“—and to top it off, you nearly got Henry and your own son killed—”
“He’s the one who decided to go after her without backup—”
“You will both silence yourselves immediately,” said Henry, but it was too late. Dylan might as well have punched me in the stomach.
“I know,” I said in a strangled voice. “I know, all right? I’m trying to make things right. I don’t want seven billion people to die because of my stupidity. I don’t want to lose any one of you. And I’m trying—”
“Then maybe you should try a little less,” said Dylan, and two thrones down from him, Irene rose.
“That’s enough,” she said in a dangerously soft voice that mirrored her father’s. Our father’s. “There is no shame in exploring other avenues. One who jumps into combat purely for the thrill of the fight is a fool, particularly when he risks innocent lives while doing so.”
“Are you calling me a fool, daughter?” said Walter. Irene’s hand twitched at her side, but she didn’t back off. I could have kissed her.
“No, Father. I’m merely pointing out that you have options. We do not even know what Cronus wants or why he wants it. Surely he must have given Kate some kind of hint.”
Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward me once more. Great. I wiped my palms on my pants. “He wants a life,” I said, mustering up as much conviction as I could. They had to believe me. “He’s been stuck in the Underworld for so long that he just wants a chance to live again. He thinks you won’t let him.”
“No, we will not,” said Walter. Irene gave him a look and gestured for me to continue.
“He’s agreed to stop attacking us if you stop attacking him. He won’t hurt anyone else. And—and he’ll turn over Calliope, or at least he won’t stop you from taking her back.”
“In exchange for what?” said Dylan, and though Irene shushed him, he continued. “We let him go? Do you know what it took to contain him in the first place?”
I hesitated. “He won’t go back on his word. He knows the consequences if he does.”
“And what, pray tell, are the consequences for the most powerful being in the universe flexing his muscles?” said Dylan. “What could he possibly want more than total control over everything?”
Silence. My heart—my stupid, useless heart that cared too much about everything and everyone—hammered painfully, and my breathing grew ragged. I wasn’t mortal anymore, but at that moment, I felt more human than I ever had in my life. “He wants me.”
The seconds ticked by. Walter frowned deeply, and Irene looked confused. From behind me, I could sense Henry’s stare, but I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t.
At long last, Dylan snorted. “You? You’re nothing to him.”
I focused on James again, silently pleading with him to explain. He nodded and stood grimly.
“During our trek through the Underworld, Kate had an...encounter with Cronus,” said James carefully. Dylan whistled suggestively, but he stopped when he caught sight of Henry behind me. Whatever look he was giving Dylan, I was glad I couldn’t see it. “She spoke to him and stopped him from attacking us. Ava and I didn’t believe it at first, but he let us go through the Underworld unhindered after that.”
“The encounter in Henry’s palace,” said my mother, her splintered voice damn near breaking my heart. “Calliope left Ava untouched because of what she’d done to Nicholas. But we never did understand why Cronus did not harm Kate.”
Once again, everyone focused on me, waiting for me to speak. It was the silence behind me that was unbearable though, and I reached for Henry. All I touched was air.
After an eternal moment, however, his warm fingers found mine, and I let out a sigh of relief. He understood. I could do this. “When Milo was born and Calliope took him from me, Cronus was there,” I said. “I begged him to help, and he said—he said if I promised to be his queen, he would let me have Milo again. And he would protect him.”
Walter’s frown deepened, and a few seats down from him, Dylan rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you the little siren?”
I ignored him. “I agreed. I didn’t mean it,” I added quickly. “But I said yes because—”
“Because Milo’s your kid,” said James. “You don’t need to explain.”
I gave him a grateful look. Henry’s grip on my hand tightened, and I continued. “When I go see Milo, Cronus is always there. He took Henry’s form at first, and I thought— I didn’t realize who he was. I thought he was Henry. It was stupid, I know, but James told me who he really was. And I told him Rhea refused to help us.”
“Fantastic,” said Dylan. “While you were having your little affair, did you happen to tell him any other closely guarded secrets?”
“That’s enough, Dylan,” said my mother.
Dylan opened his mouth to retort, but before another fight broke out, I blurted, “He thinks Henry’s dead. He doesn’t know our real numbers, and he believes we have no choice but to agree to a truce. And we don’t,” I added. “Not unless we want to risk the entire world.”
“If we surrender and allow Cronus to be released, you do realize that he will want you?” said Walter, and I nodded. “Yet this is something you are willing to do?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I don’t like it, but if it’s the only way to stop this war, I’ll do it.” And Milo would be safe. That alone would be worth it.
James winced. “You really need to get over your martyr complex. One of these days it’s going to get you killed.”
Behind me, a pair of feet shuffled, and Henry let go of my hand as he stood. “Brother,” he said to Walter, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him. “If you allow Kate to do this, you will no longer have my cooperation. She is my queen. I have already completed her coronation, and I will not allow anyone, not even a Titan, to usurp my claim.”
His claim? Before I could say a word, Walter cut me off. “Very well. Then we will not accept Cronus’s truce.”
“And the list of traitors?” said Dylan, eyeing the scroll with an unsavory gleam in his eyes. What did he plan on doing, hunting down each and every one of them? Somehow that didn’t feel too far from the truth.