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I ed a faint sh place after place after place Soarden; others were full of pain and torture I all but ran through those, nore the screa a chorus of pain, and the more I heard, the more certain I beca I could never do this I could never sentence people to that kind of eternity, noas andered Ja the way once he was sure I wasn’t going to try to run and help the people we passed, and Ava hung on to h--dozens? A hundred? I couldn’t re felt as if the bone was breaking with every step I took, but f inally in thedown "I think it’s a good time to rest" He collected f irehile I sat down on a fallen tree and hid my face in my hands Ava sat beside me and rubbed my back

"I can’t do this," I whispered "I don’t knohy you thought I could, but I can’t"

"Can’t do what?" said Ava soothingly

"I can’t make those decisions," I said "I can’t--I can’t send anyone into that kind of eternity I don’t care what they did No one deserves that forever" Self ishly I wondered if giving in to Calliope was the easiest option At least then I wouldn’t have to rule the Underworld Oblivion was a price I illing to pay if iton my conscience

"You heard James," said Ava "It only happens if they think they deserve it"

"And what if they don’t? What if they think they do because soain?" She opened and closed her"I don’t know," she said "I guess that’s where you co

There’s no one keeping score Why can’t everyone be happy for eternity, and no one has to suffer?"

"I don’t know," said Ava softly "I’ It isn’t James’s, either It’s Henry’s And maybe Persephone’s She could probably tell you"

"Great," Iheld hostage or want nothing to do with this any to want to do after we interrupt her is tellthis No wonder she gave up her immortality and ran"

"Don’t," said Jaht "Persephone went through hell

She deserves a little happiness"

There was that word again I didn’t care what Persephone deserved I cared about what she’d done and why "That’s exactly why this ," I said "If she won’t help us, then what?"

"Persephone’s a better person than you think," said James

"Henry’s probably f illed your head with all sorts of stories about how he’s the victim, but they both were He was stuck with a wife he loved who didn’t love him back, and she was stuck with a husband she didn’t love and a job that eted The only other time I’d seen JaJaer and disapprovaland hide

"I don’t hate her," I said quietly "I hate that she was so to Henry that I’ll never be I hate that she could do this da ready to jump into a lake of f ire herself And Henry’s never said a word against her" With his mouth set in a thin line, James set down the pieces of wood he’d collected, and he started to build a small teepee that res back in Eden High School, before I’d known he was a god Before any of this had ever happened

"She and Henry had thousands of years together You’ve barely had one Give it tiain that Henry loves you," said Ava "You can choose to believe me or not, but I wouldn’t lie to you"

"I know you wouldn’t, and I believe you, but you two didn’t see how he acted around ether and how much he loved me, I kneould never love me as much as he loved Persephone

He couldn’t love two people thatthe wood Rubbing his hands together, he held theet warm

A moment later, the wood crackled, and the sticks burst into a cheerful f ire "He acts like that with all of us, but it doesn’t h I was supposed to be his wife His queen His partner "So I’ a husband who never touches me is f ine?"

"You’re the one who decided to do this," said Jaiveto act the way you expected It’s not his fault for being himself"