After an eternal moment, however, his warm fingers found mine, and I let out a sigh of relief. He understood. I could do this. “When Milo was born and Calliope took him from me, Cronus was there,” I said. “I begged him to help, and he said—he said if I promised to be his queen, he would let me have Milo again. And he would protect him.”
Walter’s frown deepened, and a few seats down from him, Dylan rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you the little siren?”
I ignored him. “I agreed. I didn’t mean it,” I added quickly. “But I said yes because—”
“Because Milo’s your kid,” said James. “You don’t need to explain.”
I gave him a grateful look. Henry’s grip on my hand tightened, and I continued. “When I go see Milo, Cronus is always there. He took Henry’s form at first, and I thought— I didn’t realize who he was. I thought he was Henry. It was stupid, I know, but James told me who he really was. And I told him Rhea refused to help us.”
“Fantastic,” said Dylan. “While you were having your little affair, did you happen to tell him any other closely guarded secrets?”
“That’s enough, Dylan,” said my mother.
Dylan opened his mouth to retort, but before another fight broke out, I blurted, “He thinks Henry’s dead. He doesn’t know our real numbers, and he believes we have no choice but to agree to a truce. And we don’t,” I added. “Not unless we want to risk the entire world.”
“If we surrender and allow Cronus to be released, you do realize that he will want you?” said Walter, and I nodded. “Yet this is something you are willing to do?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I don’t like it, but if it’s the only way to stop this war, I’ll do it.” And Milo would be safe. That alone would be worth it.
James winced. “You really need to get over your martyr complex. One of these days it’s going to get you killed.”
Behind me, a pair of feet shuffled, and Henry let go of my hand as he stood. “Brother,” he said to Walter, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to him. “If you allow Kate to do this, you will no longer have my cooperation. She is my queen. I have already completed her coronation, and I will not allow anyone, not even a Titan, to usurp my claim.”
His claim? Before I could say a word, Walter cut me off. “Very well. Then we will not accept Cronus’s truce.”
“And the list of traitors?” said Dylan, eyeing the scroll with an unsavory gleam in his eyes. What did he plan on doing, hunting down each and every one of them? Somehow that didn’t feel too far from the truth.
“I will deal with them personally,” said Walter, and with a wave of his hand, the scroll vanished. “We have already lost the alliance of most of the other gods. That is not news.”
“So what? You’re going to let all of those people die while you fight a war you know you can’t win?” I said, and Henry’s grip around my shoulders tightened. But I wasn’t his claim, and I wouldn’t let something like this go just because Walter decided the discussion was over. He wasn’t always right. My childhood was proof of that.
“No,” said Walter. “I intend on winning the war. Now if you will excuse us, Kate, we’ve got tomorrow’s attack to discuss. Given your closeness to Cronus, it would be best if you did not hear our plans.”
No one spoke up in my defense. Not Henry, not James, not even my mother. After several seconds, I swallowed the knot in my throat and twisted out of Henry’s grip. If they didn’t want me around, then fine, but I wasn’t going to twiddle my thumbs for the next decade while they got everyone killed.
I was halfway to the guest room when Henry caught up to me. He put his hand on my arm, and I shrugged it off, too furious to say anything. He’d promised that our relationship would be between equals. That I wouldn’t belong to him. That wasn’t how we worked, and how dare he insinuate I was his for any reason other than the fact that I wanted to be?
I stormed into my room and tried to slam the door, but he caught it. “Kate, please, will you listen to me?”
“Why should I?” I prowled from one end of the room to the other, glaring at him and silently daring him to come closer. He only moved forward enough to close the door behind him. “You won’t listen to me—why, because I’m young? Because I’m a girl? What is it, Henry? Why am I suddenly nothing more than your claim?”
He exhaled. “You know I do not think of you in that way—”
“Sure could have fooled me lately.”
“That is not fair. I am trying to keep my family intact, and the only way to do so is to speak a language my brother understands.”
“Oh, so he’s the misogynist?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “He has never understood partnership. Not in his marriage, not within the council, not even among his siblings. It is not fair, but he is the head of the council, and we must play this game his way.”
I collapsed on the bed. “Great. I spend my entire life wanting a family, and when I finally get one, it’s full of people who think I’m no better than dirt.”
Henry took a few cautious steps toward me, but stopped when I gave him a look. “I wish you would have told me about your deal with Cronus.”
“Up until two days ago, you were in a coma,” I pointed out.