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“Don’t treat me like I’m fragile.” Words flew from my mouth, coupled with fury, because I was tired of being coddled in cotton wool.
He raised his eyebrows at me. In my state, fragile was all I could be. But I wanted to know what was going on. I hated secrets and felt like there was something I was missing all the time.
“He was there,” Poseidon finally admitted. “When X nearly killed you.”
I waited for him to continue.
“He didn’t do anything.”
I should have expected it, but it still hit me square in the chest with a searing pain I’d felt before. Pure rejection and betrayal. It was the truth about a man I couldn’t help but love. And I hated myself for having those feelings for him when he didn’t reciprocate.
“I’m sorry, Elyse,” Ares said. “He’s not—”
“I don’t care,” I blurted before he could finish his sentence. Fury bubbled through me, churning within, starved for destruction. And I was hurt. The emotions turned jagged inside me, my heart in my mouth.
Poseidon hesitated before he nodded. “You’re going to get through this, Elyse. We’re not leaving your side, and we’ll show you how much you mean to us. You’re strong and will succeed.”
“So everyone keeps telling me that.” I hadn’t meant to snap at them, but I’d been drowning in an endless pain of emotions, and I’d had enough.
“You have everything you need within you,” he said, “and you need to do this.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. Everyone seemed to think I was the one who’d make a difference, who would save the world. But there was only so much one little human could do. Sometimes, I felt like they put too much trust in me, and I grew tired of the pressure, the expectation, and the ache of letting them down when I failed.
But whatever happened now, I had to do it without Hades in my mind, in my life, in my heart.
Because he was a two-faced son of a bitch, a traitor. And after everything X had done, Hades ought to be labeled a killer too. Because he could have chosen to be different, to be better. And he’d turned his back on the possibility.
Why was I still trying when he was so obviously unwilling to be a good guy? It was time to forget about Hades, to forget what I felt for him. Because not even love was enough to change someone who was inherently rotten at the core.
I closed my eyes again, and a warm tear slid out the corner of my eye. I turned my head so the pillow collected the tear and to hide it from Poseidon. He moved around the room and took my hand. A moment later, Ares took the other one. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know they were both there for me when I needed them, giving me all the love they had to offer.
If only Apollo were here, too. That would at least make this picture almost complete.
I wanted to open my eyes and say something more, but exhaustion hit me. I tried to fight it for only a moment before sleep dragged me under again.
