Bound

Chapter Thirteen

Demetrius flashed into the courtyard of the Argolean castle. Memories of seeing Nick and Isadora here the day before bombarded him, but he pushed them aside. Right now he needed to get to Theron.

“Hold up, D,” Orpheus muttered at his back.

He ignored Orpheus and headed into to the castle. At this hour—nearly six a.m.—the castle was quiet. Guards glanced their way in the main foyer but barely paid them any attention. He headed for Theron’s office.

Light spilled through the doorway into the darkened corridor. Voices echoed from inside. Theron’s and Zander’s.

He stepped into the room. Z and Theron were studying what looked like a map on a virtual screen near Theron’s desk. Both looked his way when his boot steps quieted.

“Well?” Theron asked. His gaze flicked from Demetrius to Orpheus at his back. “Anything?”

“More than you may want to know,” Orpheus muttered, stepping around Demetrius. “We just had ourselves a nice little chat with Epimetheus.”

“The Titan?” Zander asked. “How in Hades did you end up there? I thought you went to see about a witch.”

Demetrius moved into the room and told them about their visit with Delia and how that had led them to the elder god. When he was done, Zander’s shocked expression said it all.

“Skata,” he muttered. “And I thought Krónos was the one we had to look out for.”

“So did we. ‘Things are going well for you?’” Orpheus mocked in his best Zeus impersonation. “‘Here, bend over and I’ll fuck you in the ass a few times to liven things up.’”

Theron ignored his sarcasm. “We need to get to Titus and stop Natasa before its too late.” Urgency formed deep lines in his forehead. He looked back at the map. “Based on what little we were able to get from the portal’s records, we’ve narrowed it down to the western half of the US. Cerek and Phin are searching this area here—”

“Dad?”

The voice of Zander’s eleven-year-old drew their attention. Zander’s brow wrinkled with concern. “What are you doing up this early, son?”

Max rubbed his left eye. Blond hair stuck out all over his head, and his pajamas hung off his slim frame, looking two sizes too big. But the Argonaut markings visible on his hands proved he’d soon grow into his lineage. And since he was Zander’s son, and a descendent of Achilles, he’d grow into it well. “I couldn’t sleep. I went to see Mom, but she’s not in bed. I thought maybe she was with Aunt Isadora, you know, because of the baby and stuff, but she isn’t in her room either.”

A shot of unease echoed through Demetrius. Theron turned toward Zander. “Go find out if everything’s okay. D?”

Demetrius looked over. “Yeah?”

“Go with him.”

His heart pounded hard in his chest. He should. But so much else hung on finding Titus. He knew Isadora wasn’t in danger—because of the soul mate connection, he’d feel it if she was. Right now, he’d be far more help to her by finding Titus than on dealing with what had happened between them earlier. “No. I’m sure everything’s fine.”

Liar.

He pushed down the thought before it could run away from him and stepped toward the desk. Zander and Max left, and Orpheus moved up to the table. Demetrius tried to stay focused while Theron ran through what he and Zander had figured out while they’d been gone. Contacts on the west coast had reported a fire burning in the redwoods and an Amazon tribe completely decimated. Though there was no official confirmation, Theron obviously thought Titus and Natasa were somehow involved.

Footsteps echoed from the hall. Demetrius turned when Zander poked his head back under the doorway. And the anger that flashed in his blazing silver eyes put Demetrius on instant alert.

“What’s wrong?” Theron asked.

“Ask her.” Zander tugged Casey into the room behind him. Max shuffled in after them, eyes wide and, this time, very alert.

“All right, all right,” Casey said, jerking her arm from Zander’s grasp. “You don’t have to get so bent out of shape.”

“Acacia?” Theron’s eyes hardened. He stepped away from the desk and pinned Zander with a look. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

Casey moved between her mate and Zander and placed a hand on Theron’s chest. “It’s okay. I’m fine. Don’t get mad at Zander. I expected you’d all find out sooner rather than later.”

Theron’s confused gaze snapped to her face. “Find out what? What’s going on?”

She pursed her lips and looked down at the floor.

“Meli?” Theron prodded.

“Okay. Promise not to get mad.”

Everything inside Demetrius went cold.

“Tell us what’s happened,” Theron said, trying for patience with his soul mate but not quite getting there.

“Well…” Casey wrung her hands together. “I couldn’t sleep. And I had this feeling that Isadora couldn’t either. So…I went to see her.”

Panic spread through Demetrius. “Where is Isadora?”

Casey’s worried gaze skipped from one face to another, then finally settled on Demetrius. “At the colony. With Callia. We pooled our gifts to find Titus. He’s there. With Natasa. Isadora went to talk to them and find out what’s going on. And…”

His heart nearly stopped. She’d gone to the human realm. Without him. Without any kind of security. To face someone who could quite possibly be working with Hades. The god who still held a contract on her soul.

The darkness inside that Demetrius fought to keep down bubbled to the surface. His voice turned to ice in his throat. “And what?”

Casey sighed. “And to see Nick. “

Nick scrubbed a hand over the prickly hair on the top of his head. He needed to shave his damn scalp again. Thing grew like a weed. “Okay, let’s seal off that tunnel. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt in there.”

Kellen rolled up the map detailing the tunnels beneath the colony. “Will do.”

He turned away from Nick, signaled to the other men he’d brought with him, and headed for the far end of the cavern. Lantern light shimmered off rock walls and stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Water dripped somewhere close, and a chill spread straight down Nick’s spine as he watched them go. From the castle entrance, numerous tunnels fanned out under the high mountain lake. They were meant to disorient any who ventured too close to the colony. But they weren’t all stable, and this was the second tunnel collapse they’d had in the last month. Thankfully, this time, only a sentry running patrol had been caught in the falling debris, and his injuries were minor. Next time, they might not be so lucky.

“I expected you to hide from me. I didn’t expect it to be way down here.”

Nick’s stomach lurched into his throat when he recognized the voice. Slowly, he turned and looked toward the silhouette behind him. And the female he’d been dreaming about and cursing this whole last day.

Isadora perched her fisted hands on her hips. She wore loose gray pants and a tight –fitting black shirt that accentuated her breasts and the swell of her belly. But even in the dim light he could see the glow of her blonde hair, the tilt of her jaw, and the fire in her eyes that he both hated and admired. “What are you doing here?”

“You have one of my Argonauts. I want to see him.”

She’d come because of Titus. Not because of him. He should have expected as much and yet…disappointment dropped like a stone weight into his belly. He shifted his feet on the uneven rock floor and hooked a thumb through his belt loop. “Can’t keep track of your heroes, huh? As I recall, you lost the last one as well. Effective leadership there, princess.”

“And I see being an asshole runs in the family. Where’s Titus?”

She must have had an argument with his brother. Demetrius never would have let her come here alone. A small thrill rushed through him. “Ask me nice and maybe I’ll tell you.”

Her eyes flared, and she stepped forward. “I’m done playing nice with you, Nick. Some things are more important than your petty problems.”

He leaned close. So close he could smell her sweet scent. “You’re my problem, princess. You always have been.”

Her eyes softened, just a touch. Just enough to tell him she pitied him. “I know. And I’m sorry. But you’re going to have to suck it up and deal with it, just like I am. Your people are in trouble, Nick. Big trouble.”

His people. He was sick and tired of his people. Of serving them. Of leading them. Of making all the tough decisions like what the hell to do with the damn tunnel that had caved in. What he wanted was to let someone else deal with the shit. And to take what was standing right in front of him.

“Regardless of how pissed I am over what you did,” she went on, “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I care about you. You’re family.”

Family. As in, the blacklisted, good-for-nothing brother-in-law. Not the man she loved.

And yet…she was here. Of her own free will. On his turf. Maybe he could still convince her this was where she was supposed to be.

He reached for her elbow, closed his fingers over the delicate bones, and tugged. Anger and arousal swirled in his stomach and fired through each of his veins. A tiny voice in his head screamed don’t do this again, but he ignored it. Just as he had the last time. “Why don’t you show me just how much you care, princess?”

A tiny gasp escaped her lips. Her body brushed against his, the swell of her belly preventing him from feeling all of her like he wanted. He tipped his head and leaned down to kiss her.

Her fist met his stomach. And the force of the blow doubled him over with a grunt.

“I told you not to touch me like that again.” Isadora’s angry voice met his ears. “I wasn’t kidding.”

Nick wrapped a hand around his middle, rubbing at the sore spot. He was more shocked than hurt. But for a girl—for a pregnant girl—she hit pretty hard. Demetrius had obviously taught her something. “You came to me, princess. Don’t forget that.”

“Trust me. I won’t. And I won’t be so quick to do so again.”

“You will. You and drama seem to go hand in hand. I think you like stirring the shit. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the whole reason you’re here now. Not to warn me about any so-called trouble, but because you just can’t stand not being the center of attention.”

Her face paled. “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

He huffed and pushed aside the guilt that tried to creep in. “No, terrible is you throwing yourself at me, then playing hard to get. Tell me, does your shitty husband know you’re such a cock tease?”

Footsteps pounded the rock floor, and before Nick could look past Isadora to see where they were coming from, a fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him off his feet.

Isadora shrieked. Nick stumbled backward and knocked into a stalagmite. Rock and debris broke loose from the tip, crumbling to the cave floor at his feet. Hands grasped the front of his shirt and hauled him around, slamming him against the cave wall.

“Demetrius! Stop!”

“You son of a bitch,” Demetrius growled, ignoring Isadora. “I was going to give her to you, you bastard. But not now.”

A gasp echoed through the cave, but all Nick could focus on was his brother’s enraged eyes. They were roughly the same weight, but Demetrius had him by at least an inch, though at the moment, Nick didn’t give a fuck. The coppery tang of blood slid across his tongue. And with that darkness roaring in his veins, urging him on, one corner of his mouth twisted in a sneer.

This was better than kissing Isadora. Or tormenting her. This was the bloodletting he’d been hoping for for months.

“Even you don’t want her?” Nick grunted. “Yeah, she’s turned out to be a real catch, hasn’t she?”

Demetrius’s grip tightened on Nick’s shirt. And he leaned so close, Nick could feel the darkness radiating from him too. “Give me one reason not to beat the fucking life out of you.”

Footsteps pounded close, and voices echoed through the tunnels. Kellen and the others who’d been checking out the cave-in tore into the room. Nick waved them off. “Don’t touch him. He’s mine.” Then to Demetrius, “You think you can take me? Try it.”

“Oh for gods’ sake.” Isadora’s voice bounced off rock and echoed in the air. “You’re both complete morons if you think this is helping. Kill each other for all I care. I’ve had it. You”—she tipped her chin toward Nick—“with your I don’t give a shit attitude, and you”—she turned her fiery gaze upon Demetrius—“thinking you own me? No one gives me away.“ She threw up her hands. “I’m done. I’m done with both of you.”

She turned for the tunnel that led back to the lowest level of the castle. For the first time, Nick realized Isadora’s sister, Callia, was standing near the door to the entrance of the colony. “Come on. Let’s go find Titus before it’s too late.”

“He’s upstairs, in one of the suites.”

“Thank the Fates we don’t have to go searching for him,” Isadora muttered. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get the hell out of here. I’m suddenly sick of the view.”

Footsteps echoed and slowly faded. Silence descended, settling in the tense air. The only sound was the thump of Nick’s heartbeat roaring in his ears. He waited, expecting Demetrius to haul off and plow his fist into his jaw again, but the blow never came. Instead, Demetrius let go and stepped back. Then his face paled, and worry crept into his dark, usually guarded eyes.

“Skata.” Demetrius scrubbed a hand through his hair.

And standing there, watching, Nick had a memory flash. Of the way his brother had looked strung up in the Council’s chamber after Demetrius and Isadora had come back from that island. How lost he’d looked then. How Isadora had been the only one to believe in him. How she’d convinced her father to abdicate the throne to her, stepped in, told the Council to go to hell and stopped his execution.

What they had was stronger than the soul mate bond. It was the kind of connection that defined you, that made you who you were. The one thing in the world you’d sacrifice, knowing you’d never be whole again, all to keep the other safe.

“You love her.”

Demetrius sucked in a breath.

“No,” Nick clarified. “I mean, you really love her.”

“Don’t fucking mock me.”

Nick wasn’t. At least, he wasn’t trying to. Sweat broke out on his forehead. He didn’t care that his men could still be listening. That the private life he worked so hard to keep private from those he protected was slowly drifting away. He’d known Isadora felt something for his brother, but all this time he’d assumed it was the soul mate bond keeping them together. He’d thought that his own bond to her was just as strong. Now…

Now he knew it wasn’t even close. He may want Isadora. He may never be able to stop the soul mate draw to her. But she didn’t love him. And she never would.

“Go to her.”

Demetrius closed his eyes. “She doesn’t want me, you idiot. Didn’t you hear her?”

“Yeah, she does.” Nick swallowed the lump in his throat. “She’s just pissed, and with good reason. You were a dick.”

“Now you’re telling me to stay with her? Skata, you’re the one who said she’d be safer here with you.”

“I’m an asshole. What the hell do I know?” When Demetrius rubbed a hand over his eyes, Nick found himself with a choice. To go after what he wanted, or to do what was right. And shit, though he wanted nothing more than to be a selfish prick, something inside wouldn’t let him.

“She loves you, you moron. Even I can see that. Are you really dumb enough to let her get away?”

Demetrius stared at the cave wall. Defeat rippled across his features. “You’re right about the Council. They’ll move on her as soon as they think they can.”

“So don’t let them. You’ve got the Argonauts on your side. Use them. If you and those girly men you hang around with can protect a whole realm, you can figure out a way to protect her.”

Demetrius turned to look at him. “Why the change of heart? We both know you want her too.”

Nick’s skin prickled. He could lie, or…he could be honest with…himself. “I thought there was a chance she might one day…want…to be with me. But I can see now that’s never going to happen, thanks to you.”

Darkness filled Demetrius’s eyes. “She deserves better.”

“Than both of us?” Nick huffed. “I’m not arguing with you there. But for whatever reason, she wants you. And no matter what I do, I’m never going to be you. No one is ever going to be you.”

Their eyes held. And in the silence between them, Nick’s chest pinched. He was losing her again. Which was an absurd thought, considering she’d never really been his. But that didn’t make the hurt any less. In fact, if possible, he was pretty sure that made it a thousand times harder to take. To see your future standing in front of you and not be able to reach for it… That was the definition of true misery.

“Go to her,” Nick said before he could change his mind.

Indecision brewed in Demetrius’s eyes, then was slowly replace with hope. He stepped toward the tunnel that ran back to the colony, but stopped and turned back. “What about you?”

Nick tucked a hand in his pocket. Tried for his I-don’t-fucking-care attitude. Knew it came off weak and pathetic. “I’m not soul mate material.”

Demetrius stared at him. Opened his mouth to say something. Closed it.

With one last nod, he headed down the dark tunnel.

Alone, Nick turned to survey the barren room. Kellen and the others had left somewhere in the middle of the conversation, which was the only plus Nick could see. Everything else—his future, his purpose, his reason for getting up in the freaking morning—was bleak. What the hell did he have to look forward to now that he knew for sure he’d never have his soul mate?

He didn’t know. He only knew that he couldn’t stay here. He needed out.

Titus rolled toward Natasa in the early morning light. She lay softly sleeping on her stomach, her back rising and falling with her gentle breaths, her red hair fanned out around her on the pillow.

His heart contracted. He slid his leg over hers and tugged her into the curve of his body, not wanting to let go of her. She made the softest mewling sound but didn’t wake.

Arousal speared through his groin. Though he wanted nothing more than to push her legs apart, lift her hips, and slide inside her from behind, he decided letting her sleep was the more heroic thing to do, especially since only a few hours ago, he’d been worried that fever was going to burn her alive.

He ran his hand down her smooth back, loving the texture of her flesh beneath his hand. The sheet fell loosely at her hips. In the light of dawn, her skin was luminescent and no longer hot to the touch, only slightly warmer than his.

Their conversation from earlier ran through his mind. He brushed her hair aside and studied the triangle on her neck. Prometheus’s daughter. What kind of sick son of a bitch gifted this kind of curse to his child? The ramifications of what he’d discovered trickled through him. It was going to consume her if they didn’t find the god before it was too late. And what it would unleash…

He squeezed his eyes tight. Duty and desire warred inside him. He couldn’t abandon her, but every instinct he had as an Argonaut fought against his own personal wants.

A knock sounded at the door. He lifted his head and looked that way. Quietly, a voice—Callia’s voice—called, “Titus? Are you in there? I need to talk to you.”

Shit. What the hell was Callia doing here? And how did she know he was here?

Fucking Nick…

He looked back down at Natasa. She hadn’t even stirred at the knock. She was obviously more exhausted from the last few days than she’d let on.

Worry rippled through him, but he tugged up the sheet and pulled her hair back over her neck, covering the mark. Quietly, he climbed out of bed, pulled on his pants, then crossed the floor and gently cracked the door open.

Relief washed over Callia’s features. “There you are. Everyone’s been looking for you.”

He shifted, making sure she couldn’t see into the room. One glance into the hall told him she was alone. “What are you doing here?”

“Helping you.” “I came with Isadora. She needs to speak with you.”

Titus went on instant alert.

“Don’t worry. The Argonauts aren’t with us.”

He searched her mind and discovered she wasn’t lying. She couldn’t hide her thoughts from him the way Zander could.

Nodding, Titus slipped out the door and closed it tightly behind him. His instincts screamed keeping Natasa out of whatever the queen was up to was his only move. “Lead the way.”

Halfway down the hall, he realized his feet were bare, his hair wasn’t tied back, that he hadn’t shaved and that he wasn’t even wearing a shirt. Not exactly an acceptable way to meet the queen, but he didn’t give a rip. His mind was ten steps ahead, planning how they’d get out of the colony and where they’d go next.

The hallway opened to a great living room, flanked by an enormous fireplace and arched windows that looked out at the blue-green lake. Morning sunlight glistened off its surface like a thousand sparkling diamonds, but it wasn’t the view that stopped Titus dead in his tracks. It was the queen.

And Theron, and Zander, and Phin, and Cerek. All staring his way as if he’d sprouted horns.

“Shit,” Callia thought. “When did they get here?”

“Sorry.” The queen cringed. “They just arrived.”

“Skata,” Phineus muttered, moving forward. “Where the hell have you been, you mad fuck? We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Ever hear of your Argos medallion? That’s why we wear them, numbnuts.”

Titus held up his hands to block Phin from touching him and stepped to the side. Phineus pulled up short, staring at him in question.

Sweat broke out on Titus’s forehead. He was getting way too used to Natasa’s touch. It was messing with his reaction time. “What are you all doing here? I was going to contact you later.”

Yeah, right. It sounded good, at least.

Theron’s brow dropped low. “Where’s the girl?”

There was no friendliness in that tone. It was straight up, leader of the Argonauts business-cold. Titus’s back tightened. “Sleeping.”

“Where?”

“In a bed.” Theron and Zander exchanged glances, but whatever they were thinking, they kept closely guarded. Titus’s anxiety jumped to a higher frequency. “She’s not working for Zagreus and Hades like you thought. She’s not a threat.”

“Oh, yeah, she is.”

The one thought got through, but Titus couldn’t figure out from whom it had come from.

Theron pushed off the arm of the sofa he’d been leaning against and unfolded his arms. “T, she’s not what you think.”

Fuck that. They didn’t know a thing about her. “She’s—”

“She’s Prometheus’s out.” The queen stepped forward, her arms crossed over her bulging belly, her expression hard and serious.

Footsteps echoed from the hall. Demetrius moved into the room, his gaze locking on Isadora.

Isadora glanced his way, but her expression hardened, then refocused on Titus. “We’re pretty sure she’s the unquenchable fire ancient texts wrote about eons ago. The end of all things, should Prometheus never be set free. Lena told Callia about Natasa’s erratic temperature. We know about the fire in the redwoods and the charred Amazon city. If she is this unquenchable fire, then she has to be stopped before whatever is inside her burns free.”

Titus’s jaw flexed. “She’s not evil.”

He wasn’t turning her over to them so they could lock her in another freaking cage. They didn’t understand what she…

He looked from face to face. They were all blocking his ability to read their minds. Which meant only one thing.

They weren’t just talking about locking her away. They were talking about killing her.

“No.” He shook his head. “Not happening. Don’t even fucking think about it.”

“Titus,” Isadora said carefully. “No decisions have been made, yet. But we have to consider all possibilities. This is bigger than all of us. This is the fate of the world. You can’t turn your back on that.”

Yeah, he could. He considered telling them the rest—that she was the fire element—but knew that wouldn’t save her life, at least not a life she wanted to live. Being caged was no sort of life, and he wasn’t condemning her to that again.

Tension surged in the room.

“Be sensible, man,” Phineus muttered. “She’s just a girl.”

A girl who meant more to Titus than anything else ever had, save his order. He sent a scathing look Phin’s way, then glanced from face to face again. Pleading with his eyes, he finally said the only thing he could. “She’s not evil.”

Theron’s stare darkened. “You’re about to make a choice that can’t be changed, Guardian. Be sure it’s the right one.”