Descending (The Rising Series) (23 page)

“I should have known. I didn’t ask her
; I
told
her I would marry her at today’s daybreak, which was a bit unrealistic. I first have to find a priest to do it, but I have every intension of marrying her.”

“How did she respond to being
told
you would marry her?”

Kyros smiled. “She told me she wouldn’t marry me if I were the last man on earth, as handsome as some guy named Matthew, and as rich as Bill’s gate—whatever that means.”

Xanthus laughed. “It’s Bill Gates. He’s a billionaire.”

“Oh well, I’m sure I can convince her to cooperate.”

“I don’t know. It sounds like a challenge to me.”

“I’m never one to back away from a challenge.”

“Do you think she’ll be happy with you?”

“What? Why wouldn’t she?”

“She’s spent a lot of time being human. She seems happy living on land. What if she doesn’t want to return to the sea?”

Kyros gaped at Xanthus. The thought had never entered his mind. She was a mermaid. Her place was in the sea. How could she possibly be happy to stay on land? Sure, she might dwell on land for a while, but she couldn’t want to remain there forever. “Once we’re married, it won’t matter. She’ll live where I do.”

Xa
nthus shook his head. “You might want think more about Gretchen’s needs. Is your happiness worth her misery? Do you think either of you would end up happy?”

Kyros shook his head. “Land dwellers are so confusing. I don’t understand their thinking. I mean, I know Gretchen has spunk and attitude—it’s what attracts me most. But… gods, there has to be an order to things. Husbands direct, wives follow. Tell me that’s not how you and Sara live.”

“It’s not. We work together to make decisions.”

Kyros shook his head. “And it works?”

“Better than you’d think. I’ve a feeling there are a large number of unhappy Dagonian wives.”

“
At least the husbands are happy.”

“You’re a fool if you think husbands can be happy with a miserable wife. Do you think you could truly be happy knowing Gretchen was unhappy?”

Kyros frowned. Why did Xanthus have to make so much sense? “I’ll think about what you said. I won’t promise I’ll ever agree, but I’ll consider it.”

There was a soft rapping on the door. Kyros opened to
Sara on the doorstep. “I…” She choked on her word the moment their eyes met.

Xanthus stepped around Kyros. “What is
it, moro mou? What’s wrong?”

“I’m not supposed to say…”

Kyros’s blood froze in his veins at those words.

“But,” she continued, “
I’m afraid she’s going to get herself killed.”

Kyros roared in anger.

Xanthus slammed him back. “Keep your distance from my wife while you rage,” he snarled at Kyros.

“Where is she?” he growled at
her.

Xanthus fisted Kyros’s shirt in his hand. “Stop posturing toward my wife, soldier
, or you’ll have a battle on your hands.”

Kyros snarled at Xanthus. “Bring it on.”

“Do you want to waste time?” Xanthus asked. “The more we fight amongst ourselves, the more time we lose. Now calm yourself or
I’ll
do it for you, and Sara and I will go after her without you.”

Kyros clenched his jaw and attempted to cool his fury. He took several breaths and turned to Sara. Her eyes were wide
, her face white. “I’m sorry, Sara. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course. I’m just as upset as you are. I just… Kyros, you have to find her. She’s gone after Drakōn.”

“How does she even know where to look?” Kyros asked.

“She took your cell phone. She
’s going to call him and tell him where to meet her. She thinks if she just sings and keeps singing, that he’ll hear her before he reaches her. And if he can’t hear her, she’s brought a gun to shoot him.”

“That’s not a bad plan
,” Xanthus said. “If only she’d brought me with her to protect her.”

“If he puts a mark on her,” Kyros said. “I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

Xanthus pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call her. Perhaps she’ll be willing to tell us where she is if we agree to help her.”

“Gah!” Kyros roared. “I hate this. She was not supposed to be a part of this.”

“She’s already part of this,” Sara said.

“Ye
s, but she shouldn’t be at risk.”

Xanthus stood with the phone at his ear. “It’s gone to voice mail.
” He waited a moment, and then spoke into the phone. “Gretchen, I know you’re upset. I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you. But I can help you with your plan. Just let me stay with you and protect you.”

Kyros hated
that he couldn’t offer to go himself. He couldn’t listen to her siren’s voice without it affecting him. But Xanthus could. He knew he had no reason to be jealous, but Hades, he was. He hated being left out.

“Please call me back,” Xanthus said before ending the call.

“
Now
what do we do?” Sara challenged. Kyros looked up, surprised at her anger. He might have scared her into a corner, but she’d come back baring teeth.

“
She didn’t tell you where she was going?” Xanthus asked.

She shook her head, frowning.

“Then there’s not much we
can
do, moro mou.”

“
Actually, Sara,” Kyros said. “There might be something you can do. We were going to use Gretchen to tap into my forgotten memories. Do you think you could do it?”

“I
can try.”

“
I don’t think it’ll work. Gretchen’s voice is much more powerful than yours,” Xanthus said to her.

“Why
, thank you for pointing that out, dear. And while you’re at it, I’m sure you’d like to point out how the extra five pounds I’ve put on since we’ve married disgusts you.”

“Sara, I have no idea what you’re talking about. And if you’ve put on five pounds, you probably needed to. You look more beautiful than ever.”

Her face lightened up. “Really?”

“Look,” Kyros said, “I hate to interrupt this pointless exchange, but I think it’s worth a try.”

Xanthus shrugged. “I don’t see how it could hurt.”

Sara sat
Kyros down. He prepared to open his mind to her influence.

The song started
low, uncertain, but it hit him hard. His heart rate spiked, and a smile spread across his face. All thoughts flew from his mind. Was there something he was supposed to do? He tried to search his thoughts, but the sweet melody had him mesmerized. He had to touch this angel. He looked into her eyes and saw the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen, since… Gretchen. This angel wasn’t as compelling as Gretchen was, but she was close, within reach. But then there was another angel. Where had that thought come from? Why should he care for that one when this one was close enough to touch, close enough to taste?

Steel arms like a vice clamped around him. A gruff voice growled in his ear, “Keep your hands off my wife.”
Xanthus?

The third mermaid surfaced again in his mind. She too was beautiful, but chilling. Her eyes sparkled like diamonds—clear, lifeless, cruel. She wielded her voice like a caress
, like a whip. She stood on the deck of a ship, her dress hugging her lush features. She had Drakōn and another man on her arms, worshipping her, stroking her.

The memories of her words rose in his mind. “Kyros, make Gretchen love you, sweep her off her feet, declare your love for her, and then
I want you to gut her like a bloated fish…”

“She told me I have to kill Gretchen,” he growled—his own voice like sandpaper against the silkiness of the other. His heart pounded, his anger rising. One angel wanted him to kill another.
Sweet, comforting words caressed his ears. The voice said he didn’t have to kill her.

Like a waterfall gone dry, the voice dropped away, trickling into nothingness. Kyros awoke to find Xanthus sitting on his chest, his hands pinning Kyros’s wrists against the
floor. “What are you doing?” Kyros growled, barely able to take a breath.

“Saving your life.”

“Why? Who threatened me?”

“I did. If you had made one more grab for my
wife, I would have ripped your head off.”

“What? I tried to touch
Sara?”

“You tried to grope her, kiss her. You know there are easier ways to commit suicide.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“Obviously.”

“Did it work?” Kyros asked.

“You expect me to know?
” Xanthus asked. “You’re the one with the memories.”

“I…” The memories were there—filling his mind, sickening his stomach. Two days of torture, bliss, and everything in between. “I remember
. I remember it all.” Red filled his vision. Aella was worse than they had all imagined. Kyros wished more than anything he could be the one to rip out her heart—if she had one.

Gretchen sat on a bolder with her back pressed against the rocky wall of a crevasse. There was only one way in and one way out of here. Drakōn would not be sneaking up on her. If she could not save him, she’d have to kill him.

T
he phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out.
Xanthus.
She briefly considered answering. There was still time to ask him to help her. No. He’d made it perfectly clear she was not equipped to handle a soldier like Drakōn. Well, she could and she would.

She hit the call reject button and scrolled to find Drakōn’s number. She pushed dial, before she could lose her nerve. The phone rang several times before it picked up.

“Hello?” Gretchen’s knees nearly buckled. The voice speaking in her ear was one that used to be more familiar than her own. It was the one she remembered longing to hear after days left alone.

It was her mother.

She straightened her shoulders, determined not to give her birth mom the satisfaction of frightening her. “Hello, Mother.” Gretchen’s voice was smooth, confident, and reflected none of the anxiety that twisted her insides like the tangled tentacles of a dead octopus.

“Ambrosia, my dear. How good of you to call.” Her voice sounded sweet, affectionate… like any other mother would sound to their daughter. The only difference was, this woman wanted to
murder her daughter.

“
You know how it is,” Gretchen said, playing along. “I’ve been busy with school and all. I’d love to come home for dinner. Maybe we could catch a movie, make cookies together, and have a nice chitchat...You know, reminisce the old days. Oh, and I met a boy. I simply
have
to tell you all about him.”

“Oh yes, Kyros. I’ve met him
, dear. Quite the catch, isn’t he? Although, I heard he could be quite dangerous. You know, the love ‘em and kill ‘em type.”

“Oh
, no. He’s been a perfect gentleman. I don’t know
where
you could have heard such a rumor.”

“Well
, the love ‘em part, I experienced firsthand.”

Gretchen could feel her temperature rise. “
If there’s one thing you excel at, it’s getting men who couldn’t care less about you to think they do.”

“Oh, that’s a low blow, child. They care
. They just might need some coaxing at first, but once they’ve had me, they’re like putty in my hands.”

“That didn’t work out so well with Kyros, did it? He didn’t kill me, after all.”

“Nobody’s perfect—although the situation was. The man you love spills your guts on the—”

“You are one sick woman
,” Gretchen interrupted.

“Mermaid, dear. Or have you forgotten? You’ve been living among
slime for so long, you’re slick with it.”

“I’m through talking with you. Put Drakōn on.”

“Oh, you mean my newest—”