Page 68 of Queen of Serpents and Shadows

“This portal can take you to the zarchonii fields in Telos, where you’ll find the cure by eating the flowers. Or you can take it to where Ryvin is nearing his final breaths. You can’t do both,” she said.

“You really are a monster. Your own son?”

“What will it be, Princess of Athos?” she asked, the smile on her lips making me feel sick.

“Ryvin.” There was no hesitation. No second thoughts. No need to waste time thinking. “Get me there, now.”

She lifted a brow. “There is no portal where he is to get you to Telos. No zarchonii flowers to save you.”

“You know why you hate humans so much?” I snapped. “It’s because you can’t love. You can’t begin to comprehend that our fragile little lives might be worth it to us because we can find beauty and joy in the small moments and the people around us. You don’t deserve the temple they’re building dedicated to you in Athos. I hope they forget you and you fade away with all the other ancient gods nobody can remember.”

“That would be something, wouldn’t it? It’s a pity you won’t be around to see it happen.” She shoved me into the portal.

I stumbled into darkness, landing on my hands and knees. Something sharp dug into my palm and I recoiled when I realized it was a bone fragment. Very slowly, I stood, working to get my bearings through the spinning of my vision.

The space I was in was dimly lit and the stench was making my stomach churn. I was in the mouth of a cave, the only light coming from behind me, where a fire crackled near the entrance.

Carefully, I turned, doing my best to keep my movements slow and silent. I was standing in a pile of bones and every time they shifted, I froze, hoping I wasn’t making too much noise.

Then I saw them. Ryvin and Vanth were both hanging from a wall, tied up like insects in a spider’s web.

I didn’t even try to stay quiet as I raced toward them.Their eyes were closed, but their breathing was steady. I reached for Ryvin, shaking him gently. “Ryvin, wake up.”

His brow furrowed and he groaned. I made a relieved cry, surprising myself with the sound. Ryvin opened his eyes, then narrowed them, as if it was painful to keep them open. “Ara?” His voice was hoarse.

“Thank the gods you’re still alive. I’m going to get you two out of here.” I shook Vanth. “Wake up, come on. Wake up.”

“Ara?” Vanth was just as groggy as Ryvin.

“I’m here, I’m going to get you both down.” I started working on the knots holding Ryvin to the wall.

“You have to get out of here,” Ryvin said. “Please, go. Before he returns.”

“Before who returns?” I was curious, but there was no way I was going to leave them in this cave.

“The cyclops,” Ryvin replied.

My hands stilled for a moment, taking in the new information. A cyclops. They were impossibly strong and extremely difficult to kill. They were some of the gods’ favorite creations. Extremely skilled with making weapons, they’d been given abilities to survive that humans certainly didn’t possess.

I returned to working the knots. “Then we better hurry before he returns.”

I finished Ryvin’s bindings and he fell from the wall, landing hard. “Sorry!” I hurried to help him up, then turned my attention to the shifter.

“You two go, don’t waste time with me,” Vanth said.

“You know me better than that,” I said.

“How are you here?” Ryvin asked, moving alongside me to help with some of the other knots. At least he appeared in relatively good health.

“Your mother sent me to help you,” I said, adjusting the truth just a little, so I didn’t worry him. If we got out of here safely, I could say my goodbyes and explain more.

“She’s lying to you,” Vanth said.

“I know,” Ryvin agreed.

I stayed silent and finished the last knot on my side, allowing Vanth to fall from the wall. He landed more gracefully than Ryvin had. The shifter rubbed his arms where the ropes had left red marks. “We need to get away from here.”

“We have to find the sorceress,” Ryvin said. “And I don’t think her pet cyclops is going to let us reach her if he’s still breathing.”

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