I didn’t have to do a thing. They both waltzed in here all on their own, practically gift-wrapped for me.” Henry’s expression hardened. “What do you want?”
“Do we really need to go through this again?” said Calliope. “Tell me how to open the gate, and I’ll let them go.”
“Henry, don’t,” I said. “It’s a—”
Calliope slapped her hand over my mouth. Without thinking, I licked her hand, exactly as I’d done to James.
I would have bitten her if I could have, but saliva was enough. She made a disgusted noise and pulled her hand away, giving me enough time to f inish. “It’s a trap,” I said.
“She can’t hurt Persephone, and she’s going to kill me anyway.”
Calliope wiped her hand on my shirt, and her grip on my hair tightened. “Does it matter? We both know Henry has no choice but to risk it.”
I struggled against her, but it was no use. Calliope would sooner pull out every strand of my hair than let me go.
“Please,” I said. “Henry, you can’t, it isn’t worth it—”
“All right, Calliope,” he said quietly. “I will tell you how to open it on the condition that you let Kate go f irst.” Calliope sniffed. “Hardly.”
“You have to offer me some insurance,” said Henry.
“What will it be?”
She caught me in a choke hold, her arm crushing my windpipe. “You tell me. The gate or your pretty little wife?”
The muscle in Henry’s jaw twitched, the same one that told me when he was on the verge of imploding. “Persephone, then,” he said. “You let Persephone go, and I will tell you what you want to know.”
“Done.” Calliope waved Persephone off, but Persephone made no move to go.
“You’re an idiot,” she said to Henry. “They can’t hurt me, and I’m not leaving.”
“It doesn’t matter to me,” said Calliope. “I’ve held up my end of the deal. Persephone’s free to go, and it isn’t my fault she doesn’t want to, so you still have to tell me how to open the gate. Fair’s fair.”
Henry was silent, and I opened my mouth to protest, but no sound came out. Calliope thought this was supposed to be fair? Releasing a Titan to destroy the world for revenge, killing everyone that got in her way—what part of any of this was fair? My vision began to blur, and I stomped on her foot, but she barely moved. I would’ve given anything to get my hands on Henry’s fog-infused chains.
“Chop, chop,” said Calliope, tightening her grip. “Kate’s suffocating.”
“She will wake up the moment you let her go,” said Henry coolly, and nothing Calliope said could possibly match the gaping hole his words left inside of me.
The room started to spin and bright spots appeared in my vision, though I wasn’t sure if it was from what Henry had said or the lack of oxygen in my body. Either way, using what little strength I had left, I clawed at Calliope’s arm and tried again and again to shake her off. Nothing worked.
“Persephone, leave,” he ordered.
She scoffed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Power began to build up around him, every bit as dark and dangerous as Calliope’s. “You will do as I say and leave immediately. I am your king, and you will obey me.” Persephone huffed and spun on her heel. “Fine,” she said as she stormed toward the other side of the cavern, where the crack in the wall waited for her. “See if I ever try to help you lot again.”
The tension in the air seemed to crackle, and once she was gone, Henry exhaled and refocused on Calliope. “In order to open the gates, a ruler of the Underworld must willingly sacrif ice blood against each of the bars.” He spoke monotonously, as if he no longer cared, and I wasn’t so sure he did. Calliope loosened her grip around my neck, and I fell to my knees. My lungs felt as if they were on f ire, and I sucked in the cold, precious air as my body regained its strength.
“Interesting,” said Calliope as she looped the end of Henry’s chains around my neck. They burned white-hot against my skin, but at least she didn’t tighten them. “It seems you do have some level of intelligence after all. Must I even ask?”
For a fraction of a second, I thought I saw a hint of a smile on Henry’s face. When I blinked, it was gone. “You are asking me to release the most powerful being in the universe, who will undoubtedly wreak havoc on the world before wiping out humanity and killing us all?”
“Yes,” said Calliope, apparently unfazed by the future Henry painted. “In exchange for Kate’s life.”
“In exchange for the life of a girl I met a year ago and have only seen for a few minutes in the past six months.” Something inside of me crumbled, and I forced myself to my feet. He was right. I wasn’t worth it. I’d known I wasn’t before he’d said it, but somehow hearing the words come from his mouth made it real. Even if he did love me, I was one person. I was one life. It would have been foolish for him to open the gate to save me no matter how he felt.
Calliope sighed. “You might have the rest of them fooled, but I know you better than you know yourself. Your bluff won’t work.”
“How certain are you that I’m bluff ing?” said Henry.
Calliope said nothing. “Very well. Since Kate insists you will kill her anyway, and since it is clear you have no intention of letting her go, why don’t I leave you with your bounty and instead offer up another trade? I will open the gate for you after you release the others.” He glanced up toward the ceiling, where James and Ava hung. “All of the others.”