Cracking pain tore down my throat as I spoke. “What happened at theball?”
“Chaos,” Seth answered, brushing my hair behind my ear. “Nothing went to plan, but . . . everyone heard me challenge Eris, Father’s little spy is dead, and Eris did not emerge the victor.”
“And we stole their gold.”
Seth chuckled, but his face quickly fell. “Gods, you scared me half to death. Had we known this could happen . . .”
I tried to hide my guilt, but Seth glimpsed it in my down-turned eyes.
“Did you know?” Seth asked, eyes darting across my face. “Did you know your magic was killing you?”
“I . . .” Swallowing, I found my voice. “I suspected.”
All the sympathy drained from Seth’s face. Rage twisted his mouth. “Youknew? And you didn’t tell us?”
“I didn’t know for certain,” I protested hoarsely. “If I’d voiced my fears, you would’ve tried to stop me.”
“Of course I would have! Any of us would have!”
“Percy knows,” I blurted out. “Andhedidn’t.”
Those were the wrong words. Shock interrupted Seth’s fury before it rekindled. Softer this time. Cold, smoldering with betrayal. “You knew.Heknew. But still, you . . . You said you wouldn’t be mine, that you’d stay away. Why couldn’t you keep that promise?”
His words stung. I looked away. “Why does it matter?”
“Why?” He breathed. “Because if you’d kept your promise, I wouldn’t mourn every time I see a flower you might’ve liked. I wouldn’t be torn apart every time I imagined the sight of you in a wedding gown, or the children you might have borne, or . . .” His voice wavered. “Or the house by the lake I might have shared with you.”
Sudden fury washed over me. I was the one who suffered, yet he painted me the villain?
“That stupid house was my dream because I knew it would never come true.” My voice cracked as tears burned in my eyes. “Not even with you.”
Eyes flaring bright red, Seth stared at me for a long moment before he stood and swept out the door, slamming it behind him.
I pressed my uninjured hand to my face and felt a gash along my cheek. Wincing, I tried to tell myself I’d done the right thing.
Only Percy could truly understand me, and he had agreed to keep my secret.
Or maybe I was unfathomably stupid and should have told them long ago.
I didn’t hear the door quietly creak back open, nor notice the figure approaching until they stood right beside me. Sitting up, I whimpered when pain lashed through my body.
“Careful,” Eleos said softly, holding out a hand. “It’s only me.”
Desperate to anchor onto something warm and living, I grabbed at his arm. Careful to avoid hurting me, Eleos took my hand.
“Seth’s right,” he said. “You should have told us.”
“Would you have forbidden me from using it?”
He hesitated. “The rest of us are more than capable. We recruited you for your silver tongue, not your battle prowess.”
“I would have been useless. You would all be dead.”
“That’s not—”
“Who would have saved us from the hydra, then?” I asked. “Or the chariots? The Duat itself? Aeacus?”
“You don’t know that—”
