Casey to Theron’s rigid features beside her, then to Isadora seated at her desk, and finally to Zander and Callia, waiting anxiously on the queen’s other side. “About their locations?” she answered almost apologetically. She glanced back at Casey. “Yeah. That was it.”
Callia and Zander exchanged hopeful glances. Isadora tapped her fingers on the big wooden desk as Demetrius, standing behind her, leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Theron didn’t move, but Casey felt her mate’s own frustration as if it was oozing from his pores. And even though she was just as anxious as him, she knew venting about it was not going to help.
It was the middle of the night. They’d all been woken from sleep when Cynna and Nick had shown up at the castle with news about Zagreus’s visit. The Argonauts and Nick had only just returned from the human realm a few hours ago after nearly a week in the field searching for leads. Casey and her sisters had spent the same time harnessing their Horae gifts, trying to pinpoint Max and Talisa’s location. But none of them had come up with anything concrete—not the sisters, not the Argonauts, not even Cynna, if what she’d relayed here tonight was true. At least, not for Talisa.
For Max, however, it was another story.
“It could be a trap,” Demetrius said as he straightened behind Isadora. “Even if those satyrs aren’t under Zagreus’s control—which is still iffy—he could be leading us to slaughter all so we won’t come after him.”
And Talisa. Casey heard the words Demetrius held back when he glanced her way.
“So, what?” Zander snapped, his eyes flashing from their normal silver to a stormy grey that indicated his legendary rage was bubbling right beneath the surface. “That’s reason to let my son continue to suffer at the hands of those beasts?”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” Demetrius said on a sigh.
“Max did the right thing by going after Talisa,” Zander went on as if Demetrius hadn’t even spoken. “He didn’t ask to be captured by those satyrs. And he shouldn’t have to pay for the fact his daughter”—he pointed at Theron—"was reckless and immature.”
“Watch it.” Theron squared his shoulders and shot a blistering look Zander’s way.
Casey felt tempers rising by the second, her own included. She pressed a hand against her mate’s chest to hold him back, knowing the males were seconds away from getting into it. This tension between all of them had been building since the second Elysia had told them Talisa and Max had been taken.
“Knock it off.” She glared up at her mate then turned her glower on Zander. “Both of you. Bickering isn’t going to bring our kids back. They were both reckless. As for immaturity, I’ve seen plenty of it from the males in this room, so let’s not go there.”
Her sisters nodded in agreement, but Casey ignored them. “We need to focus on what we’re going to do now, not on who’s responsible.” She looked toward Cynna. “How many satyrs did Zagreus say were at that fortress?”
“At least three thousand.”
“Three thousand…” Shit. “That’s a lot.”
“Zagreus didn’t have close to that at his lair in the Yucatan,” Nick said at Cynna’s side, his arms crossed over his chest. “That’s not just a lot, that’s an army.”
And armies were only formed for one purpose. Casey’s stomach dropped.
“Cynna.” Isadora looked at her half-sister from behind the desk. “Zagreus said he witnessed this army, and he’s sure it was Max who was with them?”
“Yes. And it sounded like Talisa was with him when they saw Max with the satyrs.”
Isadora glanced toward Casey and Theron. “Then that means Zagreus has to be holding Talisa somewhere close.”
Theron crossed his own thick arms over his chest. “If Zagreus is still controlling the satyrs, it makes sense to find him before we attack the satyr compound.”
“Bullshit!” Zander’s eyes flashed again, and he lurched toward Theron. “You’re not calling the shots on this one, you son of a bitch.”
Voices rose. Tempers flared. Nick and Demetrius quickly moved between Theron and Zander, who were on the verge of throwing punches and would never see eye-to-eye on a plan because they were each too worried about their own child to listen to reason.
Casey rubbed her throbbing temple and looked toward her sisters, both of whom seemed as frustrated and helpless as she felt. All the male posturing going on wasn’t helping matters, and she was just about to tell her sisters and Cynna they should continue their discussion in another