"Alek?"
I peered again into the darkness, able to see more clearly than before. Now, I could make out the finer details of the bookshelves on the upper levels. Something moved in the corner of my vision and I gasped. Perched on one of the balconies, leaning against the corner column for support, was a man. Concealed half in darkness, I could only make out their tight grip on a familiar bow. Sitting in the casual manner that they were, they made balancing on a balcony look easy. Suddenly they stood and took one step off the banister, freefalling a storey and landing in a crouch. Broad shoulders and muscle stretched beneath his memorable yet simple black shirt. When he rose, the candlelight flooded his features. His hair was shorter than before, and his face was clean-shaven. Perhaps this was due to the fact though that he'd no longer been on the run. His shorter hair brought more definition to his strong jawline and full eyebrows.
The second our eyes met, Alek froze. Memories of our time together rushed back to me. I remembered how fierce and invincible he'd been when we were escaping from the Crown Guard. I remembered how gentle and kind he'd been when he tended to my broken ankle. I also remembered how soft and compassionate he had been when I'd poured my heart out to him on the side of the volcano.
I was almost certain similar memories were calling out to him as well. He looked at me intently, as though he was analysing my features so as to file them away in his memory. Dimly, I remembered the black dress I wore was probably a big change from the sight that he was used to seeing. My red hair was on full display, and his lips parted ever so slightly as he took in its colour.
Somehow, though, I doubted what I wore changed much of his reaction at all. When I'd first met him, I'd told myself that Alek had only cared for me due to a fearless sense of responsibility. But the last time I'd seen him, he'd been hell-bent on his declaration that he would get us to the North Gate, and I'd suspected he must have felt more for me than responsibility. I wasn't sure why he hadn't stayed at Jackal's hotel that night when I'd returned, but the look of awe on his face did well in convincing me that perhaps he'd nevertheless felt something more between us than friendship.
And I wasn't exactly sure what to do with that information.
Luckily, I didn't have to think about it too much.
Alek swallowed, the movement affecting the shadows on his neck, as he forcibly gained control of himself. "Sorry to interrupt, I was just trying to enjoy a little late-night reading," he said lightly, though I thought I could detect bitterness hiding within his tone.
Heat rose onto my cheeks. I stammered for an explanation, or for something to say, but I wasn't sure I had the logical willpower to keep up with the conversation. I certainly hadn't expected to see Alek again, especially after I'd been one minute away from becoming naked. That being said, I didn't owe him an explanation at all.
"I have to say I'm a little disappointed with your choice, Princess, especially considering the God of Lust sits proudly a few rooms across," he said, a grin creeping over his face. "Now that would have been scandalous."
"Alek," Kadyn called out, stepping to my side. His fists were clenched by his sides.
"Ah, nice of you to finally join us. You do realise, Kevin, that if I was a threat, I would have been able to kill your lover by now?"
I blanched at the idea of being called Kadyn's lover. I think Kadyn would have had a similar reaction, but he seemed more offended by the name in which he'd been addressed.
"My name is Kadyn," Kadyn replied, his voice not as smooth as Alek's. "I saved your life once, you know. Don't make me regret it."
Alek tilted his head, amused. "And I very well could have fired my arrow into your hand, or worse." His dark eyes shone brightly. "Don't make me regret it."
A lethal rage began to rise onto its hind legs. After everything that had happened, how could Alek merely prance back into the picture, cracking jokes and making threats? The last time I'd seen him, he'd promised to help me reach the North Gate and then bolted at the first possible chance. He'd packed up and left Greed City when Cleo had ambushed me. Perhaps she had finally dug her claws into him deep enough to convince him not to help me.
"What do you want, Alek?" I asked accusingly. "If you're just going to stand here and taunt us, I'd much prefer you leave us alone."
He raised an eyebrow. "Consider my taunting your own personal training. With present company, you'll need a lot of it to keep up."
I scoffed. "I can keep up very fine without your help, thank you very much."
Alek's gaze hardened. "Based off how we left things between us, I got that message loud and clear."
I faltered momentarily, wondering why Alek was angry at me. I was the one who was supposed to be angry at him, not the other way around.
"But," he continued, "it looks like you've already moved onto outsourcing for help." He glanced over to Kadyn, then back to me. "You know, you shouldn't be so hasty to seek someone else's assistance, Princess. Especially when that someone can't even button their shirt correctly."
Much to Alek's satisfaction, he was right. Kadyn had hurriedly tried to fix his shirt but had misaligned all of the buttons and now swore under his breath, rushing to fix his mistake. Alek grinned like a Cheshire cat.
"Yep, I'm sure you'll be safe seeking his advice during the tournament," Alek finished.
"Don't talk about Kadyn as if he's not here," I retorted. "And I don't need anyone's help."
Kadyn sighed. "It's fine, Serena. I never expected much from Alek in terms of kindness, anyway." He shot Alek a furious glare. "But I know you might need to talk to him privately, and now that I know he won't hurt you, I'll return to the Dining Hall while you finish your conversation. Hades might grow suspicious if either of us are gone for too long."
A weight lifted from my shoulders, knowing that I wouldn't have to try to stop either of them from attacking each other. I was grateful when Kadyn only slipped me a smile of reassurance before leaving the room, and didn't even attempt to kiss me in front of Alek. I was still reeling from the fact I'd once been desperate to feel his skin on mine. But looking at Kadyn now, I didn't feel any of the attraction that the lust charm had made me experience. When he was gone, the silence settled in the room.
Furious, I marched up to Alek, pointing a finger at his chest. He only looked amused.
"You don't need to be so rude," I growled. "And Kadyn is actually trustworthy. He has never lied to me about his intentions." Unlike Alek.
For the first time since seeing him, Alek's features softened the slightest. "I never wanted to lie to you, Serena. I thought it was the only way that you would trust me, but I was wrong. I should have known you wouldn't hold the prejudices against me that others did purely because of my parents."
Taken aback, I rocked onto the heels of my feet. "Okay then. If that's true, you don't have a right to be jealous."
"Jealous?" Another amused smirk crossed his lips, and he slowly took a step closer to me.
"Of Kadyn," I replied, my mouth dry. Alek was gradually moving closer and closer. My heart beat thunderously in my chest as I instinctively took a small step back. I almost stumbled. My body was telling me one thing while my mind told me another–I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to move away.
Alek huffed a laugh, the breathy sound deep and husky. "Thank you for clarifying." Another step.
"You didn't need to fire an arrow at us," I pointed out, words spilling from my brain, anything to fill the intense silence. I took one more step back–and knocked into the wall. My legs shook and I held myself up by leaning my weight against it. I was a deer caught in headlights. From Alek's amused smirk, I knew he was thinking the same thing.
"That's true." He tilted his head forwards, his hair brushing his forehead. His dark eyes pierced into mine. "I could have just as easily thrown a book at his head."
Up this close, I could see the small movements of his irises as he looked back and forth between mine. I'd missed those eyes.
"Mmm." Wait–what had Alek said to me? Something about Kadyn? Kadyn was waiting for me to finish my conversation with Alek. He could walk back around the corner at any moment, if he hadn't yet returned to the Dining Hall. I tried to hold onto that thought, but it slipped through my fingers like liquid. I couldn't grasp at a thought long enough to form anything intelligible at all. My mind was on a runaway train, far from here. I was still reeling from the fact that Alek was actually standing here in front of me.
"Mmm," he imitated, sounding almost primal. Our chests rose and fell at the same time, making me believe that I wasn't the only one feeling the effects of our closeness.
My stomach dropped as he took the last step between us. I tilted my head up, ready for–
Alek froze, his lips only a couple inches from mine. I stopped breathing. All I wanted to do in that moment was to wrap my arms around his shoulders and bring our lips together. I wondered if he was testing me, trying to determine whether I would make the next move. A part of me was disappointed he hadn't closed the distance entirely between us, but I also didn't have it in me to close that gap myself. Resolve flooded through me, and I suddenly remembered why I wouldn't want this. Deep down, I wasn't ready to forgive him for abandoning me. Perhaps he realised this, too.
But oh, did I still want him to make the next move.
Get a grip, my mind yelled. The bracelet I'd discarded remained on the floor, but its presence was enough to remind me that my actions might not be my own. And when I realised that, it snapped me from my daze. I panicked, and instead of pushing Alek away or asking him to move like a normal person, I raised my right hand and aimed a punch to his face. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, but his left hand clamped onto my fist, stopping me in my tracks. While I'd managed to catch him off guard, he was still Alek. I raised my left hand, hoping to hit the mark that I'd missed. His eyes glistened with pride, but he was still quick to grab my other fist with his free hand. Rather than hold my hands up against the wall, he eased them to my sides, caressing the top of my hands gently with his thumbs. The small movement and intensity of his gaze made my lips dry. I licked them for moisture.
"What do you think you're doing, Serena?" he murmured, watching my lips. The whisper of his words grazed my cheek softly.
Fresh waves of anticipation mingled with panic continued to roll through me, and I did the only thing that I could; I drove my knee upwards and struck him between his legs. He hadn't been expecting me to go there. His reaction was immediate. His eyes widened in surprise and pain. He dropped my hands as though they were lava and leaned forwards, using the wall for balance while he glowered at me.
"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed.
I couldn't exactly tell Alek that I'd kneed him in the groin because I wasn't sure if my feelings were my own or incited by Himeros' lust charm, so an apology and quick getaway would have to do. I darted off through the library, back towards the Dining Hall. I was certain Alek could have caught up with me in seconds, even though he was in pain, but I knew for a fact that because it was me that had kneed him, he would be stumped with questions. That hesitation was all I needed to slip through the library door.
When I returned to the Dining Hall, I slipped back into my chair as quietly as possible. It felt like hours had passed, but I knew it couldn't have been more than ten minutes or so. Still, Hades watched everything, and I knew he was watching me intently as I took a sip of my drink and attempted to join Jackal in casual conversation and calm my runaway heart.
Jackal provided me with an update about the members of the Aplista and how they were currently receiving judgment in Greed City, but I could hardly focus. Himeros sat further down the table, sipping from his own chalice. When he sensed my gaze, our eyes locked, and I narrowed mine in warning. He looked at me questioningly and then his eyes flickered to my bare wrist. With a tip of his head and a sly, knowing smile, he continued his conversation with Eros as if nothing had passed between us. My grip tightened on my own chalice.
Himeros might have just cost me a potential ally tonight.