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My mouth and Persephone’s dropped open sime babysit?" said Persephone in an equally horrified voice

My , I know you want to help, but you will help thesafe so I do not have to worry about your well-being"

"But--" I started, and though she held up her hand, I kept going "Mo ht in a way that will be helpful to the rest of us," said my mother bluntly

"That’s not my fault," I said "You’re the one who promised to train me I could’ve learned"

"Not in less than two months We were all stretched to our liinal six You sie the course of battle fighting head-on like that" She touched reatest chance of success Re my nails into the palms of my hands "You can’t ht decision Milo needs a one When the ti to need him"

"So you want me to just hide my head in the sand until it’s over?" I said thickly "How can you say that? You’re the one who showed atheredin the face of insurmountable odds That’s what I need you to do Be the survivor I know you are"

I hiccupped into her shoulder, and htened around her sleeve "Please stay with me"

"If I could, I would There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here with the two of you"

Holding her arm out for Persephone, she waited, and finally"First time you come to see me in hundreds of years, and you want me to babysit," she muttered, andI’ll make sure to visit more often"

That wasn’t a promise she could keep if she were dead, and Persephone flinched right along with ether like this?

It couldn’t be I wouldn’t let it There had to be so

"I’ll promise to stay here with Persephone if you promise not to risk your life," I said It wasn’t much, but until I could come up with a solid plan, it would have to do

"Oh, Kate" My o at all I haven’t let Cronus get the best ofnow, that I swear to you Have a little faith"