Daughter of Kaos (The Daughter Trilogy Book 3) (44 page)

exaggeratedly, giddy reaction.

“Only during the day,” he adds.

“No problem,” she chirps. “I’ll take what I can get.”

“How does it feel to be eighteen?” Jace asks as he and Faith walk up.

“Awesome!” she blares while stroking the steering wheel of one of the cars she’s already hopped

into.

“Any boyfriends?” Kry asks with a teasing smirk.

Her grin turns to a scowl, and I have to stifle my grin while Devin’s jaw clenches.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Kry says with a suppressed hint of laughter.

I cover my mouth again, and Devin’s eyes glare at his best friend who knows Devin’s stance on

the dating game.

“Dad won’t let me,” Aster gripes from the driver’s seat.

Deacon walks up laughing and showing his love for the conflict in play.

“Let that girl date,” he teases.

“Absolutely not. Not until she’s immortal,” Devin growls, and now my laughter rings free.

“Mom was mortal when you two started dating,” Aster counters with a surly teen’s tone.

“Mom was twenty-five, not eighteen,” he retorts.

“Mom dated mortals,” she grumbles, and this is an argument that has raged on for over a year.

“Mom didn’t know of her destiny,” he says to repeat the same exact words he has repeated in

mantra.

“No, but you didn’t either, and you were willing to date a mortal,” she snips, and I see Devin’s

jaw clenching tighter.

“Does that mean she can date an immortal?” Deacon pokes, and Camara elbows him in the ribs to

end his taunting chuckle.

“Hell no,” Devin snarls.

“There’re going to be mortal boys from her school here today, so play nice,” I tease, and Devin

stifles a mischievous grin.

“No water play, Dad,” Aster scolds. “No fire either.”

“I remember the last party,” Kry chuckles.

“That guy still doesn’t speak to me,” Aster huffs.

“Did his eyebrows ever grow back?” Deacon teases.

“In patches,” she gripes.

Devin can’t hold back his laughter anymore, and the mortals begin pouring in by the multitudes,

along with my older mortal parents.

Unlike Kahl and Persia, they actually look like a sweet couple of grandparents, and Clara rushes

over to me with her beauty still intact.

“You still look good,” I quickly say.

“So do you,” she sighs. “I have to pay good money to look like this though,” she scolds.

I just laugh a little, and then a group of boys from Aster’s school walks over to investigate the

beautiful selection of birthday presents on wheels.

“Holy badass cars,” one boy screeches, and I can tell he’s spent quite a big amount of time with

our sneaky daughter.

She has the
holy
habit the other immortals have, and I find it a little amusing to see Devin’s jaw

back to the clenched position, proving it wasn’t lost on him either.

“She’s an Aphrodite,” I whisper. “Give her a break.”

“The fact that she’s an Aphrodite is all the more reason to
not
give her a break,” he pouts.

“Let her enjoy the party,” I giggle, and then my lips console his pouting ones.

He grips me tighter while pulling me into a melding position, and I hear whistles erupting from

all around.

“Aster’s mom is smoking hot,” one boy quips in a mortal whisper, and I see Devin’s eyes swirling

with menace once he overhears it.

Drat.

“Don’t,” I caution, and I can hear several of our people starting to laugh when they feel the

pressure under the ground promising to cause a soaking fiasco.

The sprinklers burst free and drench the group of teenage boys, and I can hear the instant huffs

exploding from our disgruntled daughter.

The guys run away from the watery assault, and Devin shrugs off all the scrutiny as a cute smirk

spreads on his perfect lips.

“That should cool down their teenage hormones,” he says so casually.

“I swear
you’re
the teenager,” I playfully scold.

He pulls me back to his lips, and everyone rushes up the hill to start the party, including the

dripping wet boys. Reluctantly we pull back to join the party as the pile of presents calls for our eager

daughter’s attention.

Aster opens each gift with eager anticipation even though she can see everything she’s getting

before unwrapping it. Fortunately, she’s unable to see me, and just like her father, I can still surprise

her.

“This one is from us,” I gloat while handing her a small wrapped box.

She opens it up, and tears fill her eyes instantly as her mouth falls open in gaping disbelief.

“Really?” she beams.

“Really,” I sigh, and Devin grumbles under his breath over the gift he fought me on.

She squeals and forgets all about her father’s stubborn and childish behavior as she throws her

arms around both of us, and then she turns to face her friends of the mortal variety.

“We’re going to Paris after graduation! They said yes, and I’ve got our tickets right here!” she

screeches, and all of her friends start jumping and squealing in excitement.

“I don’t see what’s so exciting about it,” Devin sulks. “It’s not like she’s never been to Paris

before.”

“She’s never been without us,” I counter, and he rolls his eyes.

“Who are you having spy on her?” I muse.

“Some friends of mine Aster doesn’t know,” Kry pops in with a little smirk. “I warned them to

keep their distance, or the Emperian would deal with them. They’ll keep an eye on her though,” he

adds.

My lips press against Devin’s shoulder through the thin sleeve that hides his tattoo that now has

two doves in the protective circle of the ocean - one representing me and a smaller one for our

daughter.

I grin a little, and then Devin pulls me into his arms as the music starts to play. Our daughter

doesn’t just have the room of a princess; she has the title and the luxuries. Life is amazing, and our

little girl is safe from the burdens all other immortals had to bear.

I only hope she finds the love I was so blessed to discover.

Devin and I have found something I never knew could even exist, and our eternity proves to be

better with each rapidly passing day.

Time is no longer a thing of fear or consequence; it’s just a word describing the changing world

we live in. Our world continues to remain a secret, and hidden within it is love beyond belief, passion

too surreal to put into words, and boundless hope - more now than what was left in the bottom of

Pandora’s Box.

Through the eyes of a Poseidon

I hate it when people are late, and Bob should have been in this godforsaken noise box thirty

minutes ago. The damn music is killing my oversensitive ears, and these mortal women annoy me

with their wanting eyes.

They have no idea what an impossible feet I am.

I need to hide my damn ring finger. Perhaps I should invest in a wedding band just to deter the

foolish women from drooling like savage beasts. Knowing my luck, they would probably just throw

themselves at me all the more.

As soon as I sign the tab the flirty waitress hands me, her eyes clock the finger I was trying to

hide. Her cheeks blush, and I roll my eyes at the foolish pile of drool forming around her frothing

lips.

Definitely buying a wedding band.

My eyes cut away to resume watching the station I requested the television be turned to in order

to deter any foolish thing she might try to say. As long as I make it obvious I’m not interested, she’ll

go away.

Damn.

I almost regret watching the news now.
Another attack has just happened close to my current

apartment. Mom will be exhausted if she has to keep cleaning up after these unknowns.

I’m almost sick of how close they keep getting. They shouldn’t be finding us so often.

I’m a little caught off guard by someone far too close clearing their throat.

Where the hell did she come from without me seeing her?

Small beads of sweat form on her brow as she waits for me to act as though I’m interested. Of

course it’s a mortal girl, but damn she’s gorgeous.

I force a callous stare despite her breathtaking appearance, and then I very impatiently murmur,

“Yes?”

She looks absolutely terrified. Poor girl. Her mortal eyes tremble in panic as though she has

forgotten how to speak.

It’s almost funny, but I shouldn’t laugh at her. That would be cruel.

“Hi,” she bumbles out, and I suddenly find her young age to be a little refreshing.

She’s not like the aggressive immortal women I keep becoming entangled with, but she’s still just

mortal.

I can’t.

I turn the rest of my body to face her in hopes it will intimidate her enough to end this sad,

embarrassing display.

“Hi,” I coldly reply to keep the conversation curt.

I almost feel like the man who just stole a child’s sucker when she almost pouts with her

sensationally exquisite lips.

Damn
.

Her eyes are phenomenal. They’re a cool blue with a hint of green promising to tint the edges if

you look close enough. Her long, dark hair looks soft enough to touch, and I have to refrain from

actually trying to do such a foolish thing.

Her skin looks so fucking soft, and it makes my lips beg to touch her body. She’s so incredibly

perfect. How is she mortal?

What the hell is wrong with me?

“I was wondering if you maybe you wanted to dance?” she stammers out somewhat pitifully, and

now I feel my foolish body betraying me as it tries to get closer.

You don’t want me honey, oh but the things I want to do with you would surely cause you to fall in

love. You’d be obsessed within a few days and infected within a month.

I’ve got to get a grip.

I can’t control my urge to laugh at myself and this ridiculous situation where I actually feel

compelled to ravage this ravenous creature whose veins course with mortal blood.

“No thanks, sweetie. I’m not interested,” I lie through my laughter, but I’m still curious as to

why I can’t see anything she’s about to do or say.

It’s starting to agitate me slightly, and I feel like an absolute ass when I see I’ve just humiliated

her with the laughter she thinks stemmed from her dance proposal instead of my own inability to fight

off the temptations she causing me to suffer.

Damn it.
Why is she getting to me?

I pretend to turn my attention back to the news, although she’s all I want to look at. She rushes

back to her table just as the very late Bob walks up to greet me. If he had been here on time, this

mortal wouldn’t be getting under my skin right now.

Bob’s pompous face annoys me, but he’s got an idea that will pay out profusely very soon.

I’ve been bored for too long, so it’ll be good for me to have my mind distracted. Even though

now I seem distracted from my planned distraction. That girl is really starting to drive me mad.

Why can’t I fucking see her?

“Devin. Nice to see you. Are you ready to run over the schematics?”

I’ve been ready, you fat, late slob.

“Yes I am, though it’s quite the odd scene you’ve chosen for business,” I very cordially reply

despite my underlying irritation.

Bob laughs at my obvious distaste for the club scene I find to be very unprofessional. The

meeting being so late was annoying enough.

“I like the young air in here. It reminds me that life isn’t always about work. I think a youthful

surrounding is good for you, considering you’ve forgotten how young you are.”

I know everything he’s going to say before we even sit down, and I’m not even sure why I agreed

to this fruitless meeting, other than the fact I was too bored to sit at home again.

Other than constantly battling with the unknowns, nothing spectacular has been happening. Now

this damn girl won’t get out of my head.

I feel like a bit of a creep when I intentionally tune Bob out and start listening to the conversation

of the little anomaly I’m struggling to understand.

“That was brutal,” one girl whispers with a hint of smugness.

I’m sure she’s jealous of the beauty my little invisible girl carries with effortless ease.

“Yeah. I know. I was kind of there,” she mumbles in response, and now I feel a need to go and

apologize for my crude behavior.

Fuck. I have to stop.

One girl, who seems to be a true friend, places a sympathetic hand on my mysterious wonder’s

shoulder.

“He has to be gay,” her friend asserts, and I stifle a smirk.

My mystery girl lets out a laugh at her friend’s candor.

“Let’s go dance. I’ll drink on the way down,” she murmurs with exasperation and a little bit of

wounded ego.

Her friend takes her hand, and they begin exiting the room. Now I’m really pissed. I can’t hear

them while their in the middle of that ridiculously loud mosh pit below. I still can’t fucking see her,

and I have to know more about her.

“I tell you what, Bob. You’ve already got the deal. I’ll sign the papers and have my assistant