I turn to see Persephone, Selena amplified to her Olympian form.
I scowl. That she let these people—her friends—suffer still infuriates me. There’s obviously more Goddess in her than I thought, more of the deity and less of the person I believed I knew.
A loud boom accompanies Ares’s entrance. He always did like a show.
Everyone but Griffin and I looks stunned and confused by their sudden arrival. We pray to the Gods, we make offerings, but no one ever really expects them to answer, let alone appear. Added to that is the fact that Selena is so obviously more than my circus friends ever could have imagined she was. It must be hard to take in.
“You risked big,” I say in a careful monotone. She must know how furious I am.
“We all gained bigger,” Persephone answers, her tone just as flat.
And that’s the difference between my Olympian ancestors and me. My view is finite, and theirs is too vast for me to see.
“What did you say that night in the arena before the Agon Games?” I abruptly ask. “What were those words that knocked me down?”
Her bottomless blue eyes pulse with that otherworldly light I now know is the Goddess in her, not some magic I can try to define or comprehend. “Direct passage to Elysium for all of you, in the event of death.”
Shock widens my eyes. Only Hades’s cherished wife could manage that—an utter bypass of all the Underworld’s rules.
“But Carver,” I say. “The Styx.”
“Carver wasn’t dead yet. Cassandra is there,” she adds.
My chest clenches painfully. “And Kato?”
“Kato is also where he needs to be.”
Her even expression reveals nothing, nor does her level voice, but that answer is off-target and frighteningly vague for my taste.
I’m about to tell her so when Ares strides toward me, turning into Thanos as he moves. Even muted to human proportions, he’s still larger than life. He’s always been a God to me.
My childhood protector and teacher looks at me, not smiling, but his approval is there for all to see. “I’m proud of you, little monster.”
My heart does an unruly flip. “Is that why you never killed her for me? You knew she would kill herself?”
He shakes his head, his wide-set eyes full of love and lessons and a shared past that marks us both. “I never killed her because I hoped you could save her. Her last seconds were the best of her life.”
An unexpected sob tries to break free from me, and I clamp down on it hard. Mother and I had to reach the end of our tortured journey by ourselves, together, for both our sakes.
“I’ll bring them home,” Persephone says, meaning Aetos, Desma, Vasili, and Phaedra.
I nod. She’ll heal their wounds, and they’ll be fine. I’ll see them again soon.
Thanos suddenly grins at me, the change in his countenance surprising and abrupt. “And I’ll get the people of Fisa City to tear down this castle stone by stone until there’s nothing left.”
I nod again. I’d like to see this house that was never a home razed to the ground. Then something better can be built.
“And my brothers?” I ask.
He winks at me. “They’ll help.”
I nod again. It’s all I can seem to do. And then they’re gone—my friends home to Sinta with Persephone and my brothers somewhere with Ares, I presume.
Taking Griffin by the hand, I turn and go to Mother’s throne, averting my gaze from the body on the floor. In a special compartment on one side, carved right into the marble and hidden by a clever panel, I find what I’m looking for. A golden scepter with a large red ruby on top. A crown of Fisan pearls. The Origin’s own regalia. Now Griffin’s and mine.
I hand him the scepter. I’ll wear the crown. Little Bean kicks to remind me that she’s there, too, and I silently thank her. Her light and warmth bring me constant joy.
The crown on my head and the scepter in Griffin’s hand, we walk toward the high balcony that overlooks Fisa City, our people, and our army.
Coolness hits my cheeks, and I welcome the vivifying jolt, opening myself up to the bite of magic on the brisk northern wind. A huge crowd has formed, despite the chill of the season and the sharp hint of first frost in the air. By morning, ice crystals will have laid down their delicate pattern on the ground, and the rainy season will start giving way to winter—and then to a new year. A new year for a new Thalyria.
I’ve never seen so many people so silent, all waiting for me to speak. And when I do, it’s with Griffin beside me and in a voice that doesn’t waver.
“Your lost princess has returned. Alpha Fisa is dead.” I wait for the noise to settle down before speaking again. “I am Catalia Thalyria. The seat of our new kingdom is in Tarva City, as was the Origin’s. We are no longer a divided land. Thalyria is reborn as the unified and peaceful kingdom it once was.”
The noise grows deafening. Griffin squeezes my hand. Finally, I can speak once more.
“You have a good and generous King, Griffin Thalyria. Between us, we are your sword and your shield. We will fight for you and protect you. Bow to us today.”
And they do, because that’s our right.
“And we bow to you in return.”
And we do, our humility a new promise for a better world.
And then in front of thousands of hopeful, happy people, Griffin and I turn to each other and kiss. We’ll rule together. Our children will follow us. It’s a day to rejoice. It’s over. And in a way, Mother and I even made our peace.
To cheers and elated shouting and trusting that Ares will settle things here for the time being like he said, Griffin and I turn back to the throne room. We’ll find Beta Team, Ianthe, and all our friends, and then we’ll celebrate before returning to Tarva City together.
As King and Queen we walk, but my wings long to unfurl, and I feel like I could soar. My heart feels light and bright and a million times too big for my chest. I’ll count its every beat until Griffin and I are back with the family I’ve always wanted, and in the home I can finally have.
For more Amanda Bouchet
check out her brand new series!
Click here to order!
Now for a sneak peek at Amanda Bouchet’s stellar new series!
CHAPTER 1
I sat back in my captain’s chair and breathed, slow and deep, letting my body adjust to traveling at a normal speed again. It was risky to come here, but maybe we’d finally get a break. We needed one. So did the ship.
Beyond the bridge’s windows, stars winked back at me from the endless Dark. The view didn’t look much different from anywhere else we’d been to in the galaxy lately, but no one in their right mind would be here. I was counting on it.
It never ceased to amaze me how vast space was—and yet not a single corner of it was free. No technology existed that could get us beyond the Overseer’s reach.
A red light sputtered to life on my console, and I shot forward in my chair and stared. Communication open/outside channel blinked back at me on repeat.