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I threwon for dear life Once again, it was Calliope, not Cronus That was her power--that hat Henry had been so scared of They’d worked together so Cronus could take me from him It was the only explanation

"I love you," I babbled, inhaling his scent He smelled of ash and blood "I love you so ht now You’re safe," he said, rubbing my back like Ava had od "Where’s Ava?" Another cool hand touched the back of my neck Mom

"Ava’s with Walter over there, sweetheart," she said, nodding toward a dark blur several ron Ava’s shoulders shook, and Walter e words I couldn’t hear "Nicholas was captured"

My head pounded, and it took everything I had not to be sick all over the marble f loor "Is everyone else…?"

"We’re alive," said another voice Jalanced up "Did the trap hold?"

"Yes It’s not perfect, but it’ll buy us so on?"

"Calliope escaped with Cronus," said Henry

James muttered a curse and sat down heavily beside o of Henry, but I did f ind Jaripped mine in return "What now?" he said to Henry

"We wait Are the others co?"

"Ella’s injured," said Ja to her Everyone else is all right"

I buried my face in Henry’s shoulder and took several shaky breaths to calm myself Cronus and Calliope were trapped Henry andwould be okay

Except the part where Ava may have just lost her husband

We waited for the others to arrive, and they did, one by one Some of them were bloodied, and others walked aithout a scratch Persephone returned on Dylan’s ar no worse for the wear But Ella--