Chapter 16

An hour later,after dropping off the wounded and the magical drill, I returned to the mountain in Greece. The sun was rising, and it was light enough that I could see the village at the bottom of the mountain.

The rubble pile that had nearly crushed it was gone. All of that was piled back in the pit that led to Tartarus. Wearily, I climbed the hill toward the top. I could still hear the scraping of earth as they finished filling in the hole, and I prayed that the Obsidia wouldn't make an appearance. I didn't have the energy to face the little bastards.

When I reached the top, a smile stretched across my face for the first time in a while. The pit was gone. So was the crater. Maximus, Ana, and Bree climbed up the shallow slope toward me, along with a half dozen other mages who'd helped put the earth back into place now that the barrier no longer prevented us.

Gratitude swelled in my chest as I looked at my sisters. They all looked whole and healthy, though pretty dinged up. But in our world, anything short of on-your-back-dying was pretty good.

Maximus walked straight up to me and didn't even hesitate. He just wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward him. I melted into his warmth, so damned happy that he was safe. There hadn't been time before. Closing the gate to Tartarus was too important. But now that I had a second, I focused on him.

I leaned back and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Good job with that titan."

"That little guy? Nothing." He grinned.

I smiled back, then turned to my sisters. Bree leaned against Cade, while Ana leaned against Lachlan.

"Do you think this thing is closed for good?" I asked.

"All of the earth is back on top of it," Bree said.

"The Order will send mages to enchant it," Maximus said. "It needs to be reinforced with magic."

I nodded, remembering what Atlas had said about the magic that kept the titans in place. It wasn't just the earth. But hopefully, with the ground covered back up, the Amazons and Atlas would be fine.

Ana dug into her pocket, then pulled out a rock. She held it out to me. "Here. You can go check on the Amazons. I know you were worried about them."

I nodded gratefully and took the transport charm. "I am."

I hugged her and Bree, then pulled back. "Want to meet at my place later tonight for a drink?"

They grinned. "I think we deserve a little celebrating."

"I hope so." I wouldn't feel like it until I knew the Amazons and Atlas were okay.

We said goodbye, then I turned to Maximus. "I think I need to do this alone."

He nodded, a slight smile on his face. He leaned in to speak into my ear. "Perhaps we could have that date when you get back? In a few days, once you've recovered."

Warmth flowed through me. "Yes." I didn't even hesitate. "I'd like that."

He stepped back and pressed a kiss to my cheek, then turned to leave.

I waved goodbye to my sisters, then threw the transport charm to the ground. It exploded upward in a plume of silver dust. I stepped into it, letting the ether suck me in and spin me through space, then depositing me in a busy street in Istanbul. The sun was higher here, and the day warmer.

I hurried down the sidewalk, toward the Amazons' building. As soon as I entered the tall glass building, my gaze went to the two guards who sat at the table, once again playing chess.

They stood. No golden crystals hung around their necks.

"Are you better?" I demanded. "Has the wasting disease gone away?"

They both grinned widely. "As of a half hour ago."

I sagged in relief, my muscles nearly turning to water. "Oh, thank fates. How is everyone else? The Queens? Atlas?"

"The Queens want to see you."

I nodded, following them to the elevator. Tension crawled over my skin as the elevator rose. I ignored the view of the city and focused on the Amazons. "How is everyone?"

The dark-haired Amazon turned to me, a wide smile stretching across her face. "Better. It was like the strength all flowed back into us at once."

The door dinged open, and I hurried out.

Queen Penthesilea and Queen Hippolyta surged to their feet.

"You were successful," Queen Hippolyta said.

I strode toward them, taking in their vibrant expressions. There were no charms around their necks. Thank fates. I'd been so worried about them.

They were an ancient race dedicated to protecting the world, and they'd almost been wiped out. Not to mention, they were the last of my kind.

I couldn't help myself.

I threw out my arms and hugged them both.

They stood stiffly for only half a second, as if confused, then they wrapped their arms around me and hugged me back. Warmth flowed through me.

I had my family—my sisters were my family, no question about it. But I could always use more. If my time in captivity had taught me anything, it was that I could always use more good in my life. More family and friends.

I pulled back. "You're really all right?"

Queen Penthesilea nodded. "So is Atlas. He sent a message fifteen minutes ago. He's well, and the satellites should be too."

"And Prometheus?"

"We haven't heard from him," Queen Hippolyta said. "But then, we wouldn't normally. We assume he is okay."

"Probably pulling a con on someone else," I said.

They gave me quizzical looks, but I ignored them. No need to tell them the story of how Prometheus might have manipulated me into drinking a ridiculous amount of Raki all while intending to help me.

Queen Hippolyta stepped back. "Would you like to meet some of the other Amazons? Now that we're not under such a tight and dire time schedule?"

"I'd love that." And I really would. I was going to need to learn a lot if I wanted to defeat the Stryx.