What do I do now?
The answer is obvious. Even if they never speak to me again, I need to make this right. If I don’t, the guilt alone will bury me, and that’s a heavy burden to bear. I should know. Since I opened that vase, there isn’t a day that has gone by that I haven’t felt weighted down by that emotion. But more than the guilt, my heart won’t let me. Somewhere along the way, the attraction between us changed into something deeper. And not just on their side. I kept telling myself our end was already written. Inreality, I savored their touch and the look in their eyes. If only I’d known how much it would hurt. Them. Me.
I need to show them how sorry I am. It’s the only way. I shove the pain away and force myself to concentrate on what I need to do next. Find the box and narrow down the list of mages. Neither task will be easy, but it’s better than sitting here dwelling on the hole in my heart.
Charlie textsthe list over a few hours later. There are forty-six names on the list. Sixteen of them have a double underline, including Lord de Vere, Jamison, and Charlie. In the margin is a note stating that the double underline indicates the most powerful. I study each name. A few are familiar to me. Names I’ve heard at Hawkes House, academic circles, or in passing. I immediately scratch out Jamison and Charlie.
Researching these powerful mages without them finding out is going to be tricky. The last thing I want to do is to alert them. Even if they aren’t leading the rebellion, they might be involved in other less savory activities they don’t want made public. I bite the inside of my cheek. I’ll have to think on it.
In the meantime, maybe I can find another panel. Moving inside, I grab my laptop and dig into the possibilities. Athena. There are several possibilities with two of the best-preserved ancient Greek sites dedicated to her, the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike, in the Ancient Agora of Athens, which isn’t surprising, considering Athena is the city’s patron goddess.
Yawning, I glance at the time. Almost midnight here, which means it’s early morning in Athens. Given what Charlie saidabout long-distance portals, and my own reluctance to use them, I decide to take the jet. Besides, I’ll need gear.
Crickets chirping outside echo in the silence of the night as I peer through the darkened window. The sound used to be soothing to me. A reminder of home. Now, all it does is emphasize how alone I am in this big farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.
All these years I’ve chosen solitude, keeping everyone at arm’s length, as a penance for opening the portals and ruining so many lives. Every day, I’ve done the job given to me by the gods, and all this time, the possibility of finding my sister and begging for her forgiveness was my end goal.
I never thought I’d meet a single person who could tempt me to jeopardize everything, much less four. They made me want to throw caution to the wind and embrace the future. Keeping my past a secret was wrong. I know. Yet, for all my remorse, I still refused to own up to what I had done. A harsh truth, but it’s past time I started being more honest with myself. I opened those portals, changing the world into something it was never meant to be.
If the box opens portals, like I think it will, then sending Mathias and Hawthorne home might be the only way to gain their forgiveness and possibly my sister’s too. The thought of them leaving steals the breath from my lungs, and the last wall around my heart crumbles.Damn it.I lift my hand and rub it across my chest to ease the pain.
How I feel doesn’t matter. I must find the box. Before the enemy does. Which means I need to get busy. I sigh and look around the dark room. All I see are empty shadows and lonely corners. There isn’t really any point in staying here. Turning back to my computer, I study the rest of the options.
If I don’t find anything in Athens, I could move to Delphi in Central Greece, where The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaiais located. The ruins are pretty substantial. Worth a look. I sift through the rest of the information and find one more possibility. The Temple of Athena at Paestum in southern Italy is also intact and very well preserved.
Tired, I shoot off a text to Maverick asking him to have the jet ready in a few hours. Although it’s one in the morning, I know he’ll answer. The demon rarely sleeps. Sure enough, he shoots me back a confirmation within minutes.
Quickly packing a couple weeks of clothes, I put everything by the door, shut off the lights, and curl up on the couch. A few hours of sleep will be plenty. As I close my eyes, each one of their betrayed faces appears in my mind, and my heart stutters, but I don’t banish them. Instead, I pull them closer and hold them tight.
2
PHAEDRA
Dirt coats my skin and the rumpled clothes I’m wearing. Shoulders slumped, I sit under the shade of an olive tree and sip my water. Athens was a bust. For almost two weeks, I searched the ruins, hoping to find something that would lead me to the next panel, but not a single Hephaestus symbol shone for me.
I’ve been in Delphi for two days and nothing yet. I take another drink. Studying archaeology sites, immersing myself in the past, used to be my favorite thing to do, but that was before…them. Now, all I can think about was Hawthorne’s granite jaw locked against the fire and Mathias’ keen eyesight guiding the path of the arrow.
The thought of them drives me to my feet.Stop moping.I pick up my pack and shove the canteen back into its depths, then stride over to the ruins. The merciless sun bears down on me, and Mathias’ curt voice ordering me to pull my hat up pops intomy head. With a heavy sigh, I slip it on and start working the next section of the ruin.
Hours go by, and the sun descends to the horizon. Carefully marking the section, I stand up and stretch, causing the knots and muscles in my lower back to loudly protest. I press my thumbs into each dimple, trying to ease the tightness, but it does little to help. No matter. The light is fading. Time to leave.
A few minutes later, the Range Rover is packed up and I’m heading to the house I rented. Cool air envelopes me the second I walk in. Thick, white stucco walls have kept the house cool despite the heat of the day, and the fresh air dries the sweat on my skin. Relieved, I drop off my pack and head straight to the bathroom where I take a super quick, scalding shower. Another thing I can barely tolerate. If I stay in the shower too long, phantom hands and memories begin to surface, along with Hawthorne’s serious green eyes.
I jump out and dry off, then pad into the kitchen to fix some dinner. I open the fridge and stare at the contents, trying to muster up the will to cook something, but it’s no use. With a sigh, I shut the door and grab a granola bar from the box on the counter.This will do,I think as I take a bite.
Based on my calculations, it will take me three more days to complete my search here. My gut says this ruin isn’t the one, but I refuse to move on until I confirm. It’s not like the extra days will matter. All I have is time. Might as well put it to good use. I shove the last bite of granola into my mouth and wash it down with a glass of water.
Fatigue weighs on me, and although I won’t sleep much, I force myself to lie down. The tension in my shoulders and back eases as the comfortable bed cushions my sore body.Are they looking at the same stars?I can’t help but wonder where they are and what they’re doing. A tear trickles down my temple and hits the pillow. I shift my head to stare at the stars glittering inthe night sky, counting each one over and over until sleep claims me.
A couple of hours later, I watch streaks of pink and orange fill the sky. After a long stretch, I get up and repeat the previous day all over again.
Greece wasfull of nothing but dirt and regrets. The Range Rover bounces over the ruts in the road, and my hands clench tighter on the wheel. Italy is my last hope. If I don’t find Athena’s panel here, I don’t know where else to look. I slam my palm against the steering wheel. Why can’t the gods just give me a damn map with a circle on it? They’ve known me for centuries. Does a quest prove I’m worthy? Doubtful. So, why the games?
The GPS updates. I’m close. Paestum, originally known as Poseidonia, was a Greek colony eons ago, and today, it houses some of the best surviving examples of Greek architecture in the world. The city’s defensive walls, which are still standing in some places, are the first to come into view. I park the vehicle and step out.
Gathering my gear, I enter the archaeological park, see the first site, and inhale sharply. The Temple of Hera II is stunning. Towering over the ruins around it, the golden-colored travertine gleams in the morning sun.
My eyes drift to the one next to it, The Temple of Hera I, and the rich patina of stones softened by time. One of the oldest in Italy and the only temple here that includes a naos, or central room. In all my travels, I never made it here, but if I’d known it was this incredible, I would have come long ago. I linger, staring at the two. There’s no way I’ll be able to leave without walkingthrough these magnificent structures. They remind me of home, the one that existed thousands of years ago.
