Chapter 2 - Thane

"I don't care what it costs, just get it done. He either dies or we do," I hissed down the line. "This whole thing has blown up in our faces. Make it go away. Now." I tapped the disconnect button of the earpiece before the other person could say anything else. "Idiots."

Running was supposed to be my escape. My time to myself. Sacrosanct. A pop in my jaw told me I was failing to find my zen. I pushed aside the troubling call. Focused on my breathing. I could control this part at least. I would control this.

Inhale.

Exhale.

My fists clenched and relaxed. Clenched and relaxed. I ached to tighten them around his neck. He was the one who'd done this. Forced us into this position. But he would soon realize, the Ladon Clan was not to be fucked with. I would handle it.

We would handle it.

A shrieking, lisping voice was the only warning I got. The next thing I know, I'm falling through the night air, my arms full of what felt like a woman.

At the last moment, I maneuvered us so we fell to the pavement instead of into oncoming traffic. I looked over my shoulder. There was nothing there but a high stone wall. Where had this thing come from?

Untangling myself, I scooted back on the cement and got to my feet. Looking down, I took stock of the woman who'd crashed into me. At least I'm pretty sure it was a woman.

Twigs and leaves crowned a head of long dark hair. Slim muscled legs poked out from a pair of shorts that looked made for a man—a much bigger man. They were tied around the slim waist with—I leaned forward, my head tipped to the side—braided vines?

The entire front of the dirty shirt was covered in a black gleaming substance my nose told me was blood. There was a ton of it decorating the fabric. The press of stiffened peaks told me no bra was under the crimson spattered material.

I reached down. Held out a hand. "You good?"

She skittered back without looking up. She didn't even move her hair out of her face. "Where am I?"

I felt my eyebrows wing up. "Triport." I dropped my hand. "Where did you come from?" I inspected the wall. Pushed against it. It was solid. I turned back to the woman.

She'd shifted her hair back. Other than the blood, she was beautiful. A wide face with cheekbones high enough to make a model jealous. Light-colored eyes dominated her face. They held my attention. Until I looked at her mouth.

"Eternal shit." I crouched down at her side. "What happened to your mouth?" I winced at the puffed, broken skin that more closely resembled hamburger instead of lips.

"Tree." She looked up, studied my face. "Are you with the Grove?"

I blinked a couple times. "The grove?" I shook my head. "No. I live at the Crest. Do you need to get back to the grove?"

Her eyes widened as she skittered back some more. "No! You can't sthend me back there. I won't go."

Her lisp was probably the cutest thing I'd ever heard. But the terror in her voice was something I couldn't ignore.

I held up my hands, shook my head. "Okay. Then you won't go back. Do you think you can stand? I could take you to a hospital." I pushed to my feet, lowered my hand back down to her.

"Are you a good persthon?" She ignored my hand and rose to her feet unassisted.

I blinked as she rose to her full height. Only a handful of inches shorter than my six-five, she was one of the tallest women I'd ever met. Images of her legs wrapped around my body slid through my mind in 4K UHD.

"Hello? Are you?" She waved her hand in front of my face.

Get your mind out of the gutter, you jerk. I nodded. "Yes. I like to think I'm a good person. Where did you come from again?"

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, her face wearing a clear "oh no, you're stupid, aren't you" look.

I chuckled. "You came from the solid wall?"

She turned, looked over her shoulder. With a soft yip, she shot towards the stone barrier. As she pressed on it, her hand disappeared.

When she touched the wall, something inside me flared. No fucking way. "Do that again," I demanded. My voice was as hard as a sledgehammer.

She snarled at me over her shoulder. It probably had more going for it since she was covered in blood and had a half-mangled face. "Sthay pleasth." She plopped her hands on her hips as she took the slightest step back from the wall.

I ground my teeth together. "Please." I waved her on.

She nodded, a smile tried to form. She winced and stepped forward, no smile to be seen. She laid her hand on the wall again. As before, her hand disappeared inside it.

I moved up behind her. "I'm not going to touch or hurt you. I just need to check something."

She nodded and scooted away from my body.

I laid my hand next to hers and pushed. Solid wall. "Shit. Can you try over here?" I pointed to the section of wall I had tested.

She shrugged and moved her hand over—while it was still inside the stone.

"It's you, then," I said as I looked at her.

She shrugged, dropped her hand. "I won't go back. And sthincth it appearsth you can't make me, I guessth I'll be going. Thanksth."

She walked off.

Straight into traffic.