by Lisa Kessler
And something about the way he said it implied so much more than the party.
CHAPTER 9
Ted took out his phone to call Mikolas and warn him, but before he could press call, Kevin leaned down to the driver’s side. Ted dismissed the screen and lowered the window. “Did you forget something?”
Kevin smiled, but his eyes were cold and calculating. “Keep your phone close. When we’ve discovered all of their gifts, I’ll be in touch to plan our attack.”
Ted swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to nod confidently. “You know my number.”
“Yes. I do.” He started to straighten up and hesitated, turning his attention back on Ted. “Remember where your loyalty lies, Mortal.”
And just like that, they were gone. Ted checked the clock on his phone. Not even a minute had passed, but their car was no longer in the lot. Kronos must’ve slowed time, and now Ted had no idea which way they went, let alone where. The time manipulations were unsettling. It felt like he was losing his mind.
He took a deep breath and stared at Mikolas’s name on his phone. Where did his loyalty lie? If he looked the other way, the Titans had promised his safety, but could he live with Trinity’s and Mikolas’s blood on his hands?
He pressed the button. His choice was made.
Trinity handed Mikolas another screw. He twisted it in the socket cover before finishing it off with the drill. It was monotonous work, but it gave him time to process that kiss. He hadn’t been expecting it, but the second her lips touched his, a primal passion had ignited with an intensity he’d never known. He’d kissed plenty of beautiful women in his life, but this was…all-consuming. Gods, he couldn’t shake the desire she kindled inside him.
And the instinct to protect her took on a new layer. This was beyond a duty; it was a need. He glanced up at her as he took the next cover and screw from her hand. “I think I came up with a plan to stop Iapetus.”
She frowned. “It’s not our fight.”
“I think you’re wrong.” His phone buzzed, and he stood up to answer. “Ted? What’s up?”
“They’re trying to figure out each of the Guardian’s powers. Iapetus went after Callie on the beach.”
“Fuck.” Mikolas glanced over at Trinity. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. Hunter carried her out of the water, but Kevin said she wasn’t dead yet. I don’t know what that means.”
“Thanks for the information.”
“I’ll be in touch. Watch your back.” The phone went dead.
Mikolas stuffed it back in his pocket and lifted his gaze as Trinity’s cell phone buzzed. She stared at the screen, the color draining from her face. “Mel says Callie’s been injured. She’s unconscious. We need to get to the hospital. Now.”
“Ted just told me the Titans are testing us trying to discover each of the Guardian’s abilities.”
Trinity pushed her hair back from her face. “Then why hurt Callie?”
“Unless our muse is in danger we don’t have any special powers.” He took her hand. “We may not have time to wait for Zeus to fight this battle.”
“Please don’t press this.” She looked up, and the pain in her eyes broke him. “I can’t lose anyone else.”
Mikolas kept his back against the far wall while Trinity, Erica, and Lia surrounded Callie’s bed in the emergency room. The nurse kept trying to catch his eye, but he didn’t glance her way. No doubt they had too many people in the small hospital room, but there was no way he was leaving Trinity.
Cooper strode down the hall in his paramedic garb, his jaw set as he entered. “What happened? Our rig didn’t get the call.”
Lia caught his arm, bringing him closer. “Hunter’s still talking to the doctor. Her foot was sliced open. They bandaged it, but she won’t wake up.”
He frowned. “Did she lose a lot of blood?”
“Not really, no.”
Mikolas frowned. If Ted was right and this wound came from the Titans, any wound from Iapteus’s spear was a mortal wound.
He moved closer to Trinity and whispered in her ear. “I think I know what happened.” He looked at Cooper and raised his voice to a normal volume again. “You can heal her. I’ll explain everything, but we need to close the wound first.”
Cooper shook his head as he carefully inspected the wound on the bottom of her foot. “It doesn’t work like that. Only if Lia’s in danger.”
“You saved Reed after the fire, right?”
Cooper nodded. “Sort of. Apollo did. He just did it through me. The force of his power nearly killed me.”
Mikolas glanced at Trinity and back to Cooper. “I think I can keep you safe from it.”
Cooper raised a brow. “Is this the demigod thing?”
“If I understood Zack correctly, yes. I don’t have the full grasp of how it all works yet, but this isn’t a shark bite on her foot. If we don’t close the wound, she’ll die.”
Cooper frowned. “How could you possibly know that? It’s not infected.”
“This is a cut from the spear of the God of Mortality.” Mikolas sighed. “We need to heal her and get her out of here.”
Cooper took Lia’s hand, his attention shifting to her. “I have to try.”
Lia nodded, but worry lined her eyes. “Please be careful.”
Cooper pulled in a couple of deep breaths as he cupped Callie’s injured foot in his hands. Mikolas gripped Cooper’s shoulder and closed his eyes. For a second, nothing happened. His heart sank. At the Observatory, he’d touched Cooper and the Guardian had been able to wake the others from Kronos’s thrall. It should’ve worked with Callie’s wound, too.
Suddenly, blinding light erupted in his mind. Mikolas struggled to stay upright. Heat seared his organs, and although his eyes were closed, somehow he could see Apollo inspecting him.
The God of the Sun came closer. “Who are you?” he asked in Greek.
“I’m the Guardian of the Muse of Music,” Mikolas answered.
“How is this possible?” the god whispered.
“Zeus.” Suddenly a bolt of pure energy shot through Cooper, and like a lightning rod it flowed right into Mikolas. The power overflow burned until darkness claimed him.
When Mikolas opened his eyes, Trinity was looking down at him. Her cool fingers stroked his hair. “Welcome back.”
He frowned, peering around her. “I’m on the ground.”
“Yeah. Your legs gave out.”
Cooper knelt beside her, holding Mikolas’s wrist and checking his pulse. “Trinity made sure you didn’t hit your head. Your pulse is strong. How do you feel?”
Good question. Mikolas rubbed his forehead. “Apollo. I saw him.”
Cooper released his wrist. “Yeah, I don’t know how you did it, but you took the brunt of the power surge.”
“Is Callie…”
“She’s awake,” Cooper said. “Can you stand? We need to get you up before they stick you in a room here, too.”
“I think so.” His joints ached as Trinity and Cooper each took an arm and lifted him to his feet.
“Thank you, Mikolas.” Callie’s voice was faint, her face pale, but her exhausted smile warmed her features. “Whatever you did, it helped Cooper close the cut.”
Hunter was on the other side of the bed now, holding her hand. His gaze shifted to Mikolas. A muscle clenched in his jaw, and a dangerous fury lit his eyes. “I heard that bastard’s thoughts today. Callie dove in, and he was waiting for her down there under the waves. He was going to pierce her heart with his spear.” He ground his teeth, probably censoring the rest of what he’d heard.
Mikolas nodded, fighting against the mental fog. “Ted told me that Kronos and his brother are working on discovering all the gifts Zeus bestowed on the Guardians. Kronos is preparing for a showdown at the theater opening, and he doesn’t plan on losing this time.”
Callie shook her head. “We have to cancel the opening.”
Trinity shook her head adamantly. “We can’t. Let the gods figh
t. We’re going to inspire.”
Callie’s skin was ashen, her eyes dull. She was a shell of the woman Mikolas had seen taking charge at the head of the table during their meeting. She wet her lips, her voice hoarse and tired. “Come on, Trin. They’re going to kill everyone, and we can’t stop them.”
“You need to rest.” Trinity took Callie’s other hand. “The Muse of Epic Poetry inside you is going to kick your ass if she figures out you’re trying to give up right now.”
Mikolas focused on Hunter. “Iapetus must know you heard his thoughts since you pulled her up before she reached him. His spear barely wounded her foot.”
Hunter kissed Callie’s hand and met Mikolas’s gaze. “But you said the cut almost killed her…”
“Iapetus is the God of Mortality. Our deaths feed him, and his spear is his conduit. He doesn’t have to pierce someone’s heart or decapitate them like he did at the gala in order to kill someone. One cut and he can slowly drain the life from a mortal, feeding on them slowly.”
“Damn.” Cooper ran a hand down his face.
Mikolas nodded, placing his hand at the small of Trinity’s back. He needed to touch her, to know she was safe. “Callie will recover, but we have to stop him before the next muse isn’t so lucky.”
Cooper cleared his throat. “Mason and Clio are in the waiting room with Erica. Reed went to Callie’s place to get them dry clothes.”
Trinity glanced around the room. “What about Nate and Melanie?”
“Mel has a Halloween event at the high school tonight,” Lia replied. “We called Nate, and he’s bringing the kids over here. We’ll watch them while he keeps an eye on Mel.”
Mikolas nodded slowly. “I already talked to Mason, but I have an idea about how we might stop Iapetus.”
Trinity caught Mikolas’s hand before he could share his plan. “Can I talk to you outside?”
“Sure.” He followed her out into the busy ER hallway. “What’s wrong?”
“It would be faster to tell you what’s right.” A crease marred her brow. “Did you seriously talk to Mason behind my back?”
“It wasn’t like that.” He frowned. “You make it sound like I was hiding it from you on purpose.”
“But you were hiding it just the same.” She groaned, shaking her head. “We were together all afternoon and evening today, and it never crossed your mind to mention this new plan?”
“I tried.” He shook his head. “You made it pretty clear that you’re against facing the Titans.”
“You’re right, I am,” she agreed, only further confusing him.
He didn’t discuss it with her, because she didn’t want to talk about it. But now she was upset because he didn’t talk to her? He crossed his arms. “I don’t understand why you’re upset about me talking to Mason. You didn’t want to hear about it anyway.”
Her jaw went slack for a second. “You seriously don’t get it, do you?” She searched his eyes as she placed her hand over his heart. “The only way I’m ever going to get past this trust issue is if we’re a team. That means no secrets.”
He covered her hand with his. “Even when it’s something that might upset you?”
She nodded. “It needs to be us against the world.” She paused, and added, “I want us to be a team.”
His pulse surged, and he lifted her hand to his lips. “I want that, too.”
Her mouth hinted at a smile. “Then no more going behind my back to make plans to save the world.”
He chuckled, rolling his eyes. “It sounds shitty when you say it like that.”
“Well, that’s how it felt when I found out about it in there.”
The pain in her eyes gutted him. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Trin. The last thing I want in the world is to hurt you, but this isn’t a fight I can walk away from. The stakes are too high.”
“That’s why I think we need to be patient and wait for Zeus and Rhea’s help.”
“Mankind could be extinct before Zeus lifts a finger.” He rested his forehead against hers, his voice falling to a whisper. “I’m not willing to allow some Titan asshole to destroy humanity before I get the chance to earn your trust.”
She brought her hand up to caress his cheek. “If we weren’t in the hallway of a busy emergency room, I would kiss you so hard right now.”
He raised a brow. “Even though I want to kick a Titan’s ass?”
“Well…” She chuckled. “Maybe you should tell me about your plan.”
CHAPTER 10
“You take good care of her,” Trinity whispered as she hugged Hunter good-bye in the hospital parking lot.
“Always.” He stepped back and offered Mikolas his hand. “Thanks again, man, for helping Coop tonight. I owe you.”
“Glad it helped. I’m still not sure how this gift of mine works.” Mikolas shook his hand. “I hope Callie feels better soon.”
Hunter nodded, then walked back to the car where Callie waited in the passenger seat.
She leaned over and called to Trinity. “Don’t forget the Halloween party tomorrow night!”
“I won’t.” Trinity waved. “Rest up.”
Hunter got in, and they drove away from the hospital. Trinity looked over at Mikolas. “Okay, so, where are we going to plot the end of a Titan?”
He shrugged. “My place?”
She smiled. “I’ve been sort of curious about where you live.”
“I hope it lives up to your expectations.” He took her hand, threading his fingers with hers. And instead of cautioning herself about his motives, she allowed herself to enjoy the growing connection between them.
She got into his black Mercedes, and a swell of the familiar uneasiness festered in her heart. “You said before that you didn’t run over Cooper, but this car did, didn’t it?”
He turned on the engine and glanced her way. “I went to bed that night and when I woke up, Nate and his partner were at my door asking about my car. I walked them right out to the garage. Would I have done that if I had known it was smashed up from a hit-and-run?”
All true. She buckled her seat belt, settling in. “Ted and his enforcer stole your car?”
“Yes.” He drove out of the parking lot and headed for the highway. “Ted hoped to frame me so I would be arrested. Then he could take back the leadership of the Order. In his defense, it was Philyra’s plan, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I’m just glad no one was killed.”
“Me too.” She glanced out the window. “I’m sorry I keep busting your balls over all this. I’m still wrapping my brain around all the tragedy we’ve faced since we started restoring the theater and trying to figure out how to forgive myself. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again. I can’t.”
The rest of the drive was quiet. She wasn’t sure what she expected. What could Mikolas say?
He took the winding roads slowly around the cove. The houses on the cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean were decidedly out of her tax bracket. He turned into a driveway leading to a Spanish style home with a red-tile roof. It was at least two, maybe three times as large as her place. She couldn’t wait to see the inside.
He clicked the garage door opener on his visor and waited for it to open. He pulled in and pressed the button again, his attention on the rearview mirror. When it was closed, he turned her way. “I wish there were something I could say to let you know you can trust me, but in my experience, trust has to be earned.” His gaze wandered over her face. “So I won’t make promises that I will be there when you need me, but I will be there, Trin. I’ll show you.”
Her heart fluttered at his declaration, not because it was what she wanted to hear but because she actually believed him. She brushed a tender kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”
She met his eyes, aching to taste his lips, but she opened her door instead, bathing them in the light from overhead. “We better get inside. You owe me a plan that will stop Titans, but also allow you to live to tell the tale.”
“Zeus is handling Kronos. We
only need to stop Iapetus. Easy.” There was a spark in his eyes that made her knees weak.
She followed him into the house and gasped as she looked around. She’d imagined a billionaire oil businessman would live in a cold futuristic home. The beach house, which was really more of a spacious hacienda, had an open floor plan that any home renovation show staff would’ve killed for. From the door to the garage, she could see the entire kitchen, living room, and expansive wall of glass overlooking the Pacific. All the furnishings tied in the earth tones of the paint and whitewashed wood flooring.
It was a home, not a gallery.
She nudged him. “Not bad, I guess, if awe-inspiring living spaces are your thing.”
He was quiet for a second, before his deep laughter echoed off the high ceilings. “It took me a second to understand.”
“Sarcasm is probably tough to translate.”
“Sometimes.” He shrugged. “I started learning English in grade-school. By the time I finished university and got a job with my father’s business, I spoke with American companies every day.” His playful smile coupled with his messy dark hair made her toes curl in her shoes. “But no one has ever made me laugh like you do. You…make me happy.”
He walked her into the sunken living room and offered her a seat on the sand-colored sofa facing the cove.
She sat down, staring out the dark window. “I bet it’s stunning during the sunset.”
He settled in beside her. “That’s why I bought this place, actually. The realtor brought me here as the sun was dipping below the horizon, and I was sold.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the kitchen. “Do you want a drink?”
“Nah, I’m fine.” She met his eyes. “Just tell me what you told Mason.”
Mikolas took a deep breath. She wouldn’t like his plan, but after the attack on Callie today, it seemed even more impossible to wait for the gods to settle their differences.
“As you know,” he started, “Zeus told me he would handle his father, which leaves Iapetus to us. Mason explained how he killed Philyra by shifting into his wolf and how her magic didn’t affect him. But then she threatened Clio, and his Herculean strength kicked in.”
