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“So much for Hephaestus being one of the kind gods,” Nitsa muttered. She turned on her friends. “Ionna, I know you’re tired and the effects of the poison are getting worse, but I think if you take a breath, relax, and focus, you could see how we get through this.”
Ionna just shook her head. “I can’t.”
“But—"
“Nitsa, stop. She can’t because of me.” I heaved a sigh. “There’s no point hiding it now. I’m a child of the Fates. I’m told that makes it very hard to see any future with me in it.”
A couple knowing looks. One sweet, loving gaze of support. More wide-eyed shock. Then,her.
“No,” Sirena barked, disbelief shattering her ever-present mask of glacial beauty and disdain. “You can’t be. You’re lying.”
“Actually, I’m not.”
“No! Because if you’re a child of fate, that means you’re not a Sisyphean. You’re a— a—”
I flashed her a mirthless smile. “You don’t have to say it, Sirena. Your head might explode if you do.”
She bared her teeth. “Fuck you. I knew you weren’t a tenebrae demon, because Alex could never be fooled by such a creature. But you’re definitely a bitch.”
“I’m the bitch?” I cried, jaw dropping. “Then what the hell does that make you?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Her nose couldn’t get any higher in the air even if she flew. “I’ve been nothing but merciful... to you traitors.”
Daciana, Theron, Nitsa, Ionna, and I stilled.
“Excuse me?” I said. “You can’t seriously think we’re traitors after everything you’ve seen and heard down here. You said yourself you know Maximos was lying about me being a demon. Why in the world would you believe anything else that came out of his mouth?”
“Oh, yes? Everything he said was a lie?” She cocked her head, folding her arms. “Did or did you not use a curse to bring down the barriers around Deucalion?”
“I— Well, yes, but—”
“Did you and your useless friends enter this godsforsaken place even though you knew there was an ancient evil down here that cannot be released under any circumstances?”
“It’s not that simple,” I cried. “I had to because—”
“And did or did you not murder Headmaster Drakos for getting in your way?”
I roared up. “Hey! I didn’t kill him. Your precious leader of the Olympian world did because Drakos refused to let himmurderme and call it justice.”
She smirked. “Another way of putting that is, Drakos died because of you. Died protecting you because you literally opened up a disaster beneath his feet, and forced all of us to deal with it. And why? Because you’re a traitor!”
“No. Because she’s my mom.”
Her smirk twitched. “Your mom? What are you talking about?”
“She’s talking about the rest of the story that my father left out,” Alex said. “Her mother was abducted by the ancient evilthat resides in this place to force her down here. She couldn’t abandon her mother to this wretched pit of Tartarus. I know you understand that, Sirena. I know you do.”
Cheeks reddening, she flicked between us—the line of her shoulders going taut. “Fine,” she snapped, “but that doesn’t mean this was done in the right way. She should’ve gone to the council, and they would’ve determined the best way to save her mother without putting everyone at risk.”
“Would they really have gone to the trouble?” I asked, voice hard. “For a mortal woman.”
Her eyes blew wide. Sirena opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“There are no traitors here,” Nitsa said. “We’re here to get her mother out, and only her mother. You can help us do that. You prove right here, right now, the kind of ruler you’re going to be. Because I know what kind of a goddess Hera was. She was mother toall. Mortal, demigod, weak, and powerful. Whoever served in her name was deserving of her love and protection.”
Nitsa closed the distance, gaze locked. “You stand here claiming to be the one worthy to represent her, so do it, Sirena. Do what the goddess of women and birth would’ve done to a monster who ripped a mother away from her child.”
Sirena stared at her for a long time, expression unreadable.
