Page 40 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“Clever,” Zee admits.

“Barbaric,” I correct, rubbing my throat. Was I screaming?

Nathan narrows his grey eyes, steps forward and pries my hand from my neck.

“The Minotaur had a powerful grip on you, Natia. Let me heal the damage.” He passes his hand along my neck, the tightness easing, enabling me to take a deep breath.

“Thank you, Nathan.” He gives me a tight smile and steps back into line with Barney and Zac, the latter of which is staring wide eyed at Emi, an angry flush creeping up his neck.

“Themis,” Zac grinds out, “typical that you’d fall in with her.” He nods towards me. Consider me offended.

She wraps another strand of hair in the crown, securing it. “I’m on Justice’s side, you know that, Ares.”

Floor, mouth, smack. On second thought… figures. Zac being the god of war is about the only thing that makes sense. He fists his hand at his sides. “Aren’t we on the same side?” I ask.

Zac glares at Emi, who smirks. “If we are on the same side, why are you sneaking around breaking into places which aren’t yours?” he asks, nodding towards our paint splattered outfits.

I slide off the steel slab, suppressing a shudder at what they would need one of those for. “If I’m going to open the Jar and shove Ty back inside, I need the key.”

“I said you could have it after you get everything else you need.”

“At some point somebody has to trust that I’m going to do the right thing.”

He stares at me. “Fine, the key is yours so long as you swear an oath.”

I shrug. “Sure.”

Jed shakes his head. “No, Natia, you don’t understand-”

I put my hand up. “It’s fine, Jed. Whatever promise he’s going to drag from me, is what I would do anyway.”

Zac steps forward. “Pandora, do you promise to do everything possible to save Archan’s life?”

The hair on my arms rises in warning at the use of my real name. I nod. “Yes.”

He shoves his hand out. I stare at it a moment. “But I want you to swear something in return.” His hand drops to his side and he scowls.

“What?”

“I want you to protect my family and everyone I love, with your life.”

He shoves his hand back. “Done.”

Jed steps forward to intervene. I stretch my hand out and Zac grabs my forearm, I mimic the strange gesture. A blast of power lifts my hair and shoves everyone back a step. “What was that?” I ask Zac.

He drops my arm. “That was a binding oath. You fail in your duty and you will pay the price.”

“Which is?”

He smirks. “Your soul will belong to me.” I swallow. “And, Natia, I will make you suffer if you fail.”

“Aw, Zacy, if I fail, my soul won’t be on this Earth anymore because Ty will have stomped it out.”

“He won’t stomp out your soul, Natia. He will batter it into submission and use it to further his own power. Hope is a powerful thing, and your soul is made of pure hope. It contains the essence of what mankind needs to survive the suffering they are going through. Without it, they are doomed,” Emi says from her perch on the metal slab. She’s slipped a boot off to give herself an impromptu pedicure.

“Said like the true impassive voice of Justice,” mutters Zac.

She snaps her gaze to Zac. “You have something to say, War?”

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