Page 21 of Charmed By Apollo

“It’s been a while, and I can’t recall all of them.” He scratched at his head. “I never did confirm if these methods were true. And frankly, it might take you a very long time to investigate them all.”

“How long did it take you?”

“A few weeks maybe?—”

“I can do it.”

“But that was using my connections, not to mention, my powers.” He snapped his fingers, and he disappeared for a moment, then came back with something in his hand—a bright purple hyacinth from his garden back in Olympus—and offered it to her. “Can shifters magically transport themselves from one place to another?”

Her nostrils flared, and she waved his hand away. “I’ll find a way.”

“It’ll be faster with my help.”

“No.” She backed off, like a scared kitten. “Absolutely not. I can do this on my own. Just tell me where to go.”

“Oh no.” He shook his head. “You think I’m just going to let you traipse around the world looking for the key to defeat death?”

“I don’t need—or want—your protection,” she huffed. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” he said. “But you do need my knowledge and my contacts.”

“So, give it to me.”

Smirking, he took a step toward her, tempted to touch her obstinate chin. “There are many things I’d like to give to you, Geri, but not this.”

“You stubborn ass!” Her chin jutted out even further. “Just tell me what I need to know, and you can go back to whatever it was you were doing. You never have to see me again.”

“Nuh-uh.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ll do this with my help or not at all.”

As they stared at each other, Apollo couldn’t help but admire her—not just the symmetry of her pretty face, but the courage and defiance in her eyes. But he was not going to be the first to budge.

She huffed, and her hands fisted at her sides. “I—fine. You can come along.”

Apollo sighed inwardly with relief.

“Now, where do we go first?”

“Wait, you want to go right now?” he asked, incredulously. “Don’t you want to get ready? Maybe tell your relatives where you’re going or settle your grandmother’s affairs.”

“There’s no time to waste. Apollo, I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “I can’t bear the thought of never seeing her again.”

Her pain resonated within him, and he so desperately wanted it to go away, for her to be free of such emotions. “I’ve heard of a place,” he began gently, “an island in the Philippines called Siquijor. They say it’s home to some of the most powerful witches in the world.”

“Siquijor?” she repeated, her voice tinged with curiosity. “Do you think they could help us?”

“I think so.”

She furrowed her brow, her gaze searching his eyes. “But are they powerful enough to bring back the dead?”

“Some months after I stopped my search for a way to revive Hyacinthus, one of my contacts came to me and told me a legend about a mystical artifact called the Siquijor Stone,” he explained. “They say it has the power to resurrect the dead.”

“The Siquijor Stone?”

“It sounds unbelievable, but I trust my source.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know someone who can help us—a water nymph from that island.”

“If it’s our best chance to bring my grandmother back, then we have to try.”

“She lives in a place called Capilay Spring.” Apollo held out his hand. “So? Will you let me take you there?”

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