Page 52 of Blood of Olympus

Which did not have the desired effect.

Gritting my teeth, I stepped over the rim, slightly jerkily thanks to the heady fragrances filling my lungs. Aros offered a hand — which I ignored — and I stalked right past him, out the door, and left a trail of water leading all the way back to my bedchamber.

A singular, helpful huff of breath from Velira later and I was instantaneously dry.

The perks of having bonded a dragon grow more numerous each day, I sent along whatever thread linked our souls, laughing at her scaly raised brow.

I just didn’t want you sniffling and snotting all over my neck during flight training later, she snarked back.

That’s if we make it to flight training.

Neros is not your fault.

Isn’t it?

I thanked my violet balcony gargoyle, rolling my eyes at her hypervigilant stare when Caelus stepped into the room, towels in hand.

“Oh,” he murmured, head tilting as he registered my now-dry nightgown.

I grinned, stepping out of the lacy slip — a little slower and more suggestively than strictly necessary.

“Another benefit of bonding a dragon,” I said, my voice coming out huskier than I’d intended.

A copper flush rose to his cheeks as he stood just inside the doorway, unmoving. He was so still, so silent, I wasn’t entirely sure he was breathing.

“What’s taking you two so long?” Aros called, sashaying right in, bumping Caelus out the way — and likewise freezing in his tracks.

His mouth gaped, akin to a fish, clearly having not expected to walk in and see his new queen completely naked.

An unexpected laugh bubbled out of my mouth, and I turned, baring my back to them. A groan sounded behind me but it was anyone’s guess which of their throats it originated from. The resulting smirk that graced my lips as a result was anything but humble.

In a matter of minutes, my familiar black gear was back in place, hugging my muscles like a second skin. I passed the time waiting for Caelus to finish donning his own — thoroughly enjoying the show that was his ass in tight breeches — by lacing my favourite boots at the end of my bed.

“Ready to go?” my storm-wielder rumbled. He slid the last dagger home in its slot on his lower back in a way that was unintentionally, yet obscenely, erotic. “If you keep looking at me like that, Nightshade, we’re going to be very late to the party.”

Aros scoffed from where he’d thrown himself face-down on the bed beside me.

“Some party,” I squeaked out. Clearing my throat, I launched to my feet and raised a hand to conjure the shadow door. Before it could fully form, however, a flicker of movement just beyond the half-crafted arch caught my eye and my gift instantly evaporated, shadows melting into the obsidian floor.

From their remnants darted a grey spectre. It rushed me — terrifyingly fast — so fast that I screamed.

“Nyssa?!” Aros shouted at the same time as Caelus yelled, “Nightshade?!” — both unsheathing weapons that would be of no use here. Because, before me, flickered the ghostly outline of a middle-aged man. His eyes were the only part of him that remained constant, the rest of him fading in and out of view as he pinned me with unblinking accusation.

Caelus stilled beside me when the man began to wail, accosting our eardrums with his pitch.

“What’s—” Aros began.

“Shh!” We hissed as the shade’s cry began to mutate into decipherable words.

“Death has arrived this night,” he moaned. “One who is meant to bring light has instead brought darkness to our shores… the skies bleed in his presence… the oceans burn with his wrath… and they did not save us. They did not save us, they did not save us, they did not save us…” His wails began anew, rising in volume with every word until the shade extinguished himself — exploding in a cloud of grey smoke — leaving one last lingering note of despair in his wake.

Caelus and I exchanged a grave look.

What do you suppose that means? he asked me.

I’m sure we’ll soon find out.

“Hellooooo? Can somebody please fill me in now?” Aros interrupted, waving his arm between our faces. He pointed at me. “You screamed” — his hand swung round to Caelus — “you froze” — his second hand pointed at me again — “and you both shushed me!”