Chapter 9

We fly for what feels like well over an hour, but it’s warm in the sunlight, and I enjoy looking over all the terrain of this new world. Riding dragon-back in warm weather is far better than cold, and with Terrin’s hands wrapped around my waist, I almost fall asleep. We glide across scorching deserts, thick forests, over crystal lakes and deep rivers until it all merges into one. We pass so many abandoned towns and cities that I just know were left because of their war with the gods. Will Ayiolyn end up like this? Can I save them before it does?

It is almost night when Arden lands right on the cliff edge. He shifts back when I climb off with Terrin before Grayson lands next to us with Emrys on his back. None of us thought it was a good idea to have him shift unless we are in danger. Grayson shifts back next, accepting his clothes from Emrys while I hand Arden his. A roar makes me arch my neck up, searching, as Lysander’s dragon shoots across the sky, a flash of blue against the dying orange light of the sun. Lysander’s dragon dives straight down as I rush to the edge to watch him smash into the sea. His blue dragon disappears under the stormy blue water as the heavy waves crash on the rocks.

Arden touches my back. “He’s going to check out the place on the map. Do you feel it’s the right place?”

Digging my nails into my palm, into the burning, urgent mark, I admit, “Yes. It almost feels like it’s getting stronger. We are here.”

Suddenly Lysander’s dragon jumps out of the sea, water splashing in every direction as it drips off him. He lands nearby, shifting back before he pulls his clothes on that I left out. He wipes his wet hair off his handsome face. “There’s something down there. A temple, but the rest is in ruins. I can take you all down to it.”

Grayson grunts, rubbing his chin. “Emrys should not travel down there, so someone needs to stay up here.”

Arden kisses the side of my head before stepping away from me. “My magic is no good underwater. I know none of us wants to leave Elle’s side, but it’s clear I should stay.”

Emrys walks away, shaking his head, and my heart clenches. Before anyone can stop me, I chase after him and he turns, his eyes widening as I crash right into his chest and plaster my lips to his. He groans for a second before gently kissing me back. “We will be together. We will sort this. Don’t give up on me, Em. Please.”

“Never,” he vows, touching my cheek with his hand. “But I will never forgive myself for hurting you.”

My shoulders drop slightly as Arden gets to us. “I love you.”

His eyes soften. “I love you too. Come back.”

Arden looks conflicted when I step away from him to head underwater, and I get it. I don’t want us to be separated. He looks over my shoulder at Lysander. “Bring our mate back.”

Lysander inclines his head. It’s better than nothing. “The sea belongs to her as much as I do.”

I know the simple agreement not to fight isn’t going to last between them, but this feels like a step in the right direction. Lysander takes my hand when I’m close to him, and I look up at him. “I’m not the best swimmer.”

For a moment, it makes me think about the water test and him shouting in my mind for the first time, telling me to swim. He was desperate to save me, even when it was just us speaking in our minds, and on the outside, we were just two people who hated each other—or pretended to.

Terrin steps up to my other side, and Lysander looks at us both. I’m not sure what he makes of Terrin in his human form. I always got the impression Lysander wasn’t keen on sharing me at all, and I don’t blame him for that feeling. I would never have thought I’d be in a relationship with all of them, even if Terrin claims it was always destined to be this way. “Stay close and you won’t have to swim.” He nods at Grayson, who steps in front of us, green magic flowing around him like a cloud before the ground shakes under my feet. I would have fallen over if Lysander and Terrin didn’t hold on to me as Grayson moves the ground out beneath us almost like a ledge, before slowly lowering us down towards the stormy sea.

It takes everything in me not to be frightened and to remember I have faced worse and survived. The sea isn’t going to kill me. The literal water king is at my side. How could it? Trusting my mate, I calm my nerves, and the minute that our feet hit the water’s surface, the ledge dives underneath it and we’re plunged under, but the water doesn’t touch us. Instead, a sphere of blue magic makes the water swirl around us so fast, keeping us locked inside a bubble. I glance at Lysander, and even with how dark it is down here, he glows like a god.

Fish swim closer to us, their bodies glowing under the light, and I’m certain Lysander called them for us. He pushes us down, and we all fly through the water, and it gets harder to breathe with every minute that passes. I’m glad when I see where Lysander is taking us, as the ruins of a small city seem to appear on the sea floor. It’s old, weathered from the water, covered in algae, and most of it is buried between coral reefs.

Sea creatures swim around, including gigantic sharks, but he pushes us further, faster under the water, towards the single temple standing in the centre of it all. It hasn’t been touched by the elements. Everything from the white pillars to the smooth walls is spotless. We fly through the rows and rows of pillars, straight through the doors at the end. The second we get inside, Lysander stops the magic and our feet hit the floor as the rock ledge Grayson held together shatters into dust.

Looking behind me, I see a wall of water in place of the doors, and I can breathe easily in here. There are oil lanterns hanging on the wall, with blue flames glowing deep within them. The room is small, with one single stone bench by the door and nothing else. Grayson opens the doors on the other side, revealing a massive tunnel in front of us. Smooth walls line the tunnel that is big enough for a giant to easily walk through, but it stinks of damp, salt, and fish. “I’m guessing we head that way.”

Terrin pulls out a sword from his back, one he was given by the professors in the research town. His other hand wraps around my waist, catching Lysander’s attention and setting his face into a deep frown. Terrin doesn’t notice, or he doesn’t care, but I do. I never set out to hurt any of them, and we have been in survival mode for so long that we haven’t had a second to discuss our futures, what it will mean to us when all the fighting is over. “Let’s get this over with.”

I take one step forward before a gush of wind pulls me straight out of my mate’s arms, into the air, and I scream as I’m pulled into the tunnel. I hear my mates shout right before a wall slams up between us, and I’m thrown on the floor. I crawl to my feet and run to the wall, slamming my hands against it and trying to find a way to open it up. “NO!”

“There is no point in all the drama, princess,” an old voice purrs, one that I’ve heard before in my mind. Cronus. “Turn around and bow to the king of the gods.” My heart races as I slowly turn around, my eyes widening when I see the tunnel’s gone, and instead, I’m trapped in a room with Cronus himself. He looks just like he did in my vision, in the same room, like he hasn’t moved since then. “They belong to me now, and if you want them back, you’re going to have to make a deal.”

I can barely hear him through the sound of my racing heart as I plaster my back to the wall, calling my shadows, but nothing happens. No magic happens. He smiles tauntingly. “I’m the only one that rules this room and can conjure magic. Did your grandmother never inform you how rude it is to use magic in another person’s home when you are a guest?”

“She taught me to attack first and ask questions later if I’m in danger.” I lift my head. “Now, I want my mates, and then we can talk.”

He laughs, rising out of his throne. Flakes of his skin seem to peel off him as he stands, cracking with every movement, the sound of it echoing in the room. “This is not a negotiation if you threaten me, princess. Now, bow.”

When I don’t, he tilts his head to the side. “You look like your grandmother, Hera. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen her.”

I gulp, clamping my shaky hands behind my back. I’ve faced gods before and won. I’ve battled and won against so many monsters… I can face this titan. “People say I look like my mother. Now, what do you want?”

He sits back down on his throne, tapping the armrest with his long nails. “Your father came to me once. He used old dark magic that he knew would destroy his soul because it was not to be used under any circumstances. The same magic killed his parents, and their parents before them. The dark magic lives in the depths of your castle, and he used it to save you and his people. He used it to contact me.”

My mouth dries. “Why?”

Cronus looks bored. “He made a bargain with me. I gave him something to help his people, to save his court from what he foresaw in his own dreams, and in return, he promised me you.”

I don’t believe him. “My father wouldn’t have done that. I am not promised to anyone.”

“Not in the marriage sense. You’re no use to me when you have mates and do not belong in this world. You’re better off back in your own world, but I made the deal because I want someone, and they will only come here to save their family.”

The question burns on my tongue. “Who?”

“Hera. Bring her to me, and your father’s debt is repaid. As an extra gift, I will even tell you what’s wrong with one of your mates, the one from the Air Court, and give you a clue to break the spell on your people. Bring her to me.” The staff appears in the air between us, hovering in grey magic. “I found this for you.” He throws it at me, and I catch it, hating how it feels in my hands, immediately latching onto my power. The staff makes it clear it does not want to be held by me, and I don’t blame it. I don’t want to use it either. It’s not as bad as it usually is though. This room is dampening its magic. “Hera for your mates and information, Princess of the Spirit Court. Don’t be too long. I might get bored and let my monsters play with your mates.”

“Wait!” He clicks his fingers, and in a second, I’m outside, back deep in the forest, miles away from my mates, and it’s the middle of the night. If I bring my grandmother here…I won’t see her again. I will lose her, but I don’t think I have a choice. It’s her or my mates.

Either way, I lose. Closing my tear-filled eyes, I push my power through the staff and open a portal to Earth.