Seduction (Curse of the Gods #3)(51)

Letting the warm, soothing water wash over me, I felt some of the frantic pace of my mind calm. I was so rarely calm, it was actually a novel experience. No thinking, just enjoying.

“Am I interrupting?”

My eyes shot open and I glared at Cyrus. “Get the hell out, can’t you see I’m enjoying my—”

I had been about to say my alone time, but his low groan cut me off.

“As much as I appreciate a woman enjoying herself, I need to get this soul-link reinstated between you and the god-squad out there. I’m … concerned about this little arena experiment that Staviti has cooked up, and I want to make sure they can keep Chaos from overwhelming you.”

I reached up and clutched the stone still hanging between my breasts. “I want to keep the link with the stone as well; that way I can have some distance from the boys without killing myself.”

Cyrus regarded me for a long moment, his eyes lingering on my chest. I was just rolling my eyes when the door to the bather room slammed open.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” Rome snarled, crossing the room in a micro-click.

Without waiting for an answer, his fist slammed into Cyrus’s face; he had moved so quickly that I had barely blinked before the Neutral god was flying across the room. The problem was, he was flying right toward me, and even though I ducked, he still tumbled into the bather with me. Water splashed everywhere as his body slammed me into the hard base.

“Ugh,” I huffed, pulling my head out of the water and trying to get my breath back.

It was made even more difficult due to the fact that Cyrus had his head pressed into my chest.

“This makes us even for the last time, doll.”

Right. Face in penis. I remembered.

Leveraging my hands under him, I pushed with all of my strength, but he didn’t move an inch. I was just lifting my leg to try knee in penis when he disappeared—tossed across the room to slam into a nearby wall. I didn’t know which one of the guys had done that, and I didn’t stop to consider it because I could suddenly feel the strong swell of power in the room, making the air that much harder to breathe.

I scrambled up, letting out a gasp as the rest of the room came into sight. For the first time, I saw a real reason to fear Cyrus as the Neutral God. He was soaking wet, his hair slicked back—defining the hard, gorgeous planes of his face. His eyes were blazing, his shirt plastered across broad muscles. A wispy, white energy was forming around his hands, but the power building in the room had every hair on my arms standing on end. The Abcurses actually looked a little wary—not scared, I’d probably be dead before I saw that expression on their faces—but cautious.

“I came to reinstate the soul-link. I did not touch her.” Cyrus’s voice was low and rumbly as the walls shook around us. “I should have expected her to be naked … and I should have waited, so I will not … pursue this challenge right now. But if you touch me again …” His eyes were the coldest, soul-sucking pits of hell I had ever seen. I was chilled to my bones just looking at him. “I will not be so lenient,” he finished.

Some of the tension in the room eased again, and I blinked a few times as a thick, cream-coloured towel was handed to me. It looked as though my relaxing bather-time was up. I wrapped the huge length of material around myself, securing it tightly before Aros helped me out of the large bowl.

“Are you okay?” he asked, leaning down close to me before reaching out and rubbing his thumb over my lips. He pulled his hand back so I could see. There was a light smear of red across his thumb.

That bastard made me bleed?

Sure, technically Rome was the one who had punched him, but I loved Rome so it was easier to blame Cyrus.

“I’m fine,” I said, shooting my best glare at the Neutral God. “He hits like a dweller who’s in their fiftieth life-cycle.”

Cyrus’s lips twitched just slightly, and then he turned that frightening gaze on me. He moved then, his strides eating up the distance between us in no time at all. “You need me, doll. Don’t push me too far.”

Those low words were hypnotic as they filled the air around me. He lifted his arm, and Siret was suddenly between us.

“I need to touch her,” Cyrus growled. “You’re making my life much harder than it needs to be.”

He seemed frustrated, pulling his hand back to run it through his still wet hair. “My life was perfect, and then one favour for that Chaos asshole, and now …” He trailed off, and from my protected position between Siret and Aros, I saw the Abcurses exchange a look.

“You must have some kind of vested interest in this.” Yael crossed his arms over his chest, propping one shoulder against the pole he was standing near. “You’re getting all emotional. Who would have thought: Neutral has emotions?” He turned to Siret. “You owe me something D.O.D. wouldn’t want you to steal. I choose the pantera stone.”

“Alright.” Siret gave his brother a nod, but then lowered his head and cursed.

Those two had problems. Everything was a competition … especially with Yael. Rome was staring right at me—some of his rage had faded away, but his eyes were filled with turmoil.

I’m okay, I mouthed, knowing that he was kicking himself for sending Cyrus into me. His fists clenched, and I would have crossed to him, but I needed to remain where I was to make sure that Cyrus and the guys didn’t try to hurt each other. I also needed to get rid of Cyrus now: he stirred up too much trouble.