Page 205 of Fallen Stars
“Eliiii,” she drew out, a dopey smile coming to her face. “I’ve missed you.”
In a moment, her arms were flung around Eli.
“Charmed, I take it?” Eli drawled as he extricated himself from Merissa’s grip. The woman was sweet, far too good for someone like him. But he pitied her—for both the brother and mother she had and tried to be pleasant with her.
Merissa giggled. “I couldn’t help it. It just feels so good.” She moaned then, her hands trailing down the bodice of her dress. Eli could feel her charm drowning him, all over the place as it leaked out of her, frenzied with Sagitton’s charm.
“Eli, what’s wrong with me?” the glamour said.
“What do you mean?” he asked as he hauled her up and back towards Enzo.
“Even a stranger didn’t want to make love to me.”
He observed her, her beauty and sweetness. “Merissa, I’m sure many men would cut their left arm off to spend the night with you.”
She sighed, her eyes flashing purple. “Would you?” she murmured, rising to meet him. She trailed a finger down his cheek. “Would you show me why they call you Silvertongue, just like you promised?”
Eli gently wrapped a hand around her wrist. “Oh, sweetheart. What I promise is that you couldn’t begin to handle me. I doubt you’d survive the night.”
Merissa giggled, unabashed, as she extricated herself from his hold. “Well that I can believe.”
“Merissa, how did you get here?”
“Well, I was playing trick or treat, and then a demon whispered such pretty words to me, then I just…sort of…” She trailed off, her eyes swirling purple again as they stared up at the skies.
Eli groaned. “Right. Eat some of these now.” He reached above their heads to pick a bunch of green grapes hanging from the canopy.
“My mother told me not to eat or drink anything from here,” Merissa sighed.
“Did she also tell you to allow Sagitton’s charm to turn you into an imbecile?” Eli snapped, pushing the fruit into her hand as they kept walking. “The purple Kaosian grape instils the madness and charm you feel around you. Sagitton charms them himself. Consuming it enhances that insanity. But the green grape… The green grape is an antidote to it. Now, eat.”
“The demon told me that too.”
Eli really didn’t care about the nonsense Merissa was spouting. He pushed a grape into her surprised mouth, and the demi-Star cursed as she chewed it.
He watched, concerned, until finally the mist in her green eyes seemed to dissipate, the emerald of them now sharp as they reached the end of the alley. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, Elara’s in danger.”
Merissa’s eyes widened as she saw Enzo before them, his eyes flashing with agitation as they looked at Merissa.
“Mer, Sagitton has her,” Enzo said.
Merissa cursed, and the sound surprised Eli. “Where?” she asked.
Eli pointed. “His temple up ahead. Do you have any idea where the others are?”
“I think I was tricked first,” Merissa said. “I have no idea.”
Eli sighed. “Go and fetch some more green grapes, as many as you can carry.” He closed his eyes as he began to hear delirious hoots and shrieks up ahead. “Sounds like we need them.”
Merissa did as he asked, arms laden with them as she returned.
The three set off again, turning the corner, and the sight that greeted Eli was one that he had predicted.
The pirate-turned-titan Adrian was skipping around the life-sized statue of Sagitton that rose through the square, a bottle of wine in each hand, singing at the top of his voice. Music, disjointed and slow, played around them. He was linking arms with an angel, who…
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Eli growled.
“What?” Enzo asked.