She understood. She felt the same. She didn’t want him anywhere but at her side. But Nick…
She looked up at Theron, who’d been none too pleased when he found out Casey had crossed to the human realm to help, and how close she’d come to death when Isadora’s situation had turned dire. Guilt washed through her, that she’d caused so much trouble for everyone during an already tumultuous time, but this was always the way it was going to be. Anytime any one of the three sisters was in jeopardy, the others would be affected. And Zander too, since Callia was his vulnerability.
Her gaze cut to Callia and Zander standing on the other side of the bed, he behind her rubbing her shoulders, she looking down at Elysia with a wide smile. This time, thankfully, tragedy had been averted.
It wouldn’t always be.
Her gaze slid back to Theron. She pushed thoughts of what could have happened out of her mind and focused on what they needed to do next. “The Misos can’t come back here. Now that Hades knows where they’re located, they won’t be safe. And with Nick gone…” Her heart pinched, and she cuddled Elysia closer, so very thankful for what Nick had done for her but afraid for him at the same time. “They’ll need to stay in Argolea.”
“The Council will throw a fit about that,” Demetrius said at her side.
Isadora didn’t care. She had bigger problems to deal with. Like how they were going to find Nick and save him from a hell he’d sacrificed himself to, all for her. It didn’t matter if he was Krónos’s son—though her stomach rolled at just the thought. All that mattered was that he’d saved her. Saved them. “The Council can kiss my ass.”
“When can she go back?” Theron asked Callia. “I don’t think it’s safe for her to be here where Hades knows he can reach her. Even with Nick as a prize, he’s going to be pissed he lost her soul. Especially since we now have Maelea.”
Thank the gods Maelea and Gryphon were back in Argolea with Max, getting the colonists settled. Things could have gone from bad to worse had Persephone’s daughter been in the room when Hades showed up.
“Tomorrow, probably,” Callia answered. “She should be strong enough by then.”
“We still have to deal with the issue of the fire element,” Casey said from Theron’s side. “Even if Zagreus can use Nick to harness Krónos’s powers and…crap….I don’t know, figure out how to somehow free the Titan, we still need that element. And having Prometheus on our side would be a huge boost.”
Theron crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at Zander. Isadora knew from talking to Callia that Zander had let Titus and Natasa go in search of her father. She leaned into Demetrius, totally understanding the reasoning, but every second that passed without word from them amped her worry another degree.
“What of her ‘unquenchable fire’?” she asked, looking up at the rest of them.
“Titus isn’t going to let that happen,” Zander said. When all eyes turned his way, he added, “Trust me. I saw the guy. He’s got it bad for her. No way he’s letting her out of his sight.”
Theron rubbed his forehead. “According to Phin, he had it bad for her before any of this even happened.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Casey’s lips curled in a smile. “I remember a time when you ‘had it bad.’”
Theron’s arm wrapped around Casey and he pulled her close to his side. “I still have it bad, meli. Especially when you pull stunts like that last one. But that doesn’t change the fact the object of his obsession is more of a loose cannon than Zagreus ever was.”
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. Isadora looked past Theron and the others who were turning to see what the ruckus was about. Surprise registered when Titus appeared in the doorway. Unlike the last time Isadora had seen him, there was a wild look in his hazel eyes. His clothes were wrinkled and covered in dirt, his hair free of the usual leather strap, hanging in messy waves around his face. And there was enough stubble on his jaw to tell her he hadn’t thought of shaving in days.
Theron dropped his arm from Casey’s waist. “Titus—”
“You.” Titus looked past the leader of the Argonauts and zeroed in on Demetrius. “I need you right now.”
“What’s happened?” Demetrius let go of Isadora and the baby and pushed to his feet.
Titus took one step into the room. “I have to get to Prometheus before it’s too late. He’s the only one who can stop it. I know where he is…I just don’t know how to get there.”
“Stop what?” Theron asked.
“Where?” Demetrius said.
“Pandora.” Titus didn’t even look Theron’s way. “He’s being held in a cave high in the mountains.”
Pandora. Isadora’s pulse picked up speed. She looked up at her mate, who was suddenly looking down at her. Prometheus was on the island where she and Demetrius had been trapped together by Atalanta. Where Zeus had dumped all the worst of the monsters and beasts from the ancient days. They’d been within walking distance of the Titan and hadn’t even known it. “Oh my gods,” she muttered.
She didn’t have to ask what Titus was trying to stop. Everyone knew.
“How long?” Demetrius looked back at Titus.
Titus scrubbed a hand through his messy hair. Panic filled his eyes. “I don’t know. Eighteen hours, maybe less.”
“Holy skata,” Theron muttered. “And you’re just now telling us?” He looked to Zander with a see what kind of mess you caused look. “We have to make sure she’s contained before—”
Fury flashed in Titus’s eyes, and he hurled himself toward Theron, slamming the leader of the Argonauts back against the wall beside Isadora with a crack. “You’re not touching her!”
Isadora gasped and pulled the baby close to her body in a protective move. Casey and Callia scrambled toward the bed to protect her.
“Son of a bitch.” Demetrius lurched around the bed. Zander’s boots scuffed the floor. Theron’s head hit the wall with a crack, but the leader of the Argonauts had the strength of Heracles on his side. Isadora knew he wasn’t really hurt, just surprised….as were they all.
“Dammit, Titus.” Zander grasped him by one arm. Demetrius got hold of the other. Together they yanked Titus back from the death grip he had on Theron’s throat.
“What the fuck has gotten into you?” Theron roared.
Titus’s face looked pained, but he jerked against the hold Zander and Demetrius had him in. “You’re not putting her in a cage. She’s not a freakin’ animal!”
“Holy Hades.” Exasperated, Theron ran a hand down his face as if to calm himself, then pinned Titus with a hard look. “You’re losing it, man. Pull your shit together and remember what’s at stake here. Do you have any idea what she really is?”
“She’s a person. Not an object and not a pawn that you”—he yanked his arms out of the guardians’ grips—“can manipulate in your vendetta against the gods.”
Theron’s eyes darkened. Isadora tensed, realizing how close to losing it the leader of the Argonauts was. He stalked forward, getting right in Titus’s space. “I don’t give a rip about the gods right now. I’m focused solely on what we—as guardians—took an oath to defend. Start thinking with your brain, Titus, instead of your dick. She’s the end of the fucking human world.”
“Since when do you care what happens to the human realm?” Contempt filled Titus’s eyes. “You never did before Casey came into your life. You forget shit so fast. Once you realized she was your soul mate, you were willing to sacrifice everything for her—everyone in this room and all of Argolea. I’m not asking you to do that. I’m not even asking for your friggin’ help. All I need is for Demetrius to tell me where the island is located before Natasa dies.”
“Lena said her temperature might continue to rise,” Callia said warily. “Is she overheating?”
“No,” Titus answered, staring at Theron, distrust and anger swirling in his eyes. “She ate hemlock. Poisoned herself in the middle of the night so it would kill her before the element could ignite inside
her. And she did it to save the human realm, not destroy it like you all think she’s hot to do.”
Theron’s eyes widened.
“Shit,” someone muttered. “Fuck me,” someone else whispered. In the shock reverberating through the room, Isadora’s gaze found Demetrius’s. She nodded.
Demetrius looked at Titus. “I’ll take you to Pandora.”
Relief rushed over Titus’s features. He moved quickly toward the hall. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
“Titus—” Theron called.
Titus stalked through the door without responding, disappearing around the corner without another word.
Looking as shocked as Isadora felt, Theron turned toward Demetrius. “We’ll need charmed weapons if we have any hope of getting past those beasts on Pandora.”
“Pretty sure what we’ll need we can find in the Hall of heroes,” Demetrius answered.
Theron was going with Demetrius and Titus. Though fear shot through Isadora’s belly at the thought of Demetrius back on that nightmare of an island, a little of her anxiety eased. She knew Theron had only been performing his duty, protecting the human world as best he could, but Titus had a point. Theron had been willing to give up everything for Casey. And Titus had every right to be pissed at all of them for not giving Natasa the same benefit of the doubt, no matter who she was.
“Should we gather the rest of the guardians?” Zander asked.
“No,” Theron answered. “We don’t want to do anything to attract unwanted attention from the gods. Cerek and Phin can keep cleaning up. I’ll alert Orpheus and Skyla to watch over the Horae until the queen is clear to travel back to Argolea.” He turned toward Casey. “Can you contact Gryphon and tell him to keep everything under wraps? The last thing we need is the Council figuring out shit’s going down.”
Casey nodded, stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around Theron’s waist. “I will. Don’t worry, everything here will be fine. Just help Titus find Prometheus before it’s too late for Natasa.”
Theron frowned down at his mate. “My help’s the last thing he wants right now. But he was right. I would have given up everything for you, meli.”
Casey eased up on her toes and kissed him. “That’s what makes you human. It’s what makes you different from the gods. It’s what I love about you.”
He frowned. “My stubbornness?”
“Your flaws. And your ability to admit when you’re wrong.”
Isadora watched the exchange, regret spreading through her. She was as much to blame as Theron. Sometimes she got so wrapped up in doing for the good of the whole, she forgot that it was the individual relationships that made life so precious.
Demetrius leaned close and kissed Elysia on the forehead. When he lifted his dark eyes to Isadora’s, she ran her fingers over his rugged jawline, aware that Natasa’s life wasn’t the only one in peril here. “Be careful. Please don’t do anything stupid. We need you.”
Demetrius pressed his lips against hers. “Nothing will ever keep me away from you, kardia. Take care of our princess.”
Her heart rolled as he eased away, as he joined the others and headed for the door. Her sisters—Callia and Casey—sat on opposite sides of the bed, and through her connection to both of them, she could feel their worry and fear for their own mates
“They’ll be back,” Casey announced, brushing her fingers over Elysia’s little head. “They’ll find Prometheus in time.”
Isadora hoped so. Not only because she knew losing his soul mate might just break Titus, but because, regardless of what any of them had or hadn’t said, they couldn’t afford for Natasa’s fire to burn free.
Chapter Twenty
The Hall of Heroes was nothing more than ruins set high on a hill on the island of Pandora. The Mediterranean Sea crashed against rocks far below the broken outpost, and off in the trees on the hillside behind them, the splitting of trees hitting earth followed by an occasional screech or bellow echoed.
Titus didn’t know what the hell was making that noise or what was in those trees, but he had a bad feeling they’d soon find out. Demetrius had told them about his time on Pandora—about the hydra and chimera and ker he’d encountered while he’d been here. A ripple of worry skittered through Titus, but he forced it back. All he wanted to do was find Prometheus and leave.
His heart squeezed tight. He wasn’t going to lose her. He couldn’t. He kept his mouth shut as he followed Demetrius inside the ruins. Behind him, Theron and Zander spoke in hushed words. He didn’t know why the fuck the leader of the Argonauts had joined them, but he wasn’t going to be stupid. He knew Theron was most concerned about the element, not that he cared what happened to Natasa. Titus had already made an important decision before coming here: when he got Natasa out of this mess, he was leaving the Argonauts. He’d had it with doing what everyone wanted. When it came right down to it his guardian kin didn’t care about his happiness or his needs; they only cared about what he could do for them. About the fact they could use his ability to read minds to gain the upper hand in whatever battle or quest they were engaged in. And he was sick of it all.
Demetrius stopped in front of a stone wall and muttered words in ancient Greek. Air rasped, and then the entire door slid open to reveal a secret passageway and a curved set of dark stairs.
“Sweet,” Zander muttered at Titus’s back.
Demetrius reached for a torch from a holder on the wall, waved his hand, and used magic to ignite a small flame. Then he ushered them to follow.
Boots clomped against stone. The flame illuminated the dark staircase. Moving off the last step, Demetrius waved his hand over the torch, and the flame grew brighter, illuminating a hall with a vast ceiling and soaring columns, and seven trunks, each marked with a different seal of the great heroes. They formed a U shape with Heracles’s trunk the center of attention.
“Holy mother of gods,” Zander said, awe and wonder alight in his voice. “I honestly didn’t think this place was real. I mean…I know you told us but...”
“I lived it,” Demetrius said, setting the torch in a holder on one of the columns. “And most days I don’t believe it’s real.” He waved his hand again and other torches around the room came to life. “Fan out and look for what might be of help.”
They spread out. Titus moved toward the trunk marked with the seal of Odysseus. Metal groaned as he flipped the lid open and eased it back. Behind him, the guardians talked in low voices as they went through the other trunks.
A sword, a shield, a wooden statue of Athena—which Titus immediately recognized as the Palladium of Troy that Odysseus had stolen during the Trojan war—a cylindrical-shaped reed closed off on both ends that sloshed as if water were capped inside, and a small branch with a clump of bright orange, perfectly preserved berries still clinging to the vine.
He uncapped one end of the reed and sniffed. Quicklime, saltpeter, resin and a few other components he couldn’t decipher. He looked to the vine. At his back, he could hear the other guardians showing off spears and poisoned arrows.
He should be awed by the history in this one room, but he wasn’t. He was too frantic to get help for Natasa. Recapping the small tube, he thought logically. Odysseus had been a great warrior and a better thinker. Magical weapons might help, but they weren’t going to save Natasa’s life. He was.
He stuffed the reed into one pocket, the berries in another, then gathered the sword and shield and closed the lid of the trunk. “Let’s go. “We’re running out of time.”
Trunks closed. Demetrius and Zander headed for the door. Titus turned to follow Z, only to be stopped by Theron’s hand against the sleeve of his shirt. “T, hold up.”
Thankfully, Theron didn’t touch his skin, but Titus could read the Argonaut leader’s mind. And he already knew the guardian was fumbling for something to say after their run-in. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear excuses. I just want to get this done.”
He pulled his arm free and turned for the stairs.
“I di
dn’t know she was your soul mate.”
Titus harrumphed. “It wouldn’t have stopped you from trying to use her. I know that better than anyone.”
* * *
“There.”
Titus swiped the sweat from his brow. They’d battled three harpies—winged, screeching creatures that were a grotesque cross between woman and bird; a hydra—a nine-headed dragonlike beast hell-bent on keeping them from reaching the opposite side of a giant lake; and an orthrus—a two-headed serpent-tailed dog that, luckily, went down with the help of Demetrius’s magic and the strength left in Achilles’ spear. Hours had passed since he’d left Natasa, and every second that spun by amped Titus’s fear. Time was running out. If they didn’t free Prometheus and get him to his daughter…
His heart twisted. Zander, Theron, and Demetrius—each equally battle-weary and as sweaty as he—moved up on his side. All four eyed the dark cave dead ahead.
“I don’t hear anything,” Theron said in low voice.
No, Titus didn’t hear anything either. An eerie silence echoed over the rugged mountains. He knew Prometheus was in there. Lies could be told but not felt. Calypso couldn’t have fooled him.
Demetrius scanned the rock formation above the cave entrance. “You think that giant eagle’s inside with him or lurking somewhere out here?”
Titus’s gaze jumped from rock to rock. He tuned in to his gift and tried to locate the eagle’s thoughts. Couldn’t.
“We could look for another way in,” Zander said.
“That could take hours.” Demetrius’s gaze narrowed on the cave opening. “Natasa doesn’t have hours.”
Theron drew his blade. “Then let’s be quiet and quick and get the hell out of here.”
Zander, Theron, and Demetrius moved forward. Titus hesitated, hundreds of thousands of years of war strategy rolling like a wave through his mind. If he were Zeus, he’d lock Prometheus somewhere no one could reach him. In a place with only one entrance that, to the naked eye, might seem harmless but was actually impenetrable.