A flash of guilt stole through Darius's eyes. 'I cannot stay here long, but you have my word of honor that while I am here, I will help you find him.'
'Thank you,' she told him softly.
He stood and held out his hand, palm up.
'We're leaving now ?'
'Now.'
'But I need to call the airline. I need to-'
'You need only take my hand.'
Blinking up at him in confusion, she swallowed, then forced herself to stand. 'Give me just… ' She rushed to her storage closet. 'One… ' She withdrew a photo album. 'Second.' She peeled Alex's picture from the slot, folded it and shoved it into her pocket. She raced back to Darius and, with a half smile, placed her hand in his. 'I'm ready.'
'Close your eyes.' The deep baritone of his voice was hypnotic.
'Why?'
'Just do what I say.'
'First tell me why.'
He frowned. 'What I'm about to do can be jolting.'
'There. That wasn't so bad, was it?' She closed her eyelids, total darkness encompassing her. A full minute ticked by and nothing happened. What was going on? 'Can I look now?'
'Not yet.' His voice was strained, and his hand clenched around hers. 'I do not have full use of my powers, so the trip is taking longer than usual.'
Trip? And why didn't he have full use of his powers?
'You may look now,' he said a moment later.
His dilemma forgotten, she fluttered open her eyelids and gasped. Bleak, rocky walls surrounded her. Water dripped in a constant procession, the sound ghostly. A thick, smoky mist billowed around them, cold and dreary, dusting everything it touched with chill. She was suddenly grateful for her sweatpants.
The only light came from Darius. Even through his shirt, his tattoos glowed bright enough to light a football stadium.
'How did you do that?' she asked, awed. 'How did you bring us here so quickly, without walking a single step?'
'I am a child of the gods,' he said, as if that explained everything. 'Do not move from that spot.'
Since that suited her desires perfectly, she nodded. She wasn't going near the mist.
His eyes scanning, searching, he stalked around the cavern, his muscles rippling beneath his clothes with every movement. She easily recalled how all that strength and sinew felt beneath her fingertips. Her mouth watered, and she shifted from one foot to the other. No matter what this man did, he oozed danger and excitement; it seeped from his every pore. He was far too menacing, far too unpredictable, and far too powerful. He'd promised to help her while he was with her, and she believed he would.
If anyone could find Alex, it was this man.
He tried to lift a large branch out of his way, but his hands ghosted through it. As she watched, her eyes widened. She turned toward the wall and ran her own hand over the jagged surface. Shockingly her fingers disappeared inside the rock. 'We're ghosts,' she croaked out, spinning to face Darius.
'Only while we are here,' he assured her.
Knowing she was not a permanent phantom eased her worry, and she relaxed. She was used to new experiences. Most times she went out of her way to have them. But with Darius, things just sort of happened-weird things she could not possibly prepare for. He was excitement personified.
'Are you looking for the medallion?' she asked when he continued his search.
A long silence fell between them. Obviously he didn't want to answer.
'Well?' she persisted.
'I must find it.'
What was it about that chain? Even she had fought to possess it, had felt its strange, unquestionable draw. 'You want it, Alex wanted it and someone once tried to steal it from him. Other than unlocking your bedroom door, what makes that thing so valuable?'
'Dragon medallions are handcrafted by Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods, and each one holds a special power for its owner, like time travel or invisibility. What's more, it unlocks doors to every room in every dragon palace-as you saw for yourself,' he added dryly.
'If I'd known it offered special powers, I might have held on to it more tightly,' she said. Time travel. How cool was that? 'My favorite novels are time travels, and I've always thought it would be cool to visit the Middle Ages.'
'If you had known of the medallion's powers, you would not have lived long enough to travel through time.'
Well, that certainly put things in perspective, didn't it? 'I guess that means I shouldn't ask what yours can do.'
'No, you should not. You and other surface dwellers should not even know the medallions exist.'
She sighed. 'Alex found an ancient text, the Book of Ra-Dracus . That's how he knew about them. That's how he knew about the portal into Atlantis.'
Darius's chin whipped up and he faced her; his eyes narrowed. 'I have never heard of this book. What else did it say?'
'He didn't mention much, but did say the book told of ways to defeat the creatures inside. Alex gave no mention of specifics, though. I'm sorry.'
'I must see that book.' I must destroy it , echoed unsaid.
'Shortly after he found it,' she said, lifting her arms in a helpless gesture, 'someone stole it from him.'
Darius rubbed his neck as he knelt before a muddy mound. 'Atlanteans are dangerous beings, stronger than your people and far more deadly. Why those on the surface continually try to invade our land is beyond me. Those who do always die. Every time.'
'I didn't,' she reminded him softly.
His head snapped in her direction for a second time. Silence. Then, 'No,' he finally said, 'you didn't.' He continued to stare at her, and she shifted uncomfortably. His attention wavered between her mouth and her curves. If his eyes became any more heated, her clothing would be incinerated, panties and all. 'Where did your brother find the book?'
'Greece. The temple of Erinys,' she said, snapping her fingers as the name popped into place.
'Erinys, the punisher of the unfaithful.' His brow furrowed. 'A minor goddess. I do not understand why she or her followers would possess such a book, a book that tells of ways to defeat us.'
'Maybe she wanted to punish those in Atlantis,' Grace offered.
His nostrils flared. 'We are not, nor have we ever been, unfaithful to anyone.'
O-kay. Sore topic. And one she wouldn't bring up again. 'I'm sure you weren't, big guy,' she said, hoping to placate him.
'We do not attempt to conquer the surface. We serve our gods faithfully. We do nothing to earn ourselves punishment.'
'Well, now, that's not exactly true.' Even though she'd just promised herself she wouldn't bring this up again, she found herself saying, 'You obviously did something . Your entire city was cast into the sea.'
'We existed. That is why we were hidden in the sea. The way I understand it is we were never meant to be created, yet Zeus cut off his father's-' he paused '-manhood, causing Cronus's blood to splatter upon the earth. Thus, we were formed. Though he was-is-our brother, Zeus feared what we could do, so he banished us from the land he viewed as his playground. We were not unfaithful.'
'You were created by the blood of a god?' she asked, beyond curious about him.
'No,' he answered. 'My parents conceived me through the more traditional manner. My ancestors were the ones created by a god's blood.' His lips pressed together firmly, stubbornly, and she knew he'd say no more on the subject.
His parents were dead, she remembered from her vision, and she ached for him. Ached because he'd been
