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 didn’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.