“I will deal with them personally,” said Walter, and with a wave of his hand, the scroll vanished. “We have already lost the alliance of most of the other gods. That is not news.”
“So what? You’re going to let all of those people die while you fight a war you know you can’t win?” I said, and Henry’s grip around my shoulders tightened. But I wasn’t his claim, and I wouldn’t let something like this go just because Walter decided the discussion was over. He wasn’t always right. My childhood was proof of that.
“No,” said Walter. “I intend on winning the war. Now if you will excuse us, Kate, we’ve got tomorrow’s attack to discuss. Given your closeness to Cronus, it would be best if you did not hear our plans.”
No one spoke up in my defense. Not Henry, not James, not even my mother. After several seconds, I swallowed the knot in my throat and twisted out of Henry’s grip. If they didn’t want me around, then fine, but I wasn’t going to twiddle my thumbs for the next decade while they got everyone killed.
I was halfway to the guest room when Henry caught up to me. He put his hand on my arm, and I shrugged it off, too furious to say anything. He’d promised that our relationship would be between equals. That I wouldn’t belong to him. That wasn’t how we worked, and how dare he insinuate I was his for any reason other than the fact that I wanted to be?
I stormed into my room and tried to slam the door, but he caught it. “Kate, please, will you listen to me?”
“Why should I?” I prowled from one end of the room to the other, glaring at him and silently daring him to come closer. He only moved forward enough to close the door behind him. “You won’t listen to me—why, because I’m young? Because I’m a girl? What is it, Henry? Why am I suddenly nothing more than your claim?”
He exhaled. “You know I do not think of you in that way—”
“Sure could have fooled me lately.”
“That is not fair. I am trying to keep my family intact, and the only way to do so is to speak a language my brother understands.”
“Oh, so he’s the misogynist?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “He has never understood partnership. Not in his marriage, not within the council, not even among his siblings. It is not fair, but he is the head of the council, and we must play this game his way.”
I collapsed on the bed. “Great. I spend my entire life wanting a family, and when I finally get one, it’s full of people who think I’m no better than dirt.”
Henry took a few cautious steps toward me, but stopped when I gave him a look. “I wish you would have told me about your deal with Cronus.”
“Up until two days ago, you were in a coma,” I pointed out.
“Yes, but you have had ample opportunity to do so since. And it seems to me as if the details of your arrangement were made much more recently.”
He watched me with his unwavering gaze, and I looked away.
“I am not angry with you, Kate,” he said gently. “I cannot imagine what you endured while they held you captive, and truthfully I would have done the same if our positions were reversed. But as you are my partner, I am yours. Regardless of the circumstances, it should have been a decision we made together.”
Tears sprung in my eyes. Not because I was mad at him, but because he was right. “I’m sorry. I was afraid you’d take off after him, and you’re still so weak—”
“I accept your apology,” said Henry. “And I ask that you accept mine, as well. I will not let you go, Kate, because I love you. Not because I believe you belong to me. Anyone who has been around you for five minutes knows better than to think that.”
“Apparently my own father doesn’t,” I mumbled, and Henry sighed.
“Yes, well. It’s easy to chalk this whole mess up to Walter. He is the one who never gave Calliope the respect and love she deserved, after all.”
“You’d think he would’ve learned from that.”
“You would think.” He sat down on the bed, and I didn’t move away. “I want to get our son back as badly as you do, but this is not the way.”
My eyes welled up again. When would I stop being on the verge of tears? When I finally held Milo? When Calliope was defeated? When Cronus was back in his own personal corner of hell? “I don’t know how to be me without him,” I said. “Everything I do, it’s like—it’s like this need is pulling me in one direction, and I can’t function without going toward it. And when I’m not, I’m empty. He needs me. He needs us, and we’re not doing anything to get him back. We’ve practically abandoned him.”
Henry lay down on his side so he was facing me. “Do you really believe that?” he said, sandwiching my hand in his. “I am certain Milo does not. You said so yourself that you believe he knows when you are there.”
I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. “I want him back, Henry. I want us to be a family.”
“We are a family.” He kissed my forehead, my cheek, and finally brushed his lips against mine. “We cannot pretend it has been easy, but we love each other unconditionally, and that is what matters. We will get him back. I swear it.”
My chin trembled. “How?”
“I do not know yet, but I will find a way. We will find a way together.”
I kissed him back, not caring if he could taste my tears. “How am I supposed to help you when everyone thinks I’m worthless and won’t teach me how to use my abilities?”
“I do not think you are worthless,” he said, his breath warm on my cheek. “Far from it, I assure you. I will teach you anything you desire.”
“Really?” I said, and he nodded.
“Really.”
I hugged him, burying my face in the crook of his neck, and let out a soft sob. That was all I allowed myself, though; one sob, and now it was time to get to work. Now it was time to prove I deserved my place on the council.
I only had to do one thing first. “Do you want to see him?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
I managed a watery smile. “Make sure Cronus can’t see you.”
“I will.”
Once again I sank into my vision, pulling Henry along with me, and this time no one interrupted us. Together we fought through the quicksand until the bedroom dissolved around us and we surfaced on the other side.
Milo lay in his crib, his eyes shut. It had to be well past midnight on the island. Cronus stood in the corner closest to the door, his arms crossed as if he was waiting for me, but I ignored him. I didn’t know how to tell him that Walter had turned him down. If he didn’t know already.