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But I had to believe she was alive. If she were dead, this would all be for nothing. And if she hadn’t survived, it would hurt like a bitch once Elyse found out.
It would’ve been better if I had more evidence, but she needed to know what was going on now. I’d want to know if the roles were reversed. And I was a lot of things, but a lying son of a bitch wasn’t one them.
When I appeared in Elyse’s living room, she hurried from the bedroom. She wore jeans and a tank top, something I didn’t see her in often. She was either training, in pajamas, or fighting when I saw her.
“I found her,” I declared, my voice booming louder than I expected.
Elyse’s eyes widened and she grabbed my hand in hers, squeezing it. “Where?”
“In the Underworld.”
I moved closer to Elyse and kissed her cheek. If her mind was whirling right now, I didn’t blame her.
Her brows pulled in. “How’s that possible?”
“I don’t know.” I headed to the couch, taking Elyse by her hand, and we sat down. She stayed with me for a moment before jumping up again.
“We have to go get her,” she insisted, her shoulders stiff, her hands balled into fists as she paced the room.
I rubbed my hands down my pant legs. “I have to warn you.”
She stopped and looked at me, terror in her eyes, and she pressed her fists to her stomach as if she might be sick.
“I couldn’t get past the damn ferryman on the River Styx. He told me she’s there, but I couldn’t see her for myself. I don’t know if she’s still alive.” I held my breath for a second, hating saying those words out loud.
But there it was, straightforward and honest. The truth hurt, but it was better than a lie.
“She has to be alive,” Elyse said, nodding her head, her voice trembling. Her determination was admirable, and I agreed with her. It wouldn’t make sense if she were dead. But we still didn’t know.
“And I’m going to get her,” she added.
“You can’t die to cross the river,” I said. “What if you don’t come back?”
“I have one more life.”
“Fuck, Elyse!” I cursed angrily. Of course, I’d expected her to pull this stunt. “You can’t keep giving your lives away as if they mean nothing. You only have two left. What happens after that, huh?”
“I can’t just leave her,” Elyse growled, her anger rising to meet my own.
I massaged my temples, trying not to let this turn into a fight when it wasn’t necessary. “I didn’t say you can’t go.” Because stopping her was close to impossible. “You just can’t go alone.”
She thought about it for a moment, her gaze drifting to the ceiling and back on me.
“Fine,” she agreed. “Come with me, then.”
I nodded. “You know I never back down from a fight.”
The rising anger between us evaporated, and it was just us in the room again.
Elyse pressed her hand against her forehead as if she had a headache, her breaths racing. “Can we leave now?”
“We’re getting the others together, too. I don’t want to chance it with just the two of us.”
She rubbed the back of her neck and turned to the window, looking out but not seeing anything.
“What if it’s too late? What if waiting any longer will be the difference between her living and dying? The others will try to stop us, waste time Catina doesn’t have.”
I knew why she was worried. But I had to keep Elyse alive. We all did.
