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CHAPTER TWO
GIFT
Henry appeared inches in front of me, his face twisted with such fury that I shrank back He was in the Underworld, surrounded by the sa, but the cavern wasn’t the same It was so vast I couldn’t make out the other side, and it was bare except for the ate that looked as if it were ainst a thick fog that seeped between the bars made of rock, his jaw set His brothers, Walter and Phillip, f lanked hieneral in this battle
"It won’t work," said a girly voice that made my insides turn to ice Behind Henry stood Calliope, her eyes bright with amusement "He’s already awake"
"Why?" said Henry, his voice strained with effort "Are you really so far gone that you believe this is the answer?" But whatever the question happened to be, I didn’t get the chance to f ind out Henry and his brothers vanished, and I opened my eyes and sucked in the cool, damp air of the cavern that held the palace Somehow I’d wound up on my hands and knees, and James knelt beside me, his brow knit as he rubbed my back
"Are you okay?" he said
"What happened?" Catching sight of two approaching f igures in the distance, I tensed It couldn’t be Henry and Calliope He would never let her anywhere near ," said James uncertainly "Did you hit your head?"
I didn’t answer, too busy scrutinizing the two silhouettes
James wasn’t worried, so it couldn’t be Calliope--but had he seen the cavern with the gate? Did he know she was out there, f ighting against Henry and his brothers?
Finally the two f igures cah s Jaed to take a few steps forward
Mythe cancer that had eventually killed herradiant I still hadn’t adjusted to the idea that she too was a goddess and had failed to hteen years, but at that rown inside of ," she said, e ed her tightly in return I’d missed her more than I could have possibly put into words, and as far as I was concerned, no one would ever talk ain
"What was that all about?" said a second voice Ava My best girlfriend and the reason I’d met Henry in the f irst place Another one who’d lied toa f it"
"It’s nothing that can’t be controlled with a little practice," said ot plenty of sun Did Greece treat you well?" She letand a squeal