Blessed by the Gods (Gods & Dark Creatures Book 1)

Chapter nineteen

"Never." Amaya refused. "If I liked him, I wouldn't have left."

"Knowing you, that's the exact reason you'd leave. You don't want to care about anyone," said Mathias.

Amaya kissed him, silencing him. Mathias kissed her back. They were gentle kisses, not like when Ciaran kissed her, he claimed her whole being wildly and passionately. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him.

"I care about you, Mathias," Amaya said through the kisses.

Mathias pulled away from her slightly. A spark of passion and pain burned in his eyes.

"You know I want you, Amaya. I want you so much," he said. "But I don't want you to use me as a way to forget him. I want you to want me as much as I want you."

Amaya stroked his cheeks gently. She gave him a fleeting smile. "I'm sorry, Mathias, but I don't have the love you're looking for in me. That's probably the only thing I can't give anyone."

⸸

"Did you find out anything about Amaya?" Ciaran asked General Marcellus.

He gave him an uncomprehending look. "I thought you didn't want us to look for her," he replied.

Ciaran gave him a look that said, I know what you did and don't lie to me.

"You think I don't know you're looking for her despite my ban?" he told him. "As you said yourself, word travels fast here. Word is circulating through the halls of the palace that Amaya has escaped and that you are trying to catch her. You won't be able to do it anyway, but at least I can know if you found out anything."

"Nothing," Marcellus replied. "She evaporated like a ghost. There is no trace of them. We have no idea where they might be heading."

"I told you you wouldn't find her if she didn't want to," Ciaran remarked.

"I know." Marcellus rolled his eyes. "However, we cannot rely on her goodwill to return. When the king finds out she's gone, we'll all pay a high price for her escape.''

"I believe in her," said Ciaran, convincing himself of those words.

"You're blinded by liking her. What will we do if she's not here on the wedding day?'

"We will put on a good show in front of the people."

Ciaran turned to leave. But before he left, he said to the general one last time: "By the way, they head to the east."

"How can you be so sure?" Marcellus asked him.

"She doesn't want to go back to King Damon or Amorite," he replied. "They will stick to the original plan that Mathias came here with. They will go east and try to connect with Prince Tristan."

"So she chose him over you."

"She chose freedom instead of the cage in which everyone keeps her. She doesn't love him."

"She doesn't love you either, but you have feelings for her anyway, even if you pretend it's just a game."

⸸

Amaya, Mathias, and Drea sat in the inn enjoying breakfast before getting back on their horses and heading off. The innkeeper watched them carefully until her friend interrupted her. She obviously didn't trust the hooded strangers who would appear on the doorstep of her inn under the cover of night.

Amaya ignored their lively conversation full of laughter and the latest gossip until she became part of one of them. All the people became serious and took notice when her name was mentioned. The atmosphere immediately became heavy.