CHAPTER 27

Everyone flies into action. Griffin stays with me, coaxing me to drink water while I get dressed. Egeria’s clothes are too big for me and much softer than what I’m used to. Wearing them is like walking through a cloud.

Just when I’m starting to think it would be great to sit down again, Carver opens the door and pokes his head into the room. “Everything’s ready.”

Griffin watches me take two steps and then swings me into his arms.

“That’s not necessary,” I protest, ignoring the white spots streaking across my vision.

“I’m Beta Sinta,” he replies gruffly. “I’ll decide what’s necessary.”

I have an excellent comeback to that. I just don’t use it. Instead, I say, “Just wait until I have the strength to fight you again, Your High-Handedness.”

Griffin grins like he can’t wait. He juggles me in his arms to fit us through the narrow doorway and then carries me downstairs and across a shady courtyard, the floor entirely covered in colorful mosaics portraying the Olympians conquering the Titans in the War of Gods.

“Did you get Panotii for me?” I ask Carver.

He nods. “That horse is a legend. No one can understand how he got here over an hour before the army did. They were out of the castle five minutes after you.”

I blink at him in surprise. I was pouring the healer’s magic and then my own life force into Griffin for that long? No wonder I almost killed myself.

We cross under a domed archway and into a second courtyard that’s too big to be shaded. The sun hurts my eyes, and I turn into the shadow of Griffin’s neck, the heat hitting me like a wall.

Beta Team and Egeria are waiting by the horses. “Where’s Piers?” I ask, yawning.

“Heading the army,” Griffin says. “They’ll meet us at the west gate.”

Panotii sees me and nickers. I slip out of Griffin’s arms and go to my horse, stroking his neck. He nudges my chest with his velvety nose, nearly knocking me over.

“You’re a hero, you know.”

His enormous ears twitch. Of course he knows.

I try unsuccessfully to get my foot in the stirrup. Flynn offers me a leg up, but Griffin muscles him out of the way and lifts me up himself. Flynn grins in a way I don’t like at all, and he and Kato keep poking each other in the ribs, looking back and forth between Griffin and me.

I make a face. “How old are you? Five?”

Flynn pats my thigh, giving it a hearty squeeze despite Griffin’s dark look. “That’s the Cat we missed.”

Exchanging a look with Carver, the two of them then rummage around in Flynn’s bag. It’s Kato who hands me the flask they pull out.

“What’s this?” I unscrew the top and sniff suspiciously.

He refuses to answer, his cobalt eyes merry, so I make a show of being wary before putting the flask to my lips. The familiar taste that washes over my tongue fills me with delight. “Fisan clover water!”

Kato grins, nearly blinding me with his good looks. “Flynn, Carver, and I thought you’d like it.”

“I practically grew up on this stuff. My sister and I used to sneak into the kitchens and drink until our stomachs sloshed.”

Griffin glances at me. “Sister?”

“Where did you get this?” I ask, tilting my head back for a longer sip.

Kato takes the flask back when I hand it to him, closes it, and then tucks it into Panotii’s saddlebag. “Ios has a realms store. Fisan merchants arrived this morning with the clover water—and this.” He turns to the others, and Flynn pulls a necklace from a leather pouch, gingerly holding the chain between his thumb and forefinger.

My heart skips a beat. Or maybe three. Tiny, hammered gold laurel leaves climb the pendant, protecting it and attaching it to a gold chain. Inside is a shard of glacier from the Ice Plains, encased in a magic vial to keep it from melting. The ice swirls with myriad shades of blue and pulses with so much magic that it must have been harvested near Olympus. There are probably only a handful of people who can make it that far onto the Ice Plains and back.

My hand trembles as I reach for the necklace. Both the chain and the pendant are bitingly cold. I can already feel the ice working for me, bolstering what little strength I have. I blink a few times before looking up. I can hardly breathe. “This must have cost a fortune.”

All three men shrug, brushing off the colossal price that comes with this kind of treasure. “The merchant explained it to us,” Flynn says. “Something about always being connected to the source of your power. A spell on the glass keeps it from melting. We thought it might help.”

Carver grins like an idiot. “And it’s pretty.”

I choke on the lump in my throat, laughing and coughing at the same time. Looping the chain over my head, I tuck the pendant under my tunic. It falls between my breasts, burning me with cold. “Thank you, oikogeneia.” The ancient word for family rises unbidden, tumbling past my lips. I just claimed these people. Maybe someday they’ll know.

I get my first real look at Ios as we ride out to meet the army at the west gate. The city is heavily marbled and overflowing with temples to the Gods. We pass more than one bathhouse, the agora is bustling, and the merchants look prosperous enough. I’m not surprised—the farther north in the realms, the wealthier the cities. What does surprise me is the train of people we collect.

Ionians line the streets in colorful clothing, dressed for a festival, watching us pass. Watching me. Women and children throw flowers along my path and then link arms with their husbands and fathers and fall into step behind us. Panotii’s hooves click on the even cobbles, trampling the blooms and releasing heady scents into the afternoon heat. I hear my name on the fragrant breeze and thank the Gods the wind isn’t blowing east.

Even though I’d much rather duck my head and hide my face, I manage to smile and wave here and there since it seems the appropriate thing to do. The residents of Ios cheer for me when we reach the gate. I wish they wouldn’t. Saving them today doesn’t mean I won’t destroy them tomorrow. That’s my fate, after all.

I swallow, finding my throat painfully dry.

I breathe more easily once we’re outside the gates. Griffin and I fall into place at the head of the waiting soldiers, in front of Beta Team, Piers, and even Egeria. Taking the lead position feels both right and wrong at the same time.

“What about the healing center?” I ask.

Griffin glances over. “The plans haven’t changed.” Easing Brown Horse closer, he reaches out and gently brushes a loose curl off my temple. His fingertips graze the shell of my ear as he tucks it back, and I shiver despite the heat. Frowning, he asks, “Are you sure you can travel?”

The concern in his eyes nearly undoes me, but I nod anyway, which is a colossal lie. I’m not sure at all. “Won’t the attack scare the healers away from here?” I ask. “They already don’t want anything to do with it.”

“The important thing is helping people. If they can’t see that, they’re idiots.”

“They’re idiots.”

He shrugs. “Then we’ll hire Hoi Polloi medics. They have skills even if they don’t have magic.”

Simple and yet so effective—archetypal Griffin. “That’s brilliant. Healers will hate it. It’ll push them into getting involved. Their egos won’t stand for being passed over in their intended role.”

Griffin nods.

We ride quietly for a while, but then I look over at him. “Thank you for saving me.”

“We saved each other,” he answers, and my chest squeezes tight when he reaches over again, like he can’t stop touching me. His long fingers wrap around mine. “But don’t ever sacrifice yourself for me, Cat. I can’t live with that.”

A knot of emotion tangles around my heart. His hand is so warm. Griffin’s is the only heat I’ve ever been drawn to.

“How long was I out?” I ask.

He lets go of me in order to pick up both reins again when Brown Horse starts tossing his head. “Six days.”

Six days! No wonder I’m emaciated. “But I only remember waking up a few times.”

His eyes flick over to me, flinty and grim. “That’s because you only woke up a few times.”

I shudder a little. I’ve always tried hard to stay alive, but I was never truly afraid of death before.

A while later, Griffin says, “Those Tarvans were invading our territory, attacking Sintan royalty. That’s an act of war.”

“Welcome to the Power Bid,” I mutter gloomily.

“Kill or be killed,” he responds, apparently adopting my bitter philosophy.

A wry smile twists my lips. “You’re as merciless as I am. You just hide it better.”

“We’re both ruthless when we have to be. It makes us a good match.”

I shake my head. “There should always be someone humane in the mix, to keep the other one in line.”

He chuckles a little. “We have Egeria for that.”

I laugh and then cough. Griffin pulls out the clover water and makes me drink. He tries to give me more, but I shove it away, suddenly nauseated. “One more sip and I’ll throw up.”

His brow furrowing, he puts the flask away. “Unless they’re utterly heartless, people put a certain value on human life. It keeps us from killing each other off for no reason. But for leaders like you and me, a moral high ground is too absolute. There are choices to be made.”

“I’m not a leader.”

A stubborn glint enters his eyes. “You are. I know how you handled Piers and everyone back at the castle. You make decisions. You execute them. You protect your people.”

I snort. “My people aren’t very numerous.”

“Actually, they’re more numerous than you think. The entire city of Ios worships you.”

So that’s what that was all about? Now I’m really nauseated. The water I drank pushes uncomfortably at the edges of my shrunken stomach. I don’t want Ios worshipping me. I don’t want anyone worshipping me. “I don’t like people talking about me.”

“It’s too late for that. Everyone here knows you decimated those Tarvans almost single-handedly. The rest of Sinta will know soon enough, and the Ionians have already started building a shrine in your honor.”

What? I look at him, stunned. “Shrines are for Gods.” I blink, but nope, everything is still out of focus. That can’t be good.

“Gods. Heroes.” He gives me that lopsided smile that always makes me go into cardiac arrest. “A mysterious Fisan who gallops to the rescue on a donkey-horse and breathes fire…”

I try not to laugh. Or fall off my horse. “Panotii will kick you for that. And the Tarvans were after you, not Ios.”

“They would have sacked the city. The place is virtually defenseless. There’s a wall Brown Horse could jump over and a total of twenty guards. You saved Ios, and the people there know it.”

I frown. “Sinta’s in a weak position. It’s the poorest realm with the driest climate and the least magic, and the ex-royals drove it half into the ground with their greed. The Power Bid is here, but everything is different this time because Alpha Fisa is still too dominant, Alpha Tarva took over before he should have, and you…” I glance at Griffin, an Alpha in Beta’s clothing. “Well, I’m pretty sure you started it all.”

He doesn’t look repentant in the least. “And what happened at Ios was someone else’s first move. A Tarvan royal?”

“That’s my guess. But I think that Giant you fought after you abducted me was actually the first move. We just didn’t know it then.”

“The same person?” he asks.

Shrugging, I shake my head. “There’s no way to know.”

Griffin scans the horizon and then looks south, the bold angles of his jaw hardening as he takes in the arid vista. “I can give soldiers to Ios and Skathos to protect the healing centers, but I can’t spread my army too thin. We have to protect Sinta City and the family. Mylos is safe, but I don’t have enough people to cover Velos or Kaplos, and I barely have enough soldiers to keep the tribes peaceful in the south.”

“Recruit. Sinta is poorer than it used to be, but that’s only because all the wealth is at the castle. Redistribute. It’s good for everyone.”

He drags his hand through his hair, pushing it back. It’s gotten longer, wilder—more warlord than Beta. “I don’t trust soldiers who aren’t my own.”

“You don’t have a choice, and they will be yours. Most people just want to eat, or feed their families. You’ll have rotten fruit here and there, but so does everyone. The Fisan and Tarvan royals probably have a lot more than you do. Everyone hates them—the people because they’re repressed and terrorized, the nobles because they’re jealous and petty. There are constant plots to bring down the royal families. They just don’t work. Well, except for you.” I wave my hand in Griffin’s direction.

His mouth twitches. He’s still blurry, and my limbs are getting heavy. I struggle with the disturbing sensation while still trying to focus on the conversation.

“You’ll have trouble with nobles and certain Magoi, like healers. Both are a minority. Most Sintans are happy with Egeria. They even like you,” I say with a go figure look that makes him chuckle outright. “Your family gives instead of takes. That’s a huge change. It’s unexpected.”

“Are you finally warming up to Egeria?”

I shrug. “She’s all right.”

His eyes sparkle. “Such high praise.”

“Recruit,” I say, ignoring his sarcasm. “If that’s not enough, we’ll think of something else.”

He cocks his head and looks at me with curiosity. “You have something in mind.”

“I always have something in mind.”

Griffin leans toward me, his voice deepening. “So do I.”

His suggestive tone instantly heats me up. Despite my growing weakness, desire takes up a steady beat inside me.

“Don’t tease,” I admonish. “This is serious.”

“Who’s teasing?”

I give him a flat look. “Ipotane.”

He gives me a flat look back. “Not what I had in mind.”

I roll my eyes, trying to catch my breath, which takes a lot more effort than it should. “But you know what they are?”

“Magical creatures. Half-human, half-horse.”

I nod, and his lips thin.

“Magical creatures aren’t trustworthy,” Griffin says.

“True, but there’s always a way to ensnare them. It’s their universal flaw.”

“And you know how to ensnare a lot of Ipotane?” Griffin asks. “Enough to protect a half-dozen cities?”

“No, but I know someone who might. A Chaos Wizard in northern Fisa, just below the Frozen Lake.”

A thunderstorm rolls into his eyes. “You would go back to Fisa?”

I swallow the anxiety welling in my chest. “Recruit first. We might not need the wizard or the Ipotane.” I really hope not because I never want to set foot in Fisa again, and I really don’t want that wizard spouting another prophecy at me. The first one was bad enough.

“We’ll think about it,” Griffin says. “Let’s see how the recruiting goes first.”

I would nod, but I don’t seem to have the strength anymore.

The sun gets hotter and even more intense as we travel west. My dark braid absorbs the heat and burns a line down my spine. Weak and shaky and on fire, I grit my teeth and keep going. That’s what I’ve always done. But strength and courage are in short supply, and I quickly stoop to silently begging Zeus for a storm. Nothing happens. Either he’s not listening, or he doesn’t think my being incredibly uncomfortable is an emergency.

Griffin hands me fruit and glowers at me until I eat, but I feel nauseous, and the heat is a constant, horrible plague. The only thing keeping me sane is the glacial shard around my neck. I push on the vial again and again, grinding it into my skin until its iciness brings some relief.

When it starts getting dark, I think Zeus heard me after all and sent a storm to cool us down. I don’t realize it’s my vision failing until Griffin’s arm is around my waist and he’s dragging me off Panotii’s back.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“You’re about to fall off.” He settles me onto his lap, tucking my head under his chin. “I’ve got you.”

I know. And it scares me half to death. “Everyone will think I’m weak.”

“They won’t think you’re weak. They know you’re recovering.” His deep voice sinks into me, soothing. His steady heartbeat thumps against my back. I feel like sighing, but that would be ridiculous. “My soldiers worship you. You saved me. You saved them.”

“I didn’t save them,” I mumble. “They weren’t even there.”

“Under Piers’s command, they would have fought to free Ios. How many lives did you spare?”

Sleepy, I scratch my forehead against his bristly jaw. “I didn’t do it for them.”

Griffin’s arm tightens around my waist. It’s almost too tight, but I don’t have the energy to complain. Or maybe I just don’t want to.