Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 128(@200wpm)___ 102(@250wpm)___ 85(@300wpm)
Eros does his best to pull away without hurting her, but this only makes the half-nymph cling harder.
I know he's doing his best.
I still remember that he almost died trying to save me.
But seeing this still hurts, and my pain grows as the half-nymph continues to cry against my god's chest.
My god, dammit.
He's supposed to be my god—-
And I am, Eros says fiercely in my mind. I am yours—-
If you really are mine, then why won't you believe me when I told you I saw her that night?
Eros whitens.
I love you, kyrios, but I think you love her, too.
My god pushes Isabella to the side, but it's already too late.
It's not like that, moraki mou.
I shake my head and step back when he tries to reach for me.
Please just go.
Chapter Ten
My parents take one look at my face when I come back inside the house, and they have pizza, ice cream, and my favorite peppermint latte delivered in a jiffy. We talk about all sorts of things except what matters most, but as soon as they see that I've already stuffed myself full—-
"Out with it," Leslie says.
And since I'm too tired to pretend I don't know what he's talking about—-
"I don't think the professor and I can make it work."
"Do you truly mean that," Hugh asks, "or are you simply saying it because you're hurting?"
My lips purse together mulishly. "I don't care. All I know is that I'm moving on—-" I spy a flyer taped to the empty pizza box.
Aha!
I use my phone to scan the QR code on the flyer, and I triumphantly show the downloaded app to my parents. "See this?" I ask.
My parents stare at it blankly. "What is it?
"It's an app for those who intend to attend the Festival of Misrule on Friday night. It's being held this year in Rosethorne, and it's an annual celebration honoring the Goddess of the Night—-"
"Uh...pumpkin?" Hugh shows me the Wiki page on his phone. "It also says here that Nyx is a fickle and volatile goddess, and that her festival almost always turns into public orgies."
"Oh yeah?" I...didn't know that, but I'm now too proud to back out.
"Uh...yeah."
"Doesn't matter," I say stubbornly. "I'm still going."
"Halyna—-"
I feign a yawn as I get to my feet. "I'm beat." I say good night to my parents in a hurry, and I can feel them watching me as I head up the stairs.
They're obviously worried, but I'm fine, really.
I'm just...moving on.
Or so I'd like to think, even as I end up waiting almost the entire night for my god to try to speak to me.
But he never did.
I know I asked for time, but who knew it would suck just as much as having space did?
(god, I'm weak)
My body feels sluggish as I finally drag myself out of bed, and my mood only perks up when I come down for breakfast, and I see Hugh and Leslie in the kitchen, their arms around each other's waists. My love life might be a wreck, but our family is doing better than ever, and I know that's one thing I'll always be thankful for to my god.
"Morning, pumpkin." Hugh waves me to join them in the dining room.
"Are you sure you won't get in trouble for missing so many classes?" Leslie asks as we take our seats.
"Rosethorne isn't that kind of school," I explain. "Attendance isn't a major factor for them." It's the best excuse I can come up with, since I'd rather not let them know that my "status" as consort to the divine gives me a free pass to do pretty much anything.
An impatient-looking Nia is already waiting for me by the entrance when I reach Anise Building, and I also end up telling her about my fictional good friend Bella...who's now worried that her, um, Jacob finds his childhood friend more trustworthy over her.
Nia stares at me like I've grown a pair of antlers and a tail in the past five minutes. "Bella and Jacob? Really?"
"Harry and Potter then," I retort. "Is that good enough?"
"I just don't get why you're so obsessed with Twilight—-"
I groan. "So not the point, Nia. Can we just focus on the fact that—-"
"You're not really worried?" my roommate asks archly.
"But I am worried," I protest.
"There's a difference between worried and jealous."
Oh.
"Guess which of the two you are?"
The sound of the school bell ringing saves me from replying, but Nia's words also keep me distracted throughout my first class. An hour goes by in a blink, and my heart starts to race when I realize I have Creaturae up next.
Eros is already there when I make it to his class, and he makes a swoonworthy sight like always. It's only in his class that girls fight tooth and nail over who gets to sit in front, and I can feel him staring at me as I walk all the way to the back of the room.