Page 10 of Until the End of Ever (To the Cruel Gods #2)

LUCIAN

W ho would have thought it was possible to enjoy an evening at the Velvet Lounge?

My steak was overdone, and Kleos’s ossobuco looked particularly sad, but the company was excellent, and after the staff managed to confiscate the trumpet, the music playing over the speakers was fine too.

Still, I doubted either of us regretted leaving the establishment behind.

“If you’d like the cab to drop you at home, you’ll have to tell him the address,” I said, opening the door to let her in first.

I tried. I really attempted to leave it at that.

But by the time I was pulling the door behind me, I’d added, “Or you could come back to the manor with me. I mean, you’ll come tomorrow in any case.

As you should be accompanied, it might be more convenient.

” I was undeniably rambling. My mouth refused to shut up.

“I can’t believe you didn’t bring your friend as backup tonight, by the by.

Someone’s trying to hurt you. You shouldn’t go anywhere alone. ”

Kleos blinked, taken aback. “Oh. I don’t think we considered it—I mean, it was only Castor .”

After meeting the man, I certain could understand how both she and Gideon had been so unimpressed. “Yeah, well, someone could have followed you, or used Castor to lure you out.”

The cabbie lowered the partition between us and cleared his throat, “Apologies, sir. Where to?”

That was the question. I turned to Kleos, one eyebrow raised.

“The Hall of Truce, please,” she replied.

I tried not to smile.

Turning to me, she added, “My address is The Valesco House, by the way. In case you need it. Everyone knows where it is, but you can add Garden Terrace, if someone needs clarification.”

I would have teased her, except my address was The Royal Manor. No one bothered to even specify the avenue.

We’d almost reached the Hall when I deigned to recall that I was supposed to try to keep my distance from her. That plan was going swimmingly.

For today’s infraction, I blamed Silver and Gideon, who hadn’t thought to organize an appropriate guard for their friend.

Except it felt wrong to call her theirs. She was mine to take care of.

Mine, mine, mine ? —

By the armpit of the smelliest hellhounds, get hold of yourself, Lucian.

The column working as a traveling shaft between the vale and underside was right at the entrance of the Hall. We’d returned to my side of town in moments.

“No princess carriage this time?” she asked as I guided us to the dark horses.

A sudden flash of the night when I’d taken her home in my mother’s carriage—and everything that happened after, down in the dungeon—made the fit of my bespoke trousers quite uncomfortable.

“I borrow Ronan’s horses most of the time. Less conspicuous. Besides, my parents’ drivers can’t resist my mother. She’d shove her nose in my business,” I said fondly as the carriage raced through the town circle.

“Don’t I know that story.”

I grimaced at the implication. My mother was nothing like hers.

I didn’t even know how to broach the subject.

There was something seriously wrong between Kleos and Zenya, but people could be sensitive about family affairs.

I certainly know I wouldn’t appreciate an outsider commenting on our dynamic.

I opted to change the subject. “I was surprised to realize you did indeed have an interview Saturday. And here I was, thinking you simply aimed to avoid me.”

As expected, Kleos blushed. “I don’t lie.” After a second, she added, “To you. I don’t lie to you.”

I noted the distinction with a certain degree of pleasure, nonetheless wondering who she did lie to. It didn’t seem in her character. Her mother, probably. Or her suitors. And in most likelihood, the papers.

“They booked me for this week initially, but after the mess on Samhain, they were in too much of a rush to figure out who I might have screwed to wait a couple of days.”

Great. Back to remembering the feel of her tits in my hands as she ground against my crotch. And the feeling of her cunt strangling my cock, less than a day later.

I cleared my throat, veering us back on safer ground again. “So, you don’t like Great-Aunt Geraldine’s diamonds?”

My eyes fixed on the necklace I could spy under her shawl.

“Oh. Was she truly a princess?”

We were already back at the manor, given how insane Ronan’s horses could be.

Taking her hand to help her out of the carriage, I ran through the family history as we walked home.

“She didn’t have much power, and by her generation, the Saltzins had almost exhausted their coffers.

She was the first—but not the last—to wed outside of Highvale, picking an old, titled, rather wealthy gentleman.

From Russia, if I recall. She came back home with his title and inheritance. ”

“How enterprising.”

“My grandmother certainly appreciated her sister’s sacrifice.

” The door disappeared at our approach, materializing as soon as we’d both stepped inside.

I didn’t think I’d even willingly ordered it.

The house usually required my prompting for things like that, but it was almost eager to get us back in, as though in only a day, it has missed Kleos.

No, I was just projecting.

“Oh!” she cried, chuckling as a violent ball of fur leapt in the air, claws first.

I would have run for cover. Kleos, being insane, caught Zazel in midair before cuddling the demon in her arms.

“Hello, Zaz! Did you miss me? I missed you,” she cooed.

I might have felt left out, had soft fur not just brushed against my leg just then.

I sank to a crouch, lowering my hand to the floor, and Phobos crawled across the length of my arm until he’d reached my shoulders, wrapping himself around me like a warm scarf. “Survive the demon another day?” I asked the night fox.

“Don’t listen to him,” Kleos whispered. “You’re a good kitty.”

“That’s it. I am getting you checked by a psychiatrist.”

“For loving an adorable ball of fur, or because I’m in your house?” she quipped. “Pretty sure I know what they’d lock me up for—and it wouldn’t be Zazel.”

“Both, Valesco. Always both.”

We’d reached our bedrooms, mine on the left, hers on the right.

How easy it would be to pull her to me, and press my lips down to hers. How natural.

But she was home. I felt more settled, less irritable, having her here. After crossing that line Saturday, we could barely handle being around each other. I wanted her here more than I wanted to touch her.

Only just.

“Will you torture me with more cupcakes at a disgraceful time tomorrow morning?”

She grinned. “I guess we’ll find out.”