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"Yeah?" I said, slowly sliding my whole hand inside It worked It really worked My heart pounded, and ers curled around the cold stone as the meadow around h, and then--

And then I would either come back or I wouldn’t, but at least I wouldn’t have to live knowing I hadn’t tried

"Could you come see me sometime?" she said "When you’re not busy, I mean Calliope was the only company I had, besides Henry, and he doesn’t come by that often, either"

Even if she hadn’t asked, I would’ve come "Of course

Didn’t you have family?"

She shook her head, and for a split second, her face cru tihtened, and this time her smile was forced "Anyway Now you have to live, else I’ll die of boredom down here, and you wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?"

I laughed weakly "Thank you for everything I’ll see you soon"

And without a second thought, without giving that voice in the back of my mind the chance to talk me out of it or say James and Ava kneas better for h the wall, and my world went black

CHAPTER TWELVE

CH A IN ED

This time when I opened my eyes and saw Cronus’s cavern, it wasn’t a vision

I froze as I took in the scene before me I’d half expected to see the bloodbath Calliope had promised, except instead of e out on Persephone

But Persephone stood in the center of the cavern, completely unscathed Her eyes were narrowed and her hands on her hips as she stood face-to-face with Calliope, and neither of them said a word Why wasn’t she torn to pieces, or at the very least bloodied and broken? And where were James and Ava?

The eldest ether in the mouth of the cave, and as far as I could tell, they were all unconscious I only counted f ive though, and I couldn’t see any signs of Ava’s telltale blond hair

Then I spotted Cronus The fog swirled around the bars of its cage, and instead of going after Persephone, ita pool at the top