“Especially not when she finds out Skyla got away,” the first replied.
So these two Sirens were hunting Skyla too. Orpheus’s suspicions as to Skyla’s real intentions bloomed all over again, stringing his chest tight as a drum.
“We’ll take it from here, Argonaut,” the first said. “You’re free to go.”
“Are you sure?” Theron asked. “I mean, I wouldn’t want you…ladies…to get into any trouble over this.”
The second sent a hard glare his way. “Leave now, Argonaut. Before we change our minds and decide you’re better off dead too.”
A shocked expression rushed across Theron’s face. He held his hands up again and stepped back toward the dark forest. “Okay, okay. Hint taken. Good luck, ladies.”
He disappeared from view. And beside Orpheus, Demetrius tensed. That was their cue.
“Wait,” Orpheus whispered.
The multicolor-haired Siren leaned down toward Nick and muscled him over onto his back. When she caught sight of his face she swore loud and clear.
Nick’s eyes popped open. “Now that didn’t sound all sweet and seductive to me.”
He kicked the legs out from under the brunette. She landed on her ass with a thud. The first reached for her bow, but Nick was already on his feet.
“Now,” Orpheus said. He and Demetrius cast the illusion spell before she could pull her arrow, multiplying Nick by a hundred times all across the clearing.
“Fuck,” the first Siren muttered as she shifted her bow right and left, not sure where now to aim.
“No thanks,” Nick muttered, the mouths of all the illusions moving to disorient the Sirens, “we’re really not in the mood.”
The Sirens glanced from one image of Nick to another, then at each other. Finally, knowing they were likely screwed, they lowered their weapons. Though they might look cornered, Orpheus knew they weren’t. He’d seen Skyla in that position more times than he could count.
“Now the rest,” Orpheus whispered.
He and Demetrius focused their powers, called on their Medean heritage. The chant grew up around them, echoed in the still night air. From below, a Siren asked, “What was that?”
“Oh, just a little surprise,” Nick said with a smile in his voice.
The Sirens’ voices faded into nothing as the chant grew louder and Orpheus and Demetrius whipped the disorientation spell into a frenzy. When it was finally done, Orpheus opened his eyes to look down at the clearing, where both Sirens were lying on their backs in the grass, passed out.
“Did it work?” Demetrius called.
The images of Nick faded as their concentration broke, leaving only the real Nick standing in the meadow. He knelt near the multicolor-haired Siren and felt along her neck. “Yep. Pulse is strong. Though I’m pretty sure they’re both going to have major-ass headaches when they come to.”
Orpheus picked his way down the hill and stopped in the clearing next to Theron, who’d reemerged from the trees. “A major headache is an understatement. When they wake up they won’t remember a thing, not about what happened here or anything about this forest. Though I did like seeing their faces when you multiplied. I’d love to pull that one on their boss.”
“Don’t wish for things you don’t really want,” Nick answered as the SUV Orpheus had rented in Kalispell pulled into the clearing next to them and the same half-breed who’d informed them of the Sirens’ presence climbed from the vehicle. “He’s gonna be pissed when he finds them.”
“Where are you taking them?” Orpheus asked.
“Aidan’s gonna drive them south,” Nick said. “There’s a Titan posing as a human down in Texas. Figured we’d leave them with him. He’ll get a kick out of tormenting Zeus and Athena.”
Nick looked to Orpheus. “We’ve got what, twenty hours?”
“Give or take,” Orpheus answered.
“Piece of cake,” Aidan said. “In twenty hours they’ll be tucked in safe and sound and Zeus’ll be pitching a conniption fit, wondering what the hell happened to them.”
That wasn’t the only fit Zeus would be pitching. While their toying with his Sirens couldn’t be linked directly back to the colony or even to him, Orpheus had a feeling somehow it would catch up with him. Shit always did.
Chapter 14
A knock sounded on the door before Skyla could decide if she was going to stay while Maelea finished her shower or go look for Orpheus.
She really wanted to go look for Orpheus.
“Come in,” she said, her stomach grumbling when she remembered the food Helene had promised to send up.
A slim blond stepped into the room, smiled. She was petite, with short, messy hair and dark brown eyes. Behind her, a dark-haired woman entered, this one taller than the first. Neither held the tray of food Skyla was hoping for.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” the blond said. “I’m Isadora. This is my sister Casey. We came up to make sure you have everything you need.”
Isadora…Casey…The names were vaguely familiar. But there was something about them that didn’t jell with the other colonists Skyla had run into. “You’re both Misos?”
“I am,” Casey answered. “My half sister isn’t. She’s—”
The names finally clicked and Skyla’s eyes widened. “The queen of Argolea.”
Isadora clasped her hands in front of her, nodded. “Very good, Siren. The gods are obviously keeping tabs on what happens in our little part of the world.”
Of course they were. They had to. There was that whole self-preservation thing going on.
The small of Skyla’s back tightened. No weapons on either of them, not that she could see, but that didn’t mean they weren’t a threat. What was the queen of Argolea doing at a half-breed colony?
Isadora moved farther into the room, stopping near the couch in the small sitting area. “Orpheus and Nick went with the others. They’ll be back soon.”
“Others?” Skyla asked, not moving from her spot near the window.
“My husband.” Casey nodded toward the other woman. “And the queen’s husband too. Both of whom are Argonauts.”
Well, of course they were.
“We came up here,” Isadora said, “to discuss your interest in Orpheus.”
Ah. Now this was starting to make more sense. “Since he’s one of your warriors, my interest in him obviously concerns you.”
“Yes,” the queen answered. “Greatly.”
“Orpheus doesn’t need you to be concerned for him. If you knew what he is, you wouldn’t be.”
“I know exactly what he is,” Isadora answered. “And though you may see that as a negative, I see it as the opposite. I’m not about to let anyone—especially you—ruin him.”
The queen’s last words hung in the silence between them, a ridiculous warning from a petite creature any Siren would ignore. But Skyla wasn’t ignoring it. Because only one thought revolved in her mind as she stared at the queen. “You care for him.”
“I do. While he’s not the easiest person to get along with—”
“You can say that again,” Casey mumbled.
“—he is not defined by that part of himself he keeps carefully locked down.”
His daemon side. The queen was talking about his daemon, which meant she did know what he was.
“It makes him unpredictable,” Skyla managed.
“Unpredictability is often an asset, especially in a war the likes of which we are embroiled in. Regardless of that unpredictability, Orpheus has shown his link to the ancient heroes more times than I can count. If he was only what you or Zeus say he is, he wouldn’t give a damn about me or my sisters or our world. And the truth is—whether he will admit it or not—he does.”