A Pawn For Time (Daughter of the Olympians #1)

(25) Getting to Know an... Ally?

Kai and I woke up in each other's arms. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I felt a shiver go down my arms.

I was no longer wearing Kai's jacket, nor mine. My arms were bare, which was a new feeling. I never went anywhere without a jacket or long sleeves. I must of taken them off sometime in the night. I also wasn't wearing shoes.

"Good morning, again," Kai jokingly said in my ear. I giggled and looked towards the window. The sky shone with bright light still. If I ever go back to Olympus, I need to tell Apollo to lay off the brightness a little bit.

Kai sat up next to me. I glanced at him and looked away. Kai pulled my chin back, so I was facing him again.

"Such beautiful eyes," he mumbled to himself. His eyes bore into mine. He had a sense of longing and... love... radiating off of him. I shifted my weight and pulled away from his grasp.

Kai sighed and stood up. He walked to a room in the hallway and shut the door. I heard water running shortly after.

I ran my hand through my hair. I, no doubt, still had a blush still visible in my face. My stomach fluttered and I felt speechless when I looked at him. Is this what it's like to be in love?

I'm pretty positive the feelings were mutual. Until yesterday, I didn't believe in love at first sight. But when I laid my eyes on Kai, it felt like the world around me stopped. Every time I touch him, I get a tingling feeling in my fingertips. I feel secure in his arms, and we barely know each other.

Today, I am determined to change that.

I got up and walked to the kitchen. The clock on the oven made my heart skip a beat. It read 1:41 P.M. We've been sleeping for a long time.

It also made me a bit nervous. Wouldn't my parents be looking for me by now? I shook it off, it'll be fine. I'm safe here.

The sound of running water stopped. I returned to the living room. I stood by the window and looked at the view.

I heard the door open and Kai's footsteps near. He stopped, and I felt his eyes on my back. He continued to walk towards me.

He wrapped his arms around my waist. I stiffened up and swallowed. He placed a kiss on my neck. "Relax," Kai breathed down my neck. The scent of midnight cologne engulfed my senses. Thanks Aphrodite powers for letting me know that.

I let my shoulders sag a little bit. Kai set his head on top of mine. We stood their for awhile. Eventually, Kai pulled back. I faced him and really took a look at him.

He was devilishly handsome, with high cheekbones and a fair complexion. His silver eyes shone with concentration as he ran his hand through his dark brown hair. He was tall, maybe 6'1, and had a poise of confidence. He always seemed deep in thought, and very intelligent.

Kai sat back on the couch and leaned back. I took a seat next to him and squeezed his hand. He looked me in the eye. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it.

"What's up?" I asked with my eyebrows raised. He was at a loss of words. Kai looked away and exhaled.

"I'm debating whether or not to tell you something."

"Why?"

"I'm unsure of what you might say. I fear you wouldn't look at me the same."

I was taken aback. What the hell is going on?

"You know you can tell me anything, Kai. I promise I won't judge." I said sincerely. He sighed and pulled me on to his lap. He buried his face in my neck. His breath caused goosebumps down my spine.

"I'm not the person I said I am, Katherine. I'm not from Scotland. I'm not a good guy. I'm not 20." He paused and pulled me closer to his chest.

"I'm not even mortal, Katherine. I know that you aren't either. I have a bad history with your parents. I lied to you about myself because I feared their wrath. I don't know what I was thinking. I recognized you right away yesterday. I guess you left me awestruck. Once we started talking, I was shocked to learn you were nothing like your parents. But I honestly didn't want to take the chance that you would tell them about me."

I was shocked. How could this be possible?

"Why do you fear them? What happened between you guys?" I stuttered.

"I don't exactly fear them. Not anymore. I led a surprise attack on Olympus years ago. When they found out that it was me, they banished me from Olympus. Ever since, we've had bad blood. I seek revenge on them." He said the last sentence with venom.

"You know that I'm the daughter of all the Olympians, right? How'd you know you could trust that I wouldn't say anything about you?"

"Well, at first, I didn't trust you. I guess that's why I lied. But last night, while you were sleeping, I woke up. I was facing your back. That's when I saw the mark on your shoulder. I knew I could trust you."

"Mark? What mark?" I asked trying to be as clueless as I could. I came out sounding desperate.

"The mark of Kronos. Meaning, you are in league with him."

I stood up abruptly and paced away, hugging myself. I looked him dead in the eye. "I swear, if you tell anyone, especially my parents-"

"No, you've got it all wrong. I'm not going to tell them."

"How do I know I can trust you?" I said trembling.

"Because, well, see for yourself." He stood up and turned away from me. I was staring into his back. Kai grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. He tossed the shirt on the ground. Sure enough, on his right shoulder was the mark of Kronos:

Otherwise known as a scythe, the weapon and symbol of the Titan lord.

I touched the tattoo and gasped in shock. Not only was the guy I met yesterday Greek, but he was helping Kronos.

"You're one of us." I stated simply. Kai turned towards me and nodded. I cupped his face with my hand.

"Who are you really, Kai?" We held eye contact with each other.

"I am Malakai, the shunned son of Nyx, the primordial god of banishment, abyss, and inner demons."

The sky rumbled outside. I stepped closer to Kai. The sky seemed to thunder more and get darker, but I didn't care. I leaned in and placed my lips on Kai's.