Chapter 31

" He can't be serious?" Aryx snapped, his breath heavy as we hiked the narrow trail up the jutting mountain cliff side.

My calves cramped in protest as I wiped the sweat rolling down my brow. Moisture pooled beneath my armpits, and if it weren't for the coastal breeze whipping through my cotton tunic, I'm sure I'd be able to smell my stench.

"He said it wouldn't be a simple task," I replied, scaling the jagged rock behind him.

"No, he said catching the bird wouldn't be easy. He said nothing about finding it." Aryx's palm swiped at the hold above him.

The rock chipped and broke from the hillside. I swung sideways, closely avoiding the fist-size stone as it tumbled down the trail and disappeared into mist. We'd been climbing for what felt like hours with nothing but black night sky and grey rock to keep us company. The trail was far too steep for Kratos, so we left him and Arcturas to graze in the dry, grassy valley below.

"Next time I see that god, I swear…" Aryx trailed, his voice straining with each step.

"At least I get to enjoy the view from down here," I said, arching my brow as Aryx chuckled and flexed his glutes.

"Wanna trade places?" he asked.

With my free hand, I slapped his foot. We were closing in on the summit; only a bit more climbing and we'd reach its sharp peak.

"What's the plan when we find the bird? I doubt it'll let us just grab it with our bare hands," I asked.

Since leaving the temple, all I could think of was scaling the mountainside, and it now occurred to me we were exceedingly under prepared.

"I haven't gotten that far, Elpis. Right now, I'm focused on not falling to my death." Aryx threw himself up onto the rock, clinging to the next hold for dear life. "Is it a horrible time to mention that I'm terrified of heights?"

I snorted, following his path until I gripped the rock beside him.

"The brave and powerful war general who led legendary armies and conducted epic sieges, afraid of heights?"

"Yes. And it isn't funny. It's taking all my willpower not to piss myself right now." He scowled, reaching for another loose rock that rolled down the cliff to meet its pair.

"We're almost there. Just keep going." I pushed him forward.

When we finally reached the summit, the skin of my palms was raw and every muscle ached with exhaustion. Panting, I stood next to Aryx, who looked just as disheveled as I. The peak of the mountain reached high above the cloud cover, and a sea of mist rolled around us. The stars above spattered the night sky with millions of twinkling lights illuminating the rocky landscape in shades of silver.

"Funny how, no matter the elevation, the stars feel just as far away." Aryx looked up at the painting of white light scattered from horizon to horizon.

"They're never far from me. I feel them buzzing around inside me like little fireflies, fluttering in my stomach," I said, leaning against a boulder. "I guess it's my mother. When it's a clear night, I can practically taste her magic on my tongue. It's like the warmest spiced wine."

I lowered my back to the smooth surface, feeling its coolness against my sweat-drenched tunic.

"She's the only one who can quiet all these horrible, broken thoughts screaming inside my head. The only one besides you."

Aryx sat beside me, his shoulder touching mine.

"When I first met you, Elpis, I didn't know just how amazing you are." He brushed his hand across my cheek. Something new flickered across his face.

It was his usual warmth, but it sparkled with an intensity I'd never experienced before tonight. I traced the black ink across his sharp cheekbone, down his jaw, his neck, to the bone of his collar peeking out from the layer of cotton fabric.

"What does this mean?" I asked, stroking the thick, elaborate patterns stretched across his chest.

"It's the mark of Tethys's army. All of her officers have it. It signifies my allegiance to the city and to my queen. It's the brand of war." He wrapped his hand over mine and placed it against his chest.

"Every line reminds me of the people I've killed for her, the innocent lives I've taken."

"When I learned who you were, I hated you. The lies, the manipulation, all of it disgusted me," I started.

"I know. I'm sorry." He let go of my hand and stared up at the sky. Regret glistened in the corner of his eye.

"But now, I know why you did it. I guess you're not as terrible as I thought." I cracked a smile, chuckling breathlessly at the man lying next to me.

"You don't know what that means to me, Elpis." His voice was low as he leaned into me.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the electricity jolting through me as he brushed my lips with his.

"We should probably go find that bird," I said through shallow breaths. He combed his fingers through the loose strands of hair framing my jawline. The slight touch of his skin against mine ignited the blood racing through my veins.

"Fuck the bird," he said, his voice ragged.

Wrapping his arms around me, we melted into each other. Trembling hands explored one another as he lifted me on to his hips. The growing ache I felt pressed against him consumed me entirely as I untied the strands of his tunic. I needed his skin against mine, his heat against mine. The scratch of callouses set fire to my flesh as he ran his hands down my thighs. I didn't care that the night air exposed us. I was numb to the chilled breeze licking my goose-fleshed skin.

All I could taste, all I could smell, all I could feel was him. The familiar prick of rosemary and citrus consumed me as everything burned around us. I ripped the leather lacing off his trousers as he popped the buttons from my tunic. The world hummed with voltaic tremors.

"Do you feel it too?" he asked, sliding the coarse fabric over my shoulder blades. "The energy we create together?"

"Yes," I whispered, my voice heavy in my throat.

"Gods, the way it feels…" he said, circling the peak of my breast with his thumb. My back arched at the coolness of his touch.

"It feels ancient. Nearly savage."

His palm followed the line of my abdomen, leaving fragments of power in its path. My breath was uneven as the surrounding gravel bounced off the earth.

"It feels like fate." His words brushed against my ear, raising the hairs on the nape of my neck.

His fingers found my center and the ache I felt intensified, like an avalanche rolling down its mountainside, gaining momentum until it became a destructive, unstoppable force.

Just on the precipice, he slid into me, sending shockwaves of joy through my body until my toes curled against the sole of my boot. Tingles scratched at my chest. Lost in the feel of him, I couldn't hold them back. They pumped through my veins, extending to my fingertips with a fury of power.

When I threw my head back, crying out, they unleashed from me, sending a circle of green flames across the rocky mountainside. The mountain groaned beneath us as Aryx reached his edge and spiraled along with me. Panting, I opened my eyes. Tendrils of smoke floated to the sky, rising from the singed earth around us.

"Elpis…your eyes," Aryx said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"What?"

"They're… they're glowing." Shades of amethyst reflected off his cheekbones, illuminating the sharp curve of his face.

I leapt to my feet, rubbing my eyes until the demon within me receded back into her cage.

"I'm sorry…" I said, pulling my tunic back over my head and buttoning my trousers.

"Hey," he said, grabbing my wrist. "It's okay. I'm not afraid of you."

I pulled my arm away, backing away from him.

"Look around us. Look at the destruction I created. I could've hurt you."

The black singe extended until it faded into the dark horizon. His throat bobbed as he took in our surroundings. Scorched, brittle shrubs rustled in the wind.

"Elpis, look at me." He jumped to his feet, clenching my jaw in his hands. "You don't scare me."

"Well, I should," I snapped, jerking away from his hold.

Before he could protest, a deep squawk echoed across the cliff side.

"The bird," I cried, taking off toward the sound. Aryx shook his head and sprinted after me, barely keeping up with strained legs. We raced up the peak until the ground beneath us steepened into a smooth, jagged point. At the highest ledge, resting in a nest of dead twigs and grass, sat the falcon .