Daughter of Asteria (The Daughter Trilogy) (22 page)

at Devin soothing me.

“I used to be immortal,” I blurt out almost by accident.

His mouth gapes open in shock, and then it claps shut as he shakes his head.

“That’s impossible. You can’t be immortal, and then not be immortal.”

“You can when there’s a rewind,” I explain.

“So someone rewound time, and then you went from immortal to mortal? Why?” Jace asks

suspiciously.

“Not someone. She rewound time,” Devin adds, his breath uncertain about trusting this messy

stranger whose boxers I’m wearing.

“That’s impossible. Only certain full blooded titans can do that, and there’s only one of those left

in existence. From what I hear, Deidra isn’t capable of such things as a rewind,” he says dismissively.

“It is possible when you have as many titans in you as she does. She’s a ball of power. She’s the

daughter of Asteria, Prometheus, Aphrodite, and that’s just for starters,” Devin continues.

“Whoa. Wait. You’re a daughter of Aphrodite, and you just sat there and let me tell you all of

that last night without saying anything?” Jace asks with an insulted, betrayed tone.

“It was a lot to drop on you, and it was also a lot for me to take in. I’m in love with Devin, and

I’m going to spend my long or short eternity with him,” I whisper.

His eyes brim with shock as he plops back. Devin’s grip tightens on me when he calculates the

obvious rejection I’m dealing out.

I sincerely hope Jace doesn’t tell him he kissed me.

“I’m coming with you,” Jace says as he stands to his feet.

“Absolutely not,” Devin quickly objects.

“Devin, he’s a son of Zeus. He can help us,” I say softly. “Besides, I’ll need someone to help me

out in the new vortex,” I discreetly tease.

I know he’s not going to leave me alone with Jace out there looking out for me.

“There won’t be anymore vortex stays. The only other one is too small an area to confine you to

anyways. You’re coming home with me, but I’m not sure taking him with us is a good idea,” he

grumbles.

“He saved my life, Devin. He doctored me up, and he got me to safety. Why don’t you trust

him?” I ask suspiciously.

“He kissed you,” Devin says through clenched jaws.

“How do you know that?” I gasp, my eyes now gaping.

He sighs, his eyes looking away to shield him from exposing the pain he apparently doesn’t want

me to see.

“Camara saw it. I was worried you’d break the rules, and I knew there was only one bar close

enough to the vortex for you to venture out to. I had her watching it. She said he kissed you, and you

chastised him for it before running off back into the vortex. I was beyond relieved you did that, but I

was terrified I was on the verge of losing you after our earlier conversation and my stupid mistake.

That’s when I decided to fly out here.”

Aw.

“We need him. Should I give you the speech where you have to trust me?” I tease lightly.

He rolls his eyes, and his lips fold over mine momentarily before pulling back.

“You know he can hear everything we’re saying,” Devin scoffs.

“Sorry. I’m trying not to,” Jace says through strain from the bedroom.

I laugh a little, and Devin grumbles lightly under his breath.

“I love you,” Devin murmurs against my lips.

“I love you,” I say with a smile as I fall into his gentle embrace.

Jace walks out while clearing his throat to break us up, and I see his bag at his side ready to make

the trip to who knows where.

Devin’s nose turns up a little as he spots the dishes, and he remarks sardonically, “Do you want to

tidy up before we go?”

“Nah. I just got this place to crouch while I was tracking the Athena bitches,” Jace says

dismissively while offering no other reaction than a shrug.

Devin’s eyes dart back up, and he seems concerned with that.

“They were here a while?”

“Yeah. I guess they somehow sniffed her out. They left about three days ago. I was thinking

they might come back, but they never did,” Jace gripes.

“They shouldn’t have been able to find her in the vortex,” Devin worries.

“What does that mean?” I ask with anxiety lacing my tone.

“That means I need to find out where they’re getting information from. I know we don’t have a

mole, but it’s possible they’ve established a connection that allows them to sneak in visions. I’ll have

to make sure I’ve got a firm block on everyone. I’ve been too lax in that department because I’ve

been too busy recruiting others. Until I have a firm grip on it, I think it’s best if we stay with just our

closest members. I’ll set up arrangements for the others to be close by, but not in the same home as

us,” he says very calmly.

I love my very in control immortal.

He stands up with me still firmly clasped in his arms, and I wince slightly from the painful

motion. Devin shakes his head, and his eyes continue to stream guilt.

“Stop looking at me like that. This isn’t your fault,” I sigh in exasperation.

“Sirens in the vortex. I would have never imagined. I don’t know how you survived them,” he

chokes out.

“They were just spawned. I could tell by the curious mannerisms. They weren’t organized or

prepared to use their strengths. She would have died if they had been,” Jace huffs in reluctance.

“Where are the others?” I ask curiously to distract him from his burdening conscious.

“They’re probably at the hotel by now or on their way over here,” Devin murmurs. “Camara

tracked the jeep you were in based on the tire tracks left behind. Then she used the scent left behind to

continue tracking. When I first saw the destruction of the vortex, I just knew I had lost you forever. I

was already begging Mom to try and rewind time despite the impossibility of such.”

“Your mom can rewind time too?” Jace quickly interjects.

Devin’s lips tighten, but he finally nods without elaborating further. Then he pauses as he takes a

breath to steady the overwhelming gust of emotions as his mind tries to wrap around how incredibly

close he came to losing me.”

“Why is it impossible?” I ask curiously.

“Time can only be rewound once every hundred years. The energy needed just isn’t there to

gather,” he answers in such a solemn tone.

“The rewind. That could have triggered the sirens. But why the vortex?” Jace quickly inserts.

“I don’t know. I assumed the rewind had been the trigger. It was a solid month she rewound,”

Devin adds as we finally emerge from the smelly apartment.

“A month?” Jace gasps.

“Yes, and we needed that time. We’ve been assembling our army,” Devin adds.

“For what?” Jace interjects.

“Safina,” Devin mouths, and I know it was a whisper that was just too low for me to hear.

Jace’s face drains of all its color as he gasps loudly, “No.”

The luxurious hotel offers a
warm welcome as Devin carries me in. I fidget awkwardly

considering I’m wearing boxers and a tee-shirt.

Deacon rushes out of the elevator just as it opens, honest concern completely taking over his

normally humorous air, and Devin gently places me in his arms.

“I need to make some calls. Get her up to the room,” he instructs.

“Holy shit. What the hell got a hold of you?” he gasps in his Scottish accent.

“Why do you have to make calls?” I whimper as I ignore Deacon’s question.

“I have to get you a doctor over here. I’m not going to let you go untreated, and you need clothes

as well. I promise I won’t be long,” he says comfortingly.

I sigh slightly, and Deacon walks into the elevator while holding me.

“I repeat, what the hell got a hold of you, and who is this guy?” he barks as he stares Jace down.

Jace stifles a grin, and he follows us onto the elevator without reservation.

“This is Jace, and he saved me from the sirens that did this to me,” I quickly answer.

“Sirens? Fuck. Sirens are nasty. How did you get out?” he questions in such astonishment.

“They were apparently babies. Jace is going to help us with all of this.”

Deacon frowns a little at the newcomer, but Jace doesn’t give a damn. He feels like he’s

supposed to be here with me. I just hope he doesn’t still plan on
being
with me.

“You bringing strays along?” Deacon snarks.

“I made a contact,” I smugly retort.

Deacon laughs, finally returning to his normal self, and a small smirk appears on Jace’s face.

Then Deacon’s phone buzzes and Jace walks over to take me from his arms.

I feel like a pathetic newborn baby getting passed around. I’m almost afraid their going to

swaddle me up in a blanket and spoon feed me ground up peas.

“I’ll just call them back,” Deacon answers to the outstretched arms.

“I’ll get her. It could be something important, and apparently this isn’t the time to chance such

things,” Jace counters, menace dancing in his eyes.

Deacon tightens his lips but concedes to the transfer. I flinch as I swap arms, and Jace grins

deviously at me as I rest my head on his chest. His body tingles against me as he leaks out some of

his currents once again.

I almost laugh, and he blushes while rolling his eyes for his inability to quit sparking. It feels like

a very low voltage wire lightly pulsing all over the surface of my skin as the currents travel the length

of my body.

“What?” Deacon asks to the person on the other line I wish I could hear. “No… Tell them Devin

wants separation until he has a firm grip on their visions… he texted me earlier… no information

about Adisia goes out of our circle. Devin already has a grip on our visions, and he has for

centuries… yeah.”

His voice trails off from my ears as the elevator doors open to the extravagant hotel suite. The

lavish surroundings suit my Mr. Neat Freak, and Jace’s eyes widen as he looks around.

“Wow. I’m starting to think I’m in the wrong profession,” he marvels aloud.

“Devin can see the future. It makes money a simple luxury,” I say to help his wounded ego.

“Ah. So can you see the future? I mean when you’re immortal,” he stammers.

“I did once, but it was a fluke. Aphrodite called to me when they were killing my mother, and I

raced to save her.”

“Did you succeed?”

“Not initially, but the rewind brought her back,” I say with a slight tear tugging at my eye.

“So there’s another Aphrodite?” he asks in amazement.

Yes, and she’s available.

Before I can answer, everyone swarms me at once. Relieved breaths drown me in their heat as

each gush gets louder.

“Adisia,” Camara cries, and Persia is right on her heels.

“Oh thank goodness,” Theia sighs before leaning into a relieved Phillip who embraces her

trembling body.

Hale rips me from the arms of the guy he doesn’t know, and I scream out as the shooting pain

rings throughout me.

“Damn it. Her ribs are cracked,” Jace scolds.

“Fuck. I didn’t know,” Hale mumbles as he quickly loosens his grip to lay me on the couch. “I’m

so sorry.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” I whimper.

“What happened to her?” Kry panics as he rushes to my side.

“Sirens,” Jace answers to the crowd of strangers.

“Damn it. How did they break through the fucking vortex?” Ther gripes.

“They were spawned there,” Devin says as he steps off the elevator.

He flashes to me, and his hand raises my shirt up to examine my side more carefully.

“This looks bad. The doctor will be here shortly, and I’ve got a large delivery of clothes on their

way as well. Have you eaten today?” he asks so sweetly.

“No. I had just woken up when I saw you. We were on our way to buy an untraceable phone. The

sirens ruined ours,” I say through a wincing face.

“I figured as much when you spoke of sirens. I’ll get you a new phone too,” he quickly adds.

“I’ll cook her something to eat,” Gemma says kindly.

My eyes widen.
What if she poisons it?

Camara senses my fear, and quickly throws out, “I’ll help you.”

My eyes thank her for running interference, and Devin’s hand clasps mine.

“The jets are refueling, and we can leave in a few hours after the doctor has seen you,” he

murmurs compassionately.

“Wow. You just jumped all over the whole boyfriend gig you abandoned,” Jace snarks.

“Jace,” I admonish. “Please don’t act like this. I’ll ask you to leave if you continue to take shots

like that,” I caution.

“Sorry. It’s just sort of weird how much he’s overcompensating.”

“Jace!” I yell, and the exerted force of yelling forces me to contort painfully.

“Damn it. Just shut the hell up. You can say whatever you want when she’s not listening,” Devin

scolds.

“Sorry, Adisia. I’ll shut up,” Jace says regretfully.

“The doctor is here,” Devin says to Ther, and he darts onto the elevator to show him to the room.

“Does everyone always jump when you say to?” Jace asks with a little envy.

“Yeah, we do. Devin has saved us all more times than you’ll ever know, and he doesn’t ask us to

do anything we wouldn’t willingly do,” Kry quickly snaps defensively.

“Sorry,” Jace mumbles sardonically. “Didn’t mean to strike a nerve.”