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Pritkin was silent for a moment, but then he told me the truth.“I don’t know what to do any more than you do.”

It was a rare admission from someone who prided himself on always knowing everything.Who’d had stacks of magic books in his room almost as high as the ceiling and who had memorized plenty more.Who had lived, fought, and almost died in service of the good for longer than most people, and now...

Had we reached the end?

Because it sure felt like it.

“You’ll die if I have to leave you here,” I whispered, gripping the arms he’d crossed in front of me.“All of you—”

“Cassie, you can’t—”

“Don’t tell me what I can’t do!”I said furiously.“Don’t tell me not to figure that into the equation because it’sin, do you understand?You couldn’t leave me back in that damned warehouse, and I can’t leave you now, not likethis.”

I heard my voice break and shut up because I didn’t have anything useful to say anyway.And I guessed Pritkin didn’t, either, because he was silent, too.We just stood there, staring at the bustling, weirdly normal-looking crowd, which had somehow found equilibrium in the madness.

It was better than I was doing.

Especially after spotting the baby that a mother was carrying in a wrapper on her back.It was cute with a head full of nut-brown curls and a fist holding something I couldn’t see too well from here.But it was probably some kind of candy because the kid had a bright red circle around his mouth.

He looked like a miniature clown, but I wasn’t laughing.Because that kid might never be born if I went back, yet if I didn’t...what kind of life was this?And how long would he or his parents have it, because Pritkin’s incubus couldn’t hide them forever, no matter what he thought.

“No one should have this kind of power,” I said, watching the child get whatever it was stuck in his mother’s hair.

“And no one should have to make this kind of decision,” Pritkin said.“But you do.And it mustbeyours, not mine or anyone else’s, no matter what Jonas may think.”

“It shouldn’t be me.It shouldn’t be anyone!”

“Yet it has to be someone.And you are Pythia.”

And how shitty an excuse that was, to rewrite history to my liking!

I tilted my head back to look at him.“Did he send you up here to talk to me?”

“No.Mircea.Although I was coming anyway.”

“And what does our third think should happen?”

“He still wants to go after Rhea.”

“Why?Doesn’t he know what your other half found out?”

“Yes, he was there when the two of us...talked.”

I winced.I doubted much talking had been done, at least at normal decibel levels.“So why…”

“He says that, throughout all the time he’s known you, your instincts have been spot on.That’s why he trusted you with his family when he was incapacitated.It’s why he trusts you now.”He turned me around.“And so do I.Your first instinct on arrival was to get to your heir.If that’s still what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“I don’t want any of this,” I whispered.

“I know.”Our foreheads met.“And I would help you if I could.”

“Youcould—the other you,” I said bitterly.“What chance do we have otherwise?”

“From what my alter ego maintains, even if he wanted to help, it wouldn’t work.The gods can detect power, especially the kind you wield.It would bring everyone running if we showed up in force, particularly now, with the warning they’ve had.Did he tell you what’s happening in Vegas?”

“Enough.”I didn’t want to hear any more about the obstacles in our way.I didn’t want to hear any more about anything.“So, we go in powerless.Is that what you’re saying?”

“He says it’s the only way, but he also says…” Pritkin’s jaw tightened.“That it won’t matter.We might get further slipping in unobtrusively, but not far enough.”