“A home. A place in the woods where no one will bother us, but close enough to travel if we need to. We can take care of the boys until they’re old enough to decide what they want to do. If they want to stay, brilliant—if they want to venture out on their own, they can always come back. And you’ll never want for anything, I promise.”
Tuck’s expression softened, and finally she said, “That sounds perfect.”
I kissed her temple. “Then that’s what we’ll do. And you’ll never have to worry about any of this again.”
“That’d be really nice.” She sighed. “Thanks for—you know. Not being terrible. Even if I still don’t believe you about the whole god thing.”
“No problem,” I said. “Now sleep. I’ll wake you before I leave.”
She snuggled against me, wrapping her arms around my torso as if I was a pillow. Soon enough her chest rose and fell evenly, and her heart beat slowly but steadily.
I would give that to her no matter what it took. Even if I had to walk away from the council, even if I could never see my family again—I would have a new family with her and the boys. I did have that new family. And I wasn’t going to give them up for anything.
Iris arrived shortly after midnight, appearing in the cell with a burst of rainbow. Her red hair hung in waves, and she wore one of her fancier outfits, as if she’d taken time getting ready.
“Hey,” I whispered. “Thanks for coming.”
“Sure thing.” She eyed Tuck, who had shifted sometime in the past hour or so. Her head was in my lap, and she snorted softly. “Who’s this?”
“A friend. Her name’s Tuck. I need your help.”
“Of course.” But Iris didn’t tear her eyes away from her. “What sort of help? I don’t have much time before Zeus figures out I’m gone.”
“I need your help getting a few kids out of here. They’re in a cell a little ways down—I can show you where. They need to be brought to a safe spot in the woods where no one except us can find them. Go through the walls if you have to.”
“But—”
“No buts,” I said. “I’ve already shown them my powers. They’ll be surprised, but they’ll go along with you. I need you to do this fast, Iris. As fast as you possibly can. And as soon as you’re done—”
“Let you know,” she said. “I’m not an idiot.”
“No, you aren’t. Just—please. This is important. Life-or-death for them.”
“Right.” She eyed Tuck again. “And what about her?”
“As soon as we find the kids, I’m coming back to get her.”
Iris twirled a curl around her fingers, and finally she nodded. “I’m always in the mood for a little trouble. Let’s do this.”
Reluctantly I shifted Tuck’s head out of my lap, running my fingers through her dark hair one more time. “I’ll be back soon,” I whispered, and once I could stand, I offered Iris my hand. “Walk right on through. The more scared they are of us, the more likely they’ll be to leave us alone.”
“Can’t imagine anyone ever being scared of you.” A split second later, we walked together through the thick stone wall opposite the door, arriving in the passageway. It was almost completely dark in here, but I guided Iris through the cells, careful to avoid the ones that were occupied. Much as I wanted to release them all, now wasn’t the time.
At last we arrived in the cell the boys shared. Sprout leaned against Mac, twitching every few seconds in his sleep. Mac, however, was wide-awake, and he didn’t so much as blink when we walked straight through the rock.
“You’re all right,” I said, relieved. Mac nudged Sprout awake, and the moment he opened his eyes, he sprang to his feet.
“James! You came!” cried Sprout, catching me in a bear hug. “See, Mac, I told you he would. Is Tuck all right? And Perry?”
“Tuck’s fine. Perry—” I hesitated. “I don’t know. But we’re going to find out, all right? This is my friend Iris. She’s going to get you out of here.”
Sprout turned toward her as if he’d only just realized she was there. And upon seeing her, his mouth dropped open. “You’re pretty.”
“And you’re very handsome,” she murmured, taking his hand and offering her other one to Mac. “Come on. This will be quick, I promise, but we’re going to walk through walls, so it might be a bit odd.”
Sprout gasped, and while Mac looked dubious, he took Iris’s hand anyway. Before she led them off, however, Mac clapped me on the shoulder and looked me in the eye properly for the first time.
“Thanks,” he rumbled, his voice hoarse with disuse. But that was more than I’d ever expected to hear, and I patted him on the arm.
“Any time. I’ll see you both soon.” All three of them, if Apollo had done his job, but I wouldn’t find out until Tuck was safe. Wasn’t sure I wanted to know until then anyway.
I watched as Iris guided them through the stone wall. It wasn’t far to the edge of the castle; they’d make it in under a minute, even at such a slow pace. Which meant it was my turn to get Tuck out of here.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to open the cell door—and walked straight into a solid wall of immortal. Dazed, I shook my head and stepped back, my eyes widening when I saw who it was.