Helena had thrown her head back and shrieked like a harpy. “You beast! You killed my husband!”
“No…” Linus backed up in terror. “You saw for yourself. It was an accident.”
Shaking her head, she sobbed and sobbed.
Max glanced to Illarion, who watched them with an equally horrified gaze. What do we do?
He had no idea. Linus was insane and he’d never tell the truth and implicate himself in this. His fear of being blamed for his brother’s death wouldn’t allow that. The gods had decreed them all to die…
But one look at Illarion’s face and he knew he’d never stand back and let that happen.
I have to get them to safety.
There was only one place he could think that would be safe from the reach of the gods. One place where the king couldn’t demand Illarion’s head. Gathering his brother and the weeping princess, he shifted to his dragon form and took flight with them.
Her terrified shrieks filled his ears as she insulted him and tried to break free. Illarion fought against his grip. Remove my collar so that I can fly, too!
Not yet. He wasn’t sure what reception they’d have when they reached his destination. It could be welcoming.
Experience said it wouldn’t.
Even so, Max closed his eyes and prayed for this to work. When he finally reached the southern beach, he laid his brother and the princess down on the white sands, then landed. His stomach knotted, he gazed out over the perfect waves and did something he hadn’t done in centuries.
He summoned the demon Chthonian. The one being who was given protection and charge over their kind.
Granted, no one had seen the bastard in centuries and all kinds of speculations abounded. Some said he’d finally died of the wounds he’d sustained during the great Chthonian war. Others that the Greek god Mache had cursed him in retaliation for being bound and imprisoned.
Another said that the goddess Apollymi had drowned him when she sank Atlantis. There was even a rumor that Artemis had captured him and was keeping him as her pet on Olympus.
Max didn’t know if any of that was true.
All he knew was that he needed a miracle and that the only creature who might help them was the Chthonian who’d once led Max’s mother’s people to freedom.
Throwing his head back, he let out a summoning cry for the beast.
The princess shrank away from him as the waves rolled in and out on the beach.
“What is he doing?” she asked, throwing her hands over her ears to mute the sounds of his call.
Max ignored her as he continued to summon Savitar.
And as time moved slowly and no one responded to his summons, he realized that the Chthonian must be dead.
Or that he didn’t care.
Heartsick, he turned away from the beach, toward his brother. His jaw went slack as he saw the tall, muscular man approaching them.
Savitar.
His lavender eyes glowed as he paused by Illarion’s side and swept his gaze over the blood-soaked gown on the cringing princess. “Seems I missed an impressive party. Care to enlighten me, dragon?”
Max quickly told him what had been done to them, and what had happened to Eumon and Illarion. “I need your help, Chthonian.”
Savitar had scoffed. “I’m done helping others. Last time I did that… it turned out badly for everyone. Especially me, and I rather like me, most days.”
“They’ll kill us.”
“Everyone dies sometime.”