Page 254 of The Spider Queen
Chapter 63
I stood in the throne room, marveling at the mural painted on the wall. My hand reached up to caress it. I was immediately transported back to the battle by the River Styx. I remembered the feelings and thoughts I’d had at that time.
“It’s enchanted,” Thane said from behind me. “So anyone that touches it will know what we lived through. So history will not be forgotten.”
My eyes drifted across the wall to the scene of Hunter’s death. With a deep breath, I walked to it and stroked the silver paint that depicted his silver blood. Grief welled up inside me, but there was also peace.
“Did your spiders do all this?” I whispered in awe. The gold torchlight made the mural gleam. I could stare at it for hours.
“They did. With help from yours. I wasn’t there when Hunter…”
“Right.”
I heard his quiet steps across the ebony floor. He stood behind me and then set his hands on my shoulders. “What do you think, Poppy?”
“I think”—I swallowed—“it’s the most beautiful homage I’ve ever seen.” My gaze slid over Hunter’s death scene to rest on the depiction of Thane cradling my dead body. It made me tremble. Even without touching the wall, I felt the anguish. I remembered all of it.
Thane swept my loose braid off my shoulder and placed his lips on the curve of my neck. “I wanted to be able to show this to those who are coming to our celebration in a few months.”
“A few months?” I turned in his embrace and pressed my head to his chest. “Why a few months?”
“I think it’ll take that long to get all the souls sorted. Also, Zeus needs help capturing the Titans…”
“You’re going to volunteer, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.” He leaned away from me to take my hand. “Let’s go to bed and discuss it there.”
We left the throne room and headed down the hallway to our bedroom. The door opened, and we stepped inside. I ran my hand up and down my arm, feeling a chill sinking into my bones.
Thane noticed and with a few murmured words, a fireplace appeared in the wall. Blazing hot flames blasted heat across the room, easing my shivers.
I sat on the bed and curled my legs underneath me while Thane paced back and forth across the floor. “I feel responsible for the release of the Titans.”
“Why?” I frowned in genuine confusion. “It wasn’t your fault that you were entrapped by the same mage who entrapped the Titans.”
He sighed. “I know, but I guess, I don’t know. I want to clean up messes. And maybe stop creating new ones.”
“Is it dangerous? To go after the Titans?”
He shrugged. “There’s a risk to anything, I guess. But I’d help Zeus. I wouldn’t be the main ringer.”
“Back up, huh?” I bit my lip. “I would never tell you not to go. If you feel you have to, then…”
Thane sank down on the bed, his black eyes earnest. “I do feel like I have to go.” His hand skated across my belly. “I’d do anything not to feel this conflicted.”
I shook my head. “Stop with the misplaced guilt.” I reached out to stroke a hand down his cheek. He turned his head to kiss my palm.
“When would you leave?”
“In a few days.”
“What about Lucifer?”
“Lucifer is missing. He’s in exile. Sitting and waiting for him to come calling is enough to drive anyone mad, so I refuse to think about it right now. I did what I had to do to save you both.”
“Okay,” I said, wanting to ease his mind. “What about the souls? You can’t leave to trap the Titans until the souls are taken care of.”
Thane’s hand gripped mine. “You can access the bridge.”
