“Just don’t let the Kraken get a hold of you,” Helen said, relieved she hadn’t injured him. “The cestus will only protect you from weapons, not forces of nature.”
“I’ll remember that,” Castor said, fastening the clasp behind his neck. Once Castor was wearing it, the heart shape altered, but he quickly tucked it under his armor before anyone could see what form it took.
“Thank you,” Castor said, hugging Helen tightly before letting her go. “Now hurry.”
“Everyone join hands,” Helen said. Orion picked up Cassandra as Jason lifted Claire.
All the people they weren’t bringing with them flashed through Helen’s head—her dad, Kate, Ariadne, and yes, even Matt. There were so many people she had to leave behind in order to do this that she could barely bring herself to leave. But she knew she had to, or all of them would die this day.
“Back in a sec,” she promised.
Helen heard the Kraken make that terrible sound again, and then it was gone.
The only sound was of the wind in the wildflowers. The sun was high and warm, and the mountains that rimmed the valley to the northwest were capped with snow. To the east, the eclectic skyline of Everycity gleamed, part glass-and-steel modern, and part ancient stone citadel. To the south, the smell of the ocean beckoned.
“Beautiful,” Andy breathed in awe as an iridescent butterfly tumbled past, just inches from her face.
“Definitely,” Hector mumbled, staring at Andy and not the butterfly.
Cassandra’s eyes opened sleepily, and she cuddled like a kitten in Orion’s arms, smiling up at him. Orion watched Cassandra, and that same troubled look crossed his face again. Helen could see his heart vacillating between tenderness and fear.
“Do you remember that conversation we had about more on the beach that night?” Helen said to Orion. He nodded. Helen gestured to Cassandra with her chin. “Trust me, she does,” she told him.
As Orion puzzled over this, Claire inhaled sharply as she gained consciousness, flailed, and accidentally smacked Jason across the face.
“Thanks,” Jason said sarcastically as he put her down.
“Sorry!” Claire sheepishly patted the spot on his jaw where she’d clocked him. Her tone dropped, but she kept her hand on his cheek. “Do you forgive me?” she whispered, her meaning broadening past the accidental slap. Jason nodded and pulled her into a hug.
“Where are we?” Cassandra asked groggily as Orion placed her on her feet.
“Everyland,” Lucas replied, smiling at Helen in a way that made her tingle. “Helen’s world.”
Lucas bent down and picked a single, white wildflower from the field, pulled his wallet from his back pocket, and folded it safely inside. He looked up at Helen and smiled, melting her.
Their injuries were healed, and they were all refreshed. All of their senses were heightened, like a dull film had been washed away, making the world around them brighter. Every sensation, from the cool wind on their cheeks to the warm sun on their arms was like a flood of pleasure. While her family soaked it all in, Helen took the moment of silence to make the toughest choice of her life.
“Helen?” Lucas said in that knowing way of his, like he could sense mischief in her. “What are you up to?”
“It’s done.” Helen smiled and shook her head, refusing to tell him. “Time doesn’t stop here. We have to get back to the fight.”
“What’s done?” Claire whispered to Jason.
“Ah . . . ,” he began, and looked at Helen pleadingly.
“I made you pretty much immortal, Gig,” Helen said. “All of you. You can only die when you decide that you don’t want to live anymore.”
Claire stared at Helen, still not fully believing it.
“So don’t worry about getting killed in the battle, just keep your head down and stay out of the way. Everybody join hands,” Helen said urgently. As they joined hands, she looked at her circle, the circle she would take with her as far into the future as they could stand, and was grateful for the company even if they found that they couldn’t stay with her forever.
She looked into Lucas’s eyes last, his bright blue eyes that held a pool of strength deeper than any ocean, and thought about his vow to take Hades’ place someday. Helen knew that when that time came, she would go down with him. Hell was wherever Lucas wasn’t. They would never be parted again, no matter ho
w long forever turned out to be.
Unless, of course, Zeus won and sent her to Tartarus. That eternity, Helen knew, she would have to suffer alone.
The air was thick with acrid, black smoke. As soon as Helen and her group appeared, bodies seemed to rush at them from all sides. A Myrmidon with red skin and flat, black eyes charged Helen, his sword swinging over his head. As the blade came down, Helen caught it in her bare hand, and wrenched the sword out of his grip. She spun around, back-fisting him, and watched him drop.