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“You’re hurt, Tycho. Of course you’re not going in there alone. Why—?”
“He’s right.”
All eyes turned on Alex. He looked back at our outrage calmly. “We have a daughter of Apollo in our party. To not use her prophetic visions to our advantage is stupider than stupid. We’re soldiers,” he barked. “Warriors in the Deucalion Army, and we fight with strength and think with strategy. Not sentiment.”
I gaped at him. “Alex!”
He flicked to me, and his gaze softened. My chest squeezed when he cupped my cheek like I did his. “That’s why... I have to go first.”
“No.”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” he pressed. “Tycho is hurt, and you’re all battle-weary. I’ll go in but I won’t go alone.” He flicked over my shoulder. “Theron will come with me.”
“Again,” I snapped. “No.”
“Aella.” Theron shook his head. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“Are you serious? You just told Tycho splitting up was never going to happen.”
“Yeah, but then Damien reminded me that we’re here to save an innocent woman and prevent whatever catastrophe will be released if that goddess gets out. We’re here to save all of Olympia. Possibly the world. We’re not here to save ourselves.”
One after the other, Ionna, Tycho, Daciana, and Nitsa nodded.
My eyes narrowed on him. “I agree with that. You know I do, but we’ve gotten this far because we’re stronger together. No one in this group is a sacrificial lamb.No oneis expendable. That’swhat makes us different from the shitshow up there in Olympia. That’s what makes us win when everyone else who’s entered this hell has failed.
“Gods curse me if I go back on that now. Together, or not at all. That’s the soldier I want to be— No. That’s the person I want to be.”
Nitsa rocked back on her heels, cheeks reddening. “Damn. She gives a good speech too.”
Alex turned on the others. “What say you all? I’ll do whatever you decide.”
“Together,” I stated.
Daciana tipped her head. “Together.”
“Split,” said Tycho.
“Split,” said Theron.
Nitsa stepped forward. “Together.”
“Split,” Jason added.
All eyes fixed on Ionna—the deciding vote.
She sighed. “I appreciate the faith you guys have in me, but just because my visions are clearer, doesn’t mean they’re clear enough. I was almost too late to save you all in Aphrodite’s trap. If we split, this place will make sure I’m too late to save you the next time.”
“What do you mean?” Nitsa asked.
“You must’ve realized by now that this prison is alive,” Ionna replied. “The very first thing it did was try to murder Theron—one of the strongest among us. It knows us. It knows our weaknesses, and it knows it’s not letting us get to the end. There’s no plan we can make against this place. We just have to get through it.” She took the key from me and her hand spasmed, nearly dropping it. I saw both the flash of fear and knowing. The poison got to all of us. It just got to Tycho faster.
Recovering quick, Ionna stepped up and opened the door herself. “Together.”
“Together.”
My friends stepped through, disappearing in swirling clouds of smoke. Theron was last to go before me. He paused, smiling blankly in my eyes.
“We will make it to the end, Aella. Nothing will stop us.” He stepped in. “Nothing.”
