The Goddess Inheritance
Page 72
An ugly screech echoed through the heavens. Calliope. Panic seized me, but before it had time to set in, Henry and Milo appeared. I threw my arms around them, nearly sobbing with relief. “You’re safe.”
“As are you.” Henry pressed his lips to my forehead, but our reunion didn’t last more than a few seconds. “I must go back.”
“You—what?”
Henry held Milo out for me, and I froze. The baby’s blue eyes were wide open, and he waved his little fists, watching me. Waiting for me to finally take him. I ached to hold him, but the moment I touched him, I knew I would never be able to leave him again. And we had a war to win.
“Go on,” said Henry quietly, and I shook my head, clasping my hands behind my back. “He needs you.”
“So do you,” I said thickly. Refusing my son was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I had to. “I’m not taking him, Henry.”
We held each other’s gaze, and I refused to back down. Whether or not he wanted to admit it, he knew how this was going to end. And we didn’t have time to argue. At last Henry sighed, and a cradle appeared between us. Without looking away from me, he gently set the baby inside, tucking his blanket around him.
Once Henry straightened, I snatched his hand, holding it with a crushing grip. “I’m going with you.”
Henry winced. The deafening clash of the battle raged below us, and every second he wasn’t there was another second we might lose. “Kate, I must.”
“If you go, I go.”
“I cannot risk you.”
“And I can’t risk you. We’re a team. We work together. From here on out, no one gets left behind, and no one does something stupid without consulting the other first.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “If you go back, Calliope will do everything in her power to kill you.”
“I know.” I squared my shoulders and summoned every last shred of bravery I had left. “I was born mortal. I always knew I was going to die, and I’m not afraid of it. But I am afraid of losing you. I am terrified of eternity without you.”
“And I you,” he said quietly. “Milo—”
“If something happens to me, then you’ll come back to take care of him,” I said firmly. “And if something happens to you, I’ll do the same. I promise. He won’t be alone.”
Henry hesitated, and the sounds of the battle grew louder. We didn’t have time for this.
“Henry, I love you. I’m not asking your permission. I’m asking you to tell me what I can do to help.”
He opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, I cut him off again.
“Besides staying here.”
He managed a faint smile at that. “We’re a team, you say?”
“A team.” I touched his cheek. “From now until the end. Whether that’s today or in a million years, we’re in this together.”
A long moment passed. His eyes locked on mine, and the air seemed to still around us. In his cradle, Milo made another soft sound, and Henry deflated. “There is one thing you could do to help.”
“Anything.”
He set his hand over mine, and I released my grip on his wrist before threading my fingers through his. “Did you see the way Cronus faltered when the girls attacked him?”
I shook my head. “I can’t tell what he’s doing in that fog.”
“He was distracted. Enough for us to edge in closer.” He squeezed my hand. “I need you to fetch the girls from the nursery and do everything you can to divert his attention to the roof. If you do that, we might have a chance.”
A smile spread across my face. “You didn’t send them back to the Underworld?”
“Of course not. It was a brilliant idea.” He bent down to brush his lips against mine. “Now let’s go win this war.”
I kissed him back. “Together.”
“Together.”
* * *
I arrived alone in the peacock-and-gold hallway outside the nursery. Henry presumably appeared on the roof, but even though I strained my ears, I didn’t hear any signs that the tide of battle had shifted.
“It’s about damn time,” said Persephone as I opened the nursery door. The other girls milled behind her.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We need to—”
“We know,” said Ingrid, tapping her temple. “Henry already filled us in.”
Right. “Then let’s go play chicken with a Titan.”
We raced to the roof, and I took the stairs two at a time, every bone in my body drawn to Henry as if we were magnets. As we burst through the doors, however, I skidded to a stop.
Ava and Calliope stood in the center, only inches apart. Ava glowed magenta, Calliope gold, and Cronus swirled behind them, a massive funnel of pure power. Henry wasn’t there.
Had he stayed in Olympus? No, I wasn’t that lucky. I glanced upward. The streaks of light were dimmer than before. The council was losing. But another appeared, brighter than the others, and the fog seemed to part to make way for it. Henry had joined the battle.
“Go!” I cried, and the girls hurtled forward, picking up their weapons as they reached them. They might not have been deadly, but wherever they connected with the fog, it shimmered, and a shower of sparks burst through the darkness.
“I will kill you.” Calliope’s voice seemed magnified, louder than thunder. “Once I’ve won, I will skin you alive and watch you bleed.”
“As are you.” Henry pressed his lips to my forehead, but our reunion didn’t last more than a few seconds. “I must go back.”
“You—what?”
Henry held Milo out for me, and I froze. The baby’s blue eyes were wide open, and he waved his little fists, watching me. Waiting for me to finally take him. I ached to hold him, but the moment I touched him, I knew I would never be able to leave him again. And we had a war to win.
“Go on,” said Henry quietly, and I shook my head, clasping my hands behind my back. “He needs you.”
“So do you,” I said thickly. Refusing my son was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I had to. “I’m not taking him, Henry.”
We held each other’s gaze, and I refused to back down. Whether or not he wanted to admit it, he knew how this was going to end. And we didn’t have time to argue. At last Henry sighed, and a cradle appeared between us. Without looking away from me, he gently set the baby inside, tucking his blanket around him.
Once Henry straightened, I snatched his hand, holding it with a crushing grip. “I’m going with you.”
Henry winced. The deafening clash of the battle raged below us, and every second he wasn’t there was another second we might lose. “Kate, I must.”
“If you go, I go.”
“I cannot risk you.”
“And I can’t risk you. We’re a team. We work together. From here on out, no one gets left behind, and no one does something stupid without consulting the other first.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “If you go back, Calliope will do everything in her power to kill you.”
“I know.” I squared my shoulders and summoned every last shred of bravery I had left. “I was born mortal. I always knew I was going to die, and I’m not afraid of it. But I am afraid of losing you. I am terrified of eternity without you.”
“And I you,” he said quietly. “Milo—”
“If something happens to me, then you’ll come back to take care of him,” I said firmly. “And if something happens to you, I’ll do the same. I promise. He won’t be alone.”
Henry hesitated, and the sounds of the battle grew louder. We didn’t have time for this.
“Henry, I love you. I’m not asking your permission. I’m asking you to tell me what I can do to help.”
He opened his mouth, but before he could say a word, I cut him off again.
“Besides staying here.”
He managed a faint smile at that. “We’re a team, you say?”
“A team.” I touched his cheek. “From now until the end. Whether that’s today or in a million years, we’re in this together.”
A long moment passed. His eyes locked on mine, and the air seemed to still around us. In his cradle, Milo made another soft sound, and Henry deflated. “There is one thing you could do to help.”
“Anything.”
He set his hand over mine, and I released my grip on his wrist before threading my fingers through his. “Did you see the way Cronus faltered when the girls attacked him?”
I shook my head. “I can’t tell what he’s doing in that fog.”
“He was distracted. Enough for us to edge in closer.” He squeezed my hand. “I need you to fetch the girls from the nursery and do everything you can to divert his attention to the roof. If you do that, we might have a chance.”
A smile spread across my face. “You didn’t send them back to the Underworld?”
“Of course not. It was a brilliant idea.” He bent down to brush his lips against mine. “Now let’s go win this war.”
I kissed him back. “Together.”
“Together.”
* * *
I arrived alone in the peacock-and-gold hallway outside the nursery. Henry presumably appeared on the roof, but even though I strained my ears, I didn’t hear any signs that the tide of battle had shifted.
“It’s about damn time,” said Persephone as I opened the nursery door. The other girls milled behind her.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We need to—”
“We know,” said Ingrid, tapping her temple. “Henry already filled us in.”
Right. “Then let’s go play chicken with a Titan.”
We raced to the roof, and I took the stairs two at a time, every bone in my body drawn to Henry as if we were magnets. As we burst through the doors, however, I skidded to a stop.
Ava and Calliope stood in the center, only inches apart. Ava glowed magenta, Calliope gold, and Cronus swirled behind them, a massive funnel of pure power. Henry wasn’t there.
Had he stayed in Olympus? No, I wasn’t that lucky. I glanced upward. The streaks of light were dimmer than before. The council was losing. But another appeared, brighter than the others, and the fog seemed to part to make way for it. Henry had joined the battle.
“Go!” I cried, and the girls hurtled forward, picking up their weapons as they reached them. They might not have been deadly, but wherever they connected with the fog, it shimmered, and a shower of sparks burst through the darkness.
“I will kill you.” Calliope’s voice seemed magnified, louder than thunder. “Once I’ve won, I will skin you alive and watch you bleed.”
