Eris (The Lost Goddesses #4)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

E nzo was hauled back as the thing from the water surfaced. Its skin was a shining wet aqua, and its eyes and sharp teeth were white as pearls.

Eris swiped out at it with her talons, and it dove back into the water. She rounded on Enzo.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Three more creatures burst out of the water, and Enzo shouted in warning. A clawed hand pulled at Eris from behind. He didn't think. He hefted the palladium in his hands and hit the nearest creature in the side with it. It screamed and crashed into the wall of the cave hard. He struck the one clinging to Eris's back on top of the head as she fought off a third.

"Quick! Move back to the entrance. They won't be able to leave the water for long," Eris shouted.

"Mine! Mine! I want him!" screeched the creature she was fighting. "You have others. You don't need this one!"

Eris's claws grew longer. " He is mine ," she snarled. With a furious swipe, she struck the creature's neck with a powerful blow. Gray-blue blood poured from the wound before its head slid to the ground. The body slipped back into the water, and Eris tossed the head behind it.

"Let this be a lesson to you all not to touch what belongs to the daughter of Nyx," she shouted through the cave. She whirled on Enzo, and he squeaked.

"Get in the tunnels. Now," she commanded.

Enzo grabbed the wet backpack and carried the palladium out of the grotto and back into the caves. Eris came after him, her silver flames gathered into a single one hovering above her head. It made her wild black hair and feral expression even more eerie.

"God, you are so..." he began, and then his eyes dropped to the gold staining her clothes. "Hurt! Oh, fuck, Eris."

"It's nothing. I just need to get you out of here. The cuts will heal," she said. Enzo stilled as she placed her hands on his cheeks. "Are you injured?"

"No. Just shaken. What were those things?" he asked.

"Naiads. Hungry ones," Eris replied, and her eyes darkened. "They dared to touch you. To try and take you from me. I should go back in there and slaughter them all."

Enzo's heart pounded in his ears, adrenaline and fear racing through him. This sweet, terrifying, beautiful woman had saved him. Thought he was worth defending from those who would harm him. He dropped the palladium and kissed her.

Eris's soft lips tasted of salty water and the berry lip gloss she had been wearing. Her clawed hands burrowed into his hair, and she opened her mouth to sweep her tongue against his.

Enzo groaned, his cock already hard and pressing into his zipper. He couldn't stop. He had been craving her since the second he saw her. Everything about her was soft and savage, darkness and light. One minute she was vulnerable and the next a creature of fangs and claws. She was chaos, and he couldn't get enough of her.

His hands went to her shoulders, and she cried out in pain against his lips.

"Shit! I'm sorry I didn't see you were hurt there," he said, breaking free of her. Eris's agony was like a bucket of cold water. He pulled off his shirt and pressed it to the gouges on her shoulder. "Fuck, these are deep, bella . We need to get you out of here."

"Get the palladium. I will be okay," she reassured him.

Eris's full lips were red from his beard, and he brushed a thumb over her chin. "To be continued."

The darkness left Eris's eyes, and her hands returned to normal. "We will see about that," she said, a small smile playing about her luscious lips.

Enzo shook himself and got the palladium back into its bag. He said, "It has stopped humming, so I'm assuming it's done with this place."

"Then so are we."

Enzo hefted the bag onto his shoulders. "You might need to cause another riot to get us out of here unnoticed."

Eris gave him an appraising look from his boots to his bare chest."Somehow, I don't think they will be looking at me."

Enzo's cheeks heated. "Don't start, goddess. I'm struggling not to kiss you again."

"How terrible for me," she said and slipped past him in the tight space.

Enzo bit back his grin and hurried after her.

Once they reached the roped-off area, Eris touched his arm. "I'm going to cast an illusion over us so we don't get stopped. Stay close to me."

Enzo offered his hand to her, and with the same small smile that drove him crazy, Eris took it.

Her magic was a cool brush of wind over his wet skin. Shadows flickered around them like they were a mirage. Not a single person looked their way until they got out of the archaeological park. They surprised the hell out of a taxi driver as they slid into his back seat and gave instructions to take them to the port.

"When we get to the boat, you are showing me those wounds. They aren't nothing," he said.

Eris was still holding his shirt to her chest. It was soaked almost all the way through.

"If I knew the cave had naiads, I would have been a bit more cautious," Eris said with a grimace. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you better."

"Are you kidding me? You kicked their asses and got banged up for your trouble," Enzo said. He tucked a long, wet lock back behind her ear. "You are fucking incredible. I would have been eaten or worse without you."

"Worse. They didn't want you for food," Eris replied, and Enzo pulled a face. "Exactly what you're thinking. They would have eaten you after they got bored. You still think having adventures with gods is a good idea?"

Enzo lifted her hand and kissed it. "Absolutely."

When the taxi stopped, Eris put her illusion up around them. She made it halfway down the jetty before she swayed. Enzo caught her before she could drop and lifted her up in his arms.

"I'm okay. Just lightheaded," she complained.

"What you are is full of shit," Enzo grumbled back, carrying her the rest of the way and back on board their ship. He set her down above deck before slinging off the palladium and stowing it before going back for her.

"Bianca was right. You do fuss," Eris said as he lifted her down the stairs and helped her to her cabin.

"I only fuss when there is reason to. Stop being stubborn and let someone take care of you," Enzo replied. He went back to the kitchen and dug about for the large first-aid kit and some clean cloths.

"Gods can't get infections. I'm totally fine!" Eris called out.

Enzo muttered a curse under his breath before returning to her cabin. She had lowered the front of her ruined dress, and he tried to think unsexy thoughts and not stare at her purple lace bra.

"Okay. Turn a little so I can see your back," he said, and with a soft sigh of resignation, she did. "Don't make that sound at me. You're lucky I'm not insisting on taking you to a hospital for stitches."

Enzo ignored the roll of her eyes. In silence, he cleaned her wounds and used sticky temporary stitches to hold them together. "Stay here. I'll get you some water."

"Enzo? I really am okay," she whispered.

Enzo growled in frustration. "You're hurt, Eris! I don't care if you think you're okay. You bleeding is never going to be okay to me."

He grabbed the gold-smeared cloths and went back to the kitchen to toss them out and grabbed a bottle of water.

"Drink this and rest. I'll get the ship going," he said, not looking at her. "We have to head for Tunisia now, or it will be nighttime when we reach it tomorrow.

Eris grabbed his hand and tugged him toward her. Enzo crouched down and accepted the soft kiss she pressed to his lips. "Thank you for taking care of me, Enzo. I'm not used to it, but thank you."

Enzo kissed her again, a quick peck only so he wouldn't get distracted, and stood up. "You're welcome. Now drink that water."

"I will," she said, and her smile was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen.