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“It’s my sister’s. Thalia’s wonderful. Don’t be nervous.” He hesitantly put the key in the hole. “Although, I hope she’s well. She’s been locked away for a century. It… does things to your mind.”
“Speaking of being locked away, how did you escape without a key?”
“That is a story for another time.”
A portal to the prison realm opened in a swirling mist of black and blue. My fingers touched Raiden’s as my arm dangled next to his. His fingers flexed, and I moved away.
“Don’t.” He reached back. A muscle quivered in his jaw. I held his hand, and he squeezed mine back. Exhaling deeply, I focused on the portal. I wondered what she was like, the elusive Thalia, goddess of the dead.
A woman stepped out. Her pale skin shone silver under the pale light from the moon. Her gray-and-white eyes fixated on her brother. Strands of silver fell like silk over her shoulders, curling down to her hips. She tucked a lock of it behind her ear. Her thick, glossy lips stretched into a smile. “Brother.” She glanced down at our knotted hands, and I pulled away.
He rushed to her, sweeping her into a stronghold. His well-defined muscles curved visibly under his tight shirt.
She kissed his cheek. “If you’re here, then I’ll assume Freya is dead.”
He pulled her to arm’s length. “No. But she will be soon.”
“How did you get out?”
He glanced from her to me. “It’s a long story.”
“One you will tell me later.” She turned her otherworldly gaze to meet mine. “Who is this?”
“This is Elle.” His smile widened. “She helped to get you out of here.”
“Elle. Short for Eleanor, no doubt.” She tilted her head, the corner of her lip tugging up, the expression sweeping similarity to Raiden. She curled her arms around me. She was an entire foot taller than me, so my head landed at her shoulder.
I shuffled uncomfortably as the steel frame around her bust dug into me. The metal dipped downward between her cleavage. It reminded me of the armor the old king’s knights used to wear, before the monarchy fell. I’d seen them in museums, but hers was far more striking and sexier.
She pulled away and moved the see-through voile cape buttoned at her neck to around her shoulders, as if it could somehow keep her warm against the chill in the air. “Thank you, dear Eleanor.” She squeezed my hands in hers before moving back to face Raiden. “Where is Aziel?”
“We’re getting him out next.”
Cold seeped through the leather of my jacket. My fingers curled as the temperature dropped a few degrees. Raiden glanced down at me, then gave her a “come on” look.
She grinned, then swept her fingers through the air in a graceful, swirling motion. The chill in the air dissolved. “The dead follow me, brother. What do you want me to do?”
“Keep them at bay for now. Elle doesn’t like the cold.”
She nodded, her eyes narrowing in my direction. “Are you Raiden’s lover?”
The directness of her question stumbled my reply. “No, I mean, not really. Uh, like friends but not friends.”
She arched a thin eyebrow. I noticed a scar thinned the middle. “Friends but not friends?”
I looked from her to an amused Raiden. “You know what I mean.” I rubbed the back of my neck, awkwardly laughing. “It’s been, uh…”
“We’re friends, Thalia.”
I blew out a tense breath. “Yes. Exactly. Right. Good.”
He tried to contain his smirk. “Running out of words there?”
Thalia chuckled a beautiful, echoed laugh that reverberated through the forest around us. “Don’t tease the poor girl. Now, let us reunite with our brother before he tears down the world trying to escape. I’ve felt his rumbles.”
My eyes widened. The thunder we’d been experiencing, the unexplained mini-earthquakes, they were him?
“It’s been getting worse.” Raiden grinned as if the whole thing were humorous. I, for one, was nervous to meet the thunder and earthquake bringer.
