“Hades,” he said, and I nodded.
“I can’t rule like that. I can’t make those decisions. I don’t have to know you to get what you’ve been through, and I just—I don’t understand why the council can’t see that.& C;t t have #8221;
He shrugged. “They see what they want to see. We all do.”
“That’s no excuse for cruelty.”
“They don’t consider it cruel.”
“Well, I do.”
Dead leaves crunched. I glanced up. Ella was moving toward us, bow in hand and a hulking dog following her. Normally I loved animals, but the damn thing was practically drooling over us, and I drew the line at animals who considered me lunch.
“What are you two whispering about?” she said, touching the dog’s jaw, and it whimpered as if it were injured. That must’ve been the one Lux had punched. I still didn’t approve of what he’d done, but at least it hadn’t gotten the chance to eat us alive.
Lux clammed up and glared at his hands. I considered silence as well, but there was still one tactic I hadn’t tried. Ella didn’t seem to have a metaphorical dog in this fight—she was doing it for Walter, not because she had any personal vendetta. Which meant there was still a chance. A small one, but I wasn’t about to give up, even if Lux already had.
“We’re talking about how Lux is going to lose Casey for good,” I said. “Surely you can imagine how that would feel.”
Ella’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. She’d nearly lost her own twin brother in Eden Manor, though her loss would have been temporary at worst given the fact that she and Theo were immortal. She’d never have to suffer through permanently losing him, even if his mortal form died. Lux wasn’t so lucky.
“Why are you doing this, Ella?” I stood, and my knees shook underneath me. I might’ve been impervious to bullets, but apparently not to nerves. “You know how much he’s hurting. What do you have to gain?”
More silence. She shifted so I could see her profile, and she stared straight ahead. I didn’t care if she was ignoring me—she could still hear me, and that was what mattered.
“You know how scared you were in Eden after Theo was injured? You almost lost him for, what, three months? Lux is going through that exact same thing, except he’ll never see Casey again. Not in three months, not in three millennia. Just imagine how you’d feel if the situation were reversed—if Theo had been born mortal, and when he died, you made a deal with Walter to share your immortality with him. But you didn’t find out until it was too late that Walter changed the terms on you, and you would never be together. What would you have done?”
More silence, but at least now she was staring at the ground. That was something.
“I bet you would’ve done the same thing—you love Theo so damn much that you would’ve broken into the Underworld and found him, and you would’ve done anything you could to keep him safe. Even if it meant defying Walter and being on the run for thousands of years. It would’ve been worth it, right? Not because you were sticking it to the council, but because you would’ve taken any risk as long as it meant you two got to be together, consequences be damned.”
Her lips parted as if she were about to say something, but instead she pressed them together and shook h Cr adiv>
“Ella?” called James. Sometime during our conversation, he’d wandered into the woods. He was back now though, with a leaf stuck behind his ear. I didn’t want to know.
Ella looked up. “What?”
“Hello to you too,” said James, eyebrow raised. “Walter wants to speak to us.”
“Then why doesn’t he come here and do it?”
“Because he doesn’t want a certain someone to overhear.”
Ella’s mouth formed a thin line, and she eyed Lux and me as if she were searching for any signs that this was a trick. My heart pounded. Of course it was a trick. It had to be—Walter would show himself if he really wanted to talk to Ella and James. And she had to know that, too.
They stared at each other as if they were having some sort of silent conversation, and after several seconds, Ella sighed. “Fine. Come, Cupcake.”
Ella followed James into the woods, and the slobbering dog trotted after them. I wrinkled my nose. Only Ella would name something with that many teeth Cupcake.
As soon as they disappeared, I flew to Lux’s side and started to unknot the glowing ropes. They held fast, and I swore.
“A little help here?” I muttered, and at last Lux came to life. He squirmed like he was trying to shimmy underneath his bonds, and when they began to saw into the trunk of the tree, my eyes widened.
“What the hell are you—”
“Can’t break the ropes,” he said. “Gotta go through the tree.”
“But you’re going to kill it!” I said. My mother would be furious.
“Shut up and watch,” he muttered, and I bristled. Fine. If he didn’t want my help, then I wouldn’t offer it.
After half a minute of sawing, however, the ropes were about a quarter of the way through the thick trunk, and at last Lux had enough room to slip from his restraints. “There,” he said, flexing his muscles. “That was the easy part.”
“If it was so easy, why couldn’t you have done it thirty minutes ago?”
He said nothing, and I sighed. Figured. Whether he was in a talkative mood or not, we had to get out of there before Ella and James returned from their powwow in the trees. Turning her back was one thing; doing nothing while we ran was another.
I grabbed his hand and led him in the opposite direction. “So how are we going to get down into the Underworld to get Casey?”
“We’re not,” he said. “I might have a shot if I lie low for a while, until they have bigger things to bother with. But this is where we’re parting.”
I scowled. “I’m the one who helped free you, and I don’t exactly C17;="0have anything important to do in the next six months. I want to help you. Please.”
“You’ve already done plenty.” He stopped in a small clearing and squinted up at the sky. The sun was directly overhead by now—it was impossible to tell which direction we were going by looking at it. “And six months won’t be enough. Six years, maybe, but until then—”
“Are you kidding? You can’t possibly let Casey stay down there for six years. Let me help. I promise I’ll find a way to get him to you sooner, and I’ll distract Henry and—”
“No need.” James’s voice cut through the trees, and I jumped, shifting so I stood between him and Lux. Whether or not he’d helped us escape, I hadn’t forgotten that it was his fault Casey and Lux had been caught in the first place.
“What are you talking about?” I said. “Where’s Ella?”
“About a hundred and fifty feet that way, trying to come up with a way to explain to Walter why she let Lux go.”
I frowned. “Well, great. Thank her for me next time you see her. What do you mean, there’s no need to distract Henry?”
“Exactly what I said,” said James. “Casey isn’t in the Underworld anymore.”
Beside me, Lux went rigid. “Where is he?”
Which was the million-dollar question, but there was another surfacing in my mind as well. “Wait, you mean Henry just—”
“No time to explain,” said James. “I’ll take care of Walter when he comes back. In the meantime, you’ll find Casey at the place where this whole mess started.”
I had no idea what James was talking about, but Lux nodded. “Thank you. Even if I should break your jaw for leading the others to us in the first place.”
James shrugged. “Rain check.” But something snuffled behind him, and Ella’s slobbering dog—Cupcake—stepped out from the other side of a cluster of trees.
My blood ran cold. Had she reneged already? “Er, James—” “Oh, right.” James patted Cupcake’s furry neck and focused on Lux. “Speaking of broken jaws, in exchange for letting you go, Ella wanted you and Casey to look after Cupcake while hers heals.”
Lux swore. “Why us??
??
“You are the one who punched her, aren’t you?” James shrugged. “I’d do it if I were you, man. You know what Ella’s like when she’s pissed off.”
Lux grumbled something unintelligible and stepped forward. “I swear, if you try to take a bite out of me again, next time I’ll aim for your neck.”
Cupcake whimpered, and I frowned. “Hey—play nice.”
James handed Lux a burlap sack stuffed to the brim with what looked like beef jerky. “Cupcake’s things. Ella said she’ll pick her up when she has the time.”
“Yeah, in another blood century,” muttered Lux, and Ja Cd Lp when shmes shrugged.
“Not much I can do about it. Kate, I’ll see you in a few. Take care of yourself, Lux.”
But Lux didn’t seem to be listening. He was already a good ten paces in front of me, and I gave James an apologetic look. “Lux, wait!”
I raced to catch up with him, and he slowed down, but only barely. “Bloody dog. We’ll never get rid of the damn thing now,” said Lux, moving through the woods without making a sound. “At least James isn’t all bad. No idea why he treats us so well.”
“Maybe because that’s the kind of person he is.” I crashed across the forest floor, having to run to keep up with his long strides. If Walter wanted to track us down, I was making it embarrassingly easy. Not that Cupcake’s loud footsteps were helping much either.
Lux scoffed. “They like to pretend they’re good people every now and then. Lets them keep their high opinions of themselves. But you’d do well to remember that the council does nothing unless they can reap the benefits.”
In the face of everything I’d witnessed that night and day, his bitterness was rubbing off on me, but I’d seen a much different picture of the gods during my time in Eden. They may not have done anything without having a reason, but they didn’t always need a direct reward. “They’re not as bad as you think they are.”
“And they’re not as good as you think they are either.” He slowed down enough to peer at me out of the corner of his eye, and I flushed underneath his gaze. “I like you, Kate Winters. You’re better than them, and you’ve got the guts to stand up to them, too. It’s been a long time since the council’s been infused with new blood, and if you stick to your guns, you might have a prayer of making them see past their own pointy little noses.”
“I’m not interested in changing them.” But as I said it, my insides twisted uncomfortably. If this was what my future held—facing the ghosts of the council’s decisions and seeing the lives their choices had destroyed, all for the sake of rules and pride—I wasn’t so sure I could do it.
“We’ll see about that.” Lux was silent for a long moment. “You’re not one of them. You don’t match, and because of that, one of two things is going to happen. You’re either going to let them taint you, or you’re going to fight like hell and get shat on until you don’t think you can take it anymore. But you can,” he added. “For all of us who have suffered because of them, just remember that you can.”
I grew quiet. This was my family he was talking about—the same people who had granted me more time with my mother, who had shown me kindness throughout the past six months, and who had allowed me to squeak by in my tests even though I’d nearly failed several times. Despite the myths I’d learned, it had never occurred to me that they were anything but benevolent. They were gods, after all. What did they have to lose by being kind?
But in the four days since I’d left, I’d seen enough to know that Lux was right. They weren’t perfect. They weren’t always kind. And sometimes they made mistakes. They were as human as the rest of us, even if they’d never taken a mortal breath in their lives. It would Ces.saksimply take some time for me to rearrange my thoughts to accept this new reality.
What would happen when we inevitably did butt heads? Them sticking to tradition, me only understanding the part of the story I saw in front of me—the part full of pain and suffering. I’d gotten lucky this time, manipulating Ella’s emotions to make her sympathize with Lux, to make her understand that what the council was putting them through was flat-out cruel. I was one person, and I couldn’t win every fight against the council.
But I could remember the victories, small as they might seem. Casey and Lux would have each other for a little while longer because of James and me, and that would have to be enough to get me through whatever losses I faced down the road. If Lux was right, they were inevitable.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, with Cupcake trudging behind us. Wherever we were going, Lux seemed to know exactly how to get there. Several miles out, thunder echoed in the cloudless sky, and he winced and increased his pace. I didn’t argue.
At last we reached the mouth of a cave, and while I didn’t see anything particularly special about it, Lux held his breath. Leaning into the darkness, he was careful not to step inside. “Casey?”
Nothing. I bit my lip. This couldn’t be a trap. Henry wouldn’t do that—to me, if not to Lux. And James definitely wouldn’t lie. Casey and Lux would be reunited, and it would all be okay.
But what if it wasn’t? What if I had Henry and the council pegged all wrong, and now I had to spend the rest of eternity knowing—
“Lux?” Casey’s voice was soft, but unmistakable. He stepped out of the darkness. “Took you long enough.”
Lux burst into the first real grin I’d seen from him. “Yeah, well, I stopped at a pub and had a few drinks. Figured you could wait.”
He didn’t step into the cave, but the moment Casey was within arm’s reach, he grabbed his brother and all but yanked him over the threshold. The pair of them tumbled to the sun-soaked ground, but neither brother complained.
“You’re in one piece? The rotten bastard didn’t hurt you?” said Lux, looking him up and down.
“I’m fine—worried about you is all.” Casey paused and eyed Cupcake, who was lurking in the shadows. “Er, Lux?”
“What? Oh—right.” Lux made a face. “My penance for socking her in the mouth. We have to keep an eye on her while she heals.” He stood and offered his hand to his twin. “What did Hades do with you anyway?”
Casey took it, and soon enough they were both on their feet. “Took me to the palace and stared, mostly. Looked like he was having a mental fit. I thought I was a goner for sure.”
They started back into the forest together, and I hesitated, not knowing if I should follow. But before I could decide, Lux stopped, and the pair of them turned around simultaneously. “Thank you, Kate Winters,” said Lux. “You’ll make a brilliant addition to the council.”
My cheeks warmed. “It was nothing.”
“Doing the right thing C rith="5%"is never nothing,” said Casey. “Nor is sympathizing with those less fortunate. Not everyone has that gift. And what you did, putting your own well-being on the line for us—”
“I think she gets it,” said Lux, nudging his brother in the ribs. Casey pretended to flinch, but Lux pulled his brother into a bear hug, and the pair of them continued into the forest with Cupcake rumbling behind them.
“Thanks,” I called. Apparently I wasn’t supposed to follow. “Sorry for the trouble, but it was good to meet you. Take care of yourselves, all right?”
“You too,” said Casey. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“Unless they’re on our arses again.” Lux smirked at me over his shoulder, and by the time I raised my hand in a wave goodbye, they were gone.
Henry
Henry stood in the cave, his form cloaked by darkness as Kate made herself comfortable at the base of a tree. Watching Casey walk away from him stung in a way he could not describe, but the way his heart swelled upon seeing Kate made it bearable.
He’d done the right thing. He could not always guarantee the twins their safety, and once his brother caught wind of his betrayal, things would be less than pleasant for a long while. But for now, it was worth it to see Kate happy once more.
The air beside him shifted, and a ghost of a smile tugged
at his lips. Speak of the devil.
“Brother,” said Walter quietly. It did not matter though; Henry had already ensured their voices would not carry into the world above. “It seems I have misjudged your devotion toward upholding your laws.”
“Some things are more important than pride,” said Henry. “Perhaps one day you will understand.”
He felt the burn of his brother’s withering stare, but he did not look away from Kate. He would not give his brother the satisfaction. “Very well. I will allow the twins more time together, but someday they will be brought to justice.”
“And when that day comes, Kate and I will decide what to do as rulers of the Underworld.”
“You are forgetting that while Castor is your charge, Pollux is mine, and I will not let him off so easily.”
Henry sighed. “No, I imagine you will not.” The trees rustled, and James stepped out from between them. Kate stood, giving him a hug in greeting, and Henry’s chest tightened. Some things he did not want to witness. “Until then, I am confident we have done the right thing.”
“So you say.”
Walter disappeared, and though part of Henry expected him to go after the twins once more, he instead reappeared a few feet away from Kate and James. Henry saw her tense even from a distance, but at least his brother’s appearance served one purpose: she let go of James.
“You are walking a thin line,” said Walter. “I will not be so forgiving of your insubordination in the future.”
Despite her fear, she squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. Henry cracked a smile. “I won’t apologize for any of it. You can’t ruin people’s lives like that just because you decide you’re bored and want to play games. It isn’t fair.”
“Life is not fair, and the sooner you realize it, the better.” Walter peered down his nose at her. “You can either be an asset to the council, or you can be a hindrance. It is up to you to decide which.”