“Might as well use the time to find the most likely places for the panels,” I inform him, my voice light and cheerful. “It wouldbe nice if you were here to help me.” Pausing, I bring up Horse Browser. The best academic research browser, in my opinion. “Six gods. I’m glad it’s not all of them. Demeter will probably be the hardest. There were a lot of temples dedicated to her.”
Diving into the results, I realize I underestimated the passage of time. “Most of the sanctuaries dedicated to Demeter and her daughter Persephone are gone.” I click on the various links. “Ruins. All of them. Nothing left.”
Disappointed, I keep searching. “Looks like the best one is on the island of Naxos. There are a few walls and columns left. Not much, but it’s our best shot.” I spin the screen around to show him. “What do you think?”
“Glad you agree,” I say with a chuckle as a drop of rain falls on my forehead. Quickly placing the laptop on his lap, I wheel him around and head back inside. I grimace. I hate to put him back in that bed. “Let’s do this together, shall we?”
I roll him over to the dining table and grab the seat beside him. “Perfect.” Then I put the laptop where he can see it. “Next up, Apollo. Hmm. Search results show the temple in Bassae is the best preserved, but it’s in the middle of a restoration. Doesn’t feel right.”
“Delos is a possibility,” I murmur, pointing to the screen. “There are still some structures standing.” Something catches my eye. “Interesting. Both Apollo and his sister Artemis were born on this island. Maybe they combined their quest. I’ll dig into Artemis next.”
I raise my head, and my neck protests. With a frown, I pick up my phone and notice six hours have gone by. “Damn. I’m so sorry. You’re probably tired of that chair, aren’t you?” Hopping up, I wheel him over to the bed and get him more comfortable, then grab my phone.
Phaedra: Hey, it’s Phaedra. Will you send me the number of the healer?
Charlie: Glad to know you’re alive. 39 343 555 5555
Charlie: BTW. Mathias is looking for you. Said the phones were tapped. Guess you know. Is this your new number?
Inhaling sharply, I slowly let the air out at the news. Thank the goddess.
Phaedra: Yes. Jamison?? Gatlin??
Charlie: Mathias didn’t say, and his old number isn’t working. I could reach out to some contacts.
Phaedra: I’ve got someone else on it.
Charlie: OK, let me know if you need anything.
I set the phone on the table and plop down onto the sofa, blowing out a relieved breath. If one of them is alive, I’m hoping the other two made it out too. Is it a bad sign that Mathias is the one searching for me, not Jamison? I wish I knew. On one hand, I’m sure Jamison is catching hell from the council right now. But if he…
Lost in thought, it takes me a second to realize someone’s in the room with us. Without thinking, I pull the gun from my back and fire.Damn it, I missed.I scramble closer to Hawthorne and raise the gun again.
“That was a little too close,” a cool voice says from the corner of the room. “It’s Mathias.”
It could be a trick. I swing my gun in his direction. “Step into the light.”
Tall, dark, and handsome steps forward, and I blink at the sight of him. Gone is the sophisticated nerd with glasses. A dark and deadly warrior stands in his place. Black fatigues, chest strapped with two wicked knives, and a gun in his hand. But it’s not the clothing or weapons that make him appear more lethal. It’s the hard look in his intense eyes and the readiness of his stance. This is a man who’s seen battle.
I lower my gun and walk over to him. “Tell me you’re real.”
He takes the gun from my hand and lays it on the table. “I’m real.” His eyes soften as his finger sweeps back the hair on my face and tucks it behind my ear. “I’ve been searching for you. Everywhere. This was my ‘Hail Mary.’”
I swallow. He probably means Hawthorne, not me, but nobody has ever cared enough to search. His words break the dam holding me back. The overwhelming emotions I’ve felt this last week, worrying about Hawthorne and them, hit me like a sledgehammer. I wonder if he’ll mind.
Throwing caution to the wind, I lean into his hard body and wrap my arms tightly around him. Happy he’s alive and here with me. “Mathias.” My voice hitches with emotion.
Strong arms circle and hold me close. I bury my face into his chest and breathe in the scent of his familiar cologne. Vampires don’t have a scent associated with them. I guess it’s because they don’t have magic per se. Speed, incredible strength, compulsion, and rumor has it, other mind abilities, but no magic. The scent soothes me. Fills the cracks in my armor.
Needing to know, I tilt my head back. “Jamison and Gatlin?”
There’s the slightest compression of his lips, and my heart sinks.
“Jamison was hurt pretty badly,” he tells me. I grip his shirt tighter, and he raises a hand to cover mine. “He’s slowlyrecovering. Gatlin was in the air when everything exploded. He’s fine.” His gaze darts to Hawthorne. “What happened to him? Why isn’t he moving?”
Relief fills me. “Thank the goddess.” I ease out of his arms and pick my gun up from the table, tuck it back into my waistband, then go on to explain what happened in the temple. “We found another panel, but Hephaestus didn’t make it easy on us. Unfortunately, the trial depleted Hawthorne’s magic. He’s been like this ever since. I was going to call the healer again today.”
Mathias shoves a hand through his silky ink-colored hair. “What healer?”
