Page 49

KLEOS

A s our guide had indicated, the club was close to the tram stop.

It was easy to find—an enormous edifice, almost the size of Lucian's manor, but glass, modern, and covered in ivy.

It was absolutely the opposite of what I would have visualized if someone had asked me to describe a club owned by the god of the wild. From the outside.

Inside, I stepped into what looked, and felt like a tropical jungle.

Millions of plants, of every shape, forms and colors—things I'd never seen, and I doubt existed anywhere but here, like palm trees with blue leaves, willows flowering with roses.

The only source of light were illuminated trees just like the one in Lucian'sgarden, glowing faintly blue.

I understood the glass, then. This was a greenhouse .

There were hundreds, if not thousands of people before us, but as the space in front of us was large enough to comfortably house half of the vale—easily five times the size of the Hall of Truce's ballroom—there was plenty of room.

The music playing seemed to come from underneath my feet. I looked down, trying to find the source.

"Welcome to The Wild Horn," the man at the entrance drawled, sounding either very relaxed, or high as a kite.

Both, I decided.

Conventionally attractive, albeit a little thin, the man with dark hair, hooded green eyes, and a lazy smile wore a blue Hawaiian shirt and beach shorts, never mind the fact that it was the first of November.

Come to think of it, it was warm in here. So much so I needed to remove my coat and my shawl. I bit my lip nervously, suddenly unsure. I'd only accepted wearing Silver's little black dress because I figured I'd keep the shawl on.

"Come in, come in, friends. You can leave your things with me. If you know what you'd like to drink or eat, let me know and I'll ensure our nymphs find you."

"Nymphs?" I echoed, blinking.

That was when I noticed the horns. How had I not noticed them? The man had curling ram horns on the sides of his face.

No. Surely, it couldn't really be…

"You're Pan," Silver guessed.

Green eyes flashed to gold, and back to their moss hue in a second. "I wouldn't toss names as casually as breadcrumbs, pretty one. You might get more than what you bargain if you call upon the wild."

Yep. We needed to move.

"But you are, aren't you? You feel like spring and smell like a forest."

I needed to drag Silver out of there before she got herself turned into a pinecone.

But the strange man only smiled. "You have keen eyes, a discerning nose, and a taste for things you shouldn't have.

A dangerous combination for one such as you.

Dangerous indeed. You'll want my signature cocktail: Satyr's Tears.

And you." When the gold analyzed me, it felt like I was completely naked.

"Oh, yes. A taste for pretty trinkets and cats. Dangerous, too. Mead, I say."

He snapped his fingers, and there were two drinks in his hand—one, served in a horn, the other, a solid gold mug. "Coats, please."

I was no fool. I gave him my coat, and took my horn with no question, dragging Silver along before she could demand to know, well, anything.

Until now, I wasn’t afraid at the thought of asking for help at Delphi. Hell, I didn't even know if it would lead to anything. But this man wasn't a bogus seer. He was made of flesh and bones and maybe even blood— but ichor was more likely. And he knew far too much.

"We could have asked him if he knew about the lust spell," Silver protested, looking back. "Or even your curse. He might?—"

"Drive us mad. Make it so we forever wander the wilderness, lost. He might have cursed us with panic. For the sake of everything unholy, be careful with him," I begged.

He was terrifying .

I shivered as Pan looked over his shoulder and winked. He'd heard every word, hadn't he? Fuck . We shouldn't be here.

As we walked, I kept lowering the hem of the black dress I'd borrowed from my best friend. On her, it would reach the middle of her thighs, but it was tiny on me.

"You're sure it's not too short?" I said nervously.

"It's fine. Just don't bend over."

The simple fact she had to advise me not to said that the dress was absolutely not fine. Thankfully, the women we passed seemed dressed in similarly revealing clothes. I wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

In my rush to put as much distance between the wild god slash club host, I took us farther and farther into the greenhouse.

We were heading towards the end of the greenhouse, which was darker—the light trees were purple rather than blue, and dimmer—and filled with a throng of people dancing. The music got louder and louder as we approached.

And the farther I walked, the sillier I felt for having been so afraid. This place truly was lovely, and everyone seemed so relaxed.

Ever so relaxed?—

"Oh, yes! Harder!"

The lurid screams pulled me out of my reverie.

Oh, fuck.

I blinked twice, but what I'd been looking at was still there. I hadn't made it up.

On top of a low table in a booth, there was a woman on all fours, her dress lifted over her hips, getting railed from behind by one man, another lying with his back on the table, and a third in front of her, cock in her mouth.

My jaw hit the floor. How could they do that right here, in the middle of the club?

I was no prude, but this was something else.

I looked around, wondering if anyone else noticed the spectacle.

That was when I saw that, while this group had been the first to catch my attention, they certainly weren't the only ones currently occupying themselves by fucking in public.

Lucian had said that the lust spells in this place made everyone want to fuck; he hadn't told me they'd do it right here in the open.

Then again, you didn't mention you intended to pop by.

I downed what was left on my drink and moved on. There seem to be a bar on the other side of the dance floor. I kept my attention fixed on it. Now that I was more aware of what was going on around me, I couldn't miss the veritable orgy around us.

Not everyone was fucking. That was what made it even crazier: some people just laughed, played poker, or danced, completely ignoring gangbangs in neighboring booths.

It was starting to affect me. I could feel my skin prickle, my thighs rub together, my core tighten. Was any spell at work? It was possible. But it was also likely that the proximity to so much deviant sex was making me want?—

I knew what I wanted. Who I wanted. And he was too busy to see me until Monday, according to him. After I'd let him fuck my face, too.

Fuck.What was I thinking, coming to a dark wizards' club?

"Do you feel weird?" I whispered to Silver.

"I don't know," she mused. "It's not like yesterday—I was out of control. I barely recognized myself. I just had to jump the closest person available, like a compulsion. This time, I'm me, but I'm also…" She paused, trying to find the right word.

"Fucking horny?" I offered.

She nodded. "Yep. Pretty much that. I think that's what Abbey warned us about: this isn't a lust spell. I'm just chilled. And there are people fucking all around us, which makes me want to join in."

I licked my lower lip. "One drink and we go home?"

We were getting close to the bar, but each step felt harder. Part of me wanted to stop, and just pull my clothes off one by one.

I didn't realize the spells would be this potent.I needed to be touched.I was completely out of control, my breath hitching, my panties completely fucking soaked .

“Do my eyes deceive me, or is Kleos Valesco, darling of the vale, partying on my side of town?" My heart skipped a beat as I turned, finding Lucian right here. "Be still my heart.”

He wore a dark suit—not unlike the one he had on when he left me at my doorstep earlier, intending to go off and raise the dead, but I could tell it was a different one. Well cut, like everything he owned, and with a silky sheen, it was gorgeous, and as casual as anything I'd ever seen him wear.

Say something, idiot. “Lucian Regis has a heart?" I cocked an eyebrow. "Quick, someone alert the press. It’s time for some ice skating in hell.”

There. I almost sounded like myself.

"Hi, Ronan," I called with a wave.

He grinned at me. "Hello, little witch. Are you lost?"

"Most definitely." I tilted my head towards Silver. "Have you met my friend? Edith Silver. Call her by her first name only if you want to get stabbed."

She stepped on my toes. "You're not supposed to mention that dumb as fuck name, ever !"

I laughed.

There was definitely something in the air, and the water, and my mead.

All of it was delicious.

I was delighted to be here and never wanted to leave. All my stress dissipated the moment Lucian appeared, as though my mind had conjured him. I'd needed him and he was here.

"I haven't seen you around, I don't think. First time in unders, Edith Silver?" Ronan asked.

"She wasn't kidding. I will stab you."

"Even if I buy you a drink?"

She considered it. "Yep. Nothing's worth being reminded that my birth mother was that much of an idiot."

"Understood. Silver, then. What can I get you?"

"Pan gave me a lovely cocktail on my way in. Centaur's Tears, I think?"

"Satyr, actually."

Silver and I both jumped as Pan himself appeared, her golden drink in one hand, and another filled horn for me.

"Circe's tits, how did you do that?"

The man grinned, and I noticed that the corner of his lips hiked up a bit too far, making it more terrifying than charming. "I'm a god, and you called my name. I told you to be careful. Circe could also show up if you invoke her titties, you know. And she's far less affable than me."

"Consider me properly petrified," I grumbled.

Only, I wasn't. A part of me still acknowledged that he was far, far too dangerous for my taste, but I just couldn't summon the necessary stress level to want to run.

Instead, I took my drink gratefully. "What do we owe you?"