Page 19 (1/2)

And f inally, f inally I saw Henry’s eyes crack open Unlike Calliope, he seemed to focus directly on me, but whether or not he could really see me, I couldn’t be sure He hadn’t seen ain, he’d been in the ht then, too

"It’s okay," I whispered as I tried to take his hand, but ht

I’ll hed inaudibly and closed his eyes, and so inside of me f lickered Had he hearda fraction of an inch above his skin At least this way I could pretend I was touching him

"Father," called Calliope from behind me, and I tore myself away from Henry to watch her "Are you prepared to subdue the others?"

A low rue I could understand, and the sround skidded a few inches away fro froht I’d woken thein the universe Myslipped between the bars and lashed toward her Calliope fell backward, and it narrowlyto do with her ability to defend herself

"Stop!" she cried, panicked, and satisfaction surged throughcontinued, and Calliope scraone "You do," she said, and the uncertainty in her voice was glorious "No one else is trying to free you, and without me, you’ll be trapped for the rest of eternity by that stupid gate So you can either do things ht where you are It doesn’t matter to me"

Of course it mattered to her, and Cronus s sounded suspiciously like laughter Another tendril of fog crept toward Calliope until it was only inches away froround as Cronus caressed her cheek

As quickly as he’d appeared, the fog vanished Calliope paled, and for a moment I almost felt bad for her Then I remembered Henry and his brothers tied up in a cave a few feet away, and any drop of syue againstback into reality The rocks melted away, replaced by the red walls of the bedroom, and my stomach turned inside out as the full i offoff the bed I landed with a thud on my hands and knees, and every inch of o trotted after me, his ears alert, and every step felt like knives as I ran out the door, nearly tripping on the hem of my silver dress

I was halfway to the throne room when I rounded a corner and smacked into her, and for the second tiround

"Kate?" Myas if she wasn’t sure it was safe to touch asped "Mom, Henry and the others--

Calliope, she has them, and Cronus--"