Daughter Trilogy Bundle (77 page)

I blush instantly and cut my eyes toward the sea.

"I didn't realize I was," I mumble.

"Look, pretty boy isn't going to cut it.  If you want him back, then you have to tangle with someone he greatly distrusts," Jace adds menacingly.

The sun slowly starts to set, and I know it won't be long until everyone else gets here too.  Then all eyes will be on me as I tell them what I know.

"Actually, I think I'm going to take a break from the jealously game.  I need to focus more on what's to come."

His eyes drop in a little disappointment, and Persia walks up looking incredible in her suit.  Jace's jaw pops open as she struts her Aphrodite strut.

"There you are," she says with enthusiasm.  "I finally broke free from Theia.  She's a rather high-strung and intense individual," she exasperates.

"Yeah," I chuckle.

She frowns a little as she toys with my wet hair.

"You're scent is starting to build.  These men are going to feel tortured, and they're going to do some foolish things if you and Devin don't reconcile," she whispers.

"Scent?" Jace asks quizzically.  "Is that her?"

I ignore his intrigue, and my eyes look expectantly to Persia.

"How do you control yours?"

She laughs a little as Jace huffs in agitation.

"I don't have to.  It's one of the traits I didn't inherit.  You've taken on so many of the wonderful and not so wonderful pieces.  I've never seen someone so diverse.  It's truly amazing," she adores.

"What scent?" Jace whines.

"I wish I had taken on less.  Apparently I wasn't ever meant to control all this.  Hale thinks that with Devin being my dominant trigger, I'll always need him to help me.  That's going to be a little difficult when he won't even look at me," I grumble.

"What damn scent?" Jace yelps.

Devin and some of the others look up to the rocks after Jace's too loud outburst, and Persia finally turns to face him.

"When Adisia is
… frustrated, she expels an intoxicating, seductive, and almost irresistible scent that is far too potent for most to ignore."

He purses his lips as if he's trying to fully understand what she's saying.  I roll my eyes and continue our conversation.

"Anyway, I need to learn to be able to control this stuff for myself."

"I heard some of the others talking.  Devin threw their stuff onto the jet, and he rushed everyone here.  Even the pilots were getting an ear full when he didn't think they were going fast enough."

I smile a little, but then I look to see the swarm of eager girls beckoning for his attention.  Devin seems a little less enthused with our game now as well, but he offers me no hope at all when he refuses to look at me.

"Sexually frustrated?" Jace chokes out in sudden shock as he finally catches on.

Persia bursts out laughing, and I blush instantly.  Devin's eyes cut back to stare in our direction, but I look away as I try to ignore him.

If I look at him, he'll just look away.

Hale steps over to us and rolls his eyes.

"Really?  Do you have to ask?" he mocks.

Jace's eyes widen in disbelief, and then a devious smirk spreads across his face.  I instantly shake my head to answer him before he speaks.

"Well, if that's the problem, then I'll be glad to help out," he seduces.

"I'm just going to go… over there," Hale quickly mumbles before flashing out of reach of the enormous wave gushing over the rocks.

Jace is swept away with a startled yell.  I almost laugh but tears spring free instead.  I wipe them away while staring over the edge at the scrambling Jace.

"Thanks for the warning, Hale," he growls.

Hale is laughing so hard he's doubled over.

"Oh no, you get no warnings and no sympathy from me.  Welcome to my world," he chuckles.

I look over to Devin, but his back is turned to me.  My eyes glance around for Phillip, but he
’s missing from the action.  It had to be Devin, so why won't he just speak to me?

"Told you he's not going anywhere," Hale whispers in my ear.

"That just proves he doesn't want someone else to have me.  It doesn't prove he still wants me," I rebut.

"You're a stubborn fool, Adisia Titan," he chuckles just before walking away.

The night finally wraps around
us, and I see some of the guys sparking a bonfire.  I dive headfirst into the choppier water, and casually swim to shore.  Persia strides her strokes beside me, and I can see all eyes gluing to us as we begin emerging from the ocean water gradually with only the moonlight casting a glow around us.

"Holy fucking shit," one guy pops out as he drools.

"What the fuck?" another one spouts.

"When did you guys get girls this hot?" a gruff guy asks.

Devin rolls his eyes and turns to take a seat by Kry.  They engage in a private conversation, and I huff at his complete indifference to me.

"Hale, are these some of your contacts?" a short guy eagerly inquires.

Hale laughs, and shakes his head.

"No.  I wish I had met them first, but these are Devin's contacts," he snickers.

"Devin, dude, you've so been holding out."

"We're here on business, not pleasure," Devin grumbles.

"Well it's sure as hell pleasure now," a mysteriously handsome one pops out as he flashes to be just in front of me.

His hands slide around my waist, and I instantly feel the waves rustling in a threatening roar from behind me.

"Whoa, Dev.  Just checking her out.  Didn't know you were involved with them," he apologizes.

Them?  Does Devin usually have two girls at once?  Oh, I hope not.

"The blond is free," Hale says as his eyes dare her to succumb to his charm.

She laughs a little as she struts away and lets the jaws slap the ground behind her saucy shake.

"Wow.  I'm in love.  I just don't know who with," a guy replies dreamily.

The fire glows against Devin as he does his best to tune everything out and continues his conversation with Kry.

"Well that's bromantic," Jace snarks.  "Two young immortal men talking by the cozy fire."

Kry and Devin both slowly turn their eyes to glare at him, and he laughs in response.  I cover my mouth to hide my amused grin, and Devin turns back around after rolling his eyes again.

"You're such an instigator," I try to say seriously.

"Yes, yes I am, and you happen to enjoy my snide, twisted sense of humor on occasion," he whispers.

I let a laugh escape and then quickly turn my back so no one sees my cruel chuckles.

“
So, are we sharing a room?" a stranger asks from behind.

I turn to see a gorgeous guy standing dangerously close to me, and I take a step back.  Jace steps between us, and the guy shrugs a little.

"Is that your rock on her hand?" the stranger remarks with a menacing grin.

"No," Jace replies vaguely.

"Then why are you standing in my way?" he dares.

Jace's body surges with electricity, and Devin casually jogs down to us to interrupt the standoff.

"It's my rock on her hand, and I need you to focus.  We're combining forces, not starting feuds," he commands.

My heart flutters against the walls of my chest to hear him claiming me
… well sort of.  He claimed my ring.

"Yeah, yeah.  Couldn't resist.  She's too fucking hot for you to be leaving unattended," the guy scoffs.

Devin's eyes catch mine, and for a fleeting second I think we're going to end this ridiculous argument, but he turns away to return to the group.

I feel the heaviness of my body suddenly causing my breaths to be erratic and painful.  He might as well own me because I can't go anywhere.

"So we all know we're
here because we've learned something new.  If you'll listen to Adisia, you'll see why we've called this assembly and a state of emergency," Theia says warmly to address the restless crowd.

I feel my nerves shaking wildly as I stand in front of the expectant faces confused by my leading this conversation.

No one knows me, and I've barely been immortal for a hot minute compared to them.  Devin comes to sit down closer to me, and he waits for my presentation just like everyone else.

"Everyone knows of the rewind, and the fate we once shared.  We were under the impression that Safina wanted to kill Theia to prevent her from rewinding time, but it's exactly what she wanted to happen," I rattle out.

"Why would she want a rewind specifically?" an unfamiliar face growls.

"Because it's weakening their tombs," I explain.

Gasps rattle out around the room, and everyone looks to each other for some sort of further explanation.  Devin leans back to absorb the information, and I see everyone else turning pale.

"She's trying to release Rhea, and the rewinds are weakening the power that holds them.  If she succeeds, I think we all know the new fate we could suffer," Theia adds.  "With the power it would have taken to rewind a month, it's possible Safina is close to finishing her goal.  For now she's backed off, but she's scared of the Aphrodite in our new ones."

"Why do you think this?" a woman asks.

I take a deep breath before answering, "The first time we faced her, she told me I had ruined everything even though they were winning effortlessly at the time-"

"I remember that," Devin interrupts.  "I didn't give it any thought until just now."

"Then, when we faced her again - she was in the body of a mortal - but she said
it
happened.  She realized we knew too much when I transformed in front of her eyes and controlled my power.  She knew there had been a rewind, and it's exactly what she was waiting on."

A still silence falls over the entire room, and everyone takes a minute to try and digest the overwhelming new information.  I can tell by their pale faces this is a bomb.

I slink down beside Jace, and he wraps his arm around my shoulder for a comforting embrace.  Devin's jaw clenches slightly before he stands to walk out.

Kry, Ther, and Hale follow him, and then slowly the rest of the room breaks off into packs to begin strategizing.

I feel so ridiculous.  I have no idea what to do or say from here, and Persia walks over to pat me on the arm.

"If you're still hiding from your newly acquired Emperian title, then this is where you exit.  Deidra is expected to select a group to stay and represent the families.  Theia will be representing hers, and she and Phillip have asked me to stay.  She didn't think you wanted to," she whispers to only me.

"She's right.  Just fill me in later," I grumble as I stand up.

Jace puts his hand on my back, and then he speaks in a calming tone when we get outside.

"I told Hale I'd help him grab some more wood for the fire.  You okay?"
"Yes, no, hell no.  I'll be fine for now though," I whimper in a pitiful laugh.

His eyes droop, and he sighs before flashing away.  A chilling scent breathes against my neck, and I feel a sickness creeping over me.

"You again?" I murmur.

The stranger from earlier moves to be in front of me.  His eyes dance as his amber liquid sloshes in a clear glass.

"So why is it that Devin's girl is being escorted around by every man but him?" he smoothly leads.

"Because Devin is mad at
his girl
right now.  Please go away," I growl.

"If he's mad, then he'll end up in one of their beds tonight," he says menacingly as he motions to the swarm of girls clapping at Devin's heels.  "That's his signature card after all," he continues.

I tense up as a lump rises to my throat, and I feel an arm draping around my shoulder with a bit of protectiveness attached.

"Not anymore," Kry says threateningly.  "Adisia is his fianc
ée, not the typical relationship.  Go bug someone else and quit trying to interfere, Slash."

Slash smirks and winks at me before strolling away with nonchalant indifference.  I feel my body slightly trembling as Gemma giggles her way over to Devin.  I've never seen her so happy, and it's killing me.

"He loves you.  Stop trying to act like you don't know it," Kry scolds.

"Stop acting like he's not trying to make me feel as though he doesn't.  Look at him.  He's letting Poison Ivy hang all over him," I gripe as I motion to Gemma.

"He's doing no such thing.  He couldn't give a damn about Gemma," he snorts.

"He told her about us," I growl.

"Ther told her, not Devin.  Devin was playing it down so she didn't get her hopes up," Kry explains.

"Ther?" I startle out.

"Yeah.  Have you not noticed how completely in love with her he is?  He tells her way too much, and this time it bit him in the ass because she thinks she has a chance again," Kry mumbles.