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“I don’t think I can go with you to the Underworld,” Elyse confided. “There’s just so much darkness, and I can’t get away from it anymore. It’s inside my head, in me. I’m scared it’s going to pull me under and not let me go.”
I caught a tear rolling over her chin. “Do you know what brings you back every time?”
Elyse lifted a tear-stained face to me and shook her head.
“It’s the power of Zeus inside your veins,” I explained. “That’s what keeps dragging you back from the darkness, from the edge of death. I know you’ve gone through all the deaths you can recover from, but that doesn’t mean Zeus’s power isn’t in your veins anymore.”
She nodded and tucked herself against my chest once again. Maybe this was exactly what she’d needed to hear. Reassurance that all wasn’t lost yet.
“I just don’t think I’m the person to help her,” she mumbled, even though she’d agreed.
“This isn’t just about Catina,” I added. “She’s the embodiment of the people you’re supposed to protect. See this as symbolic. If you can save Catina, one person, you can save them all.”
“I wish I believed that.” Elyse huffed as she pulled away and lowered her gaze from mine.
“You don’t have to,” I said gently. “Not yet. But you should know, I believe in you. I know you’re stronger than anything out there. The reason why X is doing all these things to you is because he knows he can’t beat you. He’s terrified he might never be able to. He’s pulling out all the stops, and it tells me he’s scared.” And I believed that without a doubt. Why else would he taunt her, kidnap her friend, and stop three gods from getting in the way? If he viewed Elyse as a normal mortal, he’d have killed her right away and been done with it, rather than playing these games. He saw her as an adversary who stood in his way, who could take him down, who was capable of so much more greatness than him. She needed to see for herself.
“What’s he afraid of?” she asked.
“Of you. And you owe it to yourself to prove him right. Show him and the rest of the world who you really are. You are Elyse Lowe, the woman who held out, the woman who, against all odds, carried her legacy for us. And no matter what, I know you’ll make it. When I look at you, I see you beaming as bright as the sun. You will shine in victory and light will always follow, all else paling in comparison. I believe in you, Elyse.”
She didn’t respond at first, but she lay against me, her body warm and small and so fragile, but that was an illusion. A warrior lay inside her. Eventually, she pulled away, sitting up. She met my gaze as she wiped her eyes, and a new expression slid over her features. Gone was the girl needing rescue. Before me was the Elyse I’d first met—fiery, powerful, and determined. She was ready for war.
“Okay,” she finally conceded.
“Okay?” I asked, uncertain what decision she’d finally come to.
Elyse sighed. “Okay, I’ll try one more time.”
I smiled, leaned forward, and pressed my lips against hers. “That’s my girl.”
