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Her lower lip treainstto earn a spot on the council, to prove I orthy of ruling over the Underworld with Henry Yet they were allowed to hurt as ot their way I was sick of it
"Please," she begged, her hands shaking as she stepped toward ht wouldn’t hold her, and she was forced to return to the center "Kate, I love you-- Calliope made me-- Please understand, I never wanted any of this--"
"There comes a point in your life when you have todown the easy path no matter where it takes you, everyone else be dahting!" she exploded "I’ this for Nicholas and Milo and Henry and all of you--don’t you get that? Do you think I wanted to walk away from my family like this? I have a son, too, Kate I knohat it’s like to love someone as much as you love Milo Do you think if I had any other choice--"
"Enough" Walter’s voice, low and anything but neutral now, echoed through the throne roohter, and now you must allow the council to--"
"Screw the council" Ava didn’t so much as look at her father, and if she’d been more than an illusion, I had no doubt the room would have crackled with power As it was, no one dared to speak Even Walter looked as if she’d slapped him across the face
"I want you to listen toI have done, every word, every look, every betrayal, has been to help our fa like a saint So you hate ht have an easier tiht not die"
"If that’s your excuse, then how do you justify dragging Milo into it?" I snapped
"He was never supposed to be part of it He was never supposed to exist"
"But he does He’s here, and now Calliope has Henry, too All because of you"
The council reht They all knew exactly what he’d planned to do, and none of them had stopped him
Ava took a deep breath "I’m sorry," she said in a e from seconds before that it took ly surfaced inside ht "None of this should’ve happened No matter what stupid mistakes I’ve madeI’ you I never wanted to, but like I said, I didn’t have a choice--"
"Ava" Walter’s voice reverberated through the throne rooh, Daddy It’s my turn to talk now," she said with inhu I love you all, and I did what I thought I had to do But Henry’s here to protect the baby now, and I can’t do anything more to help Nicholas"
Around the circle, several council lanced at Nicholas’s e it er to hiive Calliope the chance to use hio, and the only way I can help save hi to escape the island on the winter solstice, and given what he’s shown himself to be capable of, I believe him I want to help"
In that moment, she didn’t sound like the Ava I knew--the selfish, sioddess of love who couldn’t prioritize what others needed before what she wanted She sounded old Haunted Like the other me that they let their masks slip It was one more reminder of who and what they were--ancient Powerful Wiser than I could ever ihted and close-minded, as well Cut off froled to defend Stubborn and as passionate about protecting their own interests as they were about doing their jobs
That was Ava Stubborn and passionate, and now lost to hter," said Walter, but he didn’t sound very sorry at all "We cannot pretend to know Calliope’s intentions, and we must act cautiously It is possible that Nicholas remains alive only because Calliope believes he is the key to controlling you If you abandon her, there is no telling what she ht do to him"
A murmur rose from the other members of the council, but no one objected I didn’t blaht
"You will reiven further instructions," said Walter "You will carry on as nore or acts of ill will toward her She must believe that your intentions are pure"
"But you haven’t even discussed it!" cried Ava, and Walter raised his hand, cutting her off
"There is no need Two of our own are now at the mercy of Calliope and Cronus, and we cannot upset the balance until we are ready for a fight We will heed Cronus’s deadline, though we already expected it Any further inforive it at risk of the prisoners"