Quynh and her baby were in that cavern.
Haemon.
Xander.
I loved them all too much to let anything happen to them.
This was what Dea had created me for. I was made for this moment, for this purpose. To save these people and, by extension, my own.
I was Ilion’s savior, no matter how much I had tried to fight it.
And I knew that meant I had to die.
Chapter Fifty-Two
It was a sacrifice I was more than willing to make if it meant all my loved ones would survive. I would give so much more than just my life to ensure their continued existence.
One for many.
I set Luna down and she immediately disappeared. I suspected she was going to find Xander, and I didn’t know how much time I had before he came to stop me.
Unsheathing the goddess’s sword, I put it in Zalira’s hands. She immediately stopped talking and looked at me. “What are you doing?”
“It has to be me. I’m going down and switching the lever.”
Silence.
Then everybody began to speak at once.
“That’s madness! You can’t do that!”
“What are you talking about?”
“You can’t be serious!”
Io pleaded with me. “Wait. Let’s talk about this. There has to be another way. I just haven’t thought of it yet.”
“There’s no time,” I said.
“I’ll go.” Suri started taking off her weapons.
“You can’t swim. Io’s not strong enough. And Zalira and Ahyana are both injured. Every moment has led us here. It’s supposed to beme. This is what I’m meant to do. I swore in the temple to give my life to save yours, and that’s what I’m going to do. We are bound by blood and love, in this life and the next. It will never be broken. I will see you again.”
“No!” Io protested.
“The prophecy,” I reminded her.
“You don’t even believe in the prophecy!”
I took both of her hands, trying to give her what comfort I could. “You do. And I believe in you. Now I need you to believe in me.”
She shook her head, tears streaming. “I take it back. You’re not the savior.”
“This is what’s supposed to happen.” I hugged her, and the rest of my sisters came over so that we could all hug each other, their bodies shaking as they cried.
Io lifted her head long enough to say, “There is a ladder built in on the left side, and you can use it to reach the bottom. When you get there, you have to pull the lever until you feel it click. That will seal the door and stop the others from opening. Then you need to swim as fast as you can for the surface.”
I nodded. “Please tell my family how much I love them.”
