No mercy! Again and again, Halo claimed and heated a sword, then plugged the blade into a horn. Soon, a single head remained.
In a frenzy, the hydra charged him. She tripped over those flopping necks but didn’t stop. With the force of a rocket, she slammed into him, taking him to the floor. Her final mistake.
He had only to thrust his sword up, cutting through the underside of her snout to her brain. As she flopped over, a trumpet signaled the end of another battle. Another victory.
Once again, nothing felt right. Halo hunched over and emptied the contents of his stomach.
When he finished, he flashed to his bedroom closet. He would collect Ophelia’s remains. But, as he searched the blood-splattered rubble, he found no sign of her body. The trinite collar lay in shambles, bits of the harpymph’s flesh stuck to the edges of the disk.
A terrible thought occurred to him. Had she removed the necklace herself, allowing Erebus to ambush Halo?
His hands fisted. He worked his jaw. Tomorrow, he and Ophelia would have a chat...
13
6:00 a.m.
Day 4
Ophelia sensed movement and opened her eyes, every inch of her crackling with energy. As her morning visitor attempted to whisk off her bedcovers, she caught the edge and held the blankets in steady claws without much effort.
“Get your lazy butt out of—oh. Good morning, sunshine. I guess you can keep those.” Bright light streamed into the window, highlighting Vivi’s surprise. “Time to start our day. We’ve got things to do.”
“Oh, yes. We do indeed.” Ophelia eased upright and took stock. No sign of a hangover whatsoever. Excellent. No lingering battle pains either. Full battery charge, defenses on high alert.
Try to take me down now, Erebus. Dare you.
“Wow. Okay. You look scary intense,” Vivi remarked. “Not hungover at all. Honestly, I expected an all-out war with you this morning.”
“Let’s just say I lost my heads over a guy.” A mountain of a male who had pleasured her senseless, ratcheting her vulnerability to new heights, only to brutally murder her minutes later. From sensual caresses to stark realization—no stardust—then agonizing strikes.
The incongruity screwed with her head. She didn’t know whether she wanted to run to him or from him.
During this most recent battle, Halo had been utterly methodical, purpose steeping his every action. He’d watched and he’d learned. He’d patiently worked to weaken her. Any time he’d focused on her, she’d hurt. Even worse, he had projected all kinds of suspicions before rendering the death blow. Had he realized the truth? Did he know Ophelia was the hydra?
Her claws grew, slicing through the blankets. Halo had questions, no doubt. Questions she wasn’t prepared to answer. Not until she’d pondered everything without a haze of arousal or a looming threat of death. New developments—loopholes—meant new paths to consider. And what about the dagger Erebus kept using on her? It had taken total control of her will, complicating her original plan.
So. Should she tell Halo the truth, the full truth and nothing but the truth? Or should she forge ahead?
Ophelia was done making mistakes. Gotta get this right. A good outcome had never been so important. Like Halo would really give her a time-out, though. For an emotionless hulk, he lacked patience.
He’s coming for me. Soon.
Her heart thudded. If she were lucky, he intended to visit the palace foyer to see if the hydra’s head hung next to the lioness’s, granting her time to, well, buy herself more time.
“Yo. Lady O.” Vivi clapped for attention. “I’m still here. Ignoring me won’t make me go away.”
Right. “I need a minute to prepare, then we can head out.” She sprang from the bed and rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change. Today struck her as an armor-up day.
“So. Listen,” she called while changing. “This day has been repeating. Basically, Groundhog Day on steroids.” The walls had ears, yes, but she had to risk it. There were things Vivi should know.
“Oookay.”
Now. How to tell her the rest without alerting others? Oh! Duh. She stepped into the bathroom doorway to sign her next words, a skill they had acquired at training camp. Twice Erebus has morphed me into a monster and an Astra has killed me.
Did you say an Astra killed you? Twice? Vivi signed back.
“I did. Oh, Halo might believe I’m his fated mate.” She didn’t mind speaking that part out loud. But was she his mate? Forget the stardust. No immortal—especially the Immortal—had ever wittingly or unwittingly slain his fated one. Right? Unless he lacked a heart. Which was a distinct possibility in this situation. She ushered her friend into the hallway. “I’ll explain everything else in town.”
“Town? And did you say mate?”
“Yes and yes. Now come on.”
They ran out of the barracks, away from the palace and toward the training grounds. A cool breeze rolled past, fragrant with morning dew. Harpies practiced with an assortment of weapons while a group of Roc’s soldiers hung around and drooled.