Page 35 of Harbinger

“When did he get here?!” Adrianne croaked.

The Reaper God sniffed reproachfully. “I have been here all along.”

“Oh, hey Temir,” Tisiphone greeted him warmly.

“Ca—Cassius?”

Cassius’s head swiveled around so fast he almost sprained a ligament. Morgan had opened his eyes and was blinking blearily at him.

Cassius grasped his hand, relief sending his pulse into the stratosphere. “How are you feeling?!”

Morgan grimaced. “Like someone used my body for a punching bag.”

Loki crawled out from under the bed, jumped onto the top sheet, and bumped his head against Morgan’s cheek.

“Hey there, flea ball.” Morgan lifted a heavy hand and scratched the demon cat behind his ears. He froze when he clocked the crowded bedroom and the sea of stares locked upon him. “Did I die? This is Hell, right? I mean, why else would all of you be here?”

Adrianne and Julia narrowed their eyes. Tisiphone’s mouth flattened into a thin line. Orena’s expression turned sour. Atropos blew out a heavy sigh.

Kes shook a fist at Morgan. “Why, this ungrateful little punk!”

16

“Will Tenebra return to attack Earth?”Cassius asked Atropos.

Morgan could feel the tension vibrating though Cassius where they sat beside each other in the lounge. Cassius had helped him shower and get dressed in a fresh change of clothes. That simple act had drained Morgan of what little energy he’d been able to muster since he’d awoken. But that wasn’t what was worrying him.

They’d barely spoken while Cassius had redressed his wounds, Cassius’s face locked in rigid lines and his eyes barely meeting Morgan’s. The injuries Alecto had inflicted were still bleeding and had soaked through the bandages the Dryads had hastily applied before he and Victor had left Ivory Peaks with Atropos and Tisiphone.

Morgan knew the fact that he had yet to heal scared Cassius like little else could. To be fair, it made his stomach churn too. And that wasn’t even the half of it.

Tenebra’s Rot felt like a block of ice where it sat lodged deep inside him, slowly eating away at his soul core. He knew that it would have killed him had Atropos and Tisiphone not intervened and stopped Alecto.

“I am not sure,” Atropos replied in the stark silence. Faint lines furrowed her brow. “There are certain things I cannot…see anymore.But I believe Elios achieved his goals when he separated the two of you.” She glanced from Cassius to Morgan. “I doubt he will call upon Tenebra to unleash another plague in this realm.”

Surprise shot through Morgan at that. He saw his reaction reflected on Cassius’s face.

“You mean to say Elios timed the plagues on Earth and Ivory Peaks so as to deliberately split our forces?” Victor asked sharply.

Morgan’s team exchanged shocked looks. A muscle twitched in Strickland’s cheek.

Atropos dipped her head and met their tense stares steadily. “Yes. Though I granted Regina a Harbinger, I did not foresee that the Dryad royal family would call upon Ivmir to protect their realm from Alecto and Megaera. With Tenebra threatening Earth, Icarus was bound to stay here and do his duty.”

Cassius flinched. Morgan laid a hand on the back of his rigid knuckles, aware his lover had interpreted Atropos’s words as an accusation she never intended. Cassius recoiled a little before accepting Morgan’s touch. He swallowed heavily, a scowl marring his brow when he realized he’d almost pulled away.

Morgan’s stomach clenched. They needed to talk. To clear up this terrible misunderstanding between them. Morgan knew Cassius was blaming himself for the fact that he had nearly died. But now was not the time for a private conversation.

His heart thumped in his chest as he recalled his battle with the Furies. “Alecto and Megaera. Their target was the Sword of Wind, wasn’t it?”

Cassius startled and stared at Morgan. Loki raised his head where he lay between them in his demon cat form.

“Yes.” Atropos’s eyes darkened. “But, from what unfolded, it appears Elios also ordered them to kill you.”

Cassius blanched. This time, he didn’t shrink away when Morgan clasped his hand.

“Why does Elios want me dead?” Morgan faltered. He let out a bitter chuckle. “I mean, Iknowhe wants me dead. He wants all of us dead. But why now?”

“I am not certain.” Atropos rubbed the lines wrinkling her forehead. “But it must have something to do with his original intentions.”

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