Page 51 of Curses & Keys (Curses & Gods #1)

PHAEDRA

“ Y ou think Mercer is involved, don’t you?

” I ask as he parks the Porsche in the lot of the British Museum, per her instructions.

“I thought it was just you being cautious when we arrived to pick up the weapons and car, but the mage at the airport arrived almost the same time I did. That can’t be a coincidence. ”

A tic appears in his jaw. “She might be Fae, but she had a hell of a lot of mages working for her. It struck me as odd. They aren’t known to associate with each other.”

“Let’s wait and see who shows up for the car,” I tell him, dragging him behind the building.

“Harlequin isn’t a fan of the council, and by extension, those like you who lead their security teams, even if you’re temporarily on the run.

But I can’t believe they would have anything to do with humans either. ”

A minute goes by. Then another. A shimmer appears near the car, barely discernible in the twilight. I tap Jamison’s arm, and he nods.

“What is it?” he quietly asks.

“A portal,” I reply right as an elegantly clad Mercer steps out of it.

A tall, blond elf steps out behind her and grabs her arm.

She shakes him off, then turns and jabs her finger into his chest. We can’t hear what she’s saying, but it’s obviously not good.

A thunderous expression crosses his face.

She throws up her hands, strides over to the car and gets in, peeling out of the parking lot like a seriously pissed off woman.

“Lover’s spat?” I murmur, not wanting the elf to hear us.

“I’ve seen him somewhere,” Jamison replies, his brow furrowed. “Can’t remember where, though. Maybe I’ll think of it later. I wonder who created the portal. I’ve never seen one so transparent.”

“Gatlin said the same thing. I’ve always avoided portals, so I didn’t realize there was much difference in them,” I say with a shrug.

“You’re afraid of them, aren’t you? We’ve all noticed it.” His keen eyes are focused intently on me. “Why?”

Because they steal the people you love. Not wanting to lie to him, I change the subject.

“Speaking of…” I say, tapping my watch. “We should have left ten minutes ago.”

His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t pursue it. He takes my hand and creates his own portal in the shadows and pulls me into it. When we step out at the other end, Gatlin is waiting for us. Jamison sways for a second but quickly gains his equilibrium.

Wearing a thunderous scowl, he glares at the two of us. “That’s the last time we’re splitting up. I’ve had it. Every time we do, one of us gets injured.” His keen eyes scan both of us, lingering on the button-down I’m wearing, clearly Jamison’s. “Do I need to get the healer?”

“I’m good,” I promise him. He lifts an eyebrow as if he doesn’t believe me. “It’s true.” I lift the corner of my shirt and show him my smooth abdomen.

His golden gaze intensifies, but Jamison clears his throat, interrupting the moment between us. “Did you get everything on the list?”

“We have all the weapons,” Gatlin informs him. “More guards arrived toward the end, but Mercer, your Fae contact, created a diversion and helped them escape.”

I whistle. “Maybe that’s why they were fighting.”

Jamison nods and explains the scene we saw at the museum. “Possibly. What can you tell me about Harlequin?”

“Mercer is the only one I’ve ever dealt with,” I reply with a frown. “I could ask Maverick or Charlie. They’re the ones who hooked me up with Mercer. It was a long time ago, though.”

Gatlin opens the car and motions for me to enter. The door shuts with a soft click.

Jamison gets into the front passenger seat and turns to me. “It couldn’t hurt. I’m curious about them. The fact they’ve managed to stay hidden from the council is incredible. But why? What is their angle? Supernaturals don’t have any laws against commerce or weapons.”

Happy to have found a supplier, I never really thought of it. I pick up my phone and shoot off a text to Maverick and Charlie, asking for some insight into our mutual friends.

Maverick: Not a door you want to open.

Phaedra: Do they have anything to do with the coup?

It’s a risk to ask, but I trust Maverick.

Maverick: Maybe, maybe not. They have fingers in a lot of pies. And their reach is longer than the council’s. Stay off their radar.

Phaedra: Might be too late.

Maverick: I hope not. Call if you need us.

I relay my conversation with Maverick to Gatlin and Jamison. “Maverick isn’t one to exaggerate. We should probably limit our contact with Mercer.”

Gatlin taps his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel. “We’ll need another supplier. There’s a gryphon in Egypt who can help us. I’ll check with him.”

Jamison dips his head. “The good news is we have the weapons we need to move on to the next temple.” He looks back at me. “Do you know where we should go next?”

“Not yet,” I reply as we come to a halt in the driveway.

Gatlin is reaching for the handle when I open the door, and he practically growls at me. “Next time, wait. Let me check the perimeter first.”

I wrinkle my nose at him and turn toward my house as I answer Jamison. “There are three gods left. Ares, Demeter, and Athena. Ares’ temple is basically rubble. I’m leaning toward either Athena or Demeter, but I’d like to get Hawthorne’s opinion.”

“Get Hawthorne’s opinion on what?” a familiar voice asks, and I pivot to find Hawthorne propped against a wooden post near the front door.

Green eyes drink me in from head to toe, and he raises an eyebrow. I blush. It feels like there’s a neon sign above my head saying I had sex with Jamison. The corner of his mouth lifts, but other than a shared look, with Jamison, he says nothing.

“Whether we should go for Athena or Demeter,” I say, stopping in front of him. Seeing him standing here with his eyes open makes me breathe easier. Fuck it. I step forward and wrap my arms around him. Closing my eyes, I savor the warmth he exudes.

His arms close around me, and he bends down to murmur, “I let you out of my sight for a few hours, and you get stabbed? Good thing you killed the bastard.” Firm lips place a kiss on my forehead as he tucks me under his arm and escorts me into the house.

“They both have two possible temples,” he says, rubbing his chin. “This is your quest. What does your gut say?”

I think about the first two quests and realize the golden apple was still on the pedestal when we left. “Demeter. She’s the god of agriculture and harvest and the cultivation of crops. She seems like the most likely choice.”

He thinks about it for a second. “There used to be quite a few temples dedicated to her and her daughter Persephone. Most have been destroyed. From what I can recall, there are at least two dedicated to Demeter that are options. The one on Naxos and the one at Eleusis.”

“It’s been a while since I researched them,” I admit with a wry smile. Really, with my background, I should know the Ancient Greece sites. “I…”

Mathias stops in front of me, his eyes tinged with red. “I thought you were immortal?”

Taken aback, I stare up at him. “Sort of. Why?”

“Explain,” he orders with an impatient sigh. “ Sort of isn’t an answer.”

“Well, you’re sort of immortal. It takes a lot to kill a vampire, but you can still permanently die, right?” I explain. “I die, but I regenerate with a little bit of time. Although I haven’t tested all the ways. Why?”

A muscle tics in his jaw. “Tell me what happened at the airport.”

Is he upset I got stabbed? “A mage stabbed me. I killed him.” He raises an arrogant eyebrow, and I lift my hands. “Umm, what?”

“Why did you need to go to a healer?”

“Because he coated it with a poison, and my body wasn’t healing as quickly as usual,” I reply with a bewildered glance. “Worst case, the infection would have spread, and I would have died. It’s painful, and it sometimes takes time to regenerate. I’d rather avoid that scenario if I can.”

The red recedes, but there’s a troubled expression on his face. “Thank you for the explanation.” He darts a glance at Jamison. “I’m going for a walk.” In a blur, he’s gone.

“Anyone care to explain?” I ask, but none of them replies. With a huff, I walk over to the table where the laptop sits and open it up. “I’m going to do some research.”

Hawthorne comes over and sits down beside me. “I’ll help. Bring up Naxos first.”

“I don’t want you to go,” I murmur, not wanting the others to hear me. It’s a good thing Mathias is gone. Damn vampires can hear everything.

Hawthorne swivels to face me. “If you’re going, I’m going.” He presses a finger to my lips to stop the protest forming on them. “Look what happened at the airport. I hate that you were hurt and I wasn’t there to help you. I’m not letting you out of my sight. We’re all going. End of discussion.”

I study his set jaw and green eyes full of determination and realize I’m not going to change his mind. “Okay. Let’s figure out which one is the more likely candidate.”

We dive into the two sites over the next couple of hours, but we’re no closer to determining the best one, even with all the information. They’re both good candidates. I drop my head into my hands, and he rubs the muscles of my neck.

Jamison and Gatlin walk over to the table.

“We’re hearing chatter about a group of humans scouring Ancient Greece sites. It’s not clear whether it’s one or both groups, but we need to make a decision soon,” Gatlin states firmly. “Have you two decided?”

I glance at Hawthorne. “Flip a coin?”

Jamison slides his Ancient Greece coin onto the table. “Use this.”

The coin reminds me of the night we met, and I tilt my head back and smile up at him. “Thanks. Heads we go to Naxos. Tails we go to Eleusis.” I flick the coin into the air, and it tumbles over and over, landing on heads.

“Naxos it is,” I state with a flourish. “It’s a pretty substantial site, so I want to leave early in the morning. Is that okay with everyone?”

It’s dark when we get to the site the next morning.

Yawning, I stare at the temple. One of the earliest built in her honor, the beauty of the nearly white stone is hard to see in the predawn hours.

Magnificent at the time, it’s hard to look at it now and not see the original superimposed in my mind.

All the detailed work. The statues. It was truly a ruin for a long time, but they found some of the original pieces and reconstructed it in the 1990s.

The first ray of sun breaks the horizon, and Hawthorne whistles when it lands on the temple. “You take me to all the best places.” His eyes are devouring the structure in front of us. He turns to the land around it. “This location is known for its agriculture. Makes sense to build her temple here.”

“You’re such a plant nerd,” I tease. “Feel free to look around. I’m going to search the temple.”

His mouth tightens. “Not a chance. Mathias told us about Apollo showing up at the last site. Who knows what will happen here?”

I look around and see the other three nodding. Mathias’ dark eyes are sweeping the area around us, his hand on one of the knives strapped to his chest. Gatlin is setting the gear down by the temple. Jamison is calmly waiting for me to tell him what to do.

“Fine,” I huff, although I’m secretly thrilled to have them all here. “Search for the symbol. Check every column and stone. If you see anything, shout.”

Jamison and Hawthorne move with me toward the temple. Mathias and Gatlin start to patrol the area around us in full protective mode.

I begin with one of the large side entrances. Hawthorne picks the other, and Jamison chooses the columns. Hours go by. The sun beats down on us. Mathias comes over and hands me a water, then orders me to put my hat on. I laugh but do as he asks.

Gatlin hands out jerky, cheese, and crackers to everyone except Mathias.

I wonder if Gatlin got Mathias some blood. I forgot to ask last night.

The afternoon drags on, and we near the end of our search. “It’s not here.”

Hawthorne walks over. “We have a few more stones left to check, but I agree. I don’t think this is the place.”

Jamison finishes his section and comes over to join us. Flushed and red from the sun, he lifts a shoulder. “I don’t know why you two get excited about a bunch of stones. This is extremely tedious.”

My eyes meet Hawthorne’s, and we both smile. “It’s tedious until you find something from the past. Like a coin or a bust of a statue.”

“Or a tool used to reap crops,” Hawthorne chimes in.

Wait a minute. “Do you think it could be in the surrounding area? Her power lies in the seasons and the cultivation of crops.” I turn toward the land. “What do you see?”

Hawthorne straightens and studies the hillside. “Potatoes.” He points to a cropping of trees. “Olive trees.” He walks to the other side of the temple. “Grapevines.”

Jamison swivels toward me. “Spread out and check the land.”

Mathias immediately moves to my side. “I’m going with Phaedra.”

The other three nod and split up. Hawthorne to check the grapes and Gatlin the potatoes. Jamison heads to one side of the olive trees, so I decide to move to the other.

Tired, my feet stumble, but Mathias’ quick reflexes prevent me from taking a tumble. “Thanks.” I wink up at him. “Maybe you’ll be my good luck charm.”

The corner of his mouth curves upward, but he merely shakes his head. “I’ve never considered myself lucky. I worked hard for my military position. Then, I came here and lost everything, including my daughter. It took me…a long time to adjust.”

There’s a tang of self-loathing in his comment, and I quickly look away, so he doesn’t see the guilt on my face. Continuing to circle tree after tree, I notice the light is getting dimmer.

Mathias also notices. “We’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

Disappointed, I nod, but as I turn to follow him, a shaft of sunlight catches something golden in my peripheral vision. Entranced, I pivot and slip between the trees. With a curse, Mathias falls into step at my side.

Ten minutes later, I stop. “It’s an apple tree.” I turn in a circle. “The only one in this grove of olive trees.” Stepping closer to the trunk, I see the symbol etched into the bark. “This is it.”

Mathias shouts for the others, and we hear footsteps running in our direction.

I hold my palm out to the tree. This time there is no light. Instead, an apple falls from the branch above me. Catching it, I carefully examine it. No serpent. The shiny red surface is the most perfect color red. Too perfect. I sniff it. Smells real.

I bring it to my lips and take a bite. Juicy and full of flavor, it’s the most delicious apple I’ve ever tasted. Mathias glances back at me, and I smile.

Everything goes dark.