I relay my conversation with Maverick to Gatlin and Jamison. “Maverick isn’t one to exaggerate. We should probably limit our contact with Mercer.”
Gatlin taps his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel. “We’ll need another supplier. There’s a gryphon in Egypt who can help us. I’ll check with him.”
Jamison dips his head. “The good news is we have the weapons we need to move on to the next temple.” He looks back at me. “Do you know where we should go next?”
“Not yet,” I reply as we come to a halt in the driveway.
Gatlin is reaching for the handle when I open the door, and he practically growls at me. “Next time, wait. Let me check the perimeter first.”
I wrinkle my nose at him and turn towardmyhouse as I answer Jamison. “There are three gods left. Ares, Demeter, and Athena. Ares’ temple is basically rubble. I’m leaning toward either Athena or Demeter, but I’d like to get Hawthorne’s opinion.”
“Get Hawthorne’s opinion on what?” a familiar voice asks, and I pivot to find Hawthorne propped against a wooden post near the front door.
Green eyes drink me in from head to toe, and he raises an eyebrow. I blush. It feels like there’s a neon sign above my head saying I had sex with Jamison. The corner of his mouth lifts, but other than a shared look, with Jamison, he says nothing.
“Whether we should go for Athena or Demeter,” I say, stopping in front of him. Seeing him standing here with his eyes open makes me breathe easier.Fuck it.I step forward and wrap my arms around him. Closing my eyes, I savor the warmth he exudes.
His arms close around me, and he bends down to murmur, “I let you out of my sight for a few hours, and you get stabbed? Good thing you killed the bastard.” Firm lips place a kiss on my forehead as he tucks me under his arm and escorts me into the house.
“They both have two possible temples,” he says, rubbing his chin. “This is your quest. What does your gut say?”
I think about the first two quests and realize the golden apple was still on the pedestal when we left. “Demeter. She’s the god of agriculture and harvest and the cultivation of crops. She seems like the most likely choice.”
He thinks about it for a second. “There used to be quite a few temples dedicated to her and her daughter Persephone. Most have been destroyed. From what I can recall, there are at least two dedicated to Demeter that are options. The one on Naxos and the one at Eleusis.”
“It’s been a while since I researched them,” I admit with a wry smile. Really, with my background, I should know the Ancient Greece sites. “I…”
Mathias stops in front of me, his eyes tinged with red. “I thought you were immortal?”
Taken aback, I stare up at him. “Sort of. Why?”
“Explain,” he orders with an impatient sigh. “Sort ofisn’t an answer.”
“Well, you’re sort of immortal. It takes a lot to kill a vampire, but you can still permanently die, right?” I explain. “I die, but I regenerate with a little bit of time. Although I haven’t tested all the ways. Why?”
A muscle tics in his jaw. “Tell me what happened at the airport.”
Is he upset I got stabbed? “A mage stabbed me. I killed him.” He raises an arrogant eyebrow, and I lift my hands. “Umm, what?”
“Why did you need to go to a healer?”
“Because he coated it with a poison, and my body wasn’t healing as quickly as usual,” I reply with a bewildered glance. “Worst case, the infection would have spread, and I would have died. It’s painful, and it sometimes takes time to regenerate. I’d rather avoid that scenario if I can.”
The red recedes, but there’s a troubled expression on his face. “Thank you for the explanation.” He darts a glance at Jamison. “I’m going for a walk.” In a blur, he’s gone.
“Anyone care to explain?” I ask, but none of them replies. With a huff, I walk over to the table where the laptop sits and open it up. “I’m going to do some research.”
Hawthorne comes over and sits down beside me. “I’ll help. Bring up Naxos first.”
“I don’t want you to go,” I murmur, not wanting the others to hear me. It’s a good thing Mathias is gone. Damn vampires can hear everything.
Hawthorne swivels to face me. “If you’re going, I’m going.” He presses a finger to my lips to stop the protest forming on them. “Look what happened at the airport. I hate that you were hurt and I wasn’t there to help you. I’m not letting you out of my sight. We’re all going. End of discussion.”
I study his set jaw and green eyes full of determination and realize I’m not going to change his mind. “Okay. Let’s figure out which one is the more likely candidate.”
We dive into the two sites over the next couple of hours, but we’re no closer to determining the best one, even with all theinformation. They’re both good candidates. I drop my head into my hands, and he rubs the muscles of my neck.
Jamison and Gatlin walk over to the table.
