Nikolas marched up to me.
“Delia she’s gone. Victor is right. She must be found and by us . The poor little thing won’t last a night shooting those fireballs the way she’s been,” Nikolas said.
“She believes that I deserve to die and that the empire destroyed her family,” I said, turning to face Victor who stood behind me. “She attacked both Evan and I last night.”
“She’s zero for three since she tried to fry me in the forest, as well.” Nikolas rolled his eyes. “A couple lessons at aiming couldn’t have hurt, Vic.”
“Her lack of aim worked in your favor,” Victor said, harshly.
“Better aim wouldn’t have hurt us, both Evan and I are faster, but it may have prevented the Lykanos from nearly finishing you off, dragon-boy,” Nikolas said.
“That’s Lord Victor to you, and might I remind you - a mighty steed can burn.” Victor’s face flushed and his eyes narrowed. The dragon within him wanted to come out.
“ Mighty steed. I think I like it.” Nikolas chuckled at Victor’s attempt to insult him.
“Oh, why don’t you go have a drink and wise up?” Victor said, knowing that wine had a very interesting effect on the son of Dionysus. Wine increased a centaur’s intelligence.
“Why don’t you both?” I asked.
“I haven’t seen her since the day of the Masquerade Ball,” Victor said, ignoring my remark. “I’m afraid she hasn’t trained enough to use her powers to their full potential.”
“No kidding?” Nikolas chortled, loudly. I had to jump in between them before Victor lost it completely.
“Let’s get a group together to find her. Any idea where she could be?” I asked Victor.
“I know where she might have gone. I’ll go there now!” Victor exclaimed and was about to run out the door, but not before Nikolas blocked it.
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s daytime and the shadows are everywhere.” Nikolas said looking down at Victor. Victor looked up at Nikolas and laughed.
“I’m getting through that door even if I have to go through you.”
“Sure, if you want a tattoo of one of my hooves on your face.” Nikolas winked. “I get it. You want to find your sister, but you may not be as lucky with the Apolluon as you were with the Lykanos.”
“Victor, if you walk out that door you’ll be smothered by the shadows and we may never find her,” I said as I walked into the parlor, leaving them to glare at each other in the foyer. “Victor, would you come in here, please?”
“I’ll leave you two to it,” Nikolas said, and headed for the library.
“We don’t have time,” Victor said, following me reluctantly.
“Your aura is at a colossal high because you’re worried. Try to relax. Look, I haven’t forgotten about last night,” I said, trying to keep my composure. “By slipping out, you almost got yourself killed by those fevered beasts and nearly robbed our empire of an important element – you.”
“I know,” Victor said looking down at the ornate area rug.
“Do you? I fought with the council over having your powers restored and now I look like the fool.”
“You did? I–I didn’t know that you had spoken to the elders,” he said, taking a few steps closer to me. “Why did you do that for me?” We were only about a foot apart now. It was a very uneasy space.
What I felt for Victor was what the gods intended, but it’s not what I wanted. I still loved Evan so much. The attraction between Victor and I was embedded in our bones. What happened last night had confirmed everything the gods had planned from the very beginning. How could I fight it when I could feel every thread of his being without even touching him?
“I did it because… I believe in you,” I admitted, and he held my gaze. I had to look away. I walked over to the fireplace. “But, at the time, I had no idea that I’d be fighting on the behalf of a pleasure seeker. You almost allowed the Lykanos to cheat our empire of your unique gifts. Your
“Delia she’s gone. Victor is right. She must be found and by us . The poor little thing won’t last a night shooting those fireballs the way she’s been,” Nikolas said.
“She believes that I deserve to die and that the empire destroyed her family,” I said, turning to face Victor who stood behind me. “She attacked both Evan and I last night.”
“She’s zero for three since she tried to fry me in the forest, as well.” Nikolas rolled his eyes. “A couple lessons at aiming couldn’t have hurt, Vic.”
“Her lack of aim worked in your favor,” Victor said, harshly.
“Better aim wouldn’t have hurt us, both Evan and I are faster, but it may have prevented the Lykanos from nearly finishing you off, dragon-boy,” Nikolas said.
“That’s Lord Victor to you, and might I remind you - a mighty steed can burn.” Victor’s face flushed and his eyes narrowed. The dragon within him wanted to come out.
“ Mighty steed. I think I like it.” Nikolas chuckled at Victor’s attempt to insult him.
“Oh, why don’t you go have a drink and wise up?” Victor said, knowing that wine had a very interesting effect on the son of Dionysus. Wine increased a centaur’s intelligence.
“Why don’t you both?” I asked.
“I haven’t seen her since the day of the Masquerade Ball,” Victor said, ignoring my remark. “I’m afraid she hasn’t trained enough to use her powers to their full potential.”
“No kidding?” Nikolas chortled, loudly. I had to jump in between them before Victor lost it completely.
“Let’s get a group together to find her. Any idea where she could be?” I asked Victor.
“I know where she might have gone. I’ll go there now!” Victor exclaimed and was about to run out the door, but not before Nikolas blocked it.
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s daytime and the shadows are everywhere.” Nikolas said looking down at Victor. Victor looked up at Nikolas and laughed.
“I’m getting through that door even if I have to go through you.”
“Sure, if you want a tattoo of one of my hooves on your face.” Nikolas winked. “I get it. You want to find your sister, but you may not be as lucky with the Apolluon as you were with the Lykanos.”
“Victor, if you walk out that door you’ll be smothered by the shadows and we may never find her,” I said as I walked into the parlor, leaving them to glare at each other in the foyer. “Victor, would you come in here, please?”
“I’ll leave you two to it,” Nikolas said, and headed for the library.
“We don’t have time,” Victor said, following me reluctantly.
“Your aura is at a colossal high because you’re worried. Try to relax. Look, I haven’t forgotten about last night,” I said, trying to keep my composure. “By slipping out, you almost got yourself killed by those fevered beasts and nearly robbed our empire of an important element – you.”
“I know,” Victor said looking down at the ornate area rug.
“Do you? I fought with the council over having your powers restored and now I look like the fool.”
“You did? I–I didn’t know that you had spoken to the elders,” he said, taking a few steps closer to me. “Why did you do that for me?” We were only about a foot apart now. It was a very uneasy space.
What I felt for Victor was what the gods intended, but it’s not what I wanted. I still loved Evan so much. The attraction between Victor and I was embedded in our bones. What happened last night had confirmed everything the gods had planned from the very beginning. How could I fight it when I could feel every thread of his being without even touching him?
“I did it because… I believe in you,” I admitted, and he held my gaze. I had to look away. I walked over to the fireplace. “But, at the time, I had no idea that I’d be fighting on the behalf of a pleasure seeker. You almost allowed the Lykanos to cheat our empire of your unique gifts. Your
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