Page 59 of A Crown of Hopes and Sorrows

I shrugged. “I guess I’m a romantic.”

“On that note”—her eyebrows inched up—“did you talk with Valerian yesterday?”

Heat swelled over my cheeks, spreading across my nose, and I snagged a loose curl, tucking it behind my ear.

Temi laughed. “So, you did more than talk?”

“Temi.”

She clicked her tongue. “Don’t ‘Temi’ me.”

I smoothed out my dress, brushing sand off of it. “Maybe so.”

“I’m happy for you.”

I cleared my throat. The previous night rushing through my mind. “So, when do you meet your father?”

“Sappho sent an invitation for him to come to lunch. Apparently, gods don’t enjoy being summoned.”

“Oh. Would I be able to summon you?”

She scowled. “I just told you deities don’t like to be summoned.”

A crab scuttled across the sand in front of us, its shell wobbling with its movements. The sun had risen higher and splashed light and warmth around. I nudged her. “You’d make an exception for me, right?”

She narrowed her eyes, but then her lips parted into a smile. “Yeah, for you only.”

“What about Apollo?”

She clicked her tongue. “He’d better not summon me if he knows what’s good for him.” We both burst into a laugh, folding back against the other. We sat and watched as the sun smeared over the sky, dimming the light of the moon, the world shifting again.

Temi’s throat bobbed as she stared out across the sea again. “Epiphany…”

I frowned. Something in her voice worried me. “Yeah?”

“I don’t want you to come with me when I meet my father.”

I stilled. “It’s personal, of course.”

“It’s not that.”

Wind swept over my brow, cooling the sweat that had broken out there. “What is it, then?”

She turned to face me and grabbed my hand. “This is bigger than I realized it would be. I understand now Apollo’s hesitance to grow close to people. You’re mortal, Pip. And I already have one vengeful goddess after me. This is all becoming dangerous.”

“You encouraged Apollo to make connections.”

“I did.” She bowed her face. “But I see his reasoning more now.”

“You need friends through all of this, and I want to be here for you.”

“I want that too. Which is why I don’t want you taking part in this. Something happening to you because of me…” She gave her head a shake. “I couldn’t live with it.”

A hurt pierced through me. But this wasn’t about me; it was about Temi. Supporting her in a way that actually felt helpful was what mattered. And if me not being involved is what she needed, then so be it. “Okay,” I whispered.

“Have I upset you?”

“No. It’s fine.” I lied. But she shouldn’t have to worry about me on top of everything else going on.