Page 24 of Until the End of Ever (To the Cruel Gods #2)

LUCIAN

T here was one reason why I hadn’t made an actual move on Kleos Valesco during our brief acquaintance.

I wasn’t counting the eleven years of stolen glimpses when I pretended I wasn’t stalking her from a distance and she pretended I didn’t exist. The two of us properly met the day she broke that equilibrium by deciding to speak to me in the office I temporarily shared with her cousin.

How insane was it that we’d only gotten to know each other a few short weeks? It likely felt longer because I’d barely let her leave the manor the previous week. We got closer to each other in my kitchen, my library, and then, my mattress.

But in all that time, even when my cock was balls-deep into her mouth, or getting strangled by her drenched pussy, there was a clear understanding between us.

I was a Regis, very much entrenched in the underside, and she, a valer.

A dutiful daughter following her mother’s every edict, resigned to accepting the suitors her house considered appropriate.

There was an invisible wall. And scratching on it, even so much as mentioning anything that crossed the line of casual, made her run .

Highvale might be one city, but it was still two distinct worlds. Kleos liked the underside, but she belonged up in the vale.

But she was jealous . Of bloody Thea, of all people.

“Oh, I don’t think so.” I watched the angry witch point to the open door with a trembling finger as she glared at me.

Not just a little jealous. She was irate, on the brink of shouting or punching me. Never mind that I had a stronger relationship with every single person I’d ever met, my demon cat included, than with Thea Briar.

My mother, Cassius, my father. Even Ronan.

Curse them all, but they had a point. If Kleos was in any way intrigued by the thought of what we could be together, despite the disapproval of her clan, she needed to know I was on the damn list. At the top of it.

I’d gladly take out the rest of the list if that was what it took.

All I needed were the names, and her acquiescence.

It was frightening how intense my desire to touch her, hold her, mark her, and keep her to myself was now that I’d allowed myself to give into it.

“I think,” I said slowly, getting to my feet, “we’re going to talk .”

“I don’t have anything to say,” she practically growled, the storm in her ocean-blue eyes belying that statement.

“Well, good. In that case, you can listen.” I gave her ten seconds before she started shouting at me. “There’s no commitment between Thea and I. I’m entirely unattached at present.”

I would very much like not to be.

“Oh?” Kleos drawled, with no small degree of sarcasm. “And does she see it that way? I sincerely doubt it.” Quickly, she continued, “Which again, is none of my business.”

“If it isn’t any of your business, why are you so mad?” I asked, somewhat unwisely.

Women did not appreciate being called out on being angry. Between my mother, Kore, and Lucky, I was fairly certain that there was no surer way to utterly piss them off. Except perhaps asking them to calm down.

But I needed her to lose it a little. She wasn’t going to be honest until she did.

“Mad? Mad!” she repeated, becoming more incensed by the second. “Maybe because we fucked, Lucian Regis!”

As her voice had risen to a shout, and I had no doubt that Mother was lurking upstairs, trying to listen in, I wordlessly wove a privacy spell, containing the sounds within the room, and shut the door with a wave of my hand.

“You made me the other woman!” Kleos carried on at an octave higher than usual. “Do you know how humiliating that is?”

“You’re the one taking suitors. Men who declare their formal intention to marry you, and ask the head of your house for their blessing,” I spelled out, in case the term itself wasn’t clear. “That’s a hell of a lot more binding that what I have going on.”

“I have zero intention of accepting any of them,” she raged, taking a step towards me in her anger.

That’s it, beautiful little witch. Come closer.

“You’re engaged . What we’re doing? That’s cheating.”

“Oh, please . ‘ I’ll marry you if you’re single at thirty’ isn’t an engagement by any stretch of imagination.

There is zero ink on any agreement. She doesn’t hold any Regis or Saltzin jewelry,” I added, pointedly staring at the spot under Kleos’s blouse where I knew she concealed Gertrude’s parure. “She doesn’t hold my attention.”

You have it.

“I thought your word was binding,” Kleos reminded me, eyes dangerously narrowed. “That a promise from you was as good as written and signed!”

“Indeed. And the wording of that pact was purposeful: if we’re both unattached, I’d wed her. As in, I could offer to date Ronan the day before her birthday, and thereby wiggle out of the deal.”

“So people ought to consult a lawyer regarding the phrasing of your oaths, then?” She pushed her index finger into my chest accusingly. “You said you’re bound by your words, and yet I find that you twist words like a fae for an out!”

She didn’t even know what she was pissed about by this point. My deal with Thea? My deal not being binding? The possibility of me making a deal with her that I could renege on? I hoped for the latter option, but at this point, I needed answers, not guesses.

“Thea’s aware of the deal, and of its constraints,” I assured her. “I made my intentions abundantly clear. Just like I would if I ever gave you my word.”

She huffed. “How many women do you plan to make deals with, exactly?”

I smirked, aware that the expression never failed to get under her skin.

Kleos never quite trusted them, as though she was wondering whether I was joking with her or amused at her expense.

“I have many deals, with many creatures, both male and female. There’s a hellhound I promised biscuits to so long as it let me pass, and a lost goddess without a temple who gets flowers from me every May Day.

I swore to bring evergold seeds to Osiris, spelled to bloom even in his underworld, bargaining it for a soul I wanted back. I’ll certainly make more deals.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Whatever. None of my business.”

She was back to controlling her tongue, her expression, her posture. I couldn’t have that.

“Mm.” I leaned in, whispering. Conspiratorial. “Sounds to me like you’d like it to be.”

I wanted Kleos to lose enough control to show any feeling under the surface, the source of that jealousy.

Was she truly just a proper young lady, ashamed of her role in what she saw as cheating, without good reason?

I didn’t think so. But she ran Sunday. She was showing nothing but pride today. Maybe she truly didn’t care.

“Tell me. Are your feathers ruffled because you took a tumble with a man you have decided is committed, despite everyone else in the world knowing otherwise? Or are you out of sorts because you don’t want Thea to have any claim on what’s yours?”

“Yours?” she shrieked. “You can’t be mine if you agreed to marry some girl!”

“You take suitors,” I reminded her. “You flee at the mere mention of anything potentially serious, but you’re jealous of a stupid pact ?”

“You gave her your word . You could be married in seven years.”

“I could. And I likely will, in fact, if you’re uninterested. So I’m asking you yet again. Are you interested?”

As she remained silent, clinging to her composure, I decided to be direct, dropping the smile, and all hint of amusement.

“I can also take a hint. If I’m completely mistaken, you don’t have to worry about my bringing it up again.

We can go back to our budding friendship.

I’ll keep my hands, my thoughts, and any intent to myself until you’re free from danger.

Then you can return to your life, your suitors, your side of town, and we’ll pretend none of this ever happened. ”

That could be what she wanted. Most of the time, her behavior said as much. Tonight was the first time I thought I saw something else. But contrary to popular belief, I wasn’t always right.

Blue eyes snapped to mine, something like panic in their shifting depths.

“I—” Kleos started, before lowering her gaze to her feet.

Breathe , I willed myself. Let her speak.

One way or another, we were on the edge of a knife, about to fall.

“I just can’t wrap my head around this .” She grimaced, sounding baffled. “Why would you offer her your troth if you don’t care?”

Troth. An old-fashioned notion; and as far as possible from what I’d offered Thea.

I brought my hand to her chin and tilted it up. I didn’t like it when she looked away. Besides, she needed to see the sincerity in my eyes. We were finally talking. “I don’t want to become a monster.”

Her eyes widened as her gorgeous lips parted. “What?”

“I don’t want another Great Massacre attached to the Regis name. So I picked the woman least likely to drive me to any sort of passion in order to ensure I wouldn’t care.”

“That’s…fucked up,” she said. “Like, you think if someone hurt her, you wouldn’t care, even if she was your wife ?”

“I’d hunt down the responsible party and kill them,” I replied immediately. “If anyone, right now, hurt Thea, or any other unders, I’d investigate, and bring them swiftly to justice. That’s the duty of a founder. One I perform for my family, given my predisposition for it.”

I brought my hand up, focusing my energy to my palm, red flames dancing around my skin. With a wave of my hand, I dismissed it. “But no, I wouldn’t actually consider murdering a few million people on top for her sake. Whether she’s the next Mrs. Regis or not.”

I didn’t want to speak badly of Thea to feed Kleos’s ego.

In truth, there was nothing wrong with the chit.

She was pretty enough, gentle, kind and well bred.

It was technically not her fault that I started to yawn halfway through every conversation with her.

She bored me to tears. Most people did, but Thea was even more tedious than the rest. I wouldn’t call her vapid.

There was plenty of substance, from what I knew of her.

I simply had zero interest in anything she liked, valued, or considered worthy of mention.

The woman watched football , for Hades’s sake.

And she listened to rap. I couldn’t fathom how Kore, a woman of excellent taste, put up with her.

Presumably because they were the two only founders’ daughters around the same age, so they’d befriended each other like Ronan and I. But Ronan was interesting, at least.

“Thea’s equally indifferent,” I divulged. “She wants a pretty crown, to live in the manor, and say she’s a Regis. I don’t matter.”

“That can’t be true.”

“Her family initially approached Mother with a proposal for Damian and I. They, and she, didn’t care which one she might get.”

Kleos’s sharp intake of breath was so cute. “And you still said yes?”

“Not then, no. I caved when she showed up to the manor naked under a coat one day. I figured that’d give me some peace for a few years.”

She shook her head. “And have you changed your mind? Or do you still think you want a cold, impersonal relationship to avoid hurting people?”

“If you’re asking me whether I believe it’s the logical option for me, the answer is still yes. But I’m not solely a creature of logic. I’ll repeat: are you interested in me, Kleos?” I was done beating around the bush.

Everything she’d said and done in the last half hour suggested a resounding yes, but she hadn’t said so. I needed her to. I was already too far gone without so much as a hint from her.

“It’s not fair,” she muttered, her former anger replaced by frustration, and a degree of nervousness.

“Go on, Valesco,” I teased. “We already established this: a little honesty and you get what you want. Tell me.”

“Why should I ?” she retorted, crossing her arms. “All of a sudden, you’re demanding to know what I think, what I want, when you’ve never mentioned being interested in anything other than a romp in the sack either.”

“You could always ask,” I retorted. “But something tells me you’re rather scared of the answer.”

She gasped. “Scared? Scared!”

She still wasn’t asking, which told me everything I needed to know. Kleos knew the words I’d give her, realized there would be not coming back, and she wasn’t ready.

That was as close to capitulation as I was going to get, wasn’t it?

“Fuck it,” I said, deciding we could finish this talk after I’d done something as essential in that moment as breathing.

And for the very first time, I brought my mouth to hers, not hesitating until I’d tasted what belonged to me.