Enslaved

Chapter Twenty

“Wow,” Skyla said, brushing her blond hair back from her face. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

Maelea twisted her hands in her lap. Part of her was relieved she’d been able to tell someone what had happened between her and Gryphon. The other part was scared to death, now that it was out there. “I know. I didn’t see it coming either. Neither of us planned it.”

“No one ever does,” Skyla said with a curl of her lips.

“What’s going to happen to him?” Maelea asked.

“I don’t know,” Skyla answered. “I’m new to all this Argonaut brotherhood stuff. But it’s not just the Argonauts he has to answer to. The Council of Elders here—the lords that advise the queen—found out what happened at the colony. And somehow they found out about the string of daemon remains he left from Montana to British Columbia.”

“That wasn’t all his fault,” Maelea cut in. “I was responsible for a few of those kills myself.”

Admiration swam in Skyla’s eyes. “You were, huh? Good for you. I always knew you had it in you. But regardless”—she frowned—“the Council’s always looking for any excuse to undermine the Argonauts. I have a feeling this could turn into a political nightmare.”

“I could talk to them. Tell them what really happened.”

“Uh, no.” Skyla’s face grew wary. “They get one whiff of you and things will go from bad to worse. Remember Nick’s reaction at the colony when we showed up with you?”

Sickness brewed in Maelea’s stomach as she remembered back. Yeah, Nick had not been happy to see her.

“The Council will freak if they think Gryphon did anything to draw Hades’s attention to the Argolean realm,” Skyla added.

Maelea hadn’t thought of that. She didn’t want to do anything to make things worse for Gryphon.

“I need to see him,” she whispered, almost afraid to say the words out loud.

“I don’t know if that’s going to be possible,” Skyla answered. “At least right now. He’s with Theron and the others. And Orpheus. Orpheus is more than a little pissed at him.”

“Because of me.”

“He cares about you.”

Maelea knew that. She also knew that Orpheus was wrestling with his own guilt, where she was concerned. He felt responsible for bringing her to the half-breed colony. For exposing her to Hades. For putting her in Gryphon’s path. But he had nothing to feel sorry for anymore. In fact, if she could thank him right now, she would. “He has no reason to be mad at Gryphon.”

Skyla’s face softened. “I’ll try to talk to him. See if I can smooth it over.”

If anyone could, it would be Skyla. She had a way with Orpheus. She—

The French doors that led to the balcony pushed open. And Maelea’s heart lurched into her throat when Gryphon stepped into the room. “Oh my gods.”

She didn’t remember pushing off the bed. Didn’t remember crossing the floor. But she would forever remember the way his arms closed around her with stinging force when she reached him. The way his eyes brightened. The way he whispered “Sotiria” and lowered his mouth to hers with a fierceness that stole her breath.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him back with everything she had in her. Didn’t even care that Skyla was watching.

Worry filled his light blue eyes when he finally eased back. “You’re okay? I saw you fall. I was so worried.” His gaze strayed to her forehead. “Skata, your head.”

Her fingers passed over the bandage near her hairline. “It’s okay. It’s not bad. I didn’t even need stitches.”

“Thank the Fates,” he breathed, pulling her tight again and burying his face in her hair. “Scared me, sotiria.”

She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around him again, and just luxuriated in being close to him. She’d been so scared too. When she saw those hellhounds, she’d thought that was it. The end of everything. Just when she’d finally found a reason to live. When she’d finally been given a reason to let go of her dream of Olympus.

His body stiffened against her, and she eased back, watched his eyes narrow and focus over her shoulder.

She turned to look behind her. Skyla eased off the bed, a smug expression on her face.

Gryphon tried to push her behind him, but Maelea wasn’t having any of that. “It’s okay, Gryphon. Skyla knows.”

His gaze dropped to her with surprise. “You told her?”

“I told her everything.”

His eyes widened. “Everything?”

Maelea’s lips curled, because she knew he was thinking back to that boat. And the stairs at her beach house. And the beach. And the kitchen table. And the sofa… “Well, not everything.”

Heat flared in his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her. “Don’t tease me. Not yet.” Before she could answer, he looked back to Skyla. “I’m taking her with me.”

“I figured you might,” Skyla said.

“Don’t try to stop me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. How did you get away from the Argonauts?”

“Orpheus.”

Surprise flashed in her green eyes, followed by approval. “Well, I’ll be.”

“The Council’s already looking for me. They’ll be down here soon enough.”

“The Council?” Skyla’s gaze shifted to Maelea. “Shit. You two need to get out of here now, then.” She moved to the door, opened it, and peeked out. “Coast is clear.”

Maelea lifted the cardigan someone had brought for her from the bed, tugged it on. “Where are we going?”

“As far from Tiyrns as we can,” Gryphon said, nudging her toward the door.

“Gryphon, wait.” Skyla stopped him at the door. “Don’t take her back to the human realm. She’s safer here. Even with the Council.”

“Don’t worry. They won’t get their hands on her.”

A smile spread across Skyla’s face. “It’s good to see you looking…human.”

A slow smile turned Gryphon’s lips. “It’s good not to need your singing, Siren.”

Skyla chuckled as she pulled the door open, then sobered. “Go. Before it’s too late. And good luck. To both of you.”

Gryphon looked right and left, pulled Maelea out into the wide hall with him. “What was that about?” Maelea whispered as they headed for a back set of stairs.

“What?”

“The ‘singing’ comment?”

“Skyla has a way of taming…things…with her voice. It’s how she and Orpheus got me out of the Underworld when I was freaking out.”

Maelea’s heart bumped as they headed for a steel door. Thank the Fates for Skyla, too.

Gryphon typed numbers into a keypad and the door hissed open. A small, dimly lit set of circular stairs looked as if they led down into the bowels of the realm. They moved inside. The door closed behind them. They seemed to descend forever. When they reached the bottom step, Gryphon dragged her toward a wooden door, illuminated only by the dim yellow lights in the ceiling.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“The undercroft. It’s where we store extra weapons.”

He typed another code into yet another access panel. The door swung open. Inside sat racks and racks of weapons—knives, swords, throwing stars, things with serrated teeth she didn’t know how to define.

He grabbed a multitude of weapons. Strapped on a scabbard, which he slung over his head so it cut across his back. Slipped others into pockets she didn’t know he had. He handed her a dagger.

Her stomach rolled at the thought of having to use the weapons. Obviously, he expected someone to come after them. The Argonauts? This so-called Council? Would they really try to kill them? For the first time she realized everything he was leaving behind by being with her. “Gryphon—”

He grasped her hand, pulled her back out of the room. “Come on, we don’t have a lot of time.”

The door closed and locked behind them. He led her down a long narrow tunnel through a maze of twists and turns that made her thankful he was with her. And then finally they came to a third access panel. He typed in more numbers. The door hissed open. Nothing but darkness beckoned.

Trepidation rushed over her spine as she stared into the black abyss. “Gryphon, maybe we should rethink this.”

“Rethink what? This tunnel leads out into the mountains.”

She turned to face him. “Rethink leaving. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I’m not.”

“You are. You’re walking away from your kin, from your order. From your life. I don’t want to be responsible for that. I—”

“Sotiria.” His hands framed her face, forced her to look up. Heat rushed over her spine when she saw the soft, needy look in his eyes. “Don’t you know that I would give up anything for you?”

“Oh, Gryphon.” Tears filled her eyes, and love wrapped around her heart, squeezed tight as a vise, making words nearly impossible to get out. “Ditto” was all she could manage in a rough whisper.

She melted when he eased down and kissed her. When his body brushed up against hers. When his tongue slid into her mouth and his heart beat so close to hers she could feel it inside her chest.

He nipped her bottom lip. “I will keep you safe, sotiria. Trust in me.”

She had no idea where they were heading or what would happen when they got there, but she trusted him more than she’d ever trusted anyone before. Her fingers gripped the denim at his hips. “I do.”

A ghost of a smile splayed across his face as he let go of her, as his hand closed over hers and he pulled her into the darkness of the tunnel. “Good. Because I won’t let you down.”

The door snapped closed behind them. At her side, Gryphon flicked on a flashlight. “In a few minutes we’ll be home free.”

Home free. Maelea closed her hand around his and hoped he was right. But something in the back of her head warned there was no such thing as home free for her.

Gryphon was gone.

Word had spread through the castle quickly. The Executive Guard and the Argonauts were already searching for him. The Council was in an uproar. It was like a repeat of what had happened at the half-breed colony, except this time Max was thankful for the distraction. His parents were too busy with other things to pay any attention to what he was doing.

He stood outside the queen’s chamber and breathed slowly to settle his nerves. And had a flashback of standing outside Atalanta’s chamber, doing almost the same thing.

The difference now was, he knew exactly what came next. Thanks to Lachesis.

Something in the back of his head said Lachesis would never encourage him to get the Orb, but he ignored it. Because he knew its strength. And he knew that with it, he could do what needed to be done. He could finally prove to everyone he was as strong as the Argonauts.

He turned the knob, was relieved when he found the door unlocked. He stepped inside, shut the door softly at his back. The queen’s personal suite consisted of several rooms with high ceilings and arching windows that looked out at a view of the Aegis Mountains. But the view wasn’t what he’d come for. He closed his eyes, focused on the energy swirling in the room. Tried to locate it.

There.

Power seeped into his veins. Now that he knew how to consciously use his gift of transference, he could feel the power radiating through his skin. Could feel every ounce of strength settle in his limbs.

He opened his eyes, crossed the sitting room toward the wall of bookshelves on the far side. The energy was stronger here. He scanned the leather tomes and trinkets on the shelves. Paused when his eyes locked on a wooden box marked with nothing more than the winged omega symbol.

He lifted it from the shelf, set it on the desk to his left. Flipped the latch on the front.

But the top didn’t budge. It was protected by some kind of magic.

Frustration welled inside him. He’d take the box, but he sensed whatever spell kept the lid latched likely also kept the box confined to this room. And now that he could sense the spell, he could also sense another, near the doorway, preventing any sort of magic from entering the room. The queen’s mate was part witch. He’d obviously set up a host of spells in an attempt to keep the thing safe.

Damn Demetrius. Max ground his teeth. Ran though options in his head. Nothing would work. Nothing—

The door opened in the antechamber. Max’s heart rate shot up. He let go of the box and dove under the bed. If he got caught in here, his father would skin him alive.

His pulse roared in his ears as he peered out from under the bedskirt. Heavy boots clomped across the floor. Then stopped near the desk. “Skata. What the hell is this?”

Demetrius. Oh, shit. Demetrius.

Every muscle in Max’s body froze.

He definitely didn’t want to get caught by Demetrius. Not only was he the biggest of the Argonauts, he was Atalanta’s son.

Max held his breath while Demetrius’s boots turned a full circle. He knew the Argonaut was searching the room, looking for anything else out of the ordinary. If he looked under the bed…

Demetrius’s witch powers hit Max square in the chest, the force so strong, it drew a gasp from Max’s lips. He slapped a hand over his mouth, held his breath. But power was seeping into his veins. Power and spells he’d never known before. All without consciously pulling them forward.

Demetrius’s boots echoed across the floor. Stopped in front of the bookshelf, then retreated toward the door. Max stayed still as stone until the door closed and silence settled back over the room. Only when he’d counted to twenty and he was sure he was alone did he crawl out from under the bed.

He crossed quickly to the bookshelf. Took the box down again. And used the powers and witchcraft he’d pulled from Demetrius to open the latch. Inside sat nothing but a gold bracelet. Disappointment trickled through him, but he lifted it out of the box anyway. Then realized it wasn’t a bracelet at all. It was only enchanted to look like a bracelet.

A wide smile spread across his face. And revenge—a revenge he’d been plotting since he’d escaped Atalanta’s clutches—reformed in his mind all over again.