“You look like shit, you know,” Nick said.
Titus huffed and ran a hand over his head. His hair smelled like the ocean and hung to his shoulders in knotted waves. A rubber band to tie the mess back from his face would be good, but he didn’t even have the urge to go look for one. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine; you look fucked.”
Titus hesitated midstep, and realized the thought had come from Nick. He’d been alone with Natasa so long, he hadn’t heard another thought in hours. And the shock of it was enough to remind him just how much he needed to be near her again.
“Look,” Nick said, “As much as it doesn’t overjoy me to do so, I need to alert Theron that you’re both here.”
Titus jerked around. “Don’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because”—what the hell was he going to say?—“Theron’s distracted with everything happening in Argolea.”
“Yeah, right.”
Shit, even Titus knew that was a stupid excuse. He scrubbed a hand down his face. Nick was a smart guy, and if Titus lied to him, he’d only run to Theron anyway, to double check his story. His best shot was honesty at this point. Or partial honesty.
“Theron thinks Natasa’s working for Zagreus. That she was in Argolea to find Maelea for that reason. That’s why I called you for help instead of taking her there.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Is she?”
“No. Most definitely not.”
“How can you be sure?”
Because he felt it. Deep inside. In a place he’d never felt anything before. But he knew that wouldn’t be enough to convince Nick, so instead, he said, “Because Zagreus came after her too. He wouldn’t have done that if she were working for him.”
“Unless she changed her mind and was running from him.”
He’ll come for me. Will think…I failed.
No, he didn’t believe that. He shook off the thought. She’d been feverish and mumbling those words. They didn’t mean anything. Plus, her working for Zagreus wasn’t a logical explanation, not with everything he knew about her.
“She wasn’t,” he said firmly.
Nick tipped his head and studied Titus speculatively. “What is it about her that’s got you in such a knot? It’s more than the fact she’s attractive. I’ve seen you barely glance twice at an attractive female. Why is this one so special?”
Because she’s mine.
Another burst of understanding ricocheted through Titus. Holy shit… She was his soul mate. It wasn’t the element drawing him to her; it was a deeper connection, one he’d never expected—never wanted—to find. Until now.
“I…I don’t know,” he lied. His head felt suddenly light. His skin cold and clammy. He swallowed hard and tried to mask his reaction, but knew he failed…miserably.
Nick stared at him so long, sweat broke out all over Titus’s skin.
“You look like you haven’t slept in three days,” Nick finally said.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Fine or not, you look like you’re in over your head.”
A truer statement had never been uttered. Titus shook it off. “I’ll sleep on a chair in her room. I won’t let her out of my sight. Just do me this one favor—don’t tell Theron and the others we’re here. I promise nothing bad will happen to the colony. As soon as she’s better, we’ll leave.”
“And go where?”
Titus didn’t know. He just knew he wasn’t losing her. Not to the gods, not to the Argonauts, and not to some fluke infection. Not when he’d finally found her.
After several long, tense seconds, Nick turned for the door. “You can stay. For now. Mostly because I don’t feel like dealing with anyone from Argolea. But if any strange shit happens, you and your chick are out of here. Got it?”
“Got it.” Grateful, Titus nodded. “Thanks.”
Nick paused in the doorway. “Don’t thank me yet. I have a knack for fucking things up myself. An hour from now you may be wishing you’d found refuge anywhere but here.”
His boots echoed down the long corridor, and Titus drew in a breath, then let it out slowly.
His soul mate… Skata, he should have figured that out sooner.
He dropped into a chair and rubbed his throbbing temples. The click of shoes from the hallway brought his head up.
Lena, the colony’s healer, came into the room, her brown ponytail swinging at her back. “Titus?”
Fear stabbed through his heart. He pushed to his feet. “Yeah.”
Don’t say she’s dead... Please don’t say she’s dead...
Lena crossed her arms over the clipboard in her hands and pulled it against her chest. “We were able to close the wound and treat the infection. Her temperature has come down.”
Relief as sweet as wine whipped through Titus and dragged the strength from his legs. He dropped back into his chair and closed his eyes. Thank you, Dimiourgos.
“There’s more.”
Apprehension tightened his chest. He glanced up. “What more?”
“How did you…?”
He rose to his feet. “Just answer the question.”
Lena pursed her lips. “She’s still running a fever above 102. It’s not as bad as it was, but we can’t seem to bring it down. And we can’t find any reason for it either. No other infection, no underlying health problem. It’s like…”
“Like it’s part of her,” he finished, reading her confused mind.
She nodded. “Right now she’s stable, but there’s no telling if it will creep back up again. The infection wasn’t nearly as bad as the fever.”
Which meant her increasing temperature wasn’t from infection after all. It was from the fire element.
I’m unstable. In a lot of ways…
He swallowed hard. “Can I see her?”
“We were hoping you would. Marc and the others who brought you here told me her temperature seemed to lower when you were touching her. Maybe you’ll be able to have an effect on her my healing skills can’t.”
That didn’t make any logical sense to Titus, but he nodded and followed Lena into the hall.
Sconces lit the corridor. The medical clinic was located in the lower levels of the Misos Colony, which was really just an old castle built on an island in the middle of a glacial lake.
Lena stopped outside a heavy wood door. “We’ll check on her in a bit. If you need anything, let us know.”
He muttered his thanks. On a deep breath, he pushed the door open, then stepped into the dimly lit room and looked toward the bed.
The scent of institutional cleaners met his nose. Medical equipment filled the perimeter of the white room, and a small window high on the far wall looked out over the lake. But it was Natasa, lying with her head on the pillow and her body covered by a thin blue blanket, who drew Titus’s attention.
His heart bumped. Someone had brushed her hair. Shimmering coppery-red curls surrounded her face, looking like swirling fingers of flames against the white pillow, which seemed so fitting now. He let the door close behind him and moved quietly toward the bed. An IV was hooked to her hand, but there were no other machines attached to her body. Her skin was still pale but thankfully had more color than when he’d been holding her in that helicopter.
Something in his chest contracted hard as he stared at her. A feeling he wasn’t prepared for. Yeah, she was his soul mate—he knew that now—but there was another connection between them. Something more. Something he sensed on the edge of his mind that he couldn’t access.
Slowly, he stepped around the bed and touched her forehead with the back of his hand. Warmth immediately flowed from her into him, but she sighed, leaned into him, seeming to need his touch as much as he needed hers.