Zander breathed deep. Once. Twice. Again until the haze started to clear.
“That’s it,” Theron said.
Slowly he let go of Theron’s jacket and eased back. But his muscles were still coiled tight. And he felt like a rubber band, ready to snap any second.
“Cerek, Gryphon, Phin,” Theron said to the guardians. “Take care of the bodies. Titus?”
“Yo,” Titus said.
“Get Nick on the horn and tell him we’re coming in.”
As Titus moved off to get a signal on one of the satellite phones Nick had given them, Theron put a hand on Zander’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Zander glanced at the hand, then at Theron’s face, and though he still wanted blood, he knew Theron was right. “No.”
“You were smart to leave Callia at home.”
The image of Callia standing up to her father and the entire Council flickered through his mind. “She’ll be pissed.”
“She’ll be alive.” Theron glanced to the side. “And she doesn’t need to see this shit.”
Titus stepped up again, phone at his ear, mouthpiece tipped away. “Nick’s got a scout out this way. He’ll be here in twenty to pick us up.”
Theron nodded. “Good.”
Zander’s jaw flexed and that familiar, all-encompassing rage pushed in again. Twenty minutes to wait. Another thirty back to the colony. Who fucking knew how long until he got stitched up and they put a plan together. The need to annihilate overrode everything. Even common sense.
“Hold it together, Zander,” Theron said. The leader of the Argonauts turned to the others piling the mutilated daemons in a small clearing. “Let’s ignite these motherfuckers.”
Zander stayed where he was. On the edge of the group while they all worked to clean up his mess so no humans accidentally came across the bodies. The heat from the fire singed the hair on his face and arms. A foul stench filled his nose and lungs, but he didn’t move away. He’d done this thousands of times, killed and watched the remains go up in smoke. But then he’d always had a sense of victory. Now he felt nothing but the urge to kill again. And a rage he was only barely keeping bottled inside.
Sooner or later it was going to explode, and he wouldn’t be able to hold it back. He only hoped Atalanta was around when it happened.
Chapter Eighteen
“You brought friends, I see. Yum.”
Isadora turned at the sound of Orpheus’s voice. He was decked out all in black—black boots, black pants, black sweater, black trench coat—and his eyes were as black as she’d ever seen them. Standing in the wind, near the base of Mount Parnithia, in the Aegis Mountains, with his long coat flapping behind him, his hair tousled and dark stubble covering his jaw, he looked formidable and menacing. And just a little bit ticked at having to meet her out here in the wild.
“Don’t get any ideas, Orpheus. They’re off limits.”
Orpheus lifted his brow, looked over her head and zoomed in on Casey. “Are you sure? That one looks…tasty.”
“That’s Theron’s bride. I don’t think you want to tangle with him.”
“Your half-sister?” Orpheus’s eyes narrowed. “Now this is interesting. Who’s the redhead?”
Isadora glanced at Callia, talking quietly with Casey near the trees. They were both roughly the same height, both had long hair, though one’s was dark and one’s was auburn, but their build was the same. Their mannerisms similar. Why hadn’t she noticed that before? And wasn’t it just fitting that she was the one out of three that didn’t fit in?
She shook off the thought, pursed her lips. Since she wasn’t ready to call Callia her “sister” yet, she wasn’t entirely sure how to answer his question. Not when she and Callia were obviously still spitting nails at each other. “The king’s healer. She needs to get to the human realm. That’s why we’re here.”
Orpheus’s gaze swung back to Isadora. “How did you get past the castle guards?”
Isadora crossed her arms over her chest. “There was a commotion at the Council meeting today. We slipped out then.”
“We?”
“The three of us.”
His eyes sharpened. “Interesting.”
Isadora tried to read his expression as he studied Callia, but couldn’t. A little of the jealousy she’d always harbored where Callia was concerned trickled in.
He stepped around Isadora toward the other two. “This must be my lucky day. Three pretty females and no Argonauts for miles.”
Callia ignored his comment. “Isadora said you know the location of the secret portal.”
“Portals,” he corrected. “There are several. And you, Healer, don’t mince words, do you?”
“Not anymore. Where are they?”
He glanced toward the hills. “The witches who live out here keep them mobile so the Executive Guard can’t close them down.”
“Fine,” Callia said. “Take us to one, then.”
“Nothing’s free, female.” His gaze roamed over her. “It’s going to cost you.”
Callia opened her mouth but Isadora cut her off. “Add it to my payment plan.”
Orpheus looked her way with a smirk. “I’ve yet to collect the first payment, Princess. You sure about this?”
Isadora saw Callia’s perplexed expression from the corner of her eye. She thought of her father, the king, and all the trouble he’d caused because he just couldn’t leave well enough alone. She thought of Callia’s lost son. Of Zander. And of what Callia had already agreed to give up. Though Isadora and Callia weren’t close, it wouldn’t be fair for Callia to be indebted to Orpheus the same way she was. Especially when the female was the victim in this whole mess to begin with.
“Yes,” Isadora said before she could change her mind.
“Isadora…,” Casey started.
Orpheus clucked his tongue. “Okay, Isa, in that case—”
“Wait.” Callia zeroed in on Isadora. “What does he mean by payment?”
“It’s nothing.” Isadora turned toward Orpheus. “The secret portal. Take us to the nearest one.”
Orpheus looked from one to the next, then finally shrugged and headed east into the trees without another word. As Isadora made a move to follow, Callia stepped in her path. “Hold on. I don’t need you paying anything for me.”
Isadora heaved out a breath. “I know you’re mad at Zander right now, but don’t take it out on me. Orpheus and I have…an agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?”
“One that doesn’t concern you.”
“Isadora—”
Isadora was seriously losing her patience with this. “Do you really want to spend time arguing or do you want to get to the human realm and find your son? Because all you’re doing is wasting time.”
Callia’s jaw tightened. “I don’t need your pity.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for your son. And Zander. And because helping you bugs the hell out of the Council. And right now I’m enjoying making waves.”
Callia’s violet eyes searched Isadora’s face. Eyes, Isadora noticed for the first time, that were just like Casey’s. Just like the king’s. And nothing like hers.
“You’ve changed,” said Callia.
“You have no idea.”
“Ladies,” Orpheus called from the trees. “Either we go now or we’re going to miss it. When I said these things were temporary, I wasn’t kidding.”
Callia stared at Isadora a beat longer before turning to follow Casey into the woods. They walked for roughly twenty minutes before they came across a small tent city. Orpheus left them and headed for a female sitting on a stool outside a neon green tent. She rose, wearing a long red, flowing skirt, a white sweater, and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck, and greeted him with a pat on the arm and a smile like they were old friends.