揕isten,?she said softly. 揇o you remember how I told you Circe and Selene kept to themselves? How secretive they were even when they knew Astraea had used a piece of the Heart to heal me??
I nodded.
揑t抯 different now. Since Circe and Persephone have been back, they抳e been more open with me about certain things. They both seem like they抮e coming to some kind of reckoning. The pottery shard was sitting in my collection for twenty years before I had time to try and return it. If Circe hadn抰 been so closed off we might have found the last piece of the Heart sooner, but I guess she had her reasons. The point is, she knows that it was a mistake to close herself off and she doesn抰 want it to happen again.?
揥hat does that have to do with you and me??I asked. 揑 mean, I抦 glad y抋ll are talking, but neither of you are talking to me about what y抋ll saw in the Grotto, what Dr. Kent and her sisters did to the strings. Persephone said you needed to tell me something, so what is it? And don抰 tell me it抯 nothing. I抦 not stupid.?
Marie looked stunned. 揑 would never ever think that about you.?
揙kay, then be honest with me. Tell me what you and Persephone are so concerned about.?A knot grew in my throat. We had a lot of secrets between the two of us, but this couldn抰 be one of them. Not when it might be about her safety.
揧ou heard the whole conversation??Marie asked.
揚art of it.?I met her gaze, exactly the way I shouldn抰 have. Heat rushed to my face.
Marie stepped close and gently pressed her forehead to mine. 揑抦 going to do everything in my power to help you get your mom back. I don抰 care what it costs.?
揥hat it costs? I don抰 like the way that sounds. Please just tell me what it is.?
揑 don抰 want to,?she said. She interlaced her fingers with mine. 揑 don抰 want you to worry.?
揑t抯 way too late for that.?
She sighed, and her sweet breath in my face sent a warm rush through me. 揚ersephone is worried about things that no one has any control over,?she said. 揧ou think I抦 dramatic? I don抰 have anything on her. The truth is no one has ever reunited all the pieces of the Heart. At least that抯 what Circe is telling me now. So, we don抰 know what will happen or how. Persephone is a pessimist. She wants me to run down every single thing that could possibly go wrong and I refuse to do it. She is overly paranoid.?
揝he said we were going to die.?
Marie rolled her eyes. 揚lease. You really think I抎 let any of this happen if we were all fated to die? Please give me a little more credit than that.?
I smiled at her and she let her gaze drift to my mouth.
揧ou think we actually have a chance??I asked.
揑 do,?she said. 揑 really do. But no matter what, I抎 walk through whatever fire lies ahead for a chance to make you happy.?
She slipped her hands around my waist and pressed her lips against mine. The world around us melted away. Her body radiated warmth and I leaned toward her like a wilted plant to sunlight. I came alive under her touch. She smelled like roses and her lips tasted like cinnamon. I let my fingers trace along the bare skin of her neck as I breathed her in. The tangle of vines behind me shifted. Marie had her hands under my shirt, her fingers trailing over the small of my back. For all her strength, she was gentle with me梙er lips soft, her touch softer.
I thought I抎 been kissed before, but I realized in that moment that I never had. Not really. I pulled her closer, grabbing a handful of her shirt, feeling her frame soften against mine.
She leaned away from me, and I took the opportunity to catch my breath. My head swam; my senses were on ten. Beside me, sprigs of wisteria had intermingled with the common ivy and sprouted hundreds of pale lavender blooms along the entire length of the latticework.
Marie straightened her shirt and pushed her long braid behind her shoulder. She reached out and readjusted my glasses, which were sitting sideways on my face.
揅抦on,?she said, laughing softly. 揑 think we抮e gonna go into town.?
揊or what??I asked. 揑 don抰 wanna go anywhere.?I pulled her close again and she nuzzled my neck, sending a rush of warmth all through me.
She pulled back and smiled. 揋uess who Circe wants to pay a visit to??
I shrugged.
揕ou.?
揊or real??My last visit to Lou抯 had been with Karter, and Lou had made it clear that he would probably try to fight Marie if he ever saw her again. 揟hat dude hates you.?
A wicked grin spread across her face. 揑 know. This is gonna be way too much fun.?
揓ust don抰 hurt him, okay? He抯 a creep, I get it. But if Mo抯 going with us, I don抰 think she抣l be able to handle you folding Lou up like a pretzel.?
揟hat抯 Nyx抯 thing,?she said. She put her hand on her heart. 揑 promise I won抰 do anything he can抰 walk away from. Did you know that if you cut off someone抯 toe, it can be reattached as long as you keep the severed piece on ice? I mean, that抯 probably true for fingers, too, right??