more carefully.
Neither spoke right away. Then before she could even think of anything to say, her father’s features softened, he whispered, “Thisavrós,” and pulled her into his arms.
Warmth encircled her. Warmth and safety and the familiar scents of home. The term of endearment echoed in her head, the one he’d called her since she was a child and meant my treasure, and she clung to him, blinking back tears she didn’t even know had been lurking inside her.
“We were so worried,” her father whispered in her ear. He drew back and swiped at the tears on her cheeks with a tender smile. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I’m fine, pampas. I…”
She glanced toward her mother, saw the tears in her eyes, and immediately moved to hug her. “Matéras… I’m sorry.”
Her mother hugged her tight. Talisa was taller than her mom, but if there was one thing she’d learned early on, it was that her mother was stronger—emotionally—than both her and her father put together. She was the glue that held their family together. She always had been.
“There’s no need for apologies,” Casey said in her ear. “All that matters to us is that you’re safe. And you are. That’s all we care about.”
Talisa swallowed and nodded, knowing her mother was just trying to make her feel better.
Drawing back, she swiped at her eyes again, looking from one parent to the other. “I-I don’t understand, though. How did you get here?”
“Zagreus brought us here,” her mother answered.
Talisa’s heart stuttered, and she looked between her parents toward the table where Rhen was rolling out a long map on the surface for everyone to see, and Zagreus was giving directions and pointing out locations.
Confused—no, shocked—she looked back at her mother. “Why? That doesn’t make sense. I mean, I’m happy to see you but—”
“He didn’t have any other choice,” her father cut in, drawing her attention his way. “He obviously knows you’re as stubborn as your mother.”
“As if.” Casey glanced at her mate, but there was no heat in the look. It was more playful than irritated. “Everyone knows the stubborn gene comes from your side of the family tree.” She waved her hand. “All those super-human abilities clearly interfere with common sense.”
“They do not,” Theron replied innocently.
“Where should I start?” Casey held up a hand and started ticking off fingers. “Your whole silly feud with Nick when we first met. All that time you thought Demetrius was a traitor. The tiff you got into with Titus when he was just trying to help Natasa. And I won’t even go into the grudge you had against Orpheus for, like, ever…”
“Okay, okay.” Theron frowned and held up his own hand, blocking Casey from going on. “We get it, meli. No one likes me.”
“Well, no one but me.” Casey smirked, then inched closer so she could slide her arm around his waist. Her other hand landed against his chest as she peered up at him. “But then, I’m stubborn that way.”
“Yes, you are, meli, which I adore.” Theron’s voice softened as he closed his arm around Casey’s shoulder and tugged her in close. Angling his chin down toward her, he added, “You also happen to be very forgiving, something I’m eternally thankful for.”
She smiled, and the two exchanged quiet words and kissed.
It was a familiar show of affection, one Talisa was used to from her parents, but it seemed totally foreign here in this place. As she looked past her parents back toward the table, where Zagreus was still pointing things out and the Argonauts were all listening intently, her skin grew hot, and everything that had once made sense in her muddled head suddenly didn’t.
“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”
Her parents both looked her way. She knew she sounded panicked, a little crazed, but she didn’t care. She glanced from face to face again. “Zagreus has no reason to bring you here. Why would you listen to him? Why would you trust him?”
“Don’t you trust him?” her mother asked. “Isn’t that why you’re still here?”
Talisa’s mouth snapped closed. That was exactly why she was still here, but her parents and the Argonauts were a completely different story.
“He brought us here because the two of you and few soldiers don’t stand a chance against Pandora and three thousand satyrs,” her father said.
They knew about the satyrs and Pandora. The blood drained from her face. She had to tell them the rest. “Max—”
“We know about Max, too.”