She softened her voice. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you now. He saved me from the warlock in Thrace Castle. He kept me safe over the last week and a half. He found me in Atalanta’s stronghold and made sure I came home. He’s not the enemy here. Please don’t let the Council condemn him for something he hasn’t done.”
The king’s eyes darted around the room, but they didn’t seem to focus. “You have no proof of what’s in his heart. The Council convicted him based on the evidence at hand.”
Nick saw the same thing happening to Demetrius that had happened to him. Isadora was right. He couldn’t stand back and let it keep happening. If he did, he was no better than his brother.
“I’m your evidence,” he said from the back of the room.
“Who’s there?” the king asked, looking his way.
Nick caught Isadora’s thankful expression and moved fully into the room. “Nico. But you, Your Highness, will probably only remember me as that child the Council wanted to get rid of.”
The king winced. Nick told the same story he’d told Isadora, and when he was done silence settled over the room.
“I…knew not of your lineage,” the king said. “Only that you were—”
“Yeah.” Disgust rolled through Nick, but he tamped it down. “A threat. I got that loud and clear.”
“Pateras,” Isadora said, reaching for the king’s hand. “Nick isn’t any more evil than Demetrius. He’s proof the humanity of the heroes overpowers anything Atalanta may have given them.”
“My brother would never turn to Atalanta,” Nick said. “No more than I would. And I can tell you flat out, my only goal in this lifetime is to defeat the bitch.” He glanced at Isadora. “Considering what she put Demetrius’s soul mate through during this last week, I can pretty much guarantee that’s his goal too.”
Isadora’s eyes softened so much, Nick felt that cold space in his chest warm just a touch.
“Please,” Isadora said, refocusing on her father. “Please spare him.”
The king sighed. “I can’t. The Council’s already made its decision.”
“You can stop it, though. All you have to do is pardon him.”
“If I do that, I’ll look weak in the eyes of the Council. And they’re already looking for a reason to declare me unfit to rule.”
“Fine, then abdicate the throne to me. I’ll pardon him.”
The king’s brow wrinkled. “You?”
“Rule is going to fall to me soon, whether you like it or not. Pass it to me now.”
“You’re not ready.”
“I’ve never been more ready.”
“It’s not that easy—”
“It is,” she said, her voice rising. “I’ve faced down Hades twice. I saved the earth element from both him and the warlock. I’m not about to let the Council push me around. Our world is changing, but I won’t be part of the problem. And as queen, I won’t allow them to be part of the problem anymore either.”
She moved closer to the bed, gripped the king’s hand tighter. “Pateras. Dad. I’ve never asked you for anything before. I’m asking you now. I’m begging. I’ve already lost my soul. Please, please, if you ever loved me, if you ever trusted me to become the leader you taught me to be, don’t take away my life as well.”
The king’s milky gaze held hers, and in the silence Nick saw indecision and pride in the old ándras’s face. And he couldn’t help but feel the same pride in his own chest. She really was royal material, contrary to what everyone thought. And for reasons he’d never understand, she loved his brother. Eternally.
“Althea,” the king barked, breaking the moment.
The maidservant rushed in. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Get me my wreath. Callia? Acacia? Help me from this blasted bed.”
“Holy shit,” Orpheus muttered at Nick’s side. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Nick frowned. He didn’t share Orpheus’s awe. Even though he knew he’d done the right thing here, he’d also sacrificed something as well.
Althea scurried out of the room. The sisters helped the king stand. Isadora glanced toward the clock high on the wall. “We don’t have much time. Hurry.”
“Isadora,” the king said. “Kneel. Here.”
She did as he commanded, looking up with expectation and impatience.
Althea hustled back into the room with a golden box in her hands. Several other servants followed, curious as to what was happening.
The king handed the box to Casey. She held it steady while he opened the lid and extracted the gold laurel wreath each king and queen before had worn at their coronation. He held it high over Isadora’s head. “The future lies not in the hands of the gods and goddesses nor in the kings and queens of old. It lies before us.”
At his feet, Isadora circled her hand in a hurry-up-already move the old king couldn’t see. And Nick chuckled. Oh yeah, she was going to be okay as a leader. In fact, knowing how persuasive she could be, he sorta dreaded dealing with her.
The king lowered the wreath to her head, but the pomp and circumstance was lost on Isadora. She jumped to her feet and grasped her skirts before he could launch into another speech. “Orpheus, Nick, gather soldiers from the castle gate. We’ll need some muscle when we storm the Argolion.”
“Hot damn,” Orpheus said, flicking Nick a look. “I do so love stirring the shit with the Council.” He poofed into nothingness before Nick could answer.
The sisters helped the now-exhausted ex-king back into bed. Servants whispered in shock as Isadora stepped toward Nick, but her father’s voice caused her to turn back. “Wait.” To Casey, he said, “Bring me that box over there on the table.”
Casey handed him the small rectangular purple box he’d asked for. He opened the lid and motioned Isadora back to his side.
“I suppose this is yours now,” he said. “The guard’s found it on Demetrius when he came through the portal. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Isadora looked into the box and smiled. Reaching in, her hand returned with a fat diamond the size of a quarter, attached to a long golden chain. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I won’t let you down.”
Her father only harrumphed as she slid the necklace over her head, offered his wrinkled cheek so she could kiss him, then eased back into the pillows. “I’m tired.”
A servant moved in to help him. Isadora stopped in front of Nick. “I’ll never forget what you did here.”
Nick’s chest pinched again, a feeling he didn’t like and didn’t want to get used to. “We’ll see. You still have to save him, Prin—” He caught himself. “Queen. Just don’t expect me to ever call him King if you do.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand, and in the soft light coming through the windows he saw the Titan symbol sparkle in the diamond nestled in her cleavage. “I won’t, Nick. I promise.”
Chapter 26
It could be worse.
As Demetrius pulled in deep, painful breaths and wished for death, he figured it could be a helluva lot worse. At least Isadora wasn’t here to witness this.
“Here, D.” Zander held a glass to his lips. “Drink this.”
The cool water was the best thing he’d ever tasted. He sipped slowly, felt the liquid dribble from his lips, land on his bare chest, and slide down to mix with the blood and sweat staining his pants.