Page 26

She cut me off. “The gods were created for their positions and titles, not the other way around. The only reason I can take his title is because he chooses to give it to me, and he can only give it to me if my full powers rival that of a god’s, which they will.

He can easily handle everything on his own, but with me, he doesn’t have to.

It’s my turn to take care of him for a change. ”

Her words struck me in the chest like a harpoon.

“Hand the pendant to me now, and I’ll show you the door that opens,” she reasoned.

“What? Why would I do that? I’ll just go over and open it myself.”

“Because it only opens for me.” She shuffled closer until her thigh bumped into mine, sending a bit of warmth up my leg.

Spitefully and childishly, I moved to slide away from her but stopped when I felt the weight of her hand on my shoulder.

She slid it down the armor until she found my palm.

I told myself to pull my hand away, to snatch it back from her touch.

I didn’t want her touching me. My body responded instead by dropping my mouth open.

Her hand was so small and soft resting in mine.

My fingers twitched instinctively to close around it, but I stopped myself.

When was the last time I’d held someone’s hand like this? I couldn’t remember.

She turned her hand over and splayed her palm open. “Please,” she whispered, “let me have my powers back and I will take everyone back to Eromreven and send you on your way to the second tier with a guarantee that you will make it to the tenth one and pass through to the Elysian Fields.”

I knew she was baiting me. I knew it. I knew deep down her words meant nothing and were filled with empty promises.

I knew she probably didn’t even possess the ability to do any of the things she had mentioned—but I also knew how hard it had suddenly become not to pull this pendant off my neck and place it in her open palm.

The truth was, more than anything, I just wanted to be done with all of this.

The temptation to hand over the pendant was almost too much.

Especially when she sat so close and smelled so sweet and held my hand like she cared.

A moment passed before I reached up and felt the weight of the pendant in my free hand.

I knew she was lying and that if I handed it to her I would likely rot away in here for an eternity.

My fingers felt the markings on the pendant once again.

“What did you say on the field about seeing Cal again?” Even in the streak of abnormal selfishness, my stupid thoughts of Cal’s safety were at the forefront of my mind, and that realization saddened and angered me all at once.

“I don’t know, something about asking you to tell her I loved her if you ever got the chance,” she said apprehensively. “Do you want to hurt her? For taking the drop of your

Artemi powers and using it for so long?” I questioned softly.

Her hand lifted away from mine, and I hated that I missed it the second it was gone.

“Why would I want to hurt her? I gave her my powers voluntarily. She and my mother would take the little amount they could to help me. They did it so I could be free of pain for a few hours. Do you have any idea the toll it takes on a child, receiving that amount of power so young? If anything, I should apologize for her being stuck with my burden for so long, though from the sounds of it, she used them for her own purposes.”

That matched with what Cal had told me.

“Do you ever talk about anything other than my sister?” she snapped suddenly. “I think I’ve heard you mention her name at least ten times every conversation we’ve ever had. Are you still in love with her? Walter filled me in on some of the details.”

I cleared my throat. “No, I’m not in love with your sister, though I was for the better part of my childhood. She’s married to Mendax now, and I’m genuinely happy for them.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound rehearsed at all,” she said with a little bite to her tone.

Against my will, I let out a laugh. “Truly, I’m not in love with Calypso.

To be honest, I don’t even know why I still protect her the way that I do.

She doesn’t deserve it and she doesn’t need it.

She’s lied to me repeatedly, been responsible for the deaths of several of my family members, and pretty much used me as a pawn in her dark games of retribution.

After her and Mendax were a thing, I convinced myself I loved her as though she were a sister, but that’s not true either, not really.

I have a sister. I love her dearly, and though I would sacrifice myself and dismantle the world for Tarani, she would never have let me.

” My eyes burned at the thought of her. I never should have left her all alone in Seelie.

Yet again, my priorities to be the good guy had taken over, and I hadn’t been thinking about what I should have been.

“Doesn’t it seem odd to you that you base all of your deci- sions and actions on somebody you’re not in love with?” she asked.

She was right and I knew it. It was something that had been rolling around in my mind since arriving in Tartarus as well.

“It doesn’t sound like she appreciated you.” She returned her hand to mine, palm side up. “Do you ever wonder about all of the opportunities that you’ve missed out on making all of your moves for other people? People who are just using you? Do something for yourself for once.”

What was happening? Was I actually getting a pep talk from the princess of the Underworld right now?

This was a new low. This was lower than being caught in a crowd with my dick out, and that’s a really low low.

She did have a point, and as much as I hated to admit it, I did need to stop basing all of my actions, wants, and decisions on what would be best for others.

I wasn’t a dog, and if I didn’t want to be treated like one, then I needed to stop acting like one.

I moved my hand to unclasp the chain at the back of my neck. “You’re right. I just need to figure out what it actually is that I want. Man, I wish I could have realized all of this before I sacrificed my life for your sister’s.”

“Ugghhh. I can’t do this. My sister already fucked you up so bad,” she growled. “Dammit, you’re right. I made it all up. There isn’t a door that’s opening just for me, okay? Gods! ”

“Anna! Fucking dammit!” Eletha shouted from the other side of the room, where she had obviously been listening to our entire conversation.

I froze. I had been about to hand over the pendant. “I’m sorry!” she shouted back to Eletha.

I stood abruptly, needing more space from the devious, good-smelling, soft-handed woman.

Walter and the others, including a groggy Bexley, shuffled over to us.

“I told you she wouldn’t be able to do it,” Eletha said to Walter.

“Wait, you were in on it too?” I couldn’t believe it! Every one of them except the bum was going to betray me. My irritation fizzled out rather quickly. “It’s okay. I was going to leave you here with the girls and slip through to the next tier,” I admitted.

“I don’t even know what’s going on,” he grumbled. “Eletha and Anna found the doors, but they told me Anna was going to talk to you about us all working together to get out of here. I didn’t know she was scheming.” He sounded angry. “I don’t like being manipulated, Eletha.”

“Calm down,” she snapped back at him.

“No, you know what? What they said makes a lot of sense. Everything I’ve done since being in Tartarus has been with you in mind.

I’ve tried to be gentle and understanding with you and you’ve treated me like shit.

” He shuffled, bumping himself into me before standing at my side against the wall.

“I’m done, Eletha. We obviously no longer have what I remembered. ”

“Wait, I’m sorry, what?” she stammered. “It was harmless.

You should be happy that you were on our side.”

“I’m not on your side anymore,” he said in a low, steady voice that sent shivers over my skin.

“Walter, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tried to trick you,” she said in a quiet voice.

“I’m done.” His voice boomed through the room, echoing off the walls .

“Fine!” she snapped back.

Suddenly a creak sounded in the space that drew all of our attention to a tiny sliver of yellow light shining through a crack in the wall.

One of the doors had opened.

The small amount of light let me see everyone in the room’s features more clearly.

Walter’s face looked stern and lethal for the first time that I’d seen.

Eletha looked completely perplexed. I turned in time to see Anna watching me before she quickly looked away.

Liar. I wanted to stay as far away as possible from her.

I didn’t need any more women from that family using me.

“Hello? Who’s there?” Bexley made it to the door first, leaving only his dirt-covered hand on the handle in our view. “Who goes here?” he said louder as he took another step out the door and began to close it behind him.

“Don’t close the door!” we all shouted in unison as we rushed to grab the handle.

I grabbed the door to stop it from closing, and yanked it open, revealing a creepy, silent forest.

“Look,” Anna said, poking her head around my side. “There he is.”

Sure enough, Bexley’s silhouette was stumbling up the dirt path that led into the woods, where it grew darker than the room we had just been in. Even in my selfish mood, I wasn’t going to let the poor drunk stumble into something awful alone.

I turned my head and glanced at Walter with a soft nod. He pushed his way past Eletha and followed me through the door. With another conspiratorial look, I slammed the door shut while Walter looked for something to block it with.