Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Apep decided he would rather die than do a human trial, and chose to go to the earth to create his own offspring, an army of sorts, just to piss the remaining gods off. The more he created the more the world sank into chaos while the rest of the gods decided something had to be done. Rather than fighting each other, they joined forces, every country, every pantheon, every deity, down to the Creator themselves and the angels of old, some say even immortal vampires and werewolves help guard the Earth, but that’s a different story.” Apep continues. “The story says that Apep stored his power in each of his children so that the gods could never take it from him like they did the remaining gods when they lost their trials.”
“Just a rumor.” Enki laughs. “I mean he’d probably sacrifice his own if he could.” He laughs harder. “Right, Dad?”
Cleo pauses. “Right, I forgot he’s your dad.”
“Own up to it.” Enki lifts his glass. “Cheers.”
“And this is where we take our leave.” Apep stands. “Thank you, but I don’t think my sons will be up to eating tonight. It’s been…well, it’s been.”
“But you just got here.” Cleo stands then stumbles against the chair.
Enki grins over at me, and I realize in that moment I’ve made my first mistake with him.
He loves it.
He loves messing with me. He lives for it. He points at the wine bottle and then snaps his fingers.
The label disintegrates into smoke and what remains is a bare black bottle.
Half of it gone.
And Cleo is drinking the rest of her glass.
He winks at me and walks off with his brother and father. “Have fun!”
Shit.
Why?
What the hell did he do now?
Cleo looks from them retreating to me walking toward her. I’m ready to figure out what the hell sort of thing Enki did when she starts to laugh.
Perfect, worse than I thought.
She’s actually happy.
Most of them are confused or crying at this point.
She leans back in her chair and then her body goes forward into my arms just as the group leaves. “Wow, they’re hysterical, I mean can you imagine? It’s almost like they believe it!”
“Yeah.” I gulp. “Almost.”
She stands and then slumps against me. “You smell like the sun.”
I blink slowly down at her and whisper, “I am the sun.”
Her eyes flutter open and lock onto mine one more time like she’s going to get burned, I want to warn her not to. I want to tell her it’s too soon, but at the same time I want to.
Wait.
I look back at the table.
All of the bottles have no label.
Son of a bitch!
“Enki!” I roar.
The entire house moves, it rumbles with fury, and I swear I hear his laugh.
Damn.
No mercy with that one.
My entire body goes hot and cold, water rushes down over me, until it’s like I’m soaked into oblivion, drowning in her scent, begging for more.
She wraps a leg around me.
No.
No!
It can’t happen like this. I refuse it. Two kisses in one day? Two intimate moments. She isn’t ready—it’s not time for the eclipse yet.
Cleo reaches up for my head, then kicks her chair forward and climbs onto it.
This won’t end well.
She doesn’t fall, though. Still holding onto me, she stands on the chair. Finally face to face, her eyes look into mine again.
“Will I burn?” she asks.
“Do you want to?”
“Yes.” Her body is too close.
This is too close.
Her lips part. I can taste her want, her fear, her need.
I’m going to murder Enki.
God of Mischief and Wisdom my ass, I don’t even care anymore. It’s been eons and now this? Only at the end are they torturing me.
I push her away abruptly, the chair tilts and then I grab her by the wrist, she falls against my chest, her arms wrap around my neck, her mouths inches from mine. It’s just a reaction to chaos, it makes people do things they shouldn’t, though part of me wants to sit in this moment just a while.
I inhale.
Damn, it feels good.
The lack of restraint.
The taste of her air.
I suck it in through my mouth like a drug pulling from her lips.
One.
Two.
Three.
One.
Two.
Three.
Her eyes close again. “I like that.”
“You’re under my care.” Sort of. “I think you had too much to drink, Cleo. Shall I put you to bed?”
“Pleeeeease.”
“I mean by yourself.”
“Why?”
I tamp down a laugh. Exactly. Why does she have to go without me? I’ve almost forgotten. She’s adorable. No wait, she can’t be, it’s not allowed. She’s the enemy. She’s the Destroyer or will become one if I don’t destroy her first.
“Why are you so pretty?”
“Why did you drink or eat what he gave you?”
She frowns. “Huh?” Her expression is damn irresistible, her blue and green eyes reflect the storm in mine, the tumultuous waves, the way they crash across the rocks over and over. I see her freely jumping into the sea and swimming, embracing, nearly seducing the water.