Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
STASIE
“I’m in trouble.” My breaths heaved and my legs buckled.
My knees hit the floor, and I placed my hands in front of me, trying to calm my nerves.
Thanatos dropped down onto the floor next to me.
He put his arms around my shoulders, drawing me in closer to him.
I slouched to the side and leaned into him.
He ran his large hand over the tangled strands of my hair. “What happened?”
He pulled me tighter to my chest and the tension left my muscles. “I was looking for an artifact that my boss wanted. We were in some kind of underground system of tunnels.”
I leaned back and peeked up at him.
A small creese formed between his brows. “Where were you?”
I swallowed. “Under the ruins in Corinth.”
His eyebrows shot up. “It’s very dangerous under there.”
“How do you know?” I sat back on my heels.
“I mean, how can it be safe?” He inched closer. “What happened?”
“There were traps, and water, and the roof began to cave in.” My heart raced and I closed my eyes. “I got separated from Jack, my boss. It took me hours to dig myself out.”
My fingernails were broken and caked in mud. I could feel my heartbeat in the tips of each one.
Thanatos took my hands in his, holding them gently. “And then what happened?”
I ran the back of my hand over my nose. “I don’t know. He might not have made it.”
Thanatos’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, Anastasia, I’m so sorry.”
“And now all I have are these, and I don’t even feel like they’re worth the price I think we just paid.” I reached into the largest pocket of my pants and pulled out the golden shackles.
“What the hell are you doing with those?” He shot to his feet and staggered back away from me.
“They’re just shackles from Ancient Greece.” I held them out in front of me toward him. They were so beautiful, but I couldn’t fathom why he would react that way to them, as if they were a poisonous snake about to strike.
Thanatos held his hand out, warding me off. “Why? Why would you get those?”
“My boss asked us to retrieve them.”
Thanatos took a step toward me, but his eyes never left the shackles. “Who the hell are you working for, Anastasia?”
“Her name is Phillis. She’s the CEO of Sisyphus Enterprises.” The shackles clanged in my hand and he glared at them.
“Sisyphus.” He hissed the name like a curse. “You cannot give them those shackles, Anastasia.”
“It’s my job.” I didn’t want to argue with him, but this was an extreme reaction. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Those things are the most dangerous weapon in the world, and you have them in your pocket.” He turned from me and started pacing back and forth. “They’ve been hidden for centuries . . . protected.”
“Hold up. What aren’t you telling me?”
He stopped his pacing to face me. “Those shackles can trap a god, and if that happens, then the world as we know it will descend into chaos.”
I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “Trap a god? That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not. It is the truth.” He threw his arms up. “You said you believed in the supernatural and mythology, so trust me when I tell you it is all true and those shackles are gonna give power to a woman who most certainly does not need any more of it.”
A sharp knock came from the door, and we both fell silent. “Stasie, it’s me. Let me in.”
Relief washed over me at the sound of his voice. I sagged with relief. “Jack!”
“Do not open that door!” Thanatos snapped.
I froze. “He is my friend.”
“If he’s telling you to get those shackles, he is no friend of yours,” he hissed to me.
“I’m letting him in.” I took a step toward the door.
The shackles jerked in my hand, and I glanced back toward Thanatos. His hand was wrapped around the chains. “If you insist on opening that door, then I insist on holding these.”
“Fine.” I dropped my hold on them and hurried to the door, opening it as quickly as I could.
Jack stood before me. He was just as filthy as I was. His clothing had dried into a crumpled mess, mud marred his face, and rips riddled his clothing. Agitation rolled off him. His movements were sharp and jerky. “Where are the shackles?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I made it out. You made it out.” He walked right by me and into the room. “I need the sha. . .” His words died off at the sight of Thanatos standing across from him.
“You mean these shackles?” Thanatos held them up, letting the chains dangle from his grip while the cuffs clinked together.
Jack stiffened. “You.”
“Me,” Thanatos growled, and the muscle in his jaw flexed.
I stepped around Jack to stand between the two of them. “Do you two know each other?”
“No,” Jack growled.
“Yes,” Thanatos snapped.
They both glared and I held my hands out. “Which is it? Yes or no?”
“We’ve never met.” Jack didn’t look away.
“Oh, we’ve met.” The muscle in Thanatos’s jaw flexed again as if he were grounding his teeth together. “You just don’t know it.”
“That’s cryptic as fuck.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “Give me the shackles.”
“You know I can’t do that.” Thanatos’s knuckles turned white as he gripped them even tighter.
“You’re only human now, or so it seems.” Jack wagged his eyebrows at him. “And I’m not afraid of you.”
Thanatos scoffed. “You should be dead. Don’t make me see to it now.”
“Hey, whoa.” I held my arms out. “What is going on here? How do you know each other?”
They both said nothing. They only glared.
Then Jack shoved me out of the way and dove for Thanatos.
They crashed together, smacking into the side table and knocking the lamp to the floor.
Thanatos tossed the shackles to me and my hand shot out and caught them.
They vibrated in my grip as Jack wailed blows to Thanatos’s midsection.
Thanatos gritted his lips and shoved Jack to the side.
His body flew off the ground, went sideways, and slammed into the wall.
My eyes widened. “What the hell?”
He was strong, too strong. How was it possible that he just threw Jack like a rag doll? He turned to face me. “We have to go.”
Before he could take a step toward me, Jack leapt on his back and wrapped his arm around his neck, choking him.
Thanatos backpedaled, slamming Jack’s back into the wall.
Once, twice, and a third time. Jack dropped his grip and fell to the ground.
Thanatos spun on his heels and grabbed Jack’s shirt.
He hauled his fist back and cracked it right across Jack’s jaw.
Jack’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body went limp.
He fell to the floor at Thanatos’s feet.
“Are you kidding me!?” I hurried past Thanatos to Jack’s side. Thanatos snagged the chains from my hand before I knelt next to Jack. I bent down low and pressed my fingers to his neck. “I think he’s okay.”
“Of course he’s okay.” Thanatos grabbed my bag and started throwing my clothing into it. “That guy is gonna live forever.”
“Just because he’s not dead does not mean that he’s not going to die from a blow to the head.”
“We don’t have time to argue this. We need to leave. Now.” He shoved the shackles into the bag, then threw it over his shoulder. “They know you’re here and they know I’m here.”
“Who’s they? What is happening?” Normally he was so calm, but now he was taking my hand and dragging me to the door.
“Anastasia, I will explain all of this, but we need to leave now.” He pointed to where Jack lay unconscious on the floor. “He is the first to come looking, but he will not be the last.”
“Just stop for a minute.” I held my hands out. “You’re scaring me. They are just shackles. Mythology isn’t real. They’re just stories. How can this be—”
“Do you trust me?” His pale eyes bore into mine and he held his breath.
Though it’d only been a few days, something deep in the pit of my soul connected to him, and I sucked in a deep, calming breath. “I trust you.”
He took my hand, and we headed for the door. “Then run!”