Page 134 of Heir of the Beast

She nods.

“Then I don’t know. You will have to ask, I guess. Pry it out of him. At least he can talk,” I say, and grin at her.

She laughs. “A small win.”

We arrive at a large palace of white stone with gold accents; large pillars grace the entrance of the three-story entry. Like everything, it is stunning.

Men lead a handful of us into a lovely sitting room with men I do not recognize. Laura’s manly man with no name walks up to the foreign men in white and gold finery.

They speak in a language I do not understand. but they are shaking hands and conversing as though they’ve known each other for a long time. Laura and I sit on the couch and wait patiently.

My heart is hammering. I just need to get to the healer and get back to Apollo before it’s too late.

I have this insane sense of urgency. I don’t even know if Apollo is still alive. I feel a wave of panic at that thought, willing the butterflies away.

Positive thinking.

It feels like forever before we are finally led to a room to freshen up in. I need to know if Siron was successful in getting healed. I need that medicine yesterday.

“Mort here.” She is suddenly beside us, making Laura yelp.

I get up from the soft bed. “Mort! Talk to me.”

“So, I think everything is going to plan, for once. Siron, from what I hear, has already received his first round of treatments for his ailments. He should be a healthy man in no time, according to Pierce.”

She continues, “You need to track him down. We need that cure for Apollo, or we are going to lose him. We do not have time to spare.”

I can feel my pulse hammering in my neck. “Where is he?”

Mort grins. “Follow me.”

***

I follow the little white butterfly down long hallways.

We are sneaking, though no one told us we could not leave the room they placed us in. I just want to be sure I am not seized and taken back. I need to talk to Siron desperately.

“Hurry, Mort,” I hiss. Butterflies are not the quickest bugs. It’s rather frustrating waiting for Mort to make up her mind which way to go.

We finally stop in front of a large door and Mort does not fly further. This must be it. “Through here?”

Mort appears in front of me. “Be quick. Piece told me this is the recovery and spa wing. It’s through this door and to your left.”

Mort is gone.

I close my eyes and pray Siron will be reasonable.

Please let him help me.

I walk through the door and smell earthy smells. It’s not unpleasant. The only thing missing is the Indian spa music.

I go through and see an opening to my left—a small room with an arched entry. The room is steamy, almost like a wet sauna, but not as intense.

I walk slowly, cautiously. I would hate to barge into this room and have weird men in here and not Siron. I shiver. That would be very awkward.

~This is not where I parked my car~, I would say, and run away.

I suck in a breath as I inch further inside. It’s then I see the one and only Siron laying on a bed with only a towel covering his trim waist.