is being studied by the world’s most eminent physicists in a secure lab even you won’t be able to find,” Robin added.
Vane turned cold eyes on him. “Want to wager?”
Frank almost took a step back before he realized what he was doing and stopped himself. Robin gave him a pat of sympathy.
Vane turned to me.
“Forget your minions—I mean—mermaids?” I said lightly.
“They’re busy,” he answered with an enigmatic smile. He didn’t bother glancing at anyone else as he crossed to the bedside. A critical eye swept over me, stopping at my heart, causing it to ache a little. He said quietly, “You could do better than that gown.”
I fiddled with the papery green material covering me, sticking my nose in the air. “It works well enough.”
“Well enough isn’t up to your level,” he said huskily.
A sting of tears—happy, unhappy, I didn’t know which—sprang to my eyes.
Matt took a step closer to me. Vane’s gaze snapped to him. In a blink, Vane caught his brother by the throat and pushed him face down into the mattress at the foot of the bed.
“Vane!” I squeaked.
Matt flailed as Vane suffocated him. Hard fingers squeezed Matt’s throat. Vane pushed him deeper into white sheets. He yanked the Dragon’s Eye out of Matt’s jeans pocket and threw it on the bed in disgust. He railed at his brother, “You’ve dropped to a new low, Merlin. You can’t control something as powerful as the seeing stone with the little bit of magic you’re managing to steal. Don’t think I hadn’t noticed you taking magic from me. You could have killed her.”
I forced my fading attention onto the scene. Green encompassed Vane. Although I didn’t wear the Dragon’s Eye, I saw the outline of the monster riding him. A hint of sharp teeth shone from his snarling mouth, and for a minute, I actually believed he might harm his brother.
“Vane, let go!” I said, “I trust Matt. So do you.”
“No, I don’t,” he said.
I grabbed the Dragon’s Eye. Closing my eyes, I mentally opened the door between us. The monster stood with its back to me, alone in the grey colorless world of limbo. I went up to its hulking form. Pulling up my courage, I put a trembling hand on its back. Under my touch, hard muscles tensed, as if it debated my sincerity. As if it wanted me to release him and yet was afraid I would.
“Vane,” I said.
With a snarling sound, the monster pulled away. He rounded on me, his face furious. Hot breath blew down on me. Teeth glistened with saliva. The wound, my stomach, gave a twinge in response, but for the first time since the maze, I held my ground.
I found myself back in the hospital room.
“Let him go, Vane,” I said breathily.
His fingers eased a fraction off Matt. Then, a fraction more. He let go of Matt.
Matt sprang up, swallowing big gulps of air.
Grey stared at Matt with a slight satisfied smile. He said idly, “How did you find her? I used fake names and everything.”
Vane raised an arrogant brow. He pointed to a camera hidden at the corner of the room. “I knew you wouldn’t take her too far. I hacked the hospital’s security feed.”
Grey made an annoyed sound.
Matt snarled, “Why can’t you just leave her alone, Vane? She’s needs time to recover.”
Grey said sharply, “As if you care, Emrys.”
“Think you’ve made an enemy of the dog, brother,” Vane said with amusement.
I groaned at the amount of testosterone in the room.
Vane looked at his brother. “You didn’t find the Healing Cup.”
Grey let out a loud breath. Rourke, the gargoyle king, was dying. He desperately needed the Healing Cup. Matt stared back at Vane stony-faced.
“Never mind, I’ve already found a simulation of Kronos’s Fury. I know the endgame.” Vane shrugged. “What’s the next step?”
“As if I would trust you,” Matt retorted.
Vane’s eyes flickered over me. “You’ve never learned to trust anyone.”
I rolled my eyes. As if he was that much better.
Vane scowled and moved closer to me.
Matt said quickly, “I need her to keep reviewing the vision in the Kronos Eye. The answers are in the vision. The sword-bearer and I need to work together to see all the nuances.”
Each condescending word grated worse than the last one. I was the one lying in a hospital bed and he had the nerve to dismiss me as “the sword-bearer.”
My nostrils flared. I snapped, “Fine.”
“I need you—”
“I said fine,” I repeated, cutting him off.
Matt blinked. “Are you upset with me?”
“I’m not upset!” Of