“Thanks, Millie.”
“Things are hard now, but you know you belong. We know you belong. Some things are worth the fight, and that’s all there is to it.”
“A kraken attack?” Atlas crashed into the kitchen not long after Ranger X had left, and I’d sat down to eat with Silas. “The big guys upstairs are asking questions.”
I had a bite of linguini in my mouth that prevented me from gaping in shock at his appearance. He got here fast, all things considered.
“Nowyour friends want to help?” Silas drawled, leaning back in his chair, far less surprised at his brother’s appearance than me. “I should have known this would happen.”
I’m not sure if Silas had heard his brother’s entry into the house, or if he could sense his sibling’s comings and goings via Phasing in the garden. The Rangers had worked with Silas to create a safe zone for Atlas to Phase in and out of at will, mostly for security reasons around here.
“Not to mention your little run-in with a crimson lycanthrope?” Atlas sat heavily at the table. “What sort of trouble have you guys gotten yourselves into?”
“I’d like to know the answer to that, too,” I said, raising my fork. “It seems excessive to me.”
Atlas gave me a little smile, which served to deepen Silas’s frown.
“Why are the Olympians paying attention?” I ventured. “The way you worded it before, our little island isn’t a big enough loss that they’d concern themselves with its total abolition.”
“While that’s true, the nature of the beasts showing up here reeks of the underworld,” Atlas said. “And the underworld is definitely a concern on Olympus. If the Darkest Lord is trying to destroy this island, it’s one thing. If he’s trying to take control of this island to get a bigger foothold so they can march toward Olympus, then that’s something we care about.”
“I can’t tell if that’s extremely selfish or a bit of a relief?” I wondered.
“Extremely selfish,” Silas said. “The Olympians don’t know any other way to be. Ask my brother.”
“Alessia, what was it like? I haven’t come up against a kraken.”
“Slimy,” I said.
Atlas gave a soft snort. “Yeah, I’d imagine so. Well, I’m glad you survived. How’d you do it?”
“Burned its arms off by accident,” I said. “I used my powers, even though I don’t know how.”
“You haven’t started your training yet?” Atlas’s glance shifted to Silas like this was his fault. “If there are lycanthropes and krakens running loose on this island, I’d say you need to learn how to control your magic.”
“That’d be ideal,” I said. “But Seer Goddard doesn’t seem thrilled to have been called to train me. He basically called me selfish and turned me away.”
“Sounds about par for the course,” Atlas said. “He’s not known for his hospitality. To be honest, it says a lot that he even showed up on The Isle for you. That’s pretty big in and of itself.”
“Do you know him?” I asked. “Could you put in a good word from me?”
Atlas winced. “I’m not sure a word from me would be beneficial. You’re better off on your own.”
“Do you have any advice for me to get through to him?” I looked down at my hands. “It felt like everything I said to him got turned around. It’s hard because I don’t feel like I’m doing this for selfish reasons, but what do I know? Maybe some of it is selfish. I don’t know how to prove that it’s not selfish. I really want to help others.”
“You’re not selfish,” Silas growled. “He’s not being fair to you.”
I appreciated Silas’s vote of confidence, but he was biased. It also wasn’t particularly helpful, seeing as I couldn’t exactly bully my way into getting training.
“He values honesty and persistence,” Atlas finally said. “You’re honest, and you don’t seem like you’re giving up, so I think that’s a great start.”
I shrugged. “I don’t have much of a choice when it comes to persistence. What’s my other option?”
“He said you’re doing this for selfish reasons?” Atlas said. “We know that’s not true, but he doesn’t. How are the islanders reacting to this turn of events with you emerging as the new Fae Queen?”
“Some are very supportive,” I said. “But there are others, including a whole council run by Fenlon, who are skeptical.”
Silas scoffed. “Skeptical. They’re not giving her a chance. Idiots.”
