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My priority has to shift. I would have said that I need to do right by the souls of the Underworld, but a child changes everything. Will I be able to get past Galen’s return emotionally?
“If he comes back…” I let myself trail off, unsure what I want to say. I want to ask for assurances that Essos can’t make.
“If he comes back, you’ll never be alone with him. In fact, you may just never be alone again,” he tells me, trying to make light, to make me smile. I reward him with a small tilt of my lips.
It’s like the weight of the world is on me, and I might break under this decision. But that’s what being a leader means—it means having to do things that you personally might not like, might not be comfortable with, if it’s the right thing for your people.
“Would you be mad if I said maybe we should do it?” I watch his face. He doesn’t give anything away; it’s impassive, the way it is when we adjudicate cases. “I mean, I hate the idea of him being free, and you’re right, I might never sleep again, but Posey frozeallof us, including your father. Beating her is not something that we can do easily, and I don’t see why we should risk more lives when we don’t need to.”
Essos rubs his knuckles down my cheek. I lean into his caress, needing the confirmation of his touch, his presence. “Love, I won’t hold either decision against you, but maybe, let’s wait to make one?”
“Why?”
“Because now that Xavier knows, it means we’re going to have to discuss it with everyone else anyway.”
It’s a discussion I had hoped to avoid, but Essos is right. Even if I think bringing Galen back is the right thing to do, that doesn’t mean the others will agree.
It’s just one more battle I’ll need to fight.
CHAPTER13
Once I’ve had a chance to get my head screwed back on straight, we call everyone to the house. Telling them about Octavia’s offer is going to be one of the hardest things I ever do.
Cat and Zara are already in the library with Sybil and Estelle, pouring over all these new books to try to find an answer to restoring the veil and dealing with the Underworld. At least with Octavia’s revelation, we have a jumping-off point.
It’s so stupid and simple, I don’t know why we didn’t think of it earlier. No, that’s not fair, I know why. The gates—the entrance to the Underworld itself—are something I took for granted. Of course, they would be in the same position they’ve always been. Why would that change? If I wasn’t already maxed out on transporting today, I would have made Essos take us there so I could see them for myself, but I think even that would have been a step too far. Cat has bestowed her blessing so that nothing natural can harm the baby, but she’s still untried, and neither of us wants to take an unnecessary risk.
I’m not waiting for long before Essos strides in with his siblings and Finn and Dion. Kai sits and pulls Helene onto his lap, and everyone goes silent, waiting for us to break the news. Xavier goes straight to the whiskey tumbler and pours himself a healthy serving.
“We saw Octavia today, in Solarem,” I tell everyone. “She said she would help us.”
Xavier stays silent as I lead the conversation. He looks miserable, sipping his drink and casting furtive glances at Cat, who is studiously looking everywhere but at him. I don’t know if I owe his silence to Cat or to his desire to see how this is going to unfold.
“What does she want?” Helene asks, tone sharp. Mothers and daughters have a complicated relationship. I never expected theirs would be any different, but the open hostility is a surprise.
“What any mother and Goddess Supreme wants, I imagine. Peace on Earth and her children happy,” Finn wagers. We’re a small club, those of us who are not directly descended from the God and Goddess Supreme.
“Close,” Xavier mutters into his whiskey.
“No,” Helene says when she realizes just what her mother wants. She stands abruptly, but Kai pulls her right back onto his lap so he can hold her.
“Yes,” I confirm, digging my nails into Essos’s hand. He squeezes back with less strength to show he’s here; he gets it.
“You mistake me. That ‘no’ was not because I’m surprised. That ‘no’ is an abso-fucking-lutely not. We just got rid of that nightmare. You of all people should be glad you’re free of him. You never have to deal with his shit again. You never have to look over your shoulder and wonder if the big bad wolf is lurking in the shadows.”
“I am considering it,” I confess, my voice small. I thought I was ready to have this conversation, but I’m not coping with it well at all. I want to explode with rage and shower Octavia and Posey in the acid rain that would bring forth.
“Weare considering it,” Xavier corrects, looking to his twin.. “Even with a lead on where Posey is keeping the dagger, we don’t have it yet,” My eyebrows lift in surprise when he doesn’t out us for having had this offer on the table for longer than a few hours. “That bitch killed Dad, and he was probably our best shot at not having to do anything about her, but really—think about that. She killed our father, the man who created life. We’re immortals, and we should have been scared when Daphne died. I reasoned she was a minor goddess, so what killed her couldn’t touch us, but then the two-faced whore showered us with Dad’s blood and laughed about what we thought we knew. There is no going back, sister. We need every ally, and if that means bringing back Galen, then I think we have to do it.”
“I’ll consider it when you say her name,” Helene hisses, getting back to her feet.
Kai doesn’t pull her down him again. “Starfish…” he warns, reaching for his wife’s hand.
“Who? Octavia? No problem. Octavia.”
“No, Posey. Yourwife.The woman you fucked over so thoroughly that she killed our father just to screw you over. I want you to say her name, because it’s been weeks since it happened and I haven’t heard you say it. You know she’s not Bloody Mary; she’s not going to appear if you say it too many times.”
“Fuck you, Helene,” Xavier snarls.
