Unchained: An Eternal Guardians Novella Read Free Page B

chance to converse with anyone.”
    He was having trouble keeping up. And that sweet scent of heliotrope combined with the rich scent of the wine was making him lightheaded. Or maybe she was making him lightheaded. He wasn’t sure which. “What do you mean before it’s time to go? And how are you real here when you weren’t at my castle?”
    She sighed and lifted her wine to her lips once more. “I suppose an explanation is in order, but there are rules I must abide by. Not all things are allowed to be revealed.” She sipped her wine and lowered the goblet to her lap. “I have certain powers.”
    His eyes narrowed with understanding. “You’re a witch.”
    “Some may call me that. Others call me an enchantress. Regardless of the label, I created this gazebo with my magic. When you touched me within these walls, your Titan powers altered my apparition into flesh. Here I am real.”
    He wasn’t exactly fond of witches. They’d never done anything for him. But magic was a very real thing in their world, and he was in no position to judge. “And when you leave this place?”
    “I exist only in this realm in solid form within this gazebo.”
    He stepped toward her. “I don’t understand. You said you were trapped. Who’s trapped you? And why—”
    “That I cannot tell you, per the rules. What I can tell you is that I’ve long been fascinated by you, Prometheus. You were watching the Argoleans in the field earlier. Do you have the same affection for them as you do humans?”
    She was switching topics way too fast. “Watching me, how?”
    “With my magic, of course. It gives me the ability to look through windows. I do a lot of looking because of my confinement. What do they call it in the human realm? Oh yes. People watching.” A faraway, almost sad look filled her eyes. She shook her head and blinked several times, a weak smile curling the edges of her plump lips. “I much prefer being real with you here than watching you through that window.”
    He sat beside her on the chaise, close enough to feel her heat surround him, but not quite close enough to touch. Though he wanted to touch her. He was itching to run his hand over her bare shoulder again. To slide his fingers through her luxurious hair. To pull her in and find out for himself if her lips were as soft and tempting as they looked. “Why me?”
    Her smile widened as she turned to face him, and this close...gods, she was more beautiful than he’d expected. Her flawless features took his breath away.
    “My, but you are full of questions,” she said.
    Realizing he probably sounded like a ten-year old, he frowned. “I guess you could say it’s been a while since I’ve had anyone to talk to as well.”
    “That’s why I’ve been watching you. Because we are so similar.” She sipped her wine again. “You didn’t answer my question about the Argoleans. In the field.”
    All he wanted to do was go on peppering her with questions about why she was here, why she’d come to him, and how he could make her stay. But there was something about her... Something that made his pulse tick up and his body feel alive in a way it hadn’t in thousands of years. And if she had to leave soon—for whatever reason, he didn’t want to waste what little time they had left frustrating her, or him.
    “The male in the field was an Argonaut. The female with him was my daughter.”
    Keia’s eyes narrowed in question, then slowly relaxed as if she’d suddenly made connections in her mind. “Ah yes, your daughter. I almost forgot you had a daughter. And her mother? Are you—”
    He shook his head. “A one time thing. She died thousands of years ago. She was a nymph who came across me during my imprisonment and eventually went on to marry an Egyptian prince.”
    “Io?” A knowing light filled Keia’s eyes. “Your daughter’s mother was Io? I didn’t realize that.”
    He nodded. This witch knew more about him than he’d thought. A voice in the back of his head