The Goddess Test Boxed Set: Goddess Interrupted\The Goddess Inheritance\The Goddess Legacy (62 page)

He waved dismissively, and she headed out of the nursery,
closing the door behind her. For a long moment, the only sound that filled the
room was Milo's whimpers.

At last Cronus focused on me. His face morphed into a copy of
Henry's once more, though he now wore a mask of false concern. “My dear, what is
wrong?”

Everything I'd planned to say was gone, but at least I didn't
have to pretend to cry. My eyes were red and puffy, and my cheeks flushed from
arguing with my mother. Watching Calliope with my son had renewed my frustrated
tears, and a lump formed in my throat. There was nothing fake about my
grief.

“You know I know who you really are,” I whispered. “Change back
to your normal face. Please.”

Cronus eyed me, and at last his appearance shifted until it was
his own again. “I thought you would prefer it this way.”

He knew damn well he was fooling me the entire time, but maybe
it wasn't just to trick me—maybe he thought it would bring me some comfort, as
well. Maybe that was his version of consoling me. I shook my head. “Henry's
dead. Rhea couldn't help him. And she won't—she won't help us either.”

“I am sorry,” said Cronus. He set a sleeping Milo down in the
crib and wrapped his arms around me. I held my breath, refusing to hug him back.
He could say he was sorry all he wanted, but we both knew he wasn't. He couldn't
be. He didn't have it in him. “I was certain Rhea would help him.”

“We—we were too late,” I said in a broken voice, allowing the
tears to flow. “By the time we got there...” It was so close to the truth that
it wasn't hard to imagine what it would have felt like to lose Henry completely.
If Rhea hadn't healed him, he would have been dead by now. I was sure of it.

We stood there in silence for several minutes. Cronus made the
usual gestures someone did when comforting a loved one; soothing words, a gentle
touch, promises that it would be all right as I wept into his shoulder. But I
wasn't crying about Henry's supposed death, and Cronus didn't really love me.
How had I ever believed he could possibly be Henry?

“What did Ava promise to do for Calliope?” I said once my sobs
had subsided. “Did she do something to make him die?”

Cronus shrugged and loosened his grip. “I am certain she did
not, though I could not begin to guess what her intentions are.”

He was lying, but there was nothing I could do to call him on
it. “Are you really loyal to Calliope?” I said in a small voice. “I thought you
wanted me.”

“I do,” he said. “I am loyal to no one but you. I tell her what
I must to keep her happy, but I live to see you smile.”

Bullshit. I hiccupped and pulled away from him, though he
didn't let me go completely. “Stop killing people. Please. No one else should
have to die because of a stupid family argument.”

Cronus paused. “I would like nothing more than to grant your
request, my darling, but surely you must know that is not possible. What do you
expect me to do? To retreat back to Tartarus without so much as a second
thought?”

“Of course not,” I mumbled, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.
Cronus produced a handkerchief out of nowhere, and only because refusing him
would do me no good, I took it. “Why does there need to be a war in the first
place? Why can't everyone coexist?”

“Because, my dear Kate, they will not stop until I have been
imprisoned once more, and I cannot allow that to happen.”

“What if they promised not to try to send you back into the
Underworld?”

“If it were that easy, we would have reached a solution eons
ago. Unfortunately it is not. Zeus will never agree.”

“He's a stubborn jackass,” I muttered, and Cronus chuckled.

“Right you are, my darling. Surely you understand that as long
as he rules the skies, I cannot stop.”

“But what if he and the rest of the council promised not to
attack?” I said. “If I could get Walter—Zeus to agree to leave you alone as long
as you didn't hurt anyone else?”

Cronus shrugged. “If you are capable of doing the impossible,
then perhaps I might consider a truce, though I certainly cannot speak for my
daughter.”

Without Cronus, Calliope was all but powerless against the
other members of the council. “Someone once told me that anything is possible if
you give it a chance,” I said softly. “If Zeus agrees, you'll back off and let
the council take Calliope?”

“Yes,” said Cronus, snaking his arms around my waist and gently
drawing me toward him again. “I have no use for her any longer. You are all I
need.”

My entire body went numb. Of course he still expected me to be
his queen. He thought Henry was dead.

I stared into the cradle. I'd never held Milo. I'd barely even
touched him, and now he would be doomed to a lifetime with Cronus as a father.
Then what would everything I was fighting for mean?

Nothing.

“Okay,” I whispered. “I'll come back to you as soon as you call
a truce and the others have Calliope in custody. But I want you to let my son
leave.”

“If he leaves, I cannot allow you to go with him.”

I nodded tightly. “I know.”

He studied me. “You do not want to be his mother?”

I wanted to be his mother more than anything in the world, but
if I let Cronus near him, I would be anything but. “I want my mother to raise
him in Olympus,” I said firmly. That way Milo would be with Henry, and I could
breathe easier knowing they would have each other.

“I see,” said Cronus. “You do not want me to be his
father.”

I balled my hands into fists. “You'll have me. You don't need
anything else.”

He brushed his knuckles against my cheek in what I was sure he
meant to be a loving caress. It sent shivers down my spine, but not the kind he
was aiming for. “I need you to be happy. It would give me such great pleasure to
show you the honesty and compassion you have shown me.”

“If you want to show me any of that honesty and compassion,
then you'll give me my son,” I said. “And you'll promise to stop killing all of
those people.”

“Have Zeus agree to a truce, and you have my word,” said Cronus
with a bow of his head, and he produced a scroll out of thin air and set it in
my hand. “A token of my intentions.”

I began to untie the black silk ribbon, but he placed his hand
over mine.

“It is a list of names of those who have turned traitor and
pledged their allegiance to Calliope. With your husband dead, it is only a
matter of time before I overthrow the council,” said Cronus. “If they wish to
survive, my forgiveness is their only hope. And for that, all I ask is you.”

I clutched the scroll, and even though it tore me to shreds, I
whispered, “Thank you.”

“No, my dear,” said Cronus, and the fog in his eyes swirled
malevolently. “Thank
you.
”

Chapter 9

Messenger

What was left of the council gathered in the throne
room of Olympus. It was well past midnight in Greece now, and after the battle
at sunset, several of the members looked like they hadn't slept in months. They
were there though, and that was the important part. Even Henry had gathered,
though he was silent and still looked the worse for wear.

“Well, Kate,” said Walter from his throne of glass, “we have
all gathered. What is so important that it could not possibly wait?”

I stood. James sat across from me, and I focused on him as my
nerves fluttered. Start simple. No need to tell them what I'd bargained until it
became necessary. I couldn't give them any reason to turn Cronus down.

“Cronus wants to call a truce,” I said, and a ripple of stunned
whispers spread throughout the council. Only James didn't move, his eyes locked
on mine. He knew the price.

“Absolutely not,” said Walter, his voice booming with thunder.
“We will not negotiate with a Titan.”

“Kate, what's going on?” said my mother quietly, but I didn't
waver. If I looked at her, if I saw the concern in her eyes, if I let the
confusion in her voice crack my determination, I had no idea what I would do.
And I couldn't take that chance.

“He's sent a list of gods who have sided with Calliope,” I
said, holding out the scroll to Walter, but he made no move to take it. “As a
token of his intentions.”

“I'm sure he did,” said Walter. “And as soon as he has our
complacency and his freedom, he will turn on us and once again attempt to
destroy the council. I will not allow it to happen.”

“He's going to destroy the council anyway,” I said. “We don't
have the power to fight him and win. You might be able to drag this war out
another ten years, but you'll lose eventually. Humanity will be destroyed, and
Cronus will kill us all. That's inevitable. So what's the harm in trying to
negotiate? He's willing to make a deal. Doesn't that mean something?”

“Not when you are asking us to negotiate with a Titan,” said
Walter. “Cronus does not settle. His endgame will always be our destruction, and
he will not stop until he has his way. I understand you are new to this, Kate,
but that is no excuse for such stubborn ignorance.”

“Walter,” said my mother sharply, “that's enough. Kate has a
point. Perhaps it would be wise of us to at least consider—”

“Father's right,” said Dylan, rising to his feet. The purple
circles under his eyes did nothing to hide the way they sparkled with
bone-chilling zeal. “There is no sense in attempting to bargain with Cronus. He
will see it only as a weakness, and we cannot allow him to believe we have any
holes in our armor that he could exploit for his own gain.”

The way he eyed me as he said it made my skin crawl. “And by
that, you mean me,” I said. “You think I'm a liability.”

“You've been no use to us so far,” said Dylan. “If anything,
you've only made things worse. Cronus didn't touch Athens until you left—”

“She distracted him for us and bought us more time,” snapped
James.

“—you seem to delight in distracting the council and insisting
we do things we know won't work—”

“She's the one who came up with the idea of searching the
Parthenon.”

“—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.

“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.”