Innocence (Tales of Olympus #1)(84)

“Cora.”

Everything within her, all of her soul, recognized him.

Yes, I’m here!

“Come back to me, Cora.”

I’m here. I’m here, can’t you see me?

He was commanding her to wake up and for the first time after wandering for so long in the darkness, in that terrible, terrible void, she felt something. Actually felt it.

His hands on her face.

She was back in her body. She could feel her limbs, her arms and legs and face and fingers and her nose.

Her lips. Her lips that he was kissing.

But he was gone, pulling away right as sensation came back to her body in lapping waves, a little more each second.

And with it came a terrible heaviness. She was back in her body again, but it felt like she’d gained five hundred pounds. She tried to lift her hand to signal Marcus but it was a lead weight. It wouldn’t budge.

Her eyelids felt the same but she cracked them determinedly open.

Blinding light split the darkness and everything tumbled together, the void and the light and Marcus. Cora wanted to cry and she wanted Marcus to hold her again. She wanted his hand in hers. She remembered that, how he would hold her hand sometimes.

Was he even still here?

She dropped her eyes closed again and listened. Yes. There was his voice. And Sharo. They were both here.

She had to let them know she was awake. What if they left her because they didn’t know she was here? She couldn’t let them leave, she couldn’t let them— So, even though it took everything she had, she forced her eyelids open again, but she wasn’t any better prepared for the blinding light.

She focused on the voices to help steady her and forced her eyes open even wider.

And that’s when she heard his voice again. His precious voice.

But… The things he was saying…

Cora was a chess piece… served her purpose… mission accomplished… a great lay.

Cora blinked. Once and then again. No. Someone was playing a trick on her. Or her mind was. She wasn’t awake yet after all. This was a horrible dream because her Marcus would never say things so cold and callous. She meant something to Marcus. Didn’t she?

Liar. How many lies had she told herself to make her situation more palatable? She’d done it back when she lived with her mother and all over again with Marcus. Telling herself they loved her. A thousand times even when all the evidence was to the contrary.

Pathetic.

“Bella, you’re awake.” Sharo at least sounded genuine in his excitement at seeing her awake.

The light was still painful but Cora dragged tired eyes over toward the large man as he hurried to her bedside. Her vision was a bit blurry but she didn’t miss Marcus in the background keeping his distance.

Sharo took her hand and, focusing, she managed to give a wan squeeze.

She let her eyes close again.

Now she knew the truth. She and Marcus weren’t star-crossed lovers or any of the rest of the romantic bullshit she’d made up in her head.

She was still the puppet and everyone else still thought they were pulling the strings.

“I’m gonna take you home,” Marcus told her as he walked over, and she bowed her head in agreement.

One thing was sure, though.

She’d never let herself be taken in by Marcus Ubeli again. She’d escape New Olympus and his clutches as well as her mother’s. She’d find someplace she could truly be free.

And in the meantime, she imagined lifting her leaden fist to her chest, she’d be free where it mattered most—the part of her that none of them could ever touch.





Marcus & Cora’s story continues in Awakening, Book 2.



AWAKENING



I wasn't capable of love. Not until I met Cora. My angel.

I’ve claimed every inch of her body and I only want more.

I’m a man who craves control, but her power over me is absolute. She holds my heart in her hands.

She can never find out.



The demons in this city want to destroy her.

It’s my job to protect her innocence. Lock her safe in my high tower.

But I’m the danger that she’s trying to escape.

The ruthless man in her bed.

A demon worse than all the others.

One who cannot save her from himself.

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A Note From the Authors


Hey there. It’s me, Lee Savino, your fearless author of smexy, smexy romance (smart + sexy). I’m glad you read this book. Marcus & Cora have been in my heart since I wrote their first scene in college. Their story is a rollercoaster, so hang on!

If you want to check out my other books, visit my website...leesavino.com. You can download a few freebies and get on my awesome sauce email list and I send out stuff all the time via email that you can't get anywhere else. ;)

Hi, it’s me, too, Stasia! waves Lee and I have both loved the myth of Hades and Persephone for FOREVER, and both of our very first book attempts were retellings of the myth way before we knew each other. We didn’t want to go over the top with the mythological aspect but it’s the concept underneath Marcus and Cora’s story. Hades = the original Bad Boy. And it’s the first beauty and the beast story and just gah, so much romance! Plus evil mothers, this shit is the stuff fairy tales are made of, lmao! Lee and I had so much swoony fun bringing this ancient story to life in a new, fresh setting.