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“At least my destruction is one of peace and rest. Unlike
yours.” Smiling, Mary pulled the scarab beetle pendant out of her
pocket and draped it over Arthur’s head. “Are you ready?”
He swallowed, then nodded.
He was.
twenty-five
T
he waves lapped at the rocks, nearly reaching
their feet where they had stopped. Thom couldn’t
go any farther on his leg, and Charles needed to rest as
well. Thom sat, heavy with the weight of failure.
“It’s over,” Charles said.
“Oh, Charles.” Thom hung his head. “I’m so sorry. If I’d been
faster, or cleverer, or —”
&nbs
p; He was rewarded with a small rock bouncing off his shoulder.
“Don’t be daft. I meant it in a good way. As good as can be, given
the circumstances. We’re free.”
“Not all of us,” Minnie whispered, standing apart from the
other three, her back to them and her toes in the water.
“That was his choice.” Cora took Thom’s hand in her own.
She radiated both sadness and peace, and Thom found her skin
infinitely comforting. “He could have come with us. But he chose
to keep his fate tied to them. And I’m very sorry for it.” She
squeezed Thom’s fingers. “What will you do now?”
“We aren’t going home, if that’s what you mean.” He couldn’t
think on his father without feeling sick to his stomach. Whatever the
Ladon Vitae had done, whatever horrible webs they had woven
around him, it didn’t matter. In the end, he hadn’t fought for his
sons. Thom would never go back to him. Neither he nor Charles
