Tempted (32 page)

Fixing an impassive look on his face, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the wall.

“Fine,” she said. “Then I’ll go first. I know you didn’t plan to open the portal in that field outside the colony. But I want to know what happened there and how we got from that field to Pandora. I think you owe me that much at least.”

He did. He owed her so much more. But why would she think he hadn’t opened the portal to that field on purpose? His gaze shifted her way. Didn’t she know about his flat? About the pictures of her Theron had found there? About all the other evidence the Council had trumped up to prove he was the traitor they wanted?

“I was in Atalanta’s chamber before two days ago, wasn’t I?” she asked. “Her daemons captured us in that field. You didn’t turn me over to her. They took us to her stronghold, and when she saw us together she knew what you’ve known all along. That I’m your soul mate. And she saw an opportunity then to get what she really wanted. That’s how we got to Pandora. She banished us there so you’d be forced to protect me and we’d grow closer, and then she came back to claim her prize when she figured enough time had passed.”

Fury welled in his chest over the fact Isadora had been manipulated for the goddess’s cruel plans. But it was followed quickly by surprise that Isadora so easily saw through his lies and was pulling out a truth he didn’t want her to know. If she believed he was a bastard and that he’d used her for Atalanta’s gain, she could forget him when he was executed and move on with her life. But if she believed the truth…

He moved forward to grasp the bars of his cell and added just enough contempt to his voice to get his point across. “You live in a fantasy world,
Princess
.”

She stiffened but didn’t recoil as she would have in the past. “The most logical answer is usually the right one.”

“Not this time.” His gaze traveled the length of her body, a condescending sweep he’d used numerous times before to put her on edge. “But if it makes you feel better to pretend something so you can sleep at night, by all means go for it,
Highness
.”

He sneered the last word and knew it hit its mark when she narrowed her eyes. But she didn’t turn and leave in anger as he expected. Instead she stepped closer to the bars. The sweet scent of her rose up to make him light-headed.

“You can be an ass all you want, Demetrius, but it doesn’t work on me. Not anymore. And you can tell all the lies you want as well, but I know the truth. You never would have willingly turned me over to Atalanta.”

He scoffed, turned, and was about to push away from the bars when her delicate hands closed over his, warm and tempting and so alive they froze him in place.

“I love you,” she whispered.

His head jerked her way, and that heart she’d kick-started back on Pandora leaped to life in his chest. Even though…what was the point?

“I know exactly what you’re doing,” she said softly. “The same thing you’ve been doing my whole life. Trying to make me hate you so you can go on protecting me. Well, I’m not falling for it. And I don’t need you to protect me anymore. Do you think I care what the Council thinks? What my father thinks? All I care about is what’s right. Their condemning you for something you didn’t do is wrong, just as your protecting me from the Council’s archaic traditions is wrong. They’ll all learn I’m pregnant soon enough. If you won’t stand up and tell them the truth now, how am I supposed to do so later?”

No.
Atalanta had been right. She really was pregnant with his…
Gods.
His stomach dropped.

“You…you have to get rid of it.”

She leveled him with a yeah-right look. “Nothing’s happening to this baby.”

Baby. She’d already given it a title. Panic pushed in. “Isadora, what lives in me will live in it.”

“Good.”

Good? Had she gone mad? “You don’t realize—”

“Do you honestly think I believe you’re like her? Demetrius, who we are is not a result of where we come from. It’s the combination of what we do and how we live that determines who we are. If I’m to condemn you simply because you’re related to her, then I might as well damn myself in the process. Every Argolean can link his or her heritage back to the gods. And I don’t care if it’s Zeus or Poseidon or Hades, each one is as cruel and self-serving as Atalanta in one way or another.”

His brow wrinkled as he looked down at her calm and perfect face. “You saw what lurks inside me. The black mist—”

“I saw it.” Her fingers tightened around his. “But I also saw that you didn’t give yourself over to it. Not completely. And as long as I’m here, I won’t let you. Hera picked a pretty damn good soul mate for you, because I have the power of balance within me, thanks to my link to the Horae. And I gave it to you. Let me be your balance, Demetrius.”

She had. In Atalanta’s chamber, he’d felt the energy and power rushing from her hands into his, and it had been enough balance to keep the darkness in check.

Was it possible she could love him, even knowing who and what he really was?

He looked down at her stomach, hidden behind the powder blue silk of her gown. “That thing inside you—”

“Baby,” she corrected. “Our baby. Conceived in love, even if you didn’t like the fact I tied you up.”

His gaze shot back to her face. And heat stirred in his groin at the memory. He’d loved what she’d done to him that night with her little spell. Loved every moment of it and only wanted more. “How can you be so confident when everyone else knows I’m the enemy?”

“Because I know you and those fools don’t.” When he frowned, she added, “Don’t you see? The humanity you scoff at is what sets you apart from Atalanta. All I have to do is think about the things you’ve done for me—like not telling the Council the truth today because you don’t want them to punish me—and I realize how heroic you are. I might not agree with your tactics, but I understand them. And knowing you’re doing all this to protect me? It only makes me love you that much more.”

He could barely breathe. She loved him. Really loved him. Even knowing the truth.

She moved closer to the bars, until her heat was all he felt. “I felt the connection we shared when we made love. I felt it every time you kissed me on that island. I feel it now, in the bars between us. You’ve been protecting me from yourself for years, but you don’t have to anymore. I didn’t come down here because I needed confirmation of your innocence, Demetrius. I already know that truth. I came down here because I need to know you didn’t do all this just because some twisted sense of fate says I’m your soul mate. I need to know you really love me too.”

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the bars even as her love wrapped around him like a warm caress. She was asking for the impossible. For something that didn’t even matter anymore. The truth would only prolong her pain after he was gone.

“Promise me you’ll get rid of that thing inside you.”

“Not even close.”

His eyes squeezed tighter. “Then at least give it away.”

“It’s not an it. And
he
stays. Tell me the truth, Demetrius.”

“You could bind yourself to one of the other guardians.” He glanced at her. The look in her eyes said,
Not
in
a
million
years
.

“The truth, Demetrius.”

Gods, she was so stubborn. A major pain in his ass. She always had been, right from the start. “I can’t.”

She eased up on her toes until her sweet breath brushed the side of his face, until his heart squeezed so tight it was hard to get air. “You can. It’s easy. All you have to say is ‘I love you.’ Listen,” she said softly, her breath tickling his cheek, her words warming the cold space left in his chest. “I love you. I love you. I love…you.”

“Isadora…”

Voices brought his head up. The ruckus grew louder and footsteps pounded the stairs. Isadora turned just as three guards appeared from the dark tunnel.

“What’s the meaning of this?” she demanded. “I left instructions we were not to be disturbed.”

The tallest guard moved forward and grasped her by the arm. “The prisoner’s to be moved to the Argolion to face sentencing.”

Oh, shit.

“What?” Isadora refused to let go of Demetrius’s hands. “He’s yet to stand trial.”

“The Council, upon the king’s request, voted unanimously moments ago to convict him of high treason. We have orders, Princess. Let go of the bars.”

Isadora’s shocked face shifted back to Demetrius. She knew, just as he did, what the charge of high treason entailed. There was no such thing as a “sentencing” in this case.

“No,” Isadora whispered. Then louder, “No. I won’t let this happen. You tell the Council they—”

The tallest guard lifted her around the waist and jerked back hard until she was forced to release the bars. “I said let go, Princess!”

Things happened so fast, Demetrius barely tracked them. All he knew was the guard had a death grip on Isadora, she was struggling in his arms, screaming for him to release her, and he was hurting her. The black mist swirled in his chest and pushed forward, turning his vision to a dark hazy red. When the closest guard unlocked the cell door and the second moved to cuff him, he charged, knocking them both to the ground before going straight for the third. “Let go of her!”

He got in one good punch before the other two were on him. Isadora screamed. Voices rang in the air. A club nailed him in the small of his back, sending blinding pain to his skull. Another hit him behind both knees, forcing him to the ground.

“Get down, you son of a bitch!”

“Get her back!”

“Stop! You’re hurting him!”

Blow after blow hit him from all sides, until his vision swam and stars exploded behind his eyes. Someone wrenched his arms at his back and slapped cuffs on his wrists. Another guard shoved his battered face into the cold, dirty stones. Behind him, he heard crying.

“Please stop!”

Isadora.
His
Isadora. This was the last time he was going to see her. He couldn’t let this be her last memory of him. He’d already taken everything else from her.

The guards hauled him to his feet. “Get up, maggot.”

The room spun. Warm sticky wetness slid down his cheek. He tasted the coppery tang of blood. He stumbled but the guards caught him. “
Kardia
,” he rasped.

“I’m right here,” Isadora answered.

He swung his gaze to the right and zeroed in on her broken voice, on the pale halo of blond around her head that made her look like an angel, on her perfect face that was, even now, fading in and out of focus. “You were right. You’ve always been right. About me, about everything. I only wanted to save you from this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of it.”

The guard shoved him hard in the back. He stumbled forward. “No one cares, maggot.”

“Demetrius—”

“I love you,
kardia
,” he said louder as the guard shoved him up the first step. He twisted around to look at her. “You have my heart. You always have. Just you. Just you, Isadora.”

As they dragged him away, his last image was of her standing between both her sisters with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Chapter 25

Isadora stared at the empty stairwell through a sea of tears.

“Oh, Isadora,” Callia said.

“Isa,” Casey said softly on her other side. “I had no idea.”

She wasn’t going to let this happen, and she wasn’t about to act like all was lost either. Isadora stepped away from both of her sisters and wiped her cheeks. Her mind raced as conversations and links swirled behind her eyes. He had a brother. In the human realm. Someone he might not get along with but who would undoubtedly hate Atalanta as much as he did. Someone who was closer than she realized. If only she knew where he was, so she could figure out a way to bring him back here and have him explain to her father—

“Oh,
skata.
” Her eyes grew wide. “Nick.”

“Nick?” Casey asked, eyebrows drawn together. “What does the leader of the Misos have to do with any of this?”

“Nick is Demetrius’s brother.” Isadora brought her hand up to her mouth. “Oh, gods. Why didn’t I figure that out sooner?”

“Demetrius has a brother?” Callia asked.

“Holy crap,” Casey muttered. “That’s why Theron’s always been confused by Nick. Because he’s both Argonaut and human.”

Isadora turned a slow circle. She had to get to him. But he’d moved the half-breed colony to a new location somewhere in Montana, and she had no idea where that was.

“The Argonauts will never let you through the portal,” Casey said, following her train of thought.

Isadora stopped. “Orpheus can get me there.”

Callia looked at each of them. “You’re seriously going back to the human realm after what just happened to you?”

“He’ll want something in return,” Casey said, ignoring Callia’s question.

Yeah, Isadora didn’t doubt that for a minute. Orpheus never did anything without something in return. “He can have whatever the hell he wants, so long as he helps me.”

She headed for the stairs, frantic to get to Orpheus before it was too late.

Casey’s hand on her arm stopped her. “Hold up.” When Isadora turned, Casey and Callia exchanged glances. Callia nodded, then Casey said, “We’re going with you. You’ll need help convincing Nick.”

“He likes us,” Callia added with a half smile. “More than he likes you, at least.”

Isadora breathed easier. But not by much. Because on this one, her sister was right. “We have to hurry.”

***

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Orpheus grabbed his spell book from the shelf in the back room of his shop and shoved it into his bag. “All I did was bring the traitor back, like you asked.”

Isadora stepped around the table so she was in his face again. “You’re lying.”

So what if he was? That was his prerogative and she could take a flying leap for all he cared. Being daemon was bad enough. Admitting you were part witch to the Council would surely get him blacklisted. While he didn’t much care what people thought of him, he didn’t have time to dick around. Helping the Argonauts with their little raid had already slowed him down. He had one goal now, and everyone else could go to hell. Especially Demetrius. So what if they’d united their powers to lock good ol’ Atalanta away? Eventually the bitch would find her way out of that purgatory. But Gryphon would still be dead.

The daemon in him pushed forward, the need for retribution strong. Controlling the beast, he glanced around, mentally ticked off what else he’d need. Delia’s witches had given him shit as to where he might find that rat bastard sonofabitch Apophis. In Gryphon’s body, the warlock could be anywhere. His next step was to head back to Thrace Castle and see what leads he could pick up there. Maybe torture a witch or ten if he had to. From there…from there he didn’t know where the fuck he’d go.

“I don’t care about your heritage, Orpheus.” Isadora stepped in his path, blocking him again. “And if you won’t cop to the fact you had a hand in defeating Atalanta, fine. I don’t care. My father thinks you’re a questionable source anyway. What I need right now is for you to take me to Nick.”

His jaw locked. “I’m not a fucking bus driver, Isa. And I’m on my way out, in case you haven’t noticed. Besides, you already owe me way more than I’ll ever be able to collect.”

“You can have whatever you want. Whenever you want. As soon as we get back. I won’t even argue with you.” She moved closer. “Just please,
please
help me. You’re my last hope.”

Yeah, like he hadn’t heard that one before. “Why should I?”

“You have no reason to. Except…” She bit her lip as if trying to decide which tactic to use next. “Except helping me will piss off the Council.”

“I can do that any damn day of the week.”

“This is different,” Callia added behind her. “We’re talking
seriously
piss them off.”

“With a passion,” Casey said in agreement.

He flicked looks at both sisters, then at Isadora again. The princess was clearly desperate, but he couldn’t figure out why. Demetrius was Atalanta’s fucking son. Why the hell was she so frantic to save his life after what the guardian had done?

He knew there was one surefire way to get her to back the hell off. He leaned in close. “I only want one thing, Isa, the same damn thing I’ve always wanted. You. But this time I don’t just want you for a quick little affair. I want you whenever and however and for as long as I’m interested. Are you willing to relinquish your future in order to save his life?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

He drew back, shocked by her answer.

“I said yes, Orpheus.” She blinked once, like it was no big deal. “Can we go now?”

“You…you don’t even want to think about it?”

“I don’t have to.”

Holy
shit.
“You’re in love with him.”

“Yes.” Honesty raced across her face. He looked to her sisters, who both nodded in support.

His gaze shifted back to Isadora. “How can you feel anything for him, knowing what he is?”

“The truth?” When he nodded, she said, “I love him more
because
of what he is. He could have given himself over to the darkness at any time, but he never did. The Council is wrong. He never tried to hurt me. He tried to save Gryphon in that field and he rescued me more times than I can count. And I will do whatever I have to in order to do the same for him. Including give myself to you. You can have my body. I don’t even care anymore. Because my heart will always belong to him.”

Orpheus looked to the sisters again and caught their disgusted expressions, but he barely cared. Was it possible someone could love pure evil?

“Please,” Isadora said gently, stepping close and laying her hand on his lower arm. “Please help me.”

He looked down at her fingers, resting on the Argonaut markings on his skin—the ones that should be on Gryphon’s arms—and felt something stir in his chest. It wasn’t his soul, because he didn’t have one. It was some heroic fucking honor that had passed from Gryphon into him when his brother’s soul had gone to Hades.

“Sonofabitch,” he muttered. “I don’t want this responsibility. I never wanted it. Do you get that?”

“No one will force you to serve with the Argonauts if you don’t want to. On that you have my word.” She squeezed his arm. “Please, Orpheus.”

He ground his teeth and looked toward the door. He wasn’t a hero. He wasn’t ever going to
be
a hero. Helping her now didn’t change that fact, and the Argonauts could kiss his ass for all he cared. “Fine. Whatever. But if you get kidnapped by witches again, just know I’m not saving your ass.”

Relief rushed over Isadora’s face. A relief that stirred whatever was in his chest again and made him wish like hell he just didn’t give a damn.

But he did. Motherfucker, he did.

***

“Well, if it isn’t the Witches of Eastwick and the Grand Poobah himself.” Standing in the middle of the empty hall in the colony’s new digs, Nick Blades frowned at the newcomers he considered a major-ass interruption.

“You’re just jealous ’cause I got the hotties and you’ve got a fucking migraine,” Orpheus said.

Wasn’t that the damn truth?

“How about this one?” Helene asked, holding up a box.

Nick pointed the pen in his hand toward the stairs to his right. “Third-floor kitchen, Helene.”

As Helene disappeared around the corner, Nick caught the half grin on Casey’s face from the corner of his eye. “It’s nice to see you again too, Nick.”

He leaned down so she could kiss his cheek, then straightened, refocusing on the task at hand. Activity flowed around him, the bustle of people moving to and fro as they worked to get the ancient castle, nestled in a fjord high in the mountains of Montana, fortified and stocked. It wasn’t his first choice for a location, but since the Misos colony in Oregon had been destroyed, it was the only place he’d found big enough for his people. And built on an island in the middle of an ancient lake, it was as isolated and secure as they were going to get. For now, at least.

“Where’s Hercules?” he asked Casey without looking up. “Does yesterday’s hero know you’re walking on the wild side today?”

Casey frowned at the mention of her husband. “He’s fine. And no, he doesn’t know I’m here.” She glanced toward the cathedral windows that looked down over the crystal blue lake. “Nick, where on earth did you find this place? It’s like Hogwarts, straight out of a Harry Potter movie.”

Frustrated, Nick rubbed a hand over the long jagged scar on the left side of his face. The one that was a stark reminder of just how much those in Argolea cared about his people. The only reason he answered was that Casey was a Misos just like him. “You know there’s a colony in northern Russia, right? Some Russian prince’s servant’s brother’s cousin’s aunt or some shit like that is a Misos. He had this castle built sometime back in the 1800s but never got here because he was killed. When I contacted the other colonies to see about moving our people around temporarily until we could find more permanent digs, the Russian leader told me about this place and offered it to us.”

“Wow,” Casey said. “Just like that?”

No, not just like that. There were conditions. And it didn’t matter how much Nick liked Casey, he wasn’t going to get into those conditions with her or the future queen of Argolea. Ever.

“What the hell are the four of you doing here, anyway?” he asked, nearing the end of his patience for the day.

The princess moved forward from the back of the group. “We came to talk to you about your brother.”

Nick clenched his jaw and went back to his checklist. “Not interested.”

“They’re going to kill him,” Isadora protested.

“Oh yeah?” He didn’t look up or care who “they” were. “I’m sure he deserves it. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got work to—”

Isadora wrenched the clipboard from his hands before he could turn away. “The king knows Atalanta is his mother. And we know she’s yours too.”

The scars on Nick’s back—more blasted reminders—tingled with awareness, reawakening the blackness deep inside. His fiery gaze shot to Orpheus, standing behind the women with his hands shoved into the front pockets of his pants. “Hear her out, Nico.”

Fuck.

He pointed toward the closest door. “You,” he said to the princess, “in there. The rest of you, stay put.”

“But—”

Nick cut Casey’s protest off with a look.

In silence he followed Isadora into the long rectangular room with its soaring ceiling and iron chandelier and windows that spanned an entire wall that faced the lake. He guessed this was some kind of dining room, but as he kicked the door closed with his boot, he really didn’t give a rip.

Isadora glared from across the room. “The Council thinks Demetrius turned traitor. They’re going to execute him unless you help me stop it.”

“Why should I care?”

“Because he’s no more evil than you are.”

The blackness surged. “Be careful, Princess. You don’t know what the hell I am.”