“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.