Page 17 of The Demigod Complex
She could get addicted to his touch. Time to run. The second she pushed against his hold, Castor released her, and she hopped up.
“I need a bath.” She’d made it to the door when his voice stopped her.
“What did Calli mean when she said,they’re holding back because of you?”
She glanced over her shoulder, taking in his serious expression, and managed a smile. “I was pretty powerful, once upon a time. Maybe they were scared to test me.”
He studied her for a long moment. “I’m not buying it.”
She crossed her arms. “That I was powerful?”
“That your power had anything to do with them holding back. I think they genuinely liked you in that once upon a time you mention, and that keeps them from unleashing on you now.”
Hurt pooled in her gut, turning her insides to stone faster than a look from Medusa. This was too painful to talk about. She cleared her throat. “I doubt it.”
“Why not?Ilike you.” His gaze changed from serious to molten in a blink, stealing the air from the room and replacing it with thick, urgent need.
Definitely time to run before she did something stupid like tackle him and beg him to help her forget, if just for a little while. “Yeah…well. The feeling’s mutual.”
Damn. Where had that come from? Run, stupid.
She fled into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. A nice long soak would bring her back to her senses and empower her for her chat with Calli later. Something was definitely off with her sisters. She just couldn’t put her finger on what.
Chapter Seven
Leia needed to not be cooped. The room was stifling her. Instead, she spent a good deal of time wandering the grounds of the hotel, enjoying the cool breeze and the smells of the mountains, until it got dark.
All the while, she worked through what she intended to do at the ceremony. It wouldn’t win her any popularity points with her sister nymphs, but they’d ousted her from their circle anyway. Had they even mourned her death? Was she angry enough with them to force a confrontation?
Yeah. None of what happened to her was her fault, dammit. Maybe if they’d stood with her…
Feet heavy with her thoughts, she trudged up the stairs and through the doors into the foyer of the main hotel building.
“Everything okay?” Castor’s voice had her swinging her gaze sharply right as she walked in.
She frowned to find him lounging in one of the big leather chairs close to a big stone fireplace in the lobby, a cheerful fire crackling away, giving off a comforting campfire odor. While the early May days were warm enough, the nights were still crisply chilly, which was why she’d added a long brown sweater over her pink dress and changed out her heels for a pair of tall suede boots. “Were you waiting for me?”
He held up a leather-bound book,The Shining. “Nope.”
She moved closer, took the book from him, careful not to touch his fingers as she did, and flipped through the pages. “Creep-tastic.”
His mouth tilted up on one side. “It seemed appropriate, given the surroundings.”
She gave a hum of agreement. “You know this place is haunted, right?”
Castor tilted his head, studying her closely, something in his gaze she didn’t quite trust. “You believe in ghosts?”
She ignored the second comment—or tried to—then shrugged and handed the book back. “I know a couple ghosts, actually.”
“I guess you do then.”
She thumbed over her shoulder toward the stairs. “I’m going to our room now. Are you going to stay down here?”
He unfolded his long length from the overstuffed chair. “I’ll come up with you.”
Leia glanced over his shoulder as she nodded, and froze, her entire body going rigid with shock and screaming fear.
“Lyleia?” Castor’s voice brought her back to herself.
