Daughter of Kaos (The Daughter Trilogy Book 3) (30 page)

sculpted back.

I’m not strong enough to stay mad when he’s like this. I don’t even want to be mad anymore. I

just want to give into him.

His hands cup my breasts, and I feel his teeth tugging at my lower lip as my hips tilt upwards to

meet his force. His soft boxers offer a very thin barrier between his lower half and mine.

Considering I neglected to put on underwear, it’s the only barrier.

I moan and cede to his passionate plea, and then I grip him even tighter to me as his body thrusts

itself against mine.

This is definitely the rudest, but most incredible wakeup call I’ve ever received.

The wind wraps around the sliding glass door and pulls it shut for us because it’s going to get

loud.

“Are you still mad at
me?” he asks in a breathless tone.

“Yes, but not quite as much,” I lie - I’m not mad at all anymore, but I don’t want him to know

that.

He almost smirks before replying, “I think angry sex is pretty phenomenal.”

I stifle a grin, and then I wrap the sheet around me as I climb out of the bed. It’s five in the

morning, and now I’m wide awake.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he murmurs. “Care to join me?”

“I told you I’m still mad, so no.”

He looks a little saddened by my snarky remark, but I’m trying to play it tough. He has to stop

lying to me for any reason.

“Okay,” he sighs, and then he disappears behind the bathroom door.

I quickly pull my clothes on, and then I struggle with my completely fucked hair. He’s right

about angry sex.

Wow.

I restrain the giggling urge, and then I walk out to join the agitated and fretful faces.

“Anything new?” I ask hopefully.

“Not in the slightest,” Jace grumbles. “I think we’ve actually went backwards if anything.”

“Then let me help,” I insist.

“What do you plan on doing?” Faith murmurs irritably.

“I plan on doing whatever you’re doing. I could at least log the contacts you’ve already

contacted.”

“Here,” Jace says while patting the spot on the couch between Kry and him. “Grab a seat and get

to logging.”

I smile appreciatively, and he gives me a wink. Kry leans up against me to demonstrate his

exhaustion, and then he yawns ferociously.

“It sounds like you could use some sleep,” I suggest.

“I could, but I’m not resting until we find out what this bitch wants from you and Devin. Nothing

makes sense, and the more we discuss it, the more confusing it all becomes,” he gripes.

“It would be nice if I could get a vision of what’s going on,” I murmur helplessly.

“You’ve already figured out more than any of us. We’re all starting to feel a little inferior by

comparison. The journey you and Jace took through the Fury minds was a revelation, but now we’re

trying to piece it all together. There are just so many contradicting variables.”

“Maybe you should all take a break and let the better rested ones take over for a while,” Devin

says as he enters the room.

Oh, damn him.

He’s shirtless, and the water still drips from the wet hair he’s drying so casually.

His loose jogging pants dangle almost too low, and I’m forced to look at those exquisite, defined

hip lines. His ripped stomach begs to be touched, and his smoky eyes smile when they catch my

peeping ones.

I jerk my head straight, and Jace rolls his eyes at my incredulous behavior. A woman should be

able to marvel at her husband without feeling foolish.

“We’re fine,” Nina yawns as she walks in with a cup of coffee, and my smirk has left my face

completely.

Her eyes catch Devin’s immaculate body, and her coffee tips to spill a fourth of the cup before

she realizes it. I almost want to growl, but Devin walks back into the bedroom and then returns with

shirt on.

I breathe out a sigh of relief to know I don’t have to stare at that mouthwatering temptation, but I

know he only did it to rid Nina’s eyes from him.

“Maybe we should try a different approach,” Persia says while coming in with two cups of coffee.

She hands me one, and I mouth, “Thank you.”

She smiles warmly at me, and then she takes a seat beside Devin as he sits on the couch adjacent

to mine.

“What do you have in mind?” Devin asks in response to her vague statement.

“There’s something we’re missing, but we’re too focused on the big picture to notice the details.

Just like Adisia’s vision - Aphrodite had to specifically show her the two shadows. No one else

noticed because it was a minute detail in big, catastrophic scenario. Where’re the details?” she

explains.

“I don’t know,” I sigh. “I wish Aphrodite would give me another vision, but I can’t even provoke

her powers anymore without Devin’s help or without her being stirred of her own free will. My mojo

is out of whack or something. The power of my lightening has lessened, and my storms are more

docile. I think my goddess is on the fritz,” I grumble.

“Not when she makes the world crumble to their feet,” Kry adds, and then he pats my shoulder as

his arm rests across it.

“What?” Persia muses.

“Yeah, sorry. I never did tell you about my new power,” I murmur reluctantly.

I really don’t feel like discussing this right now. It’ll just give everyone false hope, and I can’t

control the power.

“What do you mean it sent everyone crumbling to their feet?” Persia prompts.

Theia walks over to listen in, her eyes gauging Persia’s odd reaction. Persia’s acting a little too

curious.

“It was pretty incredible actually,” Devin adds. “The first time she brought the Furies to a bow,

and the second time she took down a hoard of harpies and hellhounds. I’ve never seen anything like it,

and it seemed as though she was acting out of her protectiveness for the child.”

I slump nervously as all eyes pin me down, and Jace pats my leg encouragingly when he sees my

discomfort.

Persia’s face is almost white, and Kahl seems to be suffering from a mouth as dry as a desert.

“Is something wrong? Is someone else waking up inside me? To be honest, I’d almost welcome

that right now,” I mumble.

“Not exactly,” Kahl almost whispers, and his knees seem to be buckling to the point he has to take

a seat.

Not exactly?

“What is it?” I prompt.

“Adisia, that’s Aphrodite’s power,” Persia mutters, but her face is still in shock.

“Okay… Why are you both acting so weird?” I gripe.

Finally Persia’s mouth starts to move, though it’s a hesitant motion.

“You’re right, Devin. She was acting out of protectiveness for a child, but not Nadia,” she says

with her face distorting more.

“Huh?” he asks with the same confusion I’m experiencing.

“That power is only aroused when an Aphrodite is with child,” she says, and I almost hear the

ocean trying to break into the house.

“That’s not possible. As I’ve already stated once, we’ve not opened ourselves up to that,” he

adamantly objects.

“Are you sure?” Theia asks Persia while ignoring Devin’s rebuttal.

“Positive. It’s a defensive mechanism. It’s how we survived for so long while carrying a child.

We’re so weak when we’re pregnant, just as all immortals. Aphrodite adapted to her hunters’ threat,

and this power was formed. It emerges when it feels a threat too close to the child, and it subsides

after the term of the pregnancy has finished.”

“I’m not pregnant,” I declare in a near screech. “You heard Devin. We’ve not even come close to

considering a child.”

“The fish,” Theia mumbles in a tone of realization, and then she slumps into Phillip’s lap. “I

should have known. She’s been hooked on fish for months, and she’s weak. She’s tired and hungry

too often for an immortal. Why didn’t I see it sooner?”

“Because it’s impossible,” Jace growls. “If they’ve not opened themselves up for child bearing,

then they can’t be pregnant.”

“They can if they’re drugged,” Theia murmurs with reluctance.

“Drugged?” I squeal. “As in roofied?”

“As in ambrosia and pomegranate,” Persia sighs. “Not all immortals had the same
oomph

Aphrodite possessed which kept things… spicy for all eternity,” she murmurs hesitantly. “As a favor

to some of them before the wars, Aphrodite secreted her passion into a tree. From that tree grew

pomegranate and ambrosia. In the years after, people learned if they mixed the two, a pregnancy

could be invoked without consent. Tricky women used this to produce powerful children. It’s how

Rhea tricked Safina’s father.

“Ambrosia was the stronger of the two fruits, and it was far too potent for mortals. The ambrosia

was banned from use, and since then only trace amounts still remain in existence, hidden in places

mortals are unable to travel.”

“This can’t be right. There’s no way,” I panic, and Jace’s hand tightens on my leg.

Nina seems to be suffocating as the air smothers her, and Kry’s jaw is almost unhinged along with

most everyone else’s. Devin is silent - catatonic almost.

His whitewashed face shows no emotion and his stare is focused on the empty space in the room

as his hands clamp together in a white knuckle clasp.

“I’m going to be a grandmother,” Persia giggles with tears streaming from her eyes.

“Wait, whoa. Stop. First of all, this is just a theory. Secondly… I have no secondly. This can’t

be possible. The last thing we need is a child, and who would have motive to drug us?” I ramble.

“That’s a good question, but they didn’t have to drug both of you. The female is the only one

required to take the mixture of fruit, and the math has to be exact. If you put an ounce too much of

one fruit, then the drug is ineffective. This is more than a theory, it’s an obvious truth. Now the

question is, how far along are you?” Persia counters.

Devin is still stuck in a far off land, and I’m on my own while they all push me to the edge of the

ledge.

“No. It’s not a truth. I would know if I was pregnant. I’m not,” I growl.

“It would have been disguised. Neither Adisia nor Devin would have noticed or questioned it. It

would have been concealed in a bite she was sure to take in order to make sure it worked,” Theia

assesses, and Persia nods in response.

“Have you tasted fruit when you shouldn’t have?” Persia asks.

“No. I mean, I don’t think so.”

Again I look to Devin, but he still remains in his state of speechless and motionless shock.

“It would have been small,” Theia murmurs while thinking aloud. “When did you start craving

the fish?”

“I don’t know,” I whimper, and I feel the tears beckoning to flow.

“Two weeks after the beach,” Jace answers. “That was the first time. When do the cravings

usually kick in?”

“It varies, but usually a month after conception,” Theia responds while calculating time in her

head.

“So, it would have most likely happened the second week of your honeymoon.” Her lips purse as

her eyes intensely focus on mine. “Try to think. Did you eat anything that shouldn’t have tasted

fruity then?” she repeats with more urgency.

“I don’t know,” I grumble while burying my face into Jace’s shoulder. Then it hits me, and I look

back up with a face I know has to be ashen as all reality crumbles into rubble before my eyes. “The

chocolate.”

Devin’s eyes widen, but he still keeps them focused on the other side of the room.

“What chocolate?” Kry prompts.

“Devin and I just went out a couple of nights. One night we went in to see the nightlife, and a

woman offered us a sample of chocolate. I took it, but Devin didn’t want any. I remember it now. It

was a small, round sample, and I popped it into my mouth without hesitation. I remember tasting such

sweet erotic flavors bursting into my mouth, and I wanted more. Devin looked for her so he could buy

me some, but we never found her,” I almost whisper in disbelief.

“In order for it to work, there has to be… um… well… you have to… within an hour of

consumption, you have to…” Theia stammers, and then she gives up all together and just leaves her

unfinished ramble suspended while staring expectantly.

“She’s an Aphrodite on aphrodisiacs. Of course they did it within an hour,” Kry exasperates.

That’s what we did for the majority of the honeymoon. Oh hell. I’m pregnant.

“So this is real?” I whisper with my ghastly tone.

“Very much so, I’m afraid,” Phillip murmurs softly so as not to aggravate my breaking state.

“Why don’t I have a bump?” I ask hopefully while staring at my perfectly flat belly.

I can’t be close to five months pregnant without a bump.

“The body of an immortal doesn’t change externally. Room for the child to grow is made within

you. That’s why you’re so weak. It’s actually a more fatiguing process for an immortal than it is a

mortal. Our gestation period is shorter than a mortal’s. By my estimations, you’re a month away

from having this child.”