Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Tyr pulled up to the high-gated estate and pressed the button on the remote from his keys. The metal gate with foot-long spikes on top swung inward. Her heartbeat quickened at the idea that she might not be able to get out of the estate once she got in. She reached out through her mental connection to her father.

“Celeste?” her father asked.

“I’m fine, Papa. Just checking.” She let the connection drop.

Part of her hardly believed she was actually in the Underworld because her father had always made such a point of keeping her away. He’d always insisted she stay on Earth. But the minute he’d discovered her in Anton’s closet, he’d grabbed her and run straight to his natural home.

It wasn’t that the realm was so different from Earth as much as it was… the smell, the feel… the beings. On Earth, she’d run into the occasional supernatural, but in the Underworld, everyone was supernatural as far as she could tell. She couldn’t decipher all the different species, but for sure, every species had a different wave pattern to them.

She let her shields dip for a moment to discern what Tyr thought, but his mind remained blank. She lingered for a moment, confused. How could his mind be completely blank when before she’d been able to read everything?

Tyr’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, and she threw her shield back up. Her cheeks heated. He purposely cleared his mind because he knew she read him. But… how? No one had ever been able to tell before unless she’d wanted them to.

They headed down a long driveway in silence thicker than when they’d left the café. Finally, the drive ended at an expansive white mansion. Huge. Like something she would have seen in Beverly Hills that a movie star would own.

Celeste’s mouth tried to fall open at the sight, but it shot with lightning pain, and she grabbed the side of her face and whimpered.

The whole front of the house sported a huge bay of enormous two-story windows tinted from inside. An expansive lawn devoid of any bushes, flowers, or trees stretched to the side of the house. She assumed it was so they saw anyone trying to sneak up on the house. As she scanned the roofline, she spotted dozens of cameras swiveling back and forth.

Damn. She doubted even the White House had that many cameras.

Tyr glanced at her and back to the windshield.

Just what did Tyr do for a job? Her father had money, but he was in no way as rich as Tyr appeared to be. But then again, she didn’t think her father was as old as Tyr. He was a god, after all. Which meant he’d been gathering wealth for what? A thousand years? Longer?

Holy hamburgers! Was Tyr a thousand years old?

Tyr pulled the vehicle around the side of the house and pushed a button on his key ring to open a huge garage door tall enough for an airplane. They waited in silence for the door to roll up.

Tyr pulled his Jeep into an empty spot between an even larger SUV and a sleek sports car of some kind.

How had he gotten those into the Underworld? It wasn’t like they would have fit through the portal she’d come through. There was so much she didn’t yet understand about the Underworld and its connection to the Earth realm. She wondered if her dad would let her stay in the Underworld with him now.

The garage door shut behind them with a soft bang, and they sat for a moment. Around the garage, dozens of vehicles sat pristine and ready for their turn on the road. What the hell did they need so many for? Celeste had never understood men and their obsessions with cars. Guess even gods weren’t immune to the fascination.

Tyr peeled his hands from the steering wheel. “Let’s get you somewhere comfortable where you can rest.”

He slid out the driver’s side door, and before she got out, he rounded the vehicle and pulled open her door for her. He stood like a mountain blocking her way and then lifted his hand. She flinched involuntarily, and he stopped.

“I will not hurt you. I understand you’re frightened and you do not know me. But I promise you that even if your father weren’t a friend of mine, there is nothing, nothing that would make me strike you. Even if you struck me first. I would never hurt you, Celeste.”

The sincerity in his voice struck Celeste as genuine. In her twenty-four years of life, she’d learned to read people. Not just with her gift but without it as well. She’d learned about body language, micro-expressions, voice inflections, and more. And everything from his body language to his relaxed speech patterns rang true.

Celeste nodded, but didn’t take his hand when he offered it to her again. She dropped the extra-long distance to the ground, and a whirlwind of pain coursed up her side and across her chest. Her knees weakened, and her vision blurred as pain rocked her entire body. Tyr grabbed her gently around the waist, holding her up. She wanted to push him off but didn’t have the strength to protest. She hadn’t slept in almost thirty-six hours and hadn’t eaten in… who knew how long. The pain all over her body seemed to increase with every passing moment.

“Can you walk?”

She nodded, catching her breath. Tyr waited and then slid his hand from her waist when she straightened. She took a step, but once she let go of the car, she crumbled.

Tyr tried to soften the drop by reaching for her, but he gripped her upper arm where Anton had stuck her, and she cried out.

“I’m sorry. I… I’m sorry.”

She cradled her arm against herself. A cold sweat broke out over her skin.

“I’m going to have to carry you. I am sorry to do it, especially after everything you’ve been through, but you’ll be much more comfortable in a bed and not on the garage floor. And I want to make this trip as short as possible. Okay?”

He waited for her to respond.

She was unable to do anything more than nod.

She hadn’t taken time to log every injury, so she forgot about them individually. They were all just a collective of agony. And though they would begin to heal once she rested and eaten, in that moment, she couldn’t take anymore, so she let Tyr lift her.

He swept his arm behind her knees and lifted her. He stood with her in his massive arms as if she weighed no more than a babe. She leaned against his chest, and the heady scent of minty soap mixed with his natural cologne filled her nose and soothed her. She closed her eyes, taking in his fresh scent.

He waited until she relaxed into him, and then he moved. He carried her across the expansive garage in long, quick strides. It surprised her that when he lifted a finger to a security system to scan his fingerprint, she already drifted to sleep. Something about being in his arms gave her a sense of safety for the first time in weeks. She opened her eyes as they walked into an underground safe room of some kind. A retinal scan and a second door later, they stepped into a plush hallway next to an entertainment room of some kind. Enormous flat screen, gaming system, huge recliners, pool table, foosball table, and bar. She barely registered them all as he stalked to a set of glass stairs.

For a moment, she wondered if the glass would break under his weight. She held her breath, anticipating the pain of being jostled, but it didn’t happen. Being the God of War, he’d probably perfected the ability to carry injured allies. Taking the stairs two at a time, they emerged onto the main level, which consisted of a spacious open area. White marble floors and minimal modern furnishings met her tired gaze. She registered a dining room, living room, and kitchen, all open up to twenty-plus foot tall, vaulted ceilings.

She peered through the gigantic windows and took in the entire front of the house to the tree line two hundred yards down the driveway. He cut between the living room and dining room to another set of glass stairs on a wall that appeared to be made of a waterfall.

He ascended the stairs, and she fought not to run her fingers through the dripping water. He turned to the left and crossed over a glass walkway overlooking the open area below. It ended in a hallway that spread in opposite directions. He turned right toward the back of the house.

Reaching a door at the end of the hall, he punched in a code on the door lock, and it slid open. The room had been designed the same as the rest of the house. White, modern, clean. No clutter anywhere. It was dang nice for a guest room.

He walked to the cream bed and went to lay her down, but she pushed against his chest.

“No.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“I’ll get blood on it.”

“You have no idea how many times I’ve gotten blood on my bed. That’s what new comforters and sheets are for. I have an entire closet. It’s fine.”

His bed? Celeste scanned the room frantically.

“No!”

He looked at her again.

“I… This is your room.”

He nodded. “It’s the most secure place in the entire house. It is the only place I will have you sleep.”

A mixture of fear and anticipation whirled in her belly. “But… What about you?” Part of her wanted him to stay so she could continue to revel in the peace he brought her, but the other part remembered the things she’d been subjected to by Anton.

“I’ll sleep somewhere else. As long as you are here, this is your space.”

She searched his eyes, no longer so cold. They had softened a bit around the edges but remained alert.

He laid her gently on the soft, downy, feather bed. She sunk into it and relaxed.

Tyr watched her for a moment and then walked to a wall and pushed a button. A set of security shutters clicked open, revealing the wall to be windows overlooking the back of the estate.

Tyr opened one of the windows about a foot and then crossed to the grand open bathroom. He opened a cabinet, pulled out a plastic container and several towels, and returned to the bed.

“Would you like to shower?”

Frick ya, she wanted to, but she didn’t think she had the strength.

“Not tonight.”

He nodded and stared at her for a moment. “Can you not speak, or do you prefer not to?”

“Does my telepathy bother you?”

Something flashed in his eyes that she couldn’t read. “Not… exactly. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but I can get used to it if need be.”

Uncomfortable? So he did feel it. “I speak, but… I am sure my jaw is broken. So, it’s easier…” Her words trailed off as his eyes flashed with a red light.

He turned from her and spoke in a tongue she didn’t understand for almost a full thirty seconds before blowing out a breath and turning back to her.

He inclined his head. “I apologize for my language. It’s just… You have no idea how much I’d like to get my hands on the person who did this to you.”

“I… appreciate your concern, Lord Tyr.”

Tyr shook his head. “Tyr. Just Tyr. No, Lord. No God of War. None of that foolishness. I’m just Tyr.”

“Tyr.”

He nodded. “To make you more comfortable, I would like to check your wounds. Make sure nothing needs to be reset or disinfected.”

Celeste’s chest squeezed, and she fought to keep her anxiety at bay.

“You can read my thoughts again if you want to make sure my intentions are clear.”

Heat flushed her cheeks.

“I just ask that you not make a habit of it. If you want to know something, ask me. I will not lie to you.”

“I apologize. I… haven’t had a need to read people until recently. Not that I’ve had many opportunities. But…”

“It’s understandable. You don’t know me. You are hurt and scared. But, like I said, it is… uncomfortable. There are things in there even I don’t want to see again. I’d rather you ask if you want to know something. Hopefully, before you leave my care, you will learn to trust me.”

“I’ve never had someone be able to tell before.”

He nodded. “We gods are a bit different, I suppose. Or maybe it’s me. Who knows?”

“I promise I won’t anymore unless I have your permission.”

He nodded. “Now, do you need to read my intentions before I examine you?”

She wanted to insist on reading him, but something inside told her she didn’t need to.

Tyr set the plastic container and the towels on the bed and then lifted her into a sitting position. He undid her cloak, and it dropped down on the bed.

Using his fingers, he took a minute to inspect her face. His jaw clenched, and worked hard as if chewing something.

“It’s obvious your cheek is fractured on the left side. Possibly your eye socket. But there is nothing that can be done about that. You said your jaw is broken, and I believe you. We can get a doctor and have it wired shut.”

“No need. It will be healed within a few days, hopefully.”

Tyr bit his lip. “I am sorry to intrude, but it’s to help you better. Your father is a demon, and your mother is… human?”

“Angel.” What a joke. Her mother was more demon than her father ever had been. He said it was his fault she turned out that way, but Celeste didn’t believe it.

Tyr cocked an eyebrow. “Interesting. Well, that should help speed up your healing quite a bit.”

“I want to say yes, but I’ve never been this injured before, so I can’t say for sure.”

“What else hurts? I am assuming your arm. You winced when your father hugged you earlier and when I caught you outside the car.”

“ I was struck with a metal bat. I think there might be a fracture or two in my upper left arm.”

Tyr’s eyes flashed red again. “Anywhere else?” He gritted his teeth.

“ Ribs. Legs. Back. But the ribs are the only other breaks, I think.”

Tyr nodded and stood. “I… uh… I’ll be right back.”

Without another word, he strode to the bedroom door. It opened automatically and slid shut behind him.

Celeste stared at it, wondering why he’d left so fast. She waited for him to return, but when he didn’t, she laid back on her pillows and closed her eyes. His chiseled features swam into view. His bulging muscles. His strong jaw, but most of all, his eyes. His eyes had turned bright red in a flash. So different from his cold, dark eyes. Even so, they were both beautiful and terrifying.