AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I want to voice these insecurities to my husband. I want to hear him reassure me that we’re doing the right thing in the long run, but I’m not sure I believe that any longer.
One look at Essos, and I know that I’m not the one who needs reassuring. The crease in his brow is etched into his skin, and the frown lines around his mouth seem permanent.
Zara storms out of her house. “What the hell just happened?”
“That’s an excellent question,” Xavier says. It’s a testament to how shaken Cat is that when he draws her into his side with a firm arm, she doesn’t fight him. She holds on to him like he’s her lifeline in this storm.
“Perhaps it’s a question that we can answer back at Essos and Daphne’s home?” Dion suggests. He’s holding Finn’s arm, trying to stem the bleeding.
“No. I still haven’t seen my parents,” Cat tells Xavier, desperately looking up at him.
“You’re also not leaving without giving these people some sort of protection. You gods and how you play with mortals… you bring all this devastation, and you don’t care!” Zara shouts at us.
I look up and down the street. The mortals are still watching us from their homes. In hindsight, maybe we should have glamoured our appearance, but we weren’t prepared to face down Posey today. There’s no hope of going back under the radar.
“We will,” Kai promises. “Helene and I will stay behind and create a safer barrier, clean this up. Nothing and no one intending harm will be able to enter.” It sounds better than the blockade of cars on the roads with who knows what else around them.
“I’ll come back here to ensure it has the power of the King of Gods,” Xavier offers before turning to Dion. “Take Finn home. It would seem that Daphne and Essos have some research to do as to why the dead aren’t staying in the Underworld.”
“We know why,” I say softly, the memory of my conversation with Octavia coming forward. I had forgotten that my conversation didn’t only have to do with Galen. Shetoldme that the gates to the Underworld were closed. I just didn’t understand at the time what she meant, but now I do. Now I get it, and things are so much worse.
Essos grabs my hand. “We can discuss this later,” he murmurs just to me.
I should go with Essos, but I feel like I still need to be here with Cat and I still need to check on my own parents. “I’ll go with Cat, if it’s all the same,” I say, torn between my best friend and my husband.
“It’s not all the same, Daph.” Cat’s tone is harsh, but she softens her voice to deliver the blow. “You need to go home with Essos and fix this. I don’t mean to be a bitch about it, but honestly, look at the world. You wanted to come here and see all the things that are wrong in the mortal realm? This is it. People are being reanimated because something is keeping them out ofyourUnderworld.” Cat’s face is warm with sympathy even as she rightfully scolds me.
Essos pulls his hand from mine, drawing my attention to him. “We’ll come back for your parents another time. They’re all right. We need to figure this out.” Essos rubs my back, and I can feel what he’s not saying—he needs to find a solution because doing what he just did came at a great personal cost. One that he would pay again to keep our friends and families safe, but I don’t want him to be in that position ever again.
“I love you, but I have Xavier and Zara with me. Be the badass we both know you are and fix this.” Cat pulls me into a hug.
“I’ll stay with Cat,” Zara confirms.
“Fine,” I agree. I pull back and step into the safety of Essos’s arms.
“Everyone knows what they’re doing, right?” Xavier looks at each of us. “Dion and Finn are going back to the house. Helene and Kai are staying here to fortify the mortals’ boundary and wipe their memories. You shouldn’t need Rafferty, but if it is a problem, contact me. Daphne and Essos will figure out what’s wrong with the Underworld, and Cassius will escort Zara along with Cat and I to see Cat’s family. Unless you have a different location in mind, Zara?”
My heart swells with pride at Xavier for taking command. In fact, most of us have our eyebrows raised in surprise.
“I’ll stay with Cat,” Zara confirms, gripping Cat’s hand.
“Right. Then let’s stop wasting time and get our jobs done.”
CHAPTER8
Essos teleports us into a room in the Solarem library that we’ve been given access to for just this purpose. It’s private and alerts Gisella that we’ve arrived without other people seeing us.
I grab a trashcan and hurl.
“I’ll see if Gisella will make a one-time exception for food. I’m pretty sure you’ve thrown up all of breakfast at this point.” Essos holds my hair with one hand while the other rubs my back.
“I will not, but you’re welcome to eat inherewhile I gather your reading materials.”
At the gentle voice of Solarem’s premier librarian, I peer over my shoulder. She’s leaning against the doorframe, barring entrance to anyone who might consider investigating.
“Of course. Thank you, Gisella,” Essos says.
A glass of water and a glass of ginger fizz appear on the lone table in the windowless room.
