Hades stiffened. “She found the therillium? Is that what you’re telling me?”
Orcus nodded. “Yes, my lord. She and the Argonaut…They found it and…and it’s possible they took pieces with them.”
“Do you know this for certain?”
Orcus looked to the left and motioned with his hand. A kobalos, a distant cousin of Orcus, hobbled into the room, his long nails clicking along the black stone floor.
“My lord Hades.” The kobalos bowed. “It is with great pleasure I meet you, my king.”
“Dispense with the pleasantries,” Hades snapped. “Tell me what you know of the stain.”
The kobalos lifted large, round eyes to peer up at Hades. “She and the male escaped the tunnels before we could catch them.”
That anger morphed to fury. “How the hell did they get there in the first place?”
“I don’t know, my lord. Perhaps the river. We had no warning. They escaped through a crack in the rocks just before Typhaon arrived, hindering our pursuit. A few tried to follow, but the sunlight…”
Son of a fucking bitch. Hades barely resisted the urge to backhand the kobalos across the room. One more reason to despise his brother Zeus. The King of the Gods had banished the monster Typhaon to the bowels of the earth, and the beast had discovered Hades’s therillium supply. It guarded the ore now, making it nearly impossible for the kobaloi to mine. Typhaon was a problem Hades was constantly trying to work around, but Hades adapted because it was imperative the therillium supply not be found. If any of the other gods—especially Zeus—got their hands on it, Hades would no longer be the only god who possessed the power of invisibility.
He started down the steps. Both Orcus and the kobalos backed up quickly, eyes wide with fear.
“You”—Hades pointed at the kobalos—“seal the holes, do you hear me? And you find out where she came from. If anyone else discovers our mine I will hold you personally responsible, and I will torture you until you are begging for death. And you.” He rounded on Orcus. Orcus’s eyes flew even wider. “Send hellhounds. I want Maelea dead. Her and that fucking Argonaut who helped her. You find them and you kill them, or I’ll make his”—he nodded toward the kobalos—“torture seem like nothing.”
Both creatures nodded quickly and stared up with enormous, frightened eyes.
“Go!” Hades bellowed.
They scurried off like rats.
Alone, he pressed his fingers against his temples, drew two calming breaths. He was juggling too many balls, trying to keep too many from stealing his power, from taking what was rightfully his. His wife would be pissed when she returned from Olympus and discovered he’d killed her precious child, but Hades didn’t give a fuck. Aside from his own bitter need for revenge, there was more at stake here than just one mere mortal’s life. Atalanta, the bitch, was still scheming for a way to get the Orb and control the human realm. And if she somehow found his therillium mines because of Maelea or that miserable Argonaut, she might just have a chance.
His hounds would pick up Maelea’s scent and kill her. With one problem solved, he needed to stop worrying about the stain and focus on the Orb. Once he had that, everyone would bow to him, even the monster Typhaon.
He crossed to the window. An acrid burst of hot air swept across his face and he breathed in the misery floating on the wind. Somehow, Atalanta planned to use the Argonaut who’d been freed from the Underworld to get her that Orb. Since the Orb now resided in Argolea, that plan made sense, especially since Atalanta couldn’t cross into that realm—no Olympian god could.
But Hades could.
A plan began to form in his mind, and his anger slowly dissipated one agonizing moan at a time. He knew just who in Argolea he could use.
“You bastard,” Maelea sputtered as Gryphon hauled her through the woods next to him.
“I’ve heard that before.” He didn’t loosen his hold on her arm, all but dragging her as he skirted the cliff and headed down the hillside in the direction of the valley.
Dusk was rushing in fast, and that fact only made Maelea more determined to get away. She wasn’t spending the night with him. Not after what had happened in those tunnels. “That’s because you are one. We had a deal.”
“The deal changed.”
She tried to wrench her elbow from his grip, only he held her too tightly. “I didn’t agree to this.”
He jerked her to a stop. Glared down with those dead, light blue eyes. Eyes, she noticed out here in the daylight, that were more piercing than they’d been in the tunnels. And much more unfriendly. “Get this through your head, female. I don’t care if you agreed or not. You’re not leaving me. Not until I’m done with you.”
He yanked her forward again. And as she struggled to keep up with his long legs, her mind spun. What if he really was crazy, just as those females had said? She’d seen the way he twitched and looked around as if he were hearing things. It didn’t matter that he’d saved her life back there in the caves. He’d nearly gotten her killed too. If she stayed with him, only bad things would happen. She felt it in her gut.
And the darkness inside her…it was too attracted to him. Too tempted by him. She had to get away.
Escape plans tumbled through her mind as he dragged her around pine trees and over downed logs. The forest grew darker with every step they took, and her arm ached where he held her bicep with a death grip. She couldn’t break free until he loosened his grasp. But when he did…
“Where are you taking me?” she asked when she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Into that town. We need wheels.”
She nearly choked. “I have no money. I know you have no money. How do you plan to find wheels?”
“That’s not something you need to know.”
Maelea’s temper skyrocketed. She wasn’t a helpless female. She’d lived for thousands of years by keeping to herself and never relying on another. She wasn’t about to change that philosophy now.
Stay calm, she told herself as they reached the bottom of the hillside and headed for the river. When they got to the town, when he was distracted looking for wheels, then she’d make her break.
At the first opportunity, she was gone.
Titus had reached his limit with the coddling shit. Much to Callia’s disapproval, he’d showered, dressed, and was now riding an elevator up to the main floor to find out what the hell was happening with Gryphon.
At his side, Callia crossed her arms and frowned. “I still think you need more rest.”
“I’m sick of that freakin’ bed. If you like it so much, you go lie in it.”
“You’re the worst patient ever,” she mumbled.
“No, that’d be your mate.”
At the mention of Zander, Callia’s face softened, and a wistful smile tugged at one corner of her mouth. “He is a horrid patient, you’re right.” She shot him a look. “But you’re not far behind.”
Titus didn’t answer. Sweat broke out on his forehead, but he didn’t dare look Callia’s way and give her any reason to order him back to bed. He was weaker than he should be and knew he could use at least a few more hours of rest, but he’d had it with the clinic and the strange looks he’d been getting ever since Callia put up that damn Do Not Touch sign. And though he liked Callia, he couldn’t stomach being around her much longer. She thought about Zander constantly, and every time she did, she’d get that sappy newlybound look on her face. The one that screamed happiness and reminded Titus of everything he was never going to have.
He put that thought out of his head, refocused on Gryphon. Shit, he seriously hoped Nick’s men hadn’t found the dumbass yet.