Page 65 of Harbinger

“I’m sorry,” he said guiltily. “I didn’t realize I’d slept for so long.”

“You needed the rest,” Atropos said firmly.

“How’s Morgan?” Eden asked hesitantly in the hush that followed.

“He’s…the same.” Cassius fisted his hands. “He hasn’t gotten any worse, thanks to you.” A weak smile curved his mouth as he studied the Goddesses in the room. It faded a little when he looked at the lizard sniveling and hanging on to him. “Ladon, I know a lot has happened today, but we need your help.”

He picked the lizard up gently and raised him in his hand.

Ladon gazed dejectedly at Cassius when he brought him to eye level. “I wasss going to asssk the sssame of you, Awakener. You are the only one who can help me find my way back to my mothersss.”

Dread tightened Cassius’s face. “You do not know where they are?”

“They are in Argent Lake. But it will not be easssy to track them down.”

Atropos and her sisters recoiled.

“Impossible!” Kes snapped. “We scoured that realm for months and found no trace of them!”

“They are in Argent Lake,” Ladon insisted stubbornly. “In a place no one can accessss.” He met Cassius’s confused stare. “None sssave the Awakener, I believe.”

“Why do you think this?” Atropos asked, stunned.

“Becaussse he isss the grandson of the Goddessss of all Nymphsss. He isss of Nephele’sss bloodline. Only he can sssing the Sssong of the Evening Ssstar.”

“The Song of the Evening Star?” Victor repeated with a faint frown.

“It is the Hesperides’ song,”Atropos mumbled.“Of course! Why didn’t I think of this?!”

Ladon swung his tail agitatedly. “Only my mothersss and thossse of Nephele’sss dessscent can sssing the Sssong of the Evening Ssstar. It can reveal the Garden of the Wessst.”

29

The watersof Argent Lake glittered like liquid silver beneath Cassius as he arrowed toward the pale wall filling the horizon. He glanced over his shoulder at the glimmering city fading on the dark shores behind them. His gut tightened.

Not for the first time, he wondered if he should have left Morgan in the capital.

“Do not worry, Awakener. He is in safe hands.”

Cassius’s gaze shifted to the figure easily keeping pace with him and Atropos.

The translucent, blue wings of the queen of the Naiads were almost invisible in the moonlight as she flew beside them, her breathtakingly beautiful face set in a serious expression.

“I wish we had more time to talk. Maybe after all this is over, we can do so.” The Goddess met Cassius and Atropos’s eyes guardedly before looking down to where four Naiads carefully carried Morgan in a net woven from gossamer threads as strong as steel. “But first, we must save Ivmir.”

“Thank you for agreeing so quickly to our request, Daphne,”Atropos said gratefully.“We have much to catch up on, like you say. And a war to prepare for.”

Daphne furrowed her brow. “We have all been waiting for the call, Atropos. We will be ready when the time comes.”

Cassius and Atropos exchanged a guarded look.

It seems our allies have been biding their time too.

His heart throbbed as he studied Morgan’s pale face where he slept huddled in a nest of blankets. He knew the slumber the demigod had fallen into was unnatural. Still, despite Atropos’s misgivings on the matter, Cassius had insisted Morgan come with them to Argent Lake.

He didn’t need to voice what he’d sensed with every passing hour since his return from the Astrea Sea. They could all see it in Morgan’s rapidly aging body, just as he felt it in the dulling bond that connected their soul cores.

Time was running out. Tenebra’s Rot had almost conquered the demigod’s soul core.

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