For the second time in only a matter of hours, Orpheus was standing before royalty. This royalty wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the last, though.
Isadora stared down at the Orb in her hands, with the two elements nestled in their chambers, her face awash with awe and surprise. Behind her, Theron and Demetrius looked on with no way in hell expressions. Orpheus ignored the Argonauts and focused on the queen. And when her brown eyes lifted to his, he saw…relief.
Man, he’d been such a bastard to her. He doubted a smart-ass, scheming personality like his could totally change. From what he remembered of his years as Cynurus, he’d been a sonofabitch then too. But at least his heart had changed. And his intentions.
“I knew you’d bring the earth element back,” she said. “I didn’t expect the rest.”
“Figured they belonged together.” He frowned as he stuffed his hands into the clean jeans he’d changed into when he’d come back to Argolea and made this decision. “Besides, I’ve lost my taste for power.”
A warm smile cut across her face. She turned and handed the Orb to Theron, who stared at the thing as if it might jump out and bite him, then shifted back. “Thank you.”
“I only have one requirement.”
“Anything.”
“The Orb can’t be destroyed until all four elements are in place. I know it’s tempting to keep it, but once we find the other two elements…I want you to promise me we’ll destroy the damn thing.”
Isadora’s smile widened. “We?”
Orpheus clenched his jaw, because, yeah, being a sonofabitch was easy. Being heroic…that was a hell of a lot of work. “Yeah, ‘we.’ I’ll take Gryphon’s place with the Argonauts. Until,” he added, cutting off Isadora’s burst of excitement, “Gryphon’s ready to come back.”
Isadora stepped away from the desk in her father’s old office in the castle at Tiyrns. “Orpheus, you are welcome to stay on with the Argonauts for however long you want.” She placed her hand on his forearm. Right over the ancient Greek text. “You don’t need the markings of the gods to do that.”
“These markings don’t come from the gods,” he said, looking down at her. Still stunned that she’d been able to see the good in him before anyone else.
She squeezed his arm. “I think you might be right.”
He nodded toward the Orb in Theron’s hands. “What about that?”
“That,” Isadora answered, “will be locked up safe and sound. And when we have the other two elements, it will be destroyed. Just like you want. It won’t fall into the wrong hands.”
Orpheus nodded. Glanced from Theron to Demetrius. Neither said anything, but the fatherly grin on Theron’s face and the humor in Demetrius’s eyes told him they were both relieved. And thankful.
And skata…he needed to get gone before they did something stupid. Like congratulate him or try to hug him or some shit like that. He definitely couldn’t handle any male bonding right now.
He turned for the door, then stopped. “There’s one more thing. I’ll serve with the Argonauts whenever they need me. But I won’t live here in Argolea.”
Isadora’s sad smile said she could still see right through him. “I think it’s smart you stay at the colony with Gryphon. Your brother needs you there.”
Orpheus wasn’t so sure of that. He’d gone to see Gryphon first, before coming back to Argolea, and though his brother had awoken from the sedatives Callia had given him and seemed calm, he was but a shell of what Orpheus remembered. Gone was the easygoing, strong, and confident Argonaut who’d forever been trying to set Orpheus on the right path. In his place lurked a haunted and broken man who did nothing but stare out the window with vacant eyes, shake his head as if he was hearing voices, and twitch.
Gryphon’s time in the Underworld was too fresh. Orpheus had to hold on to hope that time and distance would bring back the brother he remembered.
He nodded once more and left the room, heading down the hall for the front of the castle. There were a few things he wanted to pick up from his store on the other side of town. A few things he hoped might cheer his brother up.
“Orpheus, wait.”
His feet stilled and he looked back to see Isadora rushing after him. “What now, Isa?”
“I just…” She took a breath, and when she looked up it wasn’t gratitude in her eyes, nor surprise. It was worry. “Are you okay?”
He thought of Skyla—as he had every minute since she’d left him—and his attempt to bring her back. The Fates weren’t listening though, and while he could access just about any realm with his magic, the land of the Fates was closed to him. They made contact when they wanted, not when others summoned them.
A thrumming pain radiated outward from his chest. Knowing she was gone and never coming back was something he was just going to have to get used to. But it hurt. More than he’d ever thought possible. The only thing that kept him going was the thought that one day, if he cleaned up his act enough, he just might see her again.
Be greater.