Page 211 of The Myths of Ophelia
Lancaster nodded, teeth gritted. “Once I find the source of our magic’s stirring and who is responsible, I am to return with haste.”
Good. Now his bargain following Ophelia and I would be relieved for the time being. Hopefully long enough for us to figure out how to get out of placing the emblems in the queen’s clutches.
My hand clenched at the thought, and I realized I was still holding the scroll from Mora. Unrolling it, I scanned the Endasi passage again, trying to interpret it as if it was about the future. Though it never outright used the word warrior—even in the ancient language—there were a few repeated phrases that did directly translate. And if those were about warriors…
“Damien’s cock…”
Ophelia whirled toward me. “What is it?”
“Power challenges and stifled warriors,” I read, the translation not exact, but close. “Magic as mighty as the enemiesacross seas, gone beginning with the Ascension.” My gaze snapped up. “Did the sphinx say anything about warrior power growth?”
“What?” Ophelia asked.
“If this is right, the gods trappedwarrior powerin that prison, as well. It’s why our natural speed and strength and senses are stronger than humans but not quite as strong as…”
Every warrior eye turned toward Lancaster. “Fae,” Ophelia breathed, and her voice turned venomous. “Is that why Ritalia doesn’t want us to do this?”
Lancaster shook his head, but his eyes narrowed skeptically, as if he too was putting together pieces of his queen’s motives.
“Don’t worry about Her Majesty,” Brystin taunted. “She’s already on her way.”
We all whirled toward where Dax held his leash, the male hunched in the sand.
“What?” Ophelia snarled.
Shoulder still bleeding, Brystin grinned. He’d been waiting for this moment.Thisrevelation was why he’d shown himself tonight, why he’d toyed with us. “Queen Ritalia knows where the emblems belong.”
Ophelia bowed over the male, grabbing him by the collar. “How in the Angels’ realm is she on our land?”
“She had some help. Don’t trust bargains based on what you see.”
Those words hit Ophelia like a boulder—sank my stomach, too—and she demanded, “What is she planning?”
“To make sure youneverfulfill this curse. That no one can.”
Shoving Brystin away, Ophelia spun to face us. “We need to get to the mountains. Now.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
Malakai
We were fuckingflying.
We had been for a while now, and still, I didn’t understand it. The desert soared hundreds of feet below, wisps of clouds around the sphinx’s wings on either side of me, and the sunrise teased the tips of the mountains we sped toward.
The sphinx had emerged out of the Gates of Angeldust shortly after Ophelia, Jezebel, and Erista. I’d stared at her dumbfounded for a few minutes—Ophelia hadwokenthis mythological creature—before being pushed toward her with Lancaster and Mila while the others broke off toward Sapphire, Zanox, and Dynaxtar, more piling onto the larger khrysaor with Ophelia and Tolek leading on her pegasus.
But I couldn’t enjoy any part of this miracle because the woman I loved was still unconscious in my arms.
“Come on, Mila,” I whispered, gently turning her face to me. Her lips and eyelids were tinged blue, her usually-tan skin icy.
“She’ll wake,” Lancaster grumbled from behind me.
We coasted over a pocket of air, my stomach dipping. I tightened my thighs around the sphinx’s sides, bracing my freehand against her lion’s body, and tossed a quick glance over my shoulder. “She’d better.”
“I could feel the poison leaving her,” the fae said over the roaring wind. “It was wound very deep thanks to that injury. It will take time for it to fully seep back into the land.”
Mila’s lips parted on small breaths, each one fueling my crazed hope.
