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We couldn’t outrun a Titan

The fog thickened as it slowed and seeht I could see the outline of a face, but the heat radiating off the sand distorted my vision tooto sound sure of myself instead of scared out of my mind "And I knoho you are, so let’s cut to the chase You can’t kill me--or any of us"

That was a bold-faced lie, but at least he see I’d heard in h the desert, and I became keenly aware of the fact that ere in a vast cavern, not underneath an endless sky If I could have f lown, my hand would have eventually touched stone

"You need us" My words were so like Calliope’s that I nearly took the to kill us all for fun Calliope wanted ate But--

She didn’t kno

A surge of conf idence rushed through ate I do" Could Cronus tell the truth fro inched closer to , it surrounded er see the blue sky

I felt light-headed, but I willedhi pain, and I couldn’t take any o before we found Persephone I had to do this It was my only chance The council’s only chance

"If you letdeep inside et there, let the others go They can’t defeat you without Calliope anyway Once that’s done, I’ll open the gate, and you’ll be free"

Silence No ru whispered in h room to breathe

"If you kill me now, the only other person who can do it is Henry," I said,"He’d rather destroy himself than ever free you I know Calliope wantsyou I have what she wants, and since she can’t kill e for a promise she can’t keep She has no idea how to open it She can’t--she doesn’t rule the Underworld Once I’ods will subdue you again Let et to the cavern" I paused and sed hard "I’ encasedin a broken and bloody heap in that cave as Calliope laughed in her girly squeal Andto lose everything if this didn’t work

"I knohat it’s like to be alone," I whispered "Not for--for as long as you have, but I knohat it’s like to lose everything you love And the way the gods turned on you isn’t fair You were nothing but nice to the they could possibly dream of, and in return, they iht to be free"

It scared me how easily the words slipped out, as if I really believed them Maybe secretly part of me did Not that Cronus deserved freedoh, in a way I’d been so afraid of being alone that I’d given up half of the rest of my life on the chance that I wouldn’t have to be

"Let an to thin "Please I want to And maybe--maybe we can help each other"

The air turned bitter cold as all the warmth of the desert disappeared, and I shivered I’d barelytouched my bare skin, cold and silky and much more solid than I’d expected Like feathers, maybe, or snow

It didn’t hurt

Instead, like he’d done to Calliope, he caressed le touch, I felt power beyond i like the force that Henry and the others had used to chase Cronus away It was immeasurable, as if the entire universe was co At last I understood why they were all afraid of hione before I could open my eyes My mind reeled as I tried to coain beating down on me, my skin felt like ice I collapsed ontomy palms, but it didn’t matter

He’d spared me

James and Ava were by my side in an instant Sand f lew everywhere as Ava fell to her knees, and James hovered over ht one touch would rate into ash

"You’re alive?" said Ava ide eyes, as if she weren’t willing to believe it She took

"What happened?" said Ja in his voice I shakily leaned back on my knees, but I couldn’t look at him I couldn’t look at either of them I’d lied to Cronus and stolen any chance Ja out of there alive I had no idea how to open the gate, and when I admitted the truth--