Page 4 of Kronos’ Consort

He dreaded to consider what would have happened if he hadn’t returned when he had. Kronos would never have forgiven himself for that, but holding her in his arms, what she’d been trying to achieve when she’d strode out of the door occurred to him all over again. Even though he’d looked after her, he’d fed and pleasured her, and even though he’d offered her understanding about the claustrophobia she’d experienced, she’d still tried to leave him. He gazed down at the diminutive woman in his embrace, pushing down the surge of disappointment that swelled with the verdict.

After everything they’d been through, why had she chosen to flee? He thought their shared desire had helped them reach a collective accord, but apparently, he’d been wrong. Did he need to keep her permanently bound to ensure she stayed where he left her?

His attention slid instinctively in the direction of the bed he’d conjured. The sleep charm he’d cast before he left should have kept her dozing for most of the day. How in the gods had she been able to diminish its power so effectively that she’d been up and able to explore before he’d even arrived back in his realm?

The concern knotted in his chest, ricocheting until he frowned. It wasn’t the first time the tiny mortal had appeared partially inoculated to his magic, yet still, he couldn’t understand how or why she was able to offer such resistance. How was a woman of science with no discernible magical qualities so capable of countering his intentions?

“I thought you meant that you’d punish me, Master.” She buried her face against his shoulder. “Nothing more.”

“Oh, I will,” he assured her. He’d already decided to take her back to his parlor and think through everything that had transpired.

As he remembered, Kristina already had a litany of offences that required his focus. Her lack of obedience was fast becoming a problem. She hadn’t complied when he’d asked her to kneel beside Shelley for the ritual and, more disconcertingly, she hadn’t seen fit to tell him how she’d been panicky and claustrophobic in her cell until he needed to leave with Shelley. Reticence to her new situation, he could understand, but blatant omissions of the truth amounted to the breaking of yet another of his rules. That required penalty, even before he’d addressed the matter of her attempting to escape.

As soon as his little one was healthy enough to tolerate his attention, she would get a reminder about what happened when she ignored his regulations.

“It wasn’t supposed to be a challenge, though, Kristina.” His words were a sigh from his lips. “It’s dangerous for you beyond my realm.”

“I see that now.” Her head rose, watery eyes meeting his. “Are those actual clouds out there, Master?” She motioned hesitantly toward the windows. “I never got outside to find out.”

“I imagine you didn’t.” He glowered, imagining the scene when the door had opened and her air had run out.

All the years he’d kept mortals, training and worshipping them with no real problems, then along came Kristina, with her curiosity and her questions, and everything changed. She’d overcome his charm and managed to find her way into genuine trouble.

Tightening his arms around her, he blew out a breath. Even though she seemed no worse for her intrepid exploit, the thought of losing her plagued him. There had never been anyone like her before, and having searched for eons, he couldn’t believe there was another one out there who could replace her.

Whatever happened, he had to keep her safe. Had to help her to understand how important she’d become to him.

“Master?” Her voice was tiny as she prompted. “The clouds?”

“We shall talk about such things,” he replied, hoping to delay the conversation until she was healed. “But not now. First, you must tell me how you feel.” His stare drilled into her. “Are you dizzy? Does your head ache? How’s your memory?”

Her eyes flitted closed for a moment as she considered his queries. “I feel a little better now, Master.” She managed a small smile. “Just thirsty.”

He opened his right hand and, seconds later, a glass of water appeared in his palm. “Here.” He thrust the vessel at her. “Drink it all for me.”

One trembling hand reached for the glass, and pressing it to her lips, she took a sip, her eyes never leaving his. Her gaze spoke of her continued stunned disbelief that she still couldn’t fathom how he was achieving the end, but that didn’t matter. He would deal with her questions, but only when she was back where she needed to be; healthy, naked, and at his feet.

“And your memory?” he prompted. “What do you recall of how you ended up not breathing on my floor?”

Taking another drink from the glass, she pulled in a shaky breath. “I remember waking up in bed to find you weren’t here.”

The look she shot him was almost an accusation, but there was little potency in the expression. He teetered on the edge of reprimanding her, but the truth was, he wanted to hear what she had to say. “You said you’d be back, Master, but you weren’t.”

“Yes.” He recalled making the vow, yet he still had no explanation for how she’d stirred before he’d returned. “You seem to have some immunity to my sleep spells, little one. I do not yet know how you have achieved the feat.”

“Me neither.” Her gaze lowered. “I only know that bad things seem to happen whenever you’re not with me.”

Inclined to agree, he guided the glass back to her lips. They would need to be together in order for him to keep her safe.

“Then there is only one way forward, little one.” With one final glance at the clouds, he carried her away from the oblivion that she had tried to flee to. “From now on, you shall not leave my side.”

Chapter Three

Kris

Kristina clung to him as the air around them swirled. She saw the stream of energy picking up momentum, her fingers tightening at his shoulders when the chill encircled her. She’d seen the phenomenon more than once before and knew Kronos was taking them to a new location, but with the pounding in her head only just assuaging, she couldn’t face the gravity-defying spectacle.

After goodness knew how long as his captive, she still barely understood anything about the man, or even if he was really a ‘man’ at all. For a long time, she’d refuted the possibility that he could be anything more, deciding he must have drugged her to have achieved the accomplishments she’d witnessed, but as the coursing energy slowed, the questions lingered. She’d seen too many things to reject all of them as mere hallucinations. He appeared and disappeared from thin air, just as he conjured other things in the same way. Then there were the things that had happened in his absence; the glowing walls in her cell that she couldn’t explain, and the way a single Greek word had not only vanquished glass but exposed her to potentially deadly gases.