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Anger flashed bright and white behind ht led "You hear that sound, Aristanae? Those are your friends, those are the children of Neho are about to pass by this cemetery and die at the hands of raybits and pieces, i Lurking atop to fros that looked as though Frankenstein himself had been at work Athena’s ar her hand from my chin--"are your family now Made, like your ancestor, of curses and power They would worship you as a queen, you know You belong with theain"

The parade lance over liressed slowly down the street beyond the iron fence Soon they would pass the ce, they were all in danger

I turned back to the goddess "Why not just kill me like all the others?"

"Because you are different from the others, and I’ve found a better use for you" Her face softened somewhat "You have the heart of a rebel, Ari I was once the saht battles I knew I couldn’t win siht But all those things, hope, innocence, opti, and what do you have left? You row up, realize your place, and what is best Swear fealty to e sense of confidence rose intoo hard to iven me all this time to decide, all this tihter bubbled into my throat "You’re really afraid of htened Her jaitched "I am the Goddess of War, little child I am afraid of no one, for I cannot die I am Death, for I murdered the Goddess of Death in her bed Best you remember that, for your friends are here"

The parade didn’t pass by the gate, but turned beneath it instead What the hell?

All ures spread out behind me and Violet The ripped ure in a cape strode forward and pushed up his ht breeze swept past ht riht

They’d co into the ceoddess’s angry eyes fixed on the revelers "This is none of your business, Nove yours the moment you turned on your creation and had Medusa ons have never been yours They were their own, free to choose Free to live," Michel said in a deep, confident voice, walking with Sebastian and the others to stand beside me

The hideous line of eted, ready to fight, to attack, to kill My skin crawled

"You would start a war over her?" Athena raged "She is of no use to you She is not mature She has no power"

"No," said Josephine "Not yet, but all we must do is protect her from you, and once her power coain"

Athena hissed loudly, her face shifting into death and then back again "Then war it shall be"

"Heed your actions carefully, goddess," Michel said "For we are evenly nored Michel and threw out her hands, tossing her head back and issuing a piercing supernatural war cry

My eardrurabbed my hand and jerked me and Violet away from the front line The Novee Athena and her minions Their speed was unnaturally fast Their capes and liht and screeched Red arced through theover o!"

We reached the back of the line near the gate "You can’t stay here"

"I have to! This is ht, Sebastian I can’t leave"

"You have to leave! They’re giving their lives to protect you!"

I hesitated Confusion settled on my shoulders "Why?"

He od-killer, Ari"

"What?"