grappled for his sword. Demetrius’s hand darted to his back for his blade.
Isadora didn’t think, she reacted. She lifted Gryphon’s parazonium, still in her hand, and hurled it end over end. The tip of the blade impaled the witch dead center in the chest. Her eyes flew wide, she stumbled, and her mouth dropped open in shock. The sword fell from her hand as she grappled to pull the weapon free. But there was no time for even a scream to slip from her throat. Her glamour flickered and died as she collapsed forward on the cold floor and the blade pierced flesh and bone to protrude from her back.
Isadora’s hands cupped her cheeks. As she stared at Saphira’s lifeless body, she couldn’t help but think of the thousands of times she’d looked at that face and trusted she was her friend. The energy that only moments before had propelled Isadora forward rushed out of her on a wave. She took a step back just as her knees went out from under her.
“I’ve got you.”
Strong arms closed around her. Still reeling, she looked up to find Demetrius holding her tight against him once again.
Demetrius?
Yeah. Demetrius.
She focused on his face to keep the panic at bay. On the bloody and bruised skin streaked with dirt. On the faint lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes, that hard mouth, the slight dimple in his chin. On the strong cheekbones and his intense gaze, which seemed to be looking all the way through her, right into her soul. This was the same Argonaut she’d seen in her dream. The same one she’d cowered from so many times she couldn’t count. Only this time something felt…different.
He pushed her hands away from her face, focused on her burn, and muttered, “Bitches.” Gently he blew on the tender skin and his breath, cooling against the sting of the burn, heated other places inside her she definitely shouldn’t be aware of right now.
Her body reacted, shifted deeper into his arms. Even though some small place in her mind screamed, What the hell do you think you’re doing?
“Sonofabitch,” Orpheus said from across the room. “Um, guys. We’ve got a problem. A big-ass problem.”
Somehow Isadora tore her gaze from Demetrius and looked toward Orpheus, who was standing at the doorway, peering down the long hall.
“What now?” Demetrius asked.
“Wave number two,” Orpheus said. He crossed the floor in quick strides, reached for his sword from the floor. “Only this time they’re not fucking around.”
“ Skata .”
Isadora tensed in Demetrius’s arms. “What does that mean?”
“It means we need to haul ass out of here.” Demetrius looked down at her. “Can you walk?”
“No, but I can run.”
“Good girl.” Demetrius let go of her, dropped to Gryphon’s side, and slapped the guardian on the face. “No more dicking around, Gryphon. Wake up.”
Gryphon grunted and stirred.
Orpheus checked the door again, swore. “We don’t have time to run.” Then to Demetrius, “You’ll have to take them through the portal.”
Demetrius’s gaze shot to Orpheus’s as he pushed Gryphon up to sitting. “She can’t go to the human realm.”
“It’s either that or die, smart guy. Gryphon’s not strong enough to flash out of here and you’re not leaving him behind, so make a choice. We’ve got seconds here. I can hold them off until you get through the portal, but that’s it.”
Fear leaped in Isadora’s chest. She twisted to Orpheus. “You’re coming with us.”
He flicked her a look as he pulled on his black cloak, stained with blood and gore. “Would love to, Isa, but someone’s got to be the man around here.”
“Wait. You don’t have to do this.”
“Careful, Isa. I’ll start to think you really do care.”
“Orpheus—”
He turned to her before she could touch him and the humor left his features, stopping her feet. His eyes flickered green before returning to their normal gray color. Isadora stiffened when she saw the daemon in him shimmer forward and
Isadora didn’t think, she reacted. She lifted Gryphon’s parazonium, still in her hand, and hurled it end over end. The tip of the blade impaled the witch dead center in the chest. Her eyes flew wide, she stumbled, and her mouth dropped open in shock. The sword fell from her hand as she grappled to pull the weapon free. But there was no time for even a scream to slip from her throat. Her glamour flickered and died as she collapsed forward on the cold floor and the blade pierced flesh and bone to protrude from her back.
Isadora’s hands cupped her cheeks. As she stared at Saphira’s lifeless body, she couldn’t help but think of the thousands of times she’d looked at that face and trusted she was her friend. The energy that only moments before had propelled Isadora forward rushed out of her on a wave. She took a step back just as her knees went out from under her.
“I’ve got you.”
Strong arms closed around her. Still reeling, she looked up to find Demetrius holding her tight against him once again.
Demetrius?
Yeah. Demetrius.
She focused on his face to keep the panic at bay. On the bloody and bruised skin streaked with dirt. On the faint lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes, that hard mouth, the slight dimple in his chin. On the strong cheekbones and his intense gaze, which seemed to be looking all the way through her, right into her soul. This was the same Argonaut she’d seen in her dream. The same one she’d cowered from so many times she couldn’t count. Only this time something felt…different.
He pushed her hands away from her face, focused on her burn, and muttered, “Bitches.” Gently he blew on the tender skin and his breath, cooling against the sting of the burn, heated other places inside her she definitely shouldn’t be aware of right now.
Her body reacted, shifted deeper into his arms. Even though some small place in her mind screamed, What the hell do you think you’re doing?
“Sonofabitch,” Orpheus said from across the room. “Um, guys. We’ve got a problem. A big-ass problem.”
Somehow Isadora tore her gaze from Demetrius and looked toward Orpheus, who was standing at the doorway, peering down the long hall.
“What now?” Demetrius asked.
“Wave number two,” Orpheus said. He crossed the floor in quick strides, reached for his sword from the floor. “Only this time they’re not fucking around.”
“ Skata .”
Isadora tensed in Demetrius’s arms. “What does that mean?”
“It means we need to haul ass out of here.” Demetrius looked down at her. “Can you walk?”
“No, but I can run.”
“Good girl.” Demetrius let go of her, dropped to Gryphon’s side, and slapped the guardian on the face. “No more dicking around, Gryphon. Wake up.”
Gryphon grunted and stirred.
Orpheus checked the door again, swore. “We don’t have time to run.” Then to Demetrius, “You’ll have to take them through the portal.”
Demetrius’s gaze shot to Orpheus’s as he pushed Gryphon up to sitting. “She can’t go to the human realm.”
“It’s either that or die, smart guy. Gryphon’s not strong enough to flash out of here and you’re not leaving him behind, so make a choice. We’ve got seconds here. I can hold them off until you get through the portal, but that’s it.”
Fear leaped in Isadora’s chest. She twisted to Orpheus. “You’re coming with us.”
He flicked her a look as he pulled on his black cloak, stained with blood and gore. “Would love to, Isa, but someone’s got to be the man around here.”
“Wait. You don’t have to do this.”
“Careful, Isa. I’ll start to think you really do care.”
“Orpheus—”
He turned to her before she could touch him and the humor left his features, stopping her feet. His eyes flickered green before returning to their normal gray color. Isadora stiffened when she saw the daemon in him shimmer forward and
Similar Books
