The Goddess Inheritance by Aimée Carter Page B

too, you know. And he’s your grandson. His name’s Milo, and he’s not even a week old. Why does he deserve to be raised by Cronus?”
    Rhea said nothing, and I couldn’t stop the flow of words that poured from me now.
    “He’ll never know me. He’ll never know his father. He’ll grow up calling the bitch who kidnapped him his mother, the egomaniac who’s killed millions of people his father and he’ll never know that I’m out here loving him more in a moment than they could in an eternity. What could he have possibly done to deserve that?”
    “Nothing,” said Rhea softly. “Your son has done nothing to deserve that, as the people of this village have done nothing to deserve brutality and starvation.”
    “Then help him like you’re helping these people,” I begged. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want—”
    “I want you to leave me in peace.”
    “Okay.” I took a shaky breath. She wasn’t going to help the council with the war. If she wouldn’t do it for the billions of helpless people in the world, then nothing I could possibly say or do would change her mind. “I’ll go away, I promise. Just—please. Help Henry. At least give my son a chance to know his father.”
    Once again, Rhea was quiet. Her eyes grew distant the same way Cronus’s had in the nursery, and her hand stilled halfway to the basket. I glanced at James. Was that our cue to go? He shrugged, and together we waited.
    “Very well,” she said at last, breaking the silence. “It is done.”
    “What’s done?” I said, giving James another bewildered look, but his brow knitted in confusion. “Rhea, please—what’s done?”
    “Give your mother my love,” she said, touching my shoulder. The pain in my arm from the dagger vanished. “You are strong, Kate. Stronger than you know. As long as you resist my husband, you do not need me to have what you most desire.”
    “It isn’t about what I want,” I said, seconds from bursting. How could she heal me but not help save the people who really needed her? “He’s going to kill everyone, this village included.”
    She didn’t respond. Instead she picked a few more blossoms and turned to reenter the clinic. I started to go after her, and James grabbed my wrist with an iron grip.
    “Don’t,” he said. Before I could protest, another voice whispered through the garden, hoarse and cracking. But real. So, so real.
    “Kate?”
    My heart hammered, and I spun around, yanking my hand from James’s. Nestled between a gnarled tree and a patch of ferns stood Henry.

Chapter 7
    Athens
    I flew across the garden and into Henry’s arms, kissing him like it was the last chance I’d ever get.
    It was really him. His skin was warm, his moonlight eyes focused on me, and the way he lifted me into the air and kissed me—no one, not even a Titan, could make my insides turn to mush the way he did. He splayed his hand over my back, his palm so hot that I could feel it through my shirt.
    “I missed you.” My voice broke, and he pressed his forehead to mine so all I could see was him.
    “You’re all right.” He ran his fingers through my hair the same way James had on the flight over, but that was nothing more than a distant memory. Henry was here now, and part of me clicked back into place.
    He stumbled, and I immediately dropped back to the ground, searching his face for any sign of pain. Instead of grimacing, he smiled and took my hand. “I’m all right. Just need rest.”
    I wasn’t so sure I believed him, but James stood and gestured to the door Rhea had disappeared through. “We should thank her and get on our way,” he said, eyeing Henry. “I reckon you aren’t in any condition to get us back to Olympus, so we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Sunset’s in a few hours.”
    “Wait,” I said, helping Henry forward. “There’s someplace I want to see first.”
    * * *
    Henry and I sat against the wall in the Zimbabwe airport, my fingers laced through his. I hadn’t