Jasper slapped my shoulder. “I will make a few calls of my own,” he said, following Castor to the hallway.
“What now?” Rowena said, worry evident as she began chewing her bottom lip. Sloane grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. She gave my sister a tentative smile, alleviating her nerves.
I stood, pressing my lips to her temple as she had done for me. “We wait for Ballard to return and perform the tracking spellas soon as possible. We need to know where she is hiding. If we can ambush her before she can draw on any sympathizers…”
Rowena nodded, understanding my meaning. Though she loathed my mother for what she had done, my sister had not inherited the penchant for violence as I had. She was more like our father than she would ever know.
And the knowledge I was more like my mother soured my soul more than I could ever admit.
“I assume the dagger is in your possession?” I asked Elios.
“It is,” he said, picking up the journal. He offered no more information. I itched to ask him where it was, but knew better than to push. “If it is alright with you, I have my own errand to run before Ballard returns.”
“What is it?” I asked, slipping my hands into my pockets.
He smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. “It is time to rouse the gods.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Rouse the gods?” I asked, raising my brows.
Elios sighed, shifting on his feet. “I should have alerted them of the imminent danger when Castor brought Calia to me with the dagger. Even if we did not possess the information we do now, Leonora poses a greater threat than any of us realized.”
“Will they fight?” Rowena asked. I hated the hope in her eyes. Even more so when Elios shook his head.
“I cannot say. They do not concern themselves with the lives of mortals, but”—he paused, looking toward his daughter—“I am hoping they see reason. Should I fall and Leonora be granted my power, it would bring about catastrophic consequences.”
Calia reached out and grasped his hand. “I want to go with you,” she said.
I looked away from the two of them, forcing myself to stay grounded. I hated the idea of Calia leaving the manor or being out of sight for even a moment, but I held no sway over her decisions.
No matter how much I wished I did.
“It is not safe, sweet girl,” he said softly. “I do not have full use of my powers in this realm, and you would be much safer here?—”
“I don’t want to sit around and do nothing,” she said, pushing to her feet. “I want to do something, and I want to go with you. There is a whole world I’ve never known about, and if this is the only chance I have to experience it, then I want to take it.”
“Okay,” he acquiesced, tucking the journal under his arm. “We will leave shortly.” Elios glanced at me before stepping away, an apology already forming on his lips, but I shook my head once. Brielle followed him out, muttering something under her breath about not being left behind.
I could not take her desperation to accompany him as a slight toward me, even though I wanted nothing more than to lock her away behind every measure of defense available to me.
Sloane and Rowena followed him out, leaving Calia and I standing awkwardly on opposite sides of the table. For how short the distance was, it might as well have been an ocean. Nothing I could say would stop her; no measure of honesty would be enough to convince her to stay.
The moments shared in her bedroom seemed like years ago, not hours, and whatever progress we had made came to a screeching halt with the discovery of Corvina’s journal.
“Before you say anything,” she began, averting her gaze, “there’s nothing you can?—”
I chuckled, though not entirely full of humor. “I know, which is why I did not object when you first suggested leaving with Elios. You are, of course, free to make whatever decision you see fit.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Just like that?”
“Would you prefer I tell you no?” I asked, stepping around the desk. “That the thought of you walking out that door terrifies me?”
Calia tilted her head, looking up into my eyes. I felt a storm rising beneath my skin, the overwhelming need to lock her away and never let her out of my sight. “Of course not,” she said, crossing her arms. “I was just surprised. That’s all.”
I hummed, reaching out to wrap a thick strand of red hair around my finger. “And what if I could not help myself from doing something stupid?”
“You’re always stupid,” she breathed, swallowing thickly. Her gaze flitted between my eyes and mouth.
