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looked at her curiously and she wondered if he’d heard of her before. Her affirmative answer seemed to satisfy him in a sense, but the hardness of his eyes led her to believe it angered him, too.
    “What were you doing on the throne of the oracle?” His fingers slackened and it surprised her to see him lowering his hands to his sides. She glanced downward, planning her escape as she answered.
    “I came to the oracle seeking my own answer.”
    “How to kill off the sea serpent.” He nodded slightly.
    “Yes.” Her eyes traveled back to his, the intensity of his gaze burning a hole right through her. “I spoke to the oracle, but the priestess weakened and was unable to give me my answer. I climbed the chair to talk to the oracle myself.”
    “I see.” He took her horse by the reins, an obvious precaution so she wouldn’t try to leave again. His own horse wandered out from behind a rock, munching on grass. She could see his sword strapped against its side. “More likely you didn’t get the answer you wanted and thought to seek out another.”
    She jerked back, surprised he should be able to read her so easily. This man, most amazingly, maintained her interest.
    He tied the horse to a tree and in two strides stood directly in front of her. She backed up, feeling a tall, rocky wall directly behind her.
    “What did the oracle say?” His face came close again, too close for her own comfort. “How is it you are to stop this sea serpent? Do tell me.”
    She couldn’t tell him. Wouldn’t. She didn’t doubt for a moment if he knew the truth, he would see to it that she was chained to the sacrificial rock himself. Instead, she directed her attention to the former part of the oracle’s answer.
    “The oracle said that only a demi-god like Perseus could slay the sea serpent.”
    She had told the truth. Part of it, anyway. She could only hope he did not demand the rest of the answer.
    “And why would the oracle say that?”
    He reached out with one finger and rubbed it lightly against her cheek. Her eyes closed at the intimacy of his touch, her heart beating faster.
    “I . . . I don’t know. I suppose because it’s true.”
    He lifted her chin with two fingers, his thumb now stroking her cheek. She noticed him staring at her lips again and unconsciously she wet them with her tongue, just waiting.
    “Was there more to this prophetic answer?”
    His breath whispered past her wet lips and she felt a surge go through her. Just a little closer and his mouth would be covering hers. Her eyes closed in anticipation.
    “Yes!” she exclaimed, then realizing what she had done, opened her eyes wide. Her heart beat against her ribs and she felt her resolve caving in.
    “What is the rest of the answer? What other way is there to slay this horrible creature?”
    She planned on keeping quiet, but the pad of his thumb tracing her lips as light as a feather distracted her. She dropped her guard as her eyes closed again and she whispered her answer.
    “The oracle said the sea serpent could be stopped with a sacrifice.”
    She waited for his mouth to touch hers, but it didn’t. His thumb stopped and he withdrew his hand. Her eyes opened when she heard the chuckle in his throat.
    “And what kind of sacrifice did the oracle suggest, dear Princess?”
    Her hackles rose when she saw the mocking in his eyes. He had never planned on kissing her. He had only used his savvy tactics to seduce the answer from her. Suddenly, she felt very foolish.
    “If you want to know, then ask the oracle yourself!”
    She pushed past him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him.
    “That is exactly what I plan on doing. Now mount your horse, Princess, because you are coming with me.”

Four
     
     
    Perseus rode beside Andromeda, her horse’s reins gripped tightly in his hand. He couldn’t trust she wouldn’t try to escape him again. He would have ridden double in the saddle, but he couldn’t trust himself enough to be that close to