toward his, his warm chocolate gaze growing instantly worried. “What? Tell me. What’s happened?”
“I...” Those tears spilled over her lashes.
“Elysia?” Footsteps sounded. Through blurry vision, she spotted her father at Cerek’s side. “Are you hurt?”
Cerek let go when Demetrius reached for her and tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes, too.
Part of her was thankful because she didn’t want to see the disappointment in her mate’s face when she told him what she’d let happen, while another part just wanted him to wrap his arms around her so she could pretend everything was fine.
“I... I’m all right. It’s not me. It’s...” Her stomach pitched. “It’s Max. And Talisa.”
Footsteps sounded again, then Theron was suddenly pushing his way past her father, grasping Elysia’s arm and turning her to face him.
Theron’s chiseled features were as hard as she’d ever seen them, his dark eyes intently focused on her face as he searched for answers to questions he’d yet to ask. Zander was already at his side, staring at her with silvery eyes she knew could shift to a legendary rage at any moment, light where Theron was dark, but every bit as formidable and intimidating.
Though neither was as big as her father, and she’d never been afraid of either as they were family, she didn’t want to say the words. Didn’t want to be the one to tell them the future of the Argonauts—their children—might already be dead.
“What about Talisa and Max?” Theron asked.
“I...” She looked toward her mate, who was still at her side. Confusion marred his familiar eyes, but he reached for her hand and squeezed, encouraging her in a way she needed.
Wrapping her fingers around Cerek’s, she looked back at Theron and gathered her courage. “I ran into Max in the library. He told me about the Argonauts’ decision. That Talisa wasn’t going to be allowed to begin her training. He said when he saw her, she was visibly upset. He... We were worried about her being reckless.”
Theron’s brow dropped. “What do you mean by reckless?”
“I...”
Cerek squeezed her hand again, and she took a deep breath. He knew what was coming. They’d talked about Talisa’s rebellious streak. She squeezed back once more, though she knew in a second he wouldn’t be quite so supportive.
“She crossed into the human realm.”
Theron dropped his arms from her shoulders. “She what?”
“There’s a club there. One that caters to otherworldly clientele. Max and I both knew she’d gone there before. She’d made us promise not to tell anyone.”
Theron’s jaw clenched so hard, Elysia was suddenly worried it might shatter.
“I... I know we should have come and told all of you then, but...” She glanced toward Max’s father.
“But what?” Zander asked.
“But we didn’t want her to get into trouble. So...” She looked once at her own father then at Cerek. “So we went after her.”
Cerek immediately tensed and released her hand. And behind Zander, Demetrius said, “Hold on. Let me get this straight. All three of you crossed into the human realm, unprotected and without approval?”
Yeah, this is what she’d been afraid of. They were all in deep shit now, though at the moment that was the least of her worries.
She twisted her hands together and forced herself to go on, that sickness rising in her throat. “The plan was just to go there, get her, and come right back. When we got to the club, I waited near the doors while Max went inside. He was only gone a few minutes before the music died down and everything got quiet. I rushed inside and arrived just in time to see...”
“See what?” Zander asked.
The words felt like ash in her mouth, but she pushed them out. “See Max get hit. By some kind of energy blast. It picked him up and blew him back at least ten feet.”
Zander’s eyes turned to swirling hurricanes she knew were about to completely consume him.
“From what?” Theron demanded.
“Not from what,” she answered, looking toward the leader of the Argonauts. “From whom. He was using some kind of glamour. I think Max must have seen through it right away, which is why everything got quiet.”
“Who?” Theron asked.
She pursed her lips, then said, “Zagreus.”
No one spoke. But Theron tensed everywhere, and in a very low voice said, “And where was Talisa during all of this?”
Elysia’s stomach dropped. “Standing next to him. She didn’t know who he was until the glamour faded.”
“Then what happened?” Elysia’s father asked, looking toward Theron warily then back to her. He was thankful