“Put me down!” she hissed so as not to wake Marissa. “I’ve already been manhandled enough for one day.”
“Hold on, meli.” He shifted her so she couldn’t kick him in the balls, repositioned his arms until he had both of hers pinned. She struggled, but even she knew it was useless. He was a thousand times stronger than her when she was healthy. Now, with the combination of fear, exhaustion and sickness coursing through her body, she was like a toothpick blowing in the breeze. “I’d have come for you sooner if I’d thought it was safe.”
“Word to the wise. It’s not safe for you here now, so just go back out the way you came in.”
He gentled his hold but still held her firmly. “Meli.”
Dammit, why did that one stupid word make her go all soft and gooey inside? Especially when he said it so tenderly?
The fight rushed out of her in a blur. She bit her lip hard so she wouldn’t cry like a blubbering baby. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
“Shhh.” He eased his hold and turned her gently toward him. “And in the dark too.” He brushed her hair back from her face in a move that was so damn sweet, she was glad she couldn’t see his eyes. He’d saved her life twice now, and though she didn’t understand him in the least, she had a sinking suspicion he was right: some kind of fate or destiny she couldn’t see and wasn’t sure she believed in was pushing them together.
The only question was, why?
“It’s over now, meli.”
“For you,” she whispered. Thank God there was anonymity in the dark. “But those things…Tell me the truth, Theron. They’re looking for me, aren’t they?”
When he wrapped his arms tight around her again and pulled her close without answering, she knew she was right. For some reason, those daemons were hunting her. And she suspected it had something to do with a father she’d never known and a world that was as foreign to her as China.
“What happened to the flashlight I gave you?” he asked.
Casey knew he was changing the subject, but was too exhausted to call him on it. She eased out of his arms when he loosened his hold—not because she wanted to but because it was either that or fall on her ass. “I dropped it somewhere.”
His big boots shuffled along the rock floor. Seconds later, a single beam of light pierced the darkness. Theron shone it around, checking out the cave.
Casey pointed toward the smaller room and lowered her voice. “Marissa’s sleeping in there. I gave her my coat.”
Theron pointed the light in that direction. “That’s good. It’s dark out now. We’ll let her sleep till morning, then head back to the colony.” He turned and picked up something from the ground behind him. Minnie.
And the waterworks chose that moment to flood. Killing three monsters hell-bent on mutilating her wasn’t heroic enough for him. Oh, no, Theron, leader of the Argonauts and descendent of Heracles, the greatest hero ever, had to rescue that stupid doll and bring it back for a little girl who was miserable without it.
Casey was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the wall of the cave, wiping her eyes like an idiot when he came back from returning Marissa’s toy. She saw the alarm on his face and scowled, wishing she’d left that damn flashlight on earlier so the batteries would now be dead. She did not need to see concern from him. She already had a feeling she was dangerously close to falling for this guy without it.
A hero. Fabulous. Of all the stupid things she’d ever done, this would be the topper. Forget the fact they came from two completely different worlds. Forget the fact she was sick and didn’t seem to be getting any better. Even if they were on even ground, she’d still never be enough for him. She’d seen the disgust on his face whenever he remembered she was human. And now that she’d glimpsed what had happened to his father, she understood why.
“Don’t cry, meli.” He sank down next to her and pulled her onto his lap. She thought about refusing, then figured, What’s the point? I’m too weak to fight him and odds are good I’ll end up here anyway. “I can’t handle seeing you so upset.”
“I’m not crying over you, you stupid jerk.” She swiped at her eyes again and punched him in the shoulder with what little strength she had left. “I’m just…tired.”
He clicked the light off and set the flashlight on the ground by his hip. In the silence she heard the strong beat of his heart. “You did good out there,” he said. “Saved me again. Better not let my kinsmen see or they’ll be firing my ass and inducting you into the Argonauts.”
She let out a sigh, relaxed against him. God, his body felt good. Warm. Right. Even soaked with sweat and other things she didn’t want to imagine. “I hate those things.”
His hand ran over her hair, pressed gently against her head until she laid it on his shoulder. “We all do.”
In the silence she asked a question that had been pinging around in her brain since the run-in at her store. “Why don’t you use guns?”
“In battle?”