Page 52 of The Guardian (Dark-Hunter 20)
Maahes gestured back at Lydia in the same language.
For some reason, it angered and hurt him that they'd cut him out of the conversation. "Are you mocking me?"
Lydia flicked her nails at him, then turned and stormed off.
Seth had no idea what he should do. He didn't understand human emotions or relations. Not really. It'd been too long since he had any.
Maahes let out a heavy sigh. "You hurt her feelings, boy. You need to go apologize."
"How did I hurt them?"
"Think about it, Seth. She risked her life to bring you here, to save you from hell, and what do you do the first minute she leaves you alone? You let another woman flirt with you."
That was flirting? Really?
He'd thought the woman attractive, but she was nothing compared to Lydia. She hadn't made his blood race or given him thoughts of her draped over his body.
Only Lydia did that. She was the only woman he was willing to bleed for. How could she not know that?
Seth ran to catch up with her. "I didn't mean to hurt you if I did. She asked me for directions, and I told her I couldn't help her. That's all that happened."
"I don't care."
"Then why are you mad at me?"
Lydia didn't have a rational explanation. She knew she was overreacting and behaving badly. Yet ...
"I don't know, okay? I just know it hurts inside."
His features tortured, he cupped her face in his hands. "You are the one person I would never hurt."
Lydia went to kiss him, but he snapped his head back before she could touch his lips with hers. His rejection cut her so deep, it felt like her soul was bleeding. "I don't understand you, Seth."
And the sad truth was, she wasn't sure if she ever would. Her heart aching, she walked back to where Maahes waited for them.
Seth sighed as he tried to understand what had just happened. You should have let her kiss you.
But he liked the fact that, for the first time since he was a boy, his lips didn't hurt or sting or bleed.
Idiot. Women liked it. He knew that. He wasn't sure what pleasure they got from biting him so hard, but ...
I suck at this world, too. And in that moment, he realized the sad truth he'd never wanted to face.
He didn't belong anywhere. Especially not in this world.
It was just as well. She wasn't his anyway. She could never be his.
Once his powers returned, he'd leave her and go ...
He had no idea. There was no home for him here. No one to call friend. Suddenly this world was even more terrifying to him than Azmodea.
Why are you panicking? Either there or here, the results are the same.
He'd be alone. At least here, he wouldn't have to worry about Azura and Noir.
But as he went back to where Lydia stood and she refused to look at him, he discovered a pain even worse than their torture.
Seeing the hurt in her eyes and knowing he was the one who'd given it to her.
* * *
Solin slammed his hand against the clear door, knowing it was useless, but unable to stand in here and do nothing.
Madoc paced behind him. "You're not accomplishing anything."
"It makes me feel better and it keeps me from beating the shit out of you. So you ought to be grateful that I'm banging on it and not your head."
"Whatever."
Ignoring him, Solin looked around at the small group that was caged with him. In addition to Madoc were Deimos, Phobos, Zeth, and Delphine. It seemed as if they'd been locked in this pit for days.
Like him and Madoc, Zeth had black hair and blue eyes. Phobos and Deimos were twins and, until they were locked in here, were the leaders of the Dolophoni who were now in pursuit of Lydia.
Delphine was one of the rare Dream-Hunters who had blond hair. "We need to figure out who betrayed us," she repeated for the millionth time.
Solin growled. "We've been over it and over it again. I don't care about your traitor. What we need to find is a way out of here. Preferably before they kill Lydia."
But at least he took comfort in knowing none of the people in this room had betrayed him. Hence why they were his jail buddies.
But who had? What god would be so stupid?
Deimos patted him on the back. "We'll get to her in time."
"What if we don't?" Solin couldn't bear the pain of the thought of losing her. She was everything in his world. "The Guardian said he'd kill her today if I didn't get back to him."
Phobos, who was sitting on the floor with his head on his legs, looked up. "Maybe he'll suck you back to Azmodea and then you can locate her."
"Yeah," Deimos agreed. "How did he nab you last time?"
"Through my dreams. He sent a lure in to trap me."
Deimos cursed. So long as they were imprisoned here, none of them had any powers. Not even the ability to travel in dreams.
They were totally screwed.
"Look on the bright side," Phobos said with a cocky grin as he cut his gaze to Delphine. "Sooner probably than later, Jericho will notice his wife's not around and he'll find us and kick the door down."
"He's right. My baby won't play."
Yeah and as the son of Warcraft and Hate, Jericho was a formidable god.
Still, Solin had looked into the painted face of hell and seen what it was capable of.
And right now, that beast had his daughter, and he had no idea what the Guardian was doing to her.
Hold on, baby. I'll get to you. I swear it.
Solin only hoped that his enemies didn't kill him first.
