Was he okay? No, he wasn’t. If worrying about Hades wasn’t bad enough, being stuck in this small vehicle with Sabrina was becoming torture with each passing mile. He could smell her soap, the slightly musky perfume of her skin. He closed his eyes briefly and inhaled. His cock stirred, more than ready to take her and claim her once again.
He heard the soft brush of material when she moved, her soft breathy sigh as she waited for him to answer. He opened his eyes, swallowed hard and faced forward. No, he wasn’t the least bit fine.
“I’m fine,” he told her.
She snorted under her breath but left him alone, for which he was very grateful. It would be so easy to get her to pull the car over, drag her into his arms and rip away her clothing. It would be a tight fit, as space was limited, but he could manage. He was highly motivated.
A ringing emanated from her purse, breaking the uneasy silence. “Shoot. Will you dig out my phone for me?”
Arand reached into her oversized bag and found the ringing piece of metal and plastic. Phones had changed much over the years, but he’d never actually used one. He handed it to her and she gave him an apologetic shrug. “I usually would never talk on the phone and drive but these are extenuating circumstances.” She clicked on a button. “Hello?”
Arand focused his enhanced hearing so he was privy to both sides of the conversation.
“You almost there?” He recognized her friend Jessica’s voice.
“Yeah, not long now.”
“When you get there, run a circle of salt around the perimeter of the house. It will help keep the evil out.”
“Where am I going to get salt?”
“I had Tilly put some in the box of stuff in the backseat of the car.” Jessica paused. “There’s some incense there too. Burn it.”
“Okay.”
“Tilly and I will be there as soon as we can.”
“No.” Sabrina shook her head even though her friend couldn’t see her. “Stay away. I don’t want either of you involved in this. It’s too dangerous.”
Arand glanced at Sabrina and could sense her growing fear. There was so little they could do against the might of Hades. Right now, it felt as though he was toying with them, leaving them alone so their fears would build.
Sabrina ended the call and tossed the phone on top of her bag. He carefully tucked it inside in case they needed it later. Although, he had no idea what her friends could do, if anything. They were human and no match for a god.
“We’re almost there.” Sabrina turned off and drove on a narrow road before turning off onto a dirt-covered one. “I haven’t been here in a while.”
Arand reached over and took one of her hands in his. “We will get through this together. I will protect you.” He would die to keep her safe, but she did not need to know that. First and foremost, he should be concerned about his duty, about breaking the curse and finding the Lady. But his priorities had changed.
Sabrina was the most important person in his world. She’d given him freedom after years of imprisonment, she was ready to fight side-by-side with him against impossible odds, and she’d shared her body with him, giving him comfort after years of being alone. He would honor that gift, and her, always.
He gave her hand a little squeeze as she wheeled the car between two large cypress trees and cut the engine. “This is it.”
Sabrina didn’t want Arand to let her hand go. Just that minor contact bolstered her courage, and she desperately needed the boost. Her skin was clammy and it felt as though an entire swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach. Talking to Jessica hadn’t helped. Her friend was obviously worried, and Sabrina knew the precautions she’d suggested were stopgap measures at best and wouldn’t stop the coming storm.
Waiting for Hades to strike was like waiting for a hurricane, never knowing exactly where it would hit or with how much ferocity.
She stared at the little house with the chipping white paint and wondered what Arand saw when he looked at it. Sabrina saw love and safety and happiness. Home. She missed her granny so much. “We should get inside.”
She grabbed her bag, opened the door and climbed out, listening to the sounds of the bayou around her. They enveloped her like a lullaby, adding to her sense of safety. She loved the city with its vibrancy and people. The city gave her a living and the best friends ever. But this little house on the edge of the swamp would always be home.
“Get the box, will you?”
Arand shook his head. “I need to keep my hands free to fight.”
Of course he did. Not looking at him, she opened the back door and yanked out the large box, balancing it on her hip while she shut the door. The path to the house was starting to become overgrown. She really needed to get out here and do some maintenance work or hire someone to do it. The last thing she wanted was the house to fall down due to neglect. And the swamp would claim it quickly if she weren’t diligent.
Sabrina trudged up the two steps to the porch, keeping one eye open for gators. You never knew when one of them might get it in his head to take a nap on the front porch. She was very aware of Arand walking behind her, his gaze constantly moving, searching through the thick growth of trees and the thick vegetation.
She set the box down and dug her keys out of her purse, selecting the right one. The lock turned and the door opened. A closed-up, slightly musty smell hit her nose and she grimaced at the reminder of how long it had been since she’d last been here. Her granny would not be pleased.
Sabrina lugged the box inside and set it on the kitchen table. The floor plan was open with the kitchen, dining area and living room all flowing into one. Off to the left side of the house were two small bedrooms and a tiny bathroom. Everything was just how it had been when her granny had passed. The white starched doily sat in the middle of the table, the pale-green Depression glass bowl sat on top of it, empty now, when it had always been filled with fruit.
The door closed and she turned to face Arand. He was looking around the space with obvious interest. The covering on the sofa was worn, the flowered pattern long faded and a thin layer of dust coated the furniture. “This is where you grew up?”
She nodded. “Yes. After my parents were killed I lived here with Granny LeGrande until I moved into the city to pursue my career as an artist.”
His gaze sharpened. “You are an artist.”
It struck her like a sledgehammer how little they knew about one another. Yes, they’d had sex. Yes, they were on the run together from a vengeful god. But there were fundamental things they had yet to learn about one another. It saddened her that they might not get the chance even though she knew it was silly to feel that way.
“Yes. I paint and sketch.” She pointed to a framed sketch she’d done of the swamp about five years ago. Granny had hung it on the wall with pride.
Arand strode over and stood in front of the small piece, studying it intently.
“I paint in oils now as well, but I still do a lot of sketches. The tourists like to buy those.” And she was beginning to babble.
Arand turned to her, his gaze intense. “You are very good.” He shook his head. “No, you are exceptional. You capture the vibrancy of the place even in a pencil sketch.” His gaze narrowed. “There were two unfinished pieces leaning against the shelf in your living room. Were they yours?”
With everything else that had happened, Sabrina had forgotten all about them. “Yeah.” She wandered around the room, touching a small glass bowl she’d bought for her granny for Christmas one year. “I started them a while back but put them away when I wasn’t quite sure how to finish them.” She paused beside an old-fashioned Victrola and lovingly rubbed the rich wood. “I’d forgotten them until last night.” Was it only last night? It seemed as though weeks had passed since then.