Cronus shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not without repercussions for Earth, but if I can sever their power connection, each would be able to be contained separately.”
“It could take the entire world along with it. It’s much too dangerous,” Narida said.
“I can handle it.” Cronus growled. “Where is the ring?”
Please don’t say it’s in a cave inside of a volcano in New Zealand.
Narida screwed up her face. “Oh, fine,” she huffed, “it’s in a safety deposit box at my bank.”
Pretty sure we both spent ten minutes blinking at her. That was just so … human. “If you almost died touching it, how the fuck can you keep it around humans?” I asked.
Logical question, right?
She rolled her eyes at me. “Because it has almost no energy outside of when it’s touched. I moved it there using magic and no reaction, but the second I tried to possess it, the ring lashed out at me and it took me ten years to recover.”
Turning to Cronus, I shook my head. “You can’t risk it. Please, there must be another way?”
He brushed his thumb across my face, before cupping the back of my neck, holding me in place. “I can do this, Mais. I promise.”
Fuck. He was doing that thing with his eyes and face where I forgot what we were even fighting about. With a sigh, I nodded, letting him try it his way. Narida hadn’t actually died from touching it, so hopefully, even if it failed, Cronus would still live.
“I’ll sell it to you … for a price,” the crone said in a rush. “I should be compensated, right?”
Cronus growled, turning those eyes on her now with a far different expression.
“One bar of dick gold. Firm offer,” I said to break the tension.
Narida’s brow furrowed in confusion while the edges of Cronus’ lips twitched.
Did I say that out loud?
“Uh, one bar of gold that is.” I looked at Cronus. “Assuming we have that.”
He nodded. “We do.”
The crone mulled it over, no doubt trying to figure out a way to get more, before she shook her head. “Fine. Was gathering dust anyway.”
Cronus reached out his hand and they shook on it. “Meet us in the morning with it.”
She waved him off. “Sure, I’ll just go grab it in my spare time.”
Ignoring her—he knew she’d figure out a way to make it work—he turned to me. “There’s one thing I want to do before the trials tomorrow.”
Mmmm yes. Me too. Let’s do it.
He grasped my hand as I awaited him transporting us to our Bali hut so we could have sex for the next twelve hours, only stopping to sleep and eat. When we landed inside of an elevator instead, my eyes widened.
Cronus reached out and pressed floor three.
“Where are we?”
The elevator rose, and as the doors opened my eyes landed on a small sign.
Southwest Maternity Ultrasound.
My throat tightened with emotion as tears filled my eyes. “We’re going to see the baby?”
He nodded. “We need an ultrasound picture to put on the fridge in our new home.”
