The Rise of Venus

Taking Temptation

Song: Pride and Prejudice Ambience by Ambient Worlds

After three days in Louisiana, we hit the road to find the items now known as the Eight Orbs. Four of the eight object's needed were in Salem, Massachusetts. The other four's location was currently unknown but we had a pretty good hunch that they were in Massachusetts too. We just didn't know where.

By bringing the items together and destroying them, the rift between the eight Gods would be healed and whatever was lost would come back. Or, something like that.

I trusted the information Jericho gave us. But I got the feeling that there was something more missing than either of us knew of.

Sighing, I tucked the sheets of information into the back of my journal and closed it. We'd be arriving in Salem within the next half hour and the last thing I wanted to do was pour over more plans. Three days of planning, ordering, and making sure everyone knew their roles had taken a small toll on me.

Leo shouldered the burden of leading our small group with me. It felt like a natural position for us to share and no one fought it. Constantly being beside him was mending the slight break in my heart from the day on the beach. I was more than grateful for the comfortable friendship forming between us as well.

Pride still wasn't talking to me about what happened in New York. I knew that the racist behavior hurt him. But the thing about Pride was that he'd never admit something was wrong. He'd admit that he was hurt. But he would never actually sit down and talk about how upset he was. No, Pride preferred sex to talking.

Which was probably why he'd been spending a lot of time with Flora lately.

Regardless, he was doing his best. Pride threw himself into preparing magickal herbs and sachets of botanical witchiness. He'd even cast a glamour over Leo so he would appear different to strangers passing by on the street. The trunk of our SUV was loaded with candles, dried herbs, crystals, feathers, vials, and salts. It was as if he'd robbed the White Witches blind of their magickal stores completely.

The others complained about the smell and the bags Pride made us carry to hide our scent. But I never did. Because I knew Pride. I knew of his loyalty and his drive. I knew of his need to protect his Pack and to make up for past mistakes. Right now, we were his Pack.

Pride wasn't taking anymore chances after what happened at Jack's Pack and the parking lot with the Dark Elf. They'd gotten a little too close for comfort and Pride wouldn't stop beating himself up over it.

He could close his mind to our mind link. But he could never shield his frightened heart from me. I knew him too well for that.

Keeping Sky and Reign separated was proving to be easier than we thought it would be. We'd book two rooms with two beds in each. The girls took one room and the guys took the other. In the car, Reign and Sky weren't allowed to sit by each other anymore. The few times we went out, we'd do so in pairs. Again, Reign and Sky couldn't be together. They still sent each other dirty looks and found ways to make snide remarks in passing. But they were no step closer to Sky ending Reign's life.

And Flora...

Well, simply put, Flora was Flora.

"This is trash," Flora mumbled beside me. As I pulled out Leo's journal, I eyed the book she was reading and sighed. Pride and Prejudice was certainly not trash but I wasn't about to get into it with her over a book.

Reign wasn't on the same page. Turning around in his seat, he peeked over at the book he'd given her earlier. His dark eyes screamed frustration.

Leo's sparkling eyes smiled at me through the rear view mirror. Mindful of the debate taking place beside me, I sneakily raised his book and grinned. His cheeks flushed a lovely pink and he turned to answer whatever Sky said to him.