Enslaved: Eternal Guardians series

“Sotiria,” he whispered, framing her face with his hands. “You give up too much for me.”

 

 

She gripped his forearms, and her skin warmed at the contact. “Haven’t you figured out by now, Guardian, I would give up anything for you?”

 

His eyes softened, and as he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her so gently, so thoroughly, she knew the sacrifice she’d made wasn’t a sacrifice at all.

 

“I will make you happy,” he whispered against her lips. “I promise.”

 

Someone chuckled. From somewhere close Titus muttered, “Way to go, Gryph.” Then to the rest of the group, “Another one bites the dust.”

 

A thwack echoed through the clearing, followed by Skyla’s voice saying, “Leave them alone. I think it’s sweet.”

 

But Maelea didn’t care what Gryphon’s kin thought. All she cared about was spending her life with the man she’d feared and hated and loved and lost. With the man she’d never lose again.

 

She pulled back from his mouth. “What about your Council? They won’t let me—”

 

“Don’t worry about them,” Theron said nearby. “We’ll handle the Council. I think it’s the least we can do, after what you did for us.”

 

Gryphon looked to Theron, smiled his thanks, then glanced back down at her, this time with eyes she knew she would lose herself in forever. “Anything else you need?”

 

“Just you,” she whispered. “You’re all I ever need.”

 

“Ditto, sotiria.” His lips curled higher as he leaned down to kiss her again. And as his arms tightened around her waist, she couldn’t tell where he stopped and she began.

 

Which, after all this time, was exactly the way it should be.

 

 

 

 

 

Eternal Guardians Lexicon

 

 

ándras; pl. andres. Male Argolean

 

Argolea. Realm established by Zeus for the blessed heroes and their descendants

 

Argonauts. Eternal guardian warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition

 

Council of Elders. Twelve lords of Argolea who advise the king

 

daemons. Beasts who were once human, recruited from the Fields of Asphodel (purgatory) by Atalanta to join her army

 

doulas. Slave

 

élencho. Mind-control technique Argonauts use on humans

 

Fates. Three goddesses who control the thread of life for all mortals from birth until death

 

gynaíka; pl. gynaíkes. Female Argolean

 

Horae. Three goddesses of balance, controlling life and order

 

Isles of the Blessed. Heaven

 

kardia. Term of endearment; my heart

 

kobalos; pl. kobaloi. Gnomelike creatures who mine Hades’s invisibility ore

 

meli. Term of endearment; beloved

 

Misos. Half-human/half-Argolean race that lives hidden among humans

 

Olympians. Current ruling gods of the Greek pantheon, led by Zeus

 

Orb of Krónos. Four-chambered disk that, when filled with the four classic elements—earth, wind, fire, and water—has the power to release the Titans from Tartarus

 

Siren Order. Zeus’s elite band of personal warriors. Commanded by Athena

 

skata. Swear word

 

sotiria. Term of endearment; my salvation

 

Tartarus. Realm of the Underworld similar to hell

 

Titans. The ruling gods before the Olympians

 

thea. Term of endearment; goddess

 

yios. Son

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

Elisabeth Naughton is the bestselling author of more than ten paranormal and romantic suspense novels. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including the prestigious RITA awards, the Australian Romance Readers Awards, the Golden Leaf, and the Golden Heart. Enraptured, the fourth book in her Eternal Guardians series, was listed as one of the Publishers Weekly top-ten romances for the spring of 2012 and garnered rave reviews. To learn more about her and her books, visit www.elisabethnaughton.com.