Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
Having experienced for himself the discovery of a loved one’s death, Leo understood how Ruth felt.
Shock.
Anguish.
Soul-crushing grief.
He tucked her to his chest as she trembled, stroking a hand down her back while whispering. “I’m sorry, Buttercup.”
“It’s not your fault,” she sniveled. “I knew he was dead. It’s just… just…”
“A part of you hoped he wasn’t so you could yell at him for leaving you.”
She gulped and leaned her head back. “How did you know?”
“Because I’ve had the same fantasy.”
She scrubbed at her wet face. “It’s stupid. I mean he was rarely around, and yet when he died, I felt so abandoned.”
“Would it help to know his last thought was of you?”
“What? How would you know that?” She sniffled.
He pointed at the message carved into the floor. I’m sorry, Ruth.
“Oh.” She sobbed anew, and Leo once more comforted her. Not for long. She shoved away and gave a tremulous laugh. “Look at me, a blubbering mess.”
“At least you’re not a raging drunk.”
“Don’t be so sure. I could use something stiff right about now.”
“I’ve got something stiff for you, Buttercup.” He winked, and she gaped at him. “Too soon?” he added.
“There is something seriously wrong with you,” she lamented, even as she smiled.
“Yeah. I’m aware. Good thing I’m banging a shrink.”
“Leo!”
“What? I am. And I have to say, I think we should try more oral therapy. I know I’m feeling like a new man since I licked my way to nirvana.”
She blushed. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I am. Also insatiable, where you’re concerned, so what do you say we figure out his next puzzle so we can get out of here?”
She took in a deep breath and nodded. “Where do we start?”
“Scorpio’s door was covered in zodiac marks and had to be pressed in the order of spring to winter equinox.”
“I don’t recognize those symbols,” she indicated, waving at the door.
“Me either, but it must have something to do with the Zodiac. I mean, they look kind of familiar.” He squinted at them as if they would suddenly become clear.
“This one looks like half a Libra symbol mixed with another one.” She indicated, pressing her finger to the carving.
“Here’s the other half of the scales.” The moment he touched it, the libra sign faded out of view, leaving only half a symbol behind.
She blinked. “Wait a second. Is this like a word jumble with your star tokens instead?”
“Might be. What’s left of yours?”
She lifted her finger and pursed her lips, trying to recall what the Zodiacs looked like. “I want to say Pisces?” She couldn’t help a questioning lilt.
Leo glanced around before finding the missing piece. As they both touched the mark, it also disappeared.
It didn’t take long after that to figure it out, although it became clear it took two of them to do it. None of the symbols were within reach of the match, so while she would press one down low, he’d be stretching high, poking its mirror.
Once the symbols disappeared, the door groaned before sliding open.
Ruth hesitated before entering. She glanced at her father and knelt, murmuring, “Bye, Dad.”
Leo envied her in that moment, for at least she’d found closure.
The next room reminded Leo of Scorpio’s debrief report. A massive, vaulted chamber whose walls glowed as soon as he touched them. A room seemingly empty until he glanced overhead.
“There’s the relic.” He pointed to the metallic orb.
“Is it me, or is that thing floating?” she remarked.
“It’s definitely not being held up by anything.”
“How do we get it down?”
“Remember what I said about Scorpio having to kiss his lady friend?”
She arched a brow. “I don’t see how smooching will lower it.”
“Me either, but I’m not about to argue a chance to kiss your lips.” He reeled her close and dipped his head to press his mouth to hers.
He could taste the skepticism in the hesitation before her lips softened and parted.
They kissed, long enough he was ready to lay her down on that floor and make her scream his name.
Only…
“Leo, it worked!” He opened his eyes to see her staring upward.
The orb lowered slowly, and when it got close enough, he grabbed it, the sphere a little less than football-sized and fitting easily in the palm of his hand.
“We did it,” she crowed, happiness shining in her eyes, which faded as she added, “Now how do we get out?”
In Antarctica, Scorpio claimed the ceiling caved in and they escaped through the resulting hole. The ceiling didn’t appear ready to crack.
“I don’t know,” Leo muttered, only to frown. “Do you hear that?”
The rumble started out faint but grew in tenor, and Ruth tucked close to him, seeking reassurance. “What’s happening?”
Before he could reply, the rear wall burst open, literally, as water pummeled its way through.
“Oh fuck,” he cursed as he held tight to Ruth and the relic. “Can you swim?”
“Yeah, but that won’t help once we run out of room.” Indeed, water already filled the chamber up to her waist and kept rising. In seconds, they were floating, the water continuing to gush in, bringing them closer and closer to the ceiling. He could only hope the builder of this ruin didn’t want the people who solved the puzzle to die.
“When we reach the top, take a deep breath and hold it,” he advised as the water kept pushing them upwards.
“How will that help? We’re going to drown.”
“Don’t be so sure. Get ready.”
“If we survive, you’re going to owe me more than a massage,” she replied, her voice shaking.
“I will give you the universe, Buttercup.” Because one thing became clear when they kissed and released the relic: They were bound by more than circumstance and attraction. The stars made it so he could meet his mate, the one person who could ground an astral warrior.
The roof fast approached. “Deep breath now.” The last thing he said before gulping air and holding it. The agitated water made it impossible to see as it submerged them. Only one thing mattered. Don’t let go of Ruth . He’d lose the orb before he released her.
As he’d hoped, the pressure proved too much for the ruin carved inside the meteor. It exploded the ceiling, the watery force pushing debris, along with Leo and Ruth, upward through a narrow shaft. They were expelled in a torrent that held them aloft for a moment before they splashed down, the gushing wave carrying them over the top of the rock face. At least it cushioned them from injury, the water carrying them like flotsam—toward the trees. The current made swimming impossible and forget trying to change their direction. With the fat trunk fast approaching, at the last second, Leo managed to turn his body, and he took the brunt of the impact.
They spun away as the tsunami from the ruin kept pushing them, filling the valley and rising, but as the depression turned into a lake, the violent current abated, making it easy to stay afloat and avoid hazards.
By the time the torrent subsided, the water had reached the height of the treetops. Leo hooked the arm holding the relic around a branch to anchor them. Ruth released him to grab hold as well and huffed, “That was way wilder than a ride at an amusement park.”
“Want to do it again?”
“No!”
He chuckled. “In good news, we made it out alive, and look what we’ve got.” He held the orb aloft.
“All that trouble for a metal ball?” she grumbled.
“I’m assuming it’s what’s inside that’s important.”
“So we can leave now?” she asked.
“Yeah. Although, I think we’ll need to get out of the water first. My tattoo isn’t activating. Probably too much meteor dust floating around.”
“Last one to solid ground has to be on the bottom,” she chirped as she moved away from him in a smooth breaststroke.
Bottom, eh? That put her riding on top. Oh, hell yeah.
He took his sweet time following, keeping her in sight while also making sure she remained in the lead.
When she reached shore and pulled herself from the water, she crowed, “I won.”
Debatable.
As he made his way around a floating branch that blocked his view, a male voice shouted, “On your knees. Hands on your head.”
Fucking hell.
As Leo reached the edge of the new lake, he saw Ruth kneeling with her fingers linked on her soaking-wet hair. She trembled. Blame the gun being held to her head. But that wasn’t the only reason Leo turned stiff and angry.
For the person standing a few feet behind the mercenary holding the weapon was none other than Kylie.
The wife he’d thought dead.