a very dark part, that craves violence. It’s like I am split into two different people and we both occupy my head. He talks to me. He craves things.”

Kai takes a moment of silence and plays with my hair, massaging my head. I close my eyes with a small sigh and enjoy his deft fingers. He then starts braiding my hair along the sides, close to my scalp. His large fingers are skilled as I feel him weave my hair, just like Mom used to.

“Sometimes he’s the one talking, it’s not me. You tempt him. He’s been begging me to let him play with you since we saw you wash up on the beach. It’s hard to keep him under control with you. I’m sorry things have been weird with us. I usually give him some time every now and then to get all of his urges out. It gives me some peace for a while. But, if I wait too long, he’ll overpower me and come out on his own. You’re beautiful, Grace, and I know together we could get up to some real fun, but I could never safely be with you.” Kai weaves my two small side braids and the large top braid into one large main braid, cascading down my back. I run my fingers down my smooth plait. It seems as though he’s kept my length and just trimmed it. I turn around and face him.

He looks at me with sincerity in his eyes, no sign of chaos or craziness. “I think he would kill you, little snow bunny.” Kai’s voice is gentle as he reaches his fingers to caress my cheeks, but he stops midair before dropping his heavy hand. “Fuck, you don’t want someone as messed up as me anyways.” He chuckles and falls back onto the bed in a puff, staring at the ceiling.

My heart veils in a heavy ache as I watch him. “Kai, I’ve died once and felt like I died again going through the Veil. I am now under the same roof as Death, who also wants to kill me. I really don’t mind if you want to kill me too,” I confess to him quietly.

“Have you ever thought that you just have a really killable personality?” He chuckles.

I gasp. “You jerk!” I slap his leg playfully.

Kai gasps dramatically. “How dare you, human, attacking your God! I will see you punished.” He launches up and tackles me, tickling me savagely. “Apologize!”

I giggle uncontrollably, trying to squirm away from him. “You’re such an idiot!” I yell at him jokingly.

Kai gasps and stops tickling me. He throws his hand to his head and collapses into the bed, pretending to faint. We laugh together for a while, lying there in his bed. Kai is such a good guy, and there is a darker side to him as well. Why does that make me want him more? He says Chaos wants to kill me, but if I’m being honest with myself, I would welcome death right now. If that means I could have some fun while it happens, well, why not? Everyone I knew and loved is gone. I watched them all die right before my eyes. And the people who did it, are going to get away with it. I have so much anger in my heart, I could not care less what happens to me.

“Any girl would be lucky to have you, Kai,” I whisper to him.

“Thanks, my little baby bird, but I don’t think love is in my stars,” he speaks softly, lost in thought.

I grab his warm hand and his head darts to the contact before casually bringing it up to his face. He sniffs my fingers like a hound dog before wrinkling his nose.

His eyes look me over before darting away. “You smell … interesting.”

My mouth drops. “What? Are you saying I smell bad?” I yank my hand away from him, smelling my fingers like he did.

There’s a pause.

“I didn’t say that.”

I gasp. “You hesitated.”

“I didn’t. That’s how I always talk. With very long … pauses.”

I scoff. “You’re no picnic either!” I feel a fierce blush heat my face and travel down my neck. How dare he? Who does this man think he is?

“Please, I heard you smelling me right before you got all hot and bothered. Curious, do you even use soap when you bathe? Or do you just forgo the whole bath altogether?” Kai’s crimson eyes look at me innocently.

Oh my Gods, he actually thinks I don’t bathe. I’m speechless. “You’re a real gentleman, you know that?”

“Thanks, I’ve been told I have a way with the ladies.” He gives me a shit-eating grin that snaps me out of my anger. A laugh bubbles up before I’m doubling over in bed, trying to catch my breath. My sides split into two as my face strains from laughing for so long. Why the blazes was that so funny? I can’t control my laughing, but it’s like all anger left my body.

“Much better.” He taps a finger onto my nose lightly “Boop.”

I finish laughing and lay my head down on the pillow, instantly exhausted. I guess I could take a bath, it has been a while. I don’t think swimming in the Void and through the Dead Sea counts. I inch closer to Kai, grabbing onto his large hand and getting his attention.

“Kai, if I want to take a bath, will it eat me?” It comes out as a joke, but I am somewhat serious. He stays silent, his eyes locked on our joined hands. I try again. “Maybe you can join me, for protection,” I purr, leaning forward. “Or just to make sure I use soap.”

He drags his eyes to me, looking at me with an intense gaze as his breathing picks up. Is Chaos talking to him now? Does he want to come out?

“The bathroom is through that door,” Kai says with gritted teeth, pulling away his hand.

I smirk at him and get up from the bed, swaying my hips a little extra as I walk to the door. I hear Kai groan behind me. I giggle as I tease him and disappear through the bathroom door. I’ll get Chaos to come out for me, sooner or later.

I’m greeted with immediate darkness inside the bathroom, blanketing me with a very humid atmosphere. I realize I’m in the beginnings of a tunnel with a dim light glowing near the end. I follow the echoes of water drops hitting the floor and continue further until I see a large misshapen pool in the middle of the cavern. It glows a teal blue, like the embers of Dragon’s Breath. It moves as a whirlpool, like the ones you can often see in the shallow waves at shore. I enter further into the room with small steps, exploring carefully. I see that it resembles a tall cave, long dripping stalactites are scattered along the top and stalagmites along the bottom like a sly jagged smile. Similar to the teeth on creatures Evie used to tell me about that would frequent Thelios swamps. On the slick floor are glowing crystals, radiating vibrant whites, blues, and purples. Some are rather large, standing taller than me and cut into sharp points. Others are round, with millions of smaller scattered crystals inside of them. The sparkle and shine from the different angles of stone faces cast small rainbows onto the ceiling as if it were a starry night sky. I breathe it all in, standing in awe at the beautiful chaos before me.

Eventually, I strip off my clothes and cautiously enter the cave pool. Its warmth greets me, and I moan as my body relaxes. I step all the way in and sink my body into the water. I let my head go under, the heat licking my face like rays of a summer sun. I soak my body and simmer in the steam, letting my thoughts go silent .

My death will be warm.

Grace! Run!

I love you, Gracie Bear.

Fallon’s anguished voice echoes through my head and grief fills my empty chest.

Nope, I’m not doing this. I jump out of the hot pool in a rush, desperate to busy my thoughts. I can’t find a towel in the dim cavern, so I put Kai’s old shirt back on. I hurry out, my breath coming in pants as I bust through the door. Wide eyes scan the room, but it’s empty.

I bite my lips, tearing off a layer of skin nervously, and I taste the tang of metal enter my mouth. My eyes spot a fresh towel and a new shirt folded neatly on the bed. I sigh. That smart, tricky man. I bet I could’ve gotten Chaos out coming into the room in a wet and soaked white shirt. I use the towel to dry off and put on the new shirt, my head still feeling clouded. I walk over to the couch and sit in front of the fire. I watch the flames dance and pop, twisting and turning to a frenzied rhythm. I kick my legs nervously, as I’m hypnotized by the push and pull of orange flames.

And again, I’m alone with only my thoughts to keep me company.

My daughter died.

Whatever came out of the ocean that night is not my daughter.

Someone had to stop you, Grace.

Hatred fills me hotter than a hearth. I am overflowing with loathing and anger. I feel it bubbling over, heating my face and driving my heart to an unsteady beat. My fists clench, and my body tenses into hot molten lava as I imagine holding a dagger and driving it into my mother’s heart. I hate this, I hate them. Can’t anyone just help me feel something other than this?

Tai slams open the heavy door and stomps over to stand in front of me. He stares daggers at me with anger contorted on his face. “You need to shut the fuck up,” he growls. “Your human bullshit is driving me insane.” Tai starts pacing in front of me, breathing heavily. The War God stops suddenly, grabbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers in a huff. “Look, you being here is going to stir up some shit. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I’m happy you’re here. Kai fucking lives for this shit, that’s why he brought you home; he loves the chaos.” He stares at me for a moment, his amber eyes shining with unbridled anger. “You got a lot of shit going on with you in your head. It’s a fucking mess. What happened to you? Why are you here?”

“Kai brought me here,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. Tai narrows his eyes at me, a snarl forming on his face. Oh, he means why am I here ? “Oh yeah.” I chuckle. “It’s a funny story, actually; I was thrown over the Veil to my death.” I swing my feet and smile at him.

Tai’s furrowed gaze looks me up and down. “The Veil should’ve killed you,” he says so quietly, I barely hear him over the crackle of embers.

I bark out a laugh. “You know, you’d be surprised how many times I should’ve died now. Can you really read thoughts?” I ask curiously, changing the subject.

Tai stares at me, his angry mask still in place. “Yeah, thoughts and emotions. Why were you thrown over the Veil?” he demands.

“Just lovable, I guess. Can all of you, your bothers, I mean, can they do that too?” I question him.

“No. Kai can influence emotion. Ro can smell them,” Tai says, eyeing me.

“How does someone smell an emotion?” I ponder.

“Maybe you should ask him.” He dares me. Tai’s clearly getting bored of the conversation. I’m deflecting from his personal questions, and he knows it.

I risk another question. “What did you mean about the Veil killing me?”

“The Veil doesn’t allow crossover. For humans, your souls are torn from your vessels and go straight to your afterlife. For Gods, it’s a wall, you can’t even try and cross,” he explains, sounding exhausted all of a sudden. Tai drags his hand down his face and sighs deeply. He spins to the door and walks out, leaving without even saying goodbye.

“Well, ok, rude. Bye then,” I mutter to myself, kicking my bare feet and letting my toes graze the fire-warmed floor.

Kai comes through the door just minutes after Tai leaves. “Man, you really make him mad, don’t you?” He chuckles to himself.

“He hates me; I’m not even doing anything.” My voice becomes high-pitched as I stretch my arms, exasperated.

Kai laughs. “Baby bumble, don’t take it personal.”

“Do you think it’ll get better?” I ask with hope.

“Oh, definitely not.” Kai laughs hard, clutching his stomach with his arms.

Great.

It’s been a week of living with Kai, and I think I’m going mad. Nothing in here makes sense, and my head is exhausted from trying to piece things together. It feels like my brain is melting and leaking out of my ears. Do I even have a brain anymore?

I wake up to Kai watching me every morning. He scoots closer to me with every passing day. I think Chaos is becoming bolder, driving him to get closer to me. He is my personal clock, otherwise I wouldn’t tell what time of the day it is. There are no windows in his room, I hate not being able to see outside. Of course, Kai is crazy himself, so for all I know he could be waking me up at the stroke of midnight.

He stares at me so intensely all the time, but anytime I try to touch him, he tenses up or jumps away from me. I know Kai wants me, but he is too frightened to let Chaos out. I wouldn’t mind if Chaos came out for a bit. He seemed downright naughty the other night. I think it could be fun. Also, the man has absolutely no idea what to bring me to eat. Kai brings me cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I tried to ask for something else and he brought me pie instead. I guess that is better than cake; if I have to eat another slice, I will vomit.

I’ve noticed the chaotic God really likes to play with my hair. He brushes it and puts it into different braids every day. He does these elaborate designs that make me feel like some kind of princess warrior. He has such skilled fingers, it always makes me wonder what else he can do with those fingers. When I try to do his hair, he will refuse. He won’t let me touch his wild mane. It’s unfair, really.

My favorite part of the day is when he tells me stories of the other Gods, but I’m never sure if they’re real or not. They sound so amazing and dramatic, of wars and beauty and riches. It lets me rest my tired head and just listen to a dreamy tale.

“Let me tell you the story of the War of the Gods,” Kai starts, his accented voice hushed. “Long ago, the Gods ruled every land, far and wide. We lived together in peace until some of the Gods got greedy with power. They fought over who would get the most mortals for their new kingdoms.” He leans into me on the bed, his voice a mere whisper, “But Death was angry, he didn’t like that. Some say he wanted the mortals all to himself. While others say he just simply hated the mortals. He walked among the mortal lands and swept his dark death to every corner. He killed them all . The Gods were forced back across the Veil and into Elyssus because of him. Trapped for all eternity.” Kai sighs, his eyes looking into the distance.

“Is that story true?” I ask with wide eyes. “Did your brother really kill all those people?”

Kai looks at me with empty eyes and shrugs.

I grunt. I am going insane. “Kai, I think I’m going crazy in here. Is there anything else we can do? Something fun?” I whisper as I look up at him. I reach for his arm and caress it lightly.

Kai looks at me with intense eyes and reluctantly pulls his wrist away. But, after a moment, he leans in close to me. I watch him raptly, my heart pounding and breathing uneven. Would it really be so bad to be with him? I can feel his darkness, but if anything, it turns me on. I reach my hand to his chest lightly, and Kai takes the invitation. He leans in, snaking his hand into my hair, pulling hard before kissing me feverishly. He’s not gentle as he excitedly sucks and bites on my lips. Kai groans as he deepens the kiss, exploring my mouth with his tongue while the grip on my hair becomes painful. I cry out, and he groans deeper, becoming frenzied. Kai rushes on top of me, grinding his hard body into my hips. I pull him in closer, wrapping my legs around his waist, relishing the pain. He grabs my wrists with a swoop of his hand and crushes them cruelly in an iron grip. I cry out again, and he laughs darkly into my mouth. “You like that, little pet? I knew you’d fucking like it. I’ve been dying to play with you,” he growls, his voice dark. “Just wait, baby, we’re going to have so much fun.”

Tai slams open the doors, shaking the room as he storms over to us.

“That’s enough, Chaos. Get off of her before I make you,” Tai orders.

Chaos groans and pauses his onslaught. He lifts his head to look at me and gazes at my swollen lips. “We could have so much fun, my little pet,” he whispers darkly.

“Off.” Tai comes over and grabs him by his hair, yanking him off me.

“She asked me to,” Chaos growls, his voice like gravel.

“She asked for Kai, asshole.” Tai punches him in the gut, causing a grunt and then a mad chuckle. He tosses him onto the floor, kicking Chaos hard with a thud. “Bring him back,” Tai demands.

“Try again, General.” Chaos laughs maniacally.

Tai throws a hard punch into Chaos’s stomach, and he grunts in pain. Chaos gets up and throws himself into a growling Tai, landing them both on the ground. The bed rattles as I look over the edge to see them wrestling and throwing punches. What do I do? How does one stop a pair of fighting Gods? Just as I was feeling helpless, the entire room trembles, rumbling from the depths and into the mountain, shaking everything in it.

The two men stop fighting and stand suddenly. “He’s coming,” Tai warns.

“Who’s coming?” I whisper in fear, my heart stomping in my chest.

“Big brother,” Tai answers.

“Grab her, take her somewhere else!” Kai shouts urgently. He comes close and kisses my forehead sweetly, all signs of Chaos gone. “Sorry, baby, see you later.” Kai gathers me into a cradle and swiftly delivers me into his brother’s arms. Tai doesn’t stall, he runs with me out the door and into the dim hall. We sprint all the way down the corridor and across the main hall. He takes me across the elaborate stairway and to the other corridor, mirroring Kai’s.

The God of War runs us down the dark hall to the very end of the corridor, opening the last door, dark and wooden, and brings me inside quickly. Tai shuts the door with his foot and sets me down by his fireplace. My eyes wander. His room is moderately large, with dark wooden fixtures and cocoa-brown walls. He has a large four-poster bed laying against the wall across from his stone fireplace, a chest lays at the foot of the bed. I sit quietly on the brown leather couch, staring into the fire, trying to process.

What just happened?

Tai comes around to stare at me. I notice in this light that he has a scar across his left cheekbone. He stands with his forearms crossed, and I see that he actually has several scars, littering his arms. How do Gods get scars? Wouldn’t they heal?

“You need different clothes,” Tai says shortly, interrupting my thoughts. “Stay here, I’ll be back. Don’t get into anything.”

I listen to the door shut behind him and look around. It feels surprisingly warm in here. I guess I expected it to be different with how cold and angry Tai is. He has a painting above the fireplace of a golden wolf that looks like it’s been done with such love and detail, it must have been his dog.

I listen to the fireplace crackle and pop, and I don’t dare move. I barely let my lungs breathe as my body winds into a tense puzzle. The door opens quietly, and my head whips to the sound. Tai is there, his firm body standing hunched. He’s whispering to someone outside.

“I want to see her,” a woman whispers from behind the door.

“I know, but I don’t want you involved in this. I don’t know how Ro is going to take this,” his deep voice whispers back.

I stand on my toes and try to peek around his body, but the guy is a freaking giant.

“Maybe she’ll feel better if I talk to her. Kai probably freaked her out.” The woman’s voice rings into the room, reminding me of a trickling spring and a warm summer breeze.

“She actually liked Kai. She doesn’t really like me.” He glances at me sheepishly.

The girl giggles. “Let me in, you big meanie.”

Tai turns his head, and I can see he actually has a smile on his face. A rosy glow graces his tan cheeks. Is he blushing?

“I’d like to meet her,” I say to him.

Tai hesitates, eyeing me nervously, but then reluctantly moves out of the way and reveals the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. She’s tall and curvy, with long muscled legs. Her hair is long, down to her knees, and a beautiful golden color, the color of a sunbeam. Her sky-blue eyes watch me, full of spirit. She is wild and graceful at the same time. The Goddess smiles warmly at me. “Hi,” she says gently with a singsong voice.

“Hi,” I breathe. “What are you the Goddess of?” I bet it’s something like the sun or nature. It must be something beautiful.

She giggles, and Tai smiles at her lovingly. The War God admires her like he’s a big puppy dog, and I didn’t just see him kick the shit out of Kai earlier.

He chuckles and glances at me, amused.

Right, he reads thoughts.

“I’m Pearl. I’m not a Goddess, I’m a Cerberus. I watch over the souls in the Tryn River and protect the Infernal Mountains,” she explains. “ Basically, I’m Death’s guard dog.”

My eyes go wide at the mention of the Death God. I glance at Tai, and Pearl follows my gaze back to the stern God, watching me with wary eyes.

Pearl looks back at me and whispers, “He isn’t so bad. He actually has this spot on his ribs where he is super ticklish—”

“Pearl!” Tai shouts, storming over to us.

She laughs, facing the angry God. The golden Cerberus puts her palm on the fuming Tai and leans in, waiting for a kiss. Tai groans, quietly contemplating as he glances at me before he leans down and kisses her gently. Locking her arm around his neck and pulling him close, her hand slowly travels down as she deepens the kiss. He lets out a small moan as he steps further into her. I feel a heat rush over my face as I bite my lip, but I don’t look away. I feel like I’ve caught Mom and Dad in an intimate moment, it’s kind of refreshing, honestly. Her delicate fingers slowly travel down his chest before diving into his ribs. Pearl attacks, tickling him mercilessly. He barks out a laugh before slapping her hand away and backing up to the door quickly. His amber eyes glare at her while she laughs heartily.

“That was too easy, Tai. You need to work on your skills.”

Tai grumbles in response, pouting by the door.

I don’t realize I’m smiling until Pearl’s attention falls back on me.

“Men, am I right?” Pearl smiles, and Tai grunts in the background.

I chuckle.

“I can’t really stay, but Tai will take really good care of you. I promise.” The golden Cerberus walks to Tai, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll come hang out soon.” She waves at me sweetly and leaves.

Tai smiles warmly, watching her go for a while before gently closing the door with a soft click. He turns to me with a sigh and hands me a pile of clothes. “Here.” All traces of the man with a smile gone.

“So, she’s like a warrior? She looks more like a Goddess. I can’t imagine her fighting,” I say, inspecting the pile of clothes.

“You’d be incredibly smart not to be on Pearl’s bad side, kid. She’s my sparring partner and consistently kicks my ass.” He motions to a door to the side of the fireplace. “That’s the bathroom, go change,” he orders.

I sludge my way through the door, mocking Tai’s demands, only to end up in a magical bathing house. It’s warm and steamy with large wooden beams stretching across the ceiling. There are waterfalls in every corner, large enough to stand under. The streams all feed into a large, smooth pool in the middle of the room. The pool itself looks like it was made to hold a hundred people. I stand there for a while, staring at the sight before me. Finally, I get dressed. He’s given me loose pajama bottoms that are way too tall for my legs. The pants drag on the slick ground, becoming moist as I figure out my top. The shirt is also oversized, and I roll up the soft sleeves to fit my arms. He must’ve gotten these clothes from Pearl.

I shuffle out of the bathroom, and he’s gone.

Well, ok. I guess that’s fine. He isn’t much for company anyways. I go and take a seat in front of the fire, the comfy leather squishes under me. After a while, I become restless, and I lie down on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Wooden beams crisscross with thick black metal hardware. How did he get the beams in here? And why are there no windows in here? I get up and look around, surely there is a window somewhere in this room. I spot a door. It mirrors the bathroom, landing on the other side of the fireplace. I’ll just take a peek. I walk to it and open it quietly.

It’s—an art studio? The open space is large and airy, with boulders covered in moss. The ground has soft viridescent grass that cushions my feet as I walk. It would seem to be a room full of nature except there are canvases of different sizes laying around and hanging on the rocky walls. Some of them have paintings on them: nature, people, the golden wolf again. I explore and find a shelf set into the stone wall. Several paints take up the space with different-sized brushes in beautiful alabaster handles. I hear a faint trickling that catches my attention; I follow it to find a small waterfall in the corner with paint smudges decorating the rocks around it.

The God of War is an artist?

“Out. Now.” A very angry voice belonging to a very angry God has me spinning. The man is fuming, his eyes daggers. I walk out quickly with my head low, ducking under him and jumping onto the couch to find safe refuge.

“I told you to stay out of my shit,” Tai growls at me.

“The paintings are very beautiful,” I whisper, pulling my legs in close.

He inhales a deep breath, closing his eyes, and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I can’t do this. You’re going back to Kai,” he mutters.

“Why? Because I saw your drawings? Are you that insecure?” I raise my voice, standing and getting in his space .

Tai looks at me, bewildered. “Are you raising your voice to me?” He has a tinge of amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, I am. I’m not afraid of you.” I’m furious. He’s kicking me out because I saw his little doodles? I’m not afraid of him, I’m not afraid of any of them. I have died and watched my loved ones die. I don’t care what they do to me. “I have nothing to lose anymore. If you think I fear death, I do not. So, punish me, I don’t care!”

Tai pauses and looks down at me with clarity in his amber eyes as if he’s finally figured out a difficult puzzle. “I see,” he says calmly. “Kid, it’s been a while since I’ve been around humans, especially one with so much trauma surfing in their body. All I can hear in my head is you,” Tai says. “Your emotions are all over the place. I’m not kicking you out because you found my doodles . I can’t think with you here. And your emotions are too heightened, I feel everything you’re going through. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve had nothing but fucking rage around you.”

I let loose a breath. Oh . I’m the one making him angry.

“Look, I don’t want to send you back to Kai. I don’t trust him with you, but I don’t have anywhere else for you to go,” he says apologetically.

“Why don’t you trust him? He’s your brother,” I finally ask him.

“Kai isn’t exactly sane, Grace.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve been with him all week, but he’s still amazing. He found me and brought me here. He has been trying to take care of me, in his own way, I think,” I ponder.

“Kai is great. He’s an idiot, but he has a good heart.” He pauses. “It’s not him I’m worried about. Kai isn’t alone in his head. He’s like two sides of a coin. Half of him is the goofy idiot trying to take care of you, that cracks jokes and causes chaos for the fun of it. The other half is dark, kid. And he is very dangerous.”

He doesn’t get it. I want dangerous.

Tai narrows his eyes at me. “I see. You need to deal with your baggage, kid. And that doesn’t mean through Chaos. He’s going to kill you, and it won’t be a fun death, no matter how much he says it will be. I’ve been awake all fucking week to make sure he doesn’t kill you.” He cracks his neck, letting his exhaustion and stress show. “I can’t leave you alone, and I need to be alone to sleep.”

A knock sounds at the door.

“He’s here. A trick to know when to back away from Kai is when he loses his smile. You ever see the man staring at you without a smile on his face, you call me.” The door opens and in strides Kai .

“Baby bird,” he exclaims, stretching his long arms out wide. I giggle. I know Kai may be dangerous, but he still makes me happy in a strange way.

Tai walks over to Kai. “Stay here with her. Don’t go anywhere, don’t let anyone in, don’t go through my shit,” he says sternly.

“Come on, Tai. You know we are most definitely going through your things.” Kai chuckles.

“Brother.” Tai grabs Kai by the shirt and pulls him close. “You hurt that girl, I will fucking kill you.” With that, he pushes him away and leaves.

“Wait, we’re staying here?” I ask, confused.

“Yeah, after you guys left, Ro came by and smelled you in my room. He’s fucking pissed.” Kai laughs. “So, it’s probably best you don’t stay in there anymore. He’ll be looking for you now. Tai and I will take shifts, we get to play in the day, and Tai will watch you sleep.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

It only took one week for the God of Death to know I’m here. And now, he’s looking for me. Great.

“Have you seen macho man’s art studio yet?” Kai grins mischievously.