the cut started to close. An itchy tingle worked its way up my arm before settling into warmth in my chest. Then Cronus brought his mouth to my hand and blew warm air across my skin. I peered down. The hair was gone and my palm was healed.
My mouth went slack. #Rapunzel #PrincessRightHere
“How?” I muttered.
Cronus turned to open the door, which had clicked ajar two inches while I stared at my palm in complete and utter shock.
“I’m hallucinating,” I decided.
He shook his head at me. “Not this again.” He opened the door an inch and peeked inside. “You’re a descendant of the moon goddess. I already told you your hair has some mild powers.”
My eyes bugged. “Mild powers. You liar! You said it would glow and that at most I was ‘genetically blessed.’”
The god looked back at me, “You are genetically blessed, and your hair holds a bit of magic.”
“A bit!”
Oh my God. Could I cure cancer? Heal the sick? This shit was insane.
Cronus fully turned and placed a hand on either side of my shoulders. “Look, we don’t have time for your nervous breakdown right now. Your hair can heal you and you alone. It’s not that big of a deal. Witches could also use it in spells. It may have some other properties, but I haven’t heard of them, so they can’t be that powerful.”
Holy shit. This was nuts.
#Breathe.
Cronus placed me in front of him, facing the crack in the open door. “I’m going to need you to go first.”
I looked back at him incredulously. “How chivalrous of you.”
“I will protect you from danger. We’re on borrowed time, might I add.”
Ugh.
With a growl, I wrenched the door open fully and stepped one foot into the dark cave.
“Hello!” I shouted.
Cronus’ hand clamped down on my shoulder. “Shhh, do you want to wake every creature guarding this place?”
Creature. He said creature! #FuckThisImOut
I went to back up, slamming my body against his chest, but he pushed me forward as we walked as one.
With a whoosh, orange fiery lights erupted along the cave walls, illuminating a massive space.
“Holy shit!” I breathed.
Treasure upon treasure was stacked high across the space. A hundred-foot-wide circle was filled to the brim with crystals, knives, goblets, jewels. The real treasure seemed to glow behind a black curtain, pink light filtering out, and I wanted to go inside, but I knew he wouldn’t let me.
Cronus swam into view. “Don’t. Touch. Anything. Your presence got us in here, but I’m sure Zeus has been alerted. Let me get the Elixir and then we are gone. I should be able to get a little further away from you in this particular room due to the magical wards. Everything inside is close and linked, so our bond believes the same.”
I nodded nervously. He moved toward the black curtain and the pink light. “Wait! Why can only a Titan fetch the elixir?”
His head swiveled to look back at me; his expression was like he wanted to rip my head clean off my body. “Seriously? You want a lesson in magical artifacts right now?”
I winced. “Okay, maybe we can chat about this later...”
He met my stare with one that was unreadable. “Just stay here. Understand?”
I nodded.
“Say you won’t touch anything,” he pushed.
Geeze with this guy. #NoTrust “I won’t touch anything!” I spat.
He took off behind the curtain while I stayed where I was.
Don’t touch anything. Not a thing.
I’m not stupid.
After a full two minutes of standing there, I started to worry. Feeling a tug at our bond, I moved one step closer.
“Dude, you okay?” I called out into the dark curtain opening.
No reply. He couldn’t have gone that far or I would have felt it through the bond. Right?
Shit. What if he’d been caught in a booby-trap or some creature had gotten him?
At the thought of creatures, I suddenly spun around, my heart in my throat.
“Cronus!” I shouted, a bit louder this time.
Nothing.
Fuck that. I burst forward, walking quickly along the path to the curtain, suddenly convinced that I was being followed by some terrifying monster. I went around a pile of golden daggers and was about to part the curtain when a glowing box caught my eye to the right.
Maisey...
A female voice whispered from the box.
What the…?
I dropped my hands and inched closer to the box, turning away from the curtain. “Hello?” I whisper-screamed.
The box was made of black granite, and something super shiny was under the lid. Shafts of glowing golden light were peeking out.
“Maisey!” This time the voice was stronger,