The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #3)(61)
Author: Aimee Carter

Calliope growled, and immediately I saw the effect his words had on her. Her fists tightened, her jaw clenched, and her cheeks flushed. In her distraction, the dagger slipped from my chest. Eyeing the blade, I shifted slowly to the side, hoping against hope she wouldn’t notice.

“Being my son will only buy you so much lenience,” she said. “Is this how you want to spend it?”

“Lenience? Is that what you call what you did to him?” Ava shrugged off Nicholas’s arm and stormed toward Calliope. Without her, Nicholas sagged and collapsed against the wall, his legs shaking so badly that it was a wonder he could stand at all.

Calliope met her in the middle of the roof, nose to nose. “You’re in this as deep as I am. Forget what you did to Kate—you’ve been betraying the council from the beginning. You think they’ll be so willing to forgive you for that?” she said, a malicious glint in her eyes. “You’re dead either way.”

Ava smirked. “I’m here because Daddy asked me to come. He’s known everything this whole time. And as for why I helped you with Kate—” Her smile faded, and she glanced at me. “It’s because Daddy knew we couldn’t win the war without Henry. Even your own husband is against you.”

Calliope hissed, the golden aura around her nearly blinding now. “Do you think I care why you did it? It happened. It’s over. Because of you, I win. Henry loves me, not her. Not anymore.”

“That’s the best part,” said Ava. “Henry doesn’t love you, you fool. He never has. He’s been pretending the whole time.”

I inhaled sharply, and Calliope spun around to face him. “Is this true?” she demanded. Henry’s lips formed a thin line, and he gave Ava a reprimanding look. That was all the confirmation I needed.

Calliope hadn’t stolen him from me, after all. He was still my Henry.

Go. I pushed the thought as hard as I could in his direction. If you don’t now, she’s going to kill Milo. I’ll be okay.

He hesitated. Calliope was screaming at him, but her words became nothing but background noise as his voice surrounded me. You need to come with us.

I can’t.

Yes, you can. The moment I leave, Calliope is going to try to kill you. I will not leave until I know you are safe.

I glanced around the roof. Ava was still here. Nicholas still leaned helplessly against the wall, barely conscious and beaten within an inch of his life. I couldn’t leave them, but Henry was right—there was nothing keeping Calliope from killing me now, not with Cronus tied up in battle. Okay.

Henry exhaled. Meet me in the bedroom in Olympus.

I will.

A pause. Ava’s telling the truth.

The words wrapped around me, a salve against all of the pain Cronus and Calliope had caused me. Had caused us both. I know. We have to go.

You first.

I closed my eyes, and a second later, that familiar sensation ran through me. When I opened them, I stood in the sunset bedroom I’d shared with Henry, and I held my breath. He had to come. He wouldn’t break his promise like that, not with Milo’s safety at—

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.”