“I’m okay,” I said finally. “So, you scared those pures?”

She grinned as she nodded. “Dude, they got up and ran. And I mean, they ran. It kind of felt awesome.”

I chuckled as I pushed out of the doorway. “Aren’t you a little badass.”

“I was totally a badass. Like, I felt like a . . .” She paused, her mouth soundlessly moving as I pulled my shirt over my head.

My grin was slow, indulgent, as her gaze dropped and roamed over my bare chest and stomach. I kicked off my boots, along with my socks. “What were you saying, Josie?”

Shaking her head, she blinked rapidly. “I . . . I hadn’t meant to use the air element, though. I was going for water.”

“Not surprised.”

“Ass.”

Stretching out on my side beside her, I winked. “What? Hey. At least you successfully used an element without doing serious damage.”

“Oh. Wow. Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Sure. If that makes you feel good about yourself.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a charmer.”

“It’s what I excel at best.” I snagged her hand and tugged her down beside me. “On a serious note, you okay with people around here finding out what you are?”

Her nose scrunched. Gods, I still found that cute as hell. “I guess. I mean, I don’t really have an option at this point. What do you think?”

“I think it will be okay.” I slipped my finger under the strap of her tank top. “And if not, if you get mad, you’ll just blow them all away while trying to drown them.”

“Shut up,” she laughed.

“Or maybe one of Apollo’s powers will surface, and you’ll turn them into bushes that smell like cat pee.” I worked the strap down, baring the white, lacy strap of her bra. “That’s what he always threatens to do to me.”

“Nice.” Pink flooded her cheeks and her eyes brightened with arousal. “How . . . how were things outside the walls?”

“Boring,” I murmured, easing the white strap down. “No daimons or shades.”

Her chest rose sharply. “That’s good news, right?”

“Yeah.” I moved on to the tank top again, easing it further down her arm until the cup of her bra was exposed. The heavy swell of her breast strained against lacy edging in such a mouth-watering way. “There weren’t any animals, though. None. Come to think of it,” I said, dragging my finger along that lace, “I didn’t hear any insects either.”

“That’s weird.” Her breath caught as the back of my hand brushed along the front of her bra. “What could that mean?”

I lifted my gaze, smiling slightly when I saw that her eyes were closed. “Not sure. Solos is going to keep an eye on it.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Her hand found its way to my lower stomach. I was already hard. Seemed like I was permanently that way around her, but her mere touch caused me to thicken. “I went to the library again today.”

“Find out anything?” I reached around and found the clasp on her bra. With a flick of my fingers, the cups loosened.

“No,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think I’m ever going to find her.”

I drew my hand back to her front, hooking my fingers around the center of her bra. I tugged it down and the rosy, tight peaks came into view. Glorious.

Easing her onto her back, I shifted down and brought my mouth to her breast. With a sharp gasp, her shoulders pressed into the bed as her back arched. Cupping her breast with my other hand, I ran my thumb over the tight nipple. She moaned as she threaded her fingers through my hair.

“Maybe . . . maybe she doesn’t exist,” she said, her voice husky in a sexy way.

“You’ll find her.” My voice was thicker, rougher when I lifted my head, staring down at my handiwork. My lips curled up on one side. “She’s got to be there somewhere.”

Josie didn’t respond. She was breathing hard and fast. I felt her fingers working my belt loose, and then the button. The zipper went down next and then she halted, the tips of her fingers stopped at the band of my briefs.

She was still hesitant. Like she didn’t know if she was doing the right thing, which blew my mind, because when it came to this, there was nothing she could do wrong.

Not a damn thing.

I lowered my mouth to hers as I drew the briefs down my hips and then reached between us, folding my hand over hers. I pressed her palm against my length, and there was no stopping the groan. Her fingers curled around me, and my jaw locked down as raw sensation pounded through my veins. Her hand began to move. Our tongues tangled, and the taste and feel of her nearly overcame me. She quivered under me, the movement of her hand growing more confident with each stroke.

There was another part of her I wanted to taste again. Thank the gods she was wearing loose sweats, and it took nothing for me to slip my hand in them and get—

“I see your glyphs,” Josie whispered, her voice awed.

A fissure of power curled down my spine. More glyphs bled to the surface of my skin, shifting and forming different symbols, a response to the presence of a god.

I jerked back. “Shit.”

“Seth.” Apollo’s voice boomed from the living room. “You have got to be kidding me.”

CHAPTER 7

Blood drained from Josie’s face and then rushed back up from her neck, flooding her cheeks in scarlet.

“Don’t come in here!” she shrieked. Her hand tightened on my cock, which really wasn’t helping things. “Don’t you dare come in here!”