“Please talk to us,” I said, relieved when my voice stayed steady. “Whatever happened with Cronus, it’s over now, and Walter and Phillip and Henry—they’re not going to hurt you.”

I could feel Henry tense behind me. If he had his way, she’d be a pile of ashes by now.

A slow smile spread across Calliope’s face, and her eyes glinted with malice. “You think this is over? Henry opened seven of the bars. It was only a matter of time before Cronus broke out completely anyway, but now he will be out by the winter solstice. When he’s free, he will come for me, and he will destroy all of you for holding him captive.” No one told Calliope she was wrong. The three brothers all watched us, and not one of them bothered to tell her that the council would contain Cronus.

It was because they couldn’t. Cronus would escape anyway, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Because of me, Cronus would do exactly what he wanted, and without Calliope, the council was powerless to stop him.

As brave as I wanted to appear, all of the blood drained from my face, and I clenched my hands together in my lap.

Henry rubbed the back of my neck, but I felt no relief from his touch. All of it had been for nothing.

“Calliope,” said Walter gently. “You know what will happen not only to us, but to the entire world. Cronus will reclaim it as his, and there will be no one left to protect humanity.”

Calliope sniffed, but she said nothing.

“Please,” said Walter. “Join us, and together we will defeat him once more. You know we cannot do it without your abilities, and if you do this for us, we will forgive your transgressions. Everything you have done will be forgotten, and your punishment will be lifted. You will be welcomed back as our queen, and we will put this incident behind us and move on with our lives.”

“And what?” said Calliope, all signs of her smugness gone. “Kate will live happily ever after with Henry, and I’ll have to watch you break your vows to me every time you spot a pretty girl? No, Walter, I am quite happy where I am. Cronus rewards loyalty. All I have received for my loyalty to you is a broken heart and bastard stepchildren.”

“And what do you think your loyalty to Cronus will get you?” he said. “The ashes of those who love you most, and nothing but loneliness for the rest of eternity if he does not tire of you sooner. That is what awaits you if you continue down this path.”

“At least then I will have the satisfaction of knowing you are dead. That will do more to keep me warm at night than you ever have.”

“Then this conversation is over.” Walter let go of her and said to his brothers, “What do you want to do with her?”

“I suppose f inding a way to make her fade would be too much to ask of you,” said Henry coolly. “Since Cronus’s prison will be empty soon, perhaps she could take his place.”

“An excellent idea,” said Walter, and he looked at Phillip for approval. Phillip nodded, and Walter clapped his hands together. “It is decided. Calliope will take Cronus’s place, and if we defeat him, she shall join him in his prison. If she decides between now and then to help us f ight, we will reconvene and decide what to do from there. You may go, Kate.”

I stood, and Calliope’s eyes never left mine. I couldn’t tear myself away, caught between sympathy and baff lement.

She was going to destroy us and she knew it, yet she was happy to sit by and watch. Walter had offered her a way out of all of this in exchange for her help, and she still insisted on f ighting against the council, knowing what that meant.

“You’re an idiot,” I said before I could stop myself.

“You’re going to get not just the entire council killed, but every single human being, as well. The world’s going to be a wasteland, and what happens to you then? You’ll fade.

You’ll fade with the rest of us. Is that what you want?”

“I would rather fade than spend a moment longer in your presence,” said Calliope with eerie calm, as if she were in complete control. As if Henry and Walter and Phillip weren’t even in the room with us. “If that is what it takes to see you all dead, then so be it. That’s a cause I’m willing to fade for.”

Words swarmed my mind, angry and stinging every inch of me, and I tried in vain to f ind the right ones to say.

Nothing in the world was going to convince Calliope to relent though. Nothing except—

“Then kill me,” I said quickly, before the brothers could protest. “Do it now. I want you to, if it’ll mean you’ll help them recapture Cronus.”

“No,” said Henry sharply. His grip on my shoulder tightened like a vise, but I ignored him. This was between me and Calliope.

She laughed, a dark, muted sound that was empty of any real humor. “Do you really think that’s all I want?” she said in a sickly sweet voice. “Perfect Kate. So willing to martyr herself for nothing. But of course, if the offer’s still open—” A f lash of lightning sizzled through her. Her body went rigid, and after a tense moment, she slumped in her seat.

Beside her, Walter crackled with electricity.

I expected her to be unconscious—no one could possibly withstand that sort of attack—but seconds later, her icy blue eyes opened, and she stared directly at me. It was as if she could see every secret, every thought, every little piece of me that made me who I was, and her lips curled into a cruel smile.

“Kate,” said Henry. “We need to go now.” The moment I broke eye contact, Calliope hissed. The sound of her voice slithered through the room, creeping under my skin and gluing me to the f loor. “You have my word, Kate Winters,” she said, and a wisp of smoke escaped from her mouth. “I will do to you what you have done to me, and I will take what you love most from you while you are helpless to stop me.”