Page 67 of Can you take it?

I nearly shouted with laughter. “That’s hilarious, hearing my name spoken with such glorious authority!”

‘Are you proud of me? she asked softly, almost childlike.’

Water collected at the corners of my eyes, and I had to blink it away. “Cal, you have no idea how proud I am of you.”

‘Were you worried I would destroy it, Seelie?’

“I’m not going to lie—I was a little worried. You’ve done some pretty violent things.”

‘I know,’ she said. ‘But everything’s different now. I’m so happy, Eli. It feels like I was meant to do this all along. I can hardly believe the things I get to work on in the lab. Mendax is the most amazing, shockingly kind husband you could imagine.’

“To you, I’m sure,” I teased.

‘I owe it all to you, she said. I’ll support whatever you decide with my sister. Though I can’t help but think, if she doesn’t want to go to Moirai, what harm could she do in Tartarus?’

I watched Anna as Cal said this. Her sweet, innocent face waited expectantly as if she were listening to a storyteller give the next line.

‘I think she’s more dangerous than you realize,’ I said, ‘but I don’t think that’s why I’m keeping the pendant from her—not anymore.’ I sighed.

‘What are you going to do? Are you willing to separate and leave her if you’re tied to her?’

“I can’t stay here, Cal,” I said, still staring at Anna. Anna looked down, understanding my meaning.

‘Yeah,’ Cal said.

“I just can’t stay here, Cal. It’s not for me,” I said, clearing my throat. There was an uncomfortable tension between Anna and me. “So, when’s the baby due?” I asked, needing something tangible to hold onto.

‘She’s due in two months,’ Cal said, and I felt absolute joy and gentleness pour through.

I cleared my throat again, struggling with the emotions. “You’re having a girl,” I said, getting choked up.

Anna slapped her hands over her mouth excitedly. It was foolish how we were acting, knowing neither of us would ever get to see her. We were dead.

“Do you have a name picked out?” I asked.

‘No, not yet. Mendax says none of the names are good enough.’

I snorted, imagining Mendax as a girl dad. “Do you think he’ll be gentle with her?” I asked, genuinely concerned.

Cal shrugged. ‘I don’t know if he’ll be gentle, but she’ll be protected. I know that much. You should see him, Eli. He hardly lets anyone near me—it’s funny, really.’

“It doesn’t sound funny. It sounds annoying.”

‘It would be, if I weren’t as stubborn as I am. You know I don’t let him push me around,’ she said with a giggle, and I had the sudden feeling Mendax was tickling her. It was amazing how gentle he could be with Cal, even if he couldn’t be that way with anyone else.

‘Where are you now?’ Cal asked.

“We’re in the fourth tier. Greed,” I said. “But, Cal, it looks like I might not be leaving for a while.”

‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

I struggled to explain. “Out of our group, we all have to agree on one person to continue, and we can’t choose ourselves.”

‘So who’s everyone voting for?’ Cal asked.

“I’m not sure, but it’s not me. And I think I’m okay with that,” I said, looking at Anna again. “I’ll get out of here eventually. It might not be so bad if I have to stay a little longer. Some of us might need to get out more than others,” I said, glancing at Bexley in the distance.

‘Ooh, this is so exciting!’ Cal said.’ It feels like I’m watching a soap opera in the human realm.’