My eyes narrowed, anger beginning to boil beneath my skin. “You mean the reality of losing Cassie had that effect on you. You were always going to lose me, and that was never enough to keep you from drowning yourself in ale.”
My father flinched as if I’d smacked him. “I know, Kaleah, and I’m sorry. Nothing I can say or do will make my actions right, but half the reason I couldn’t break away from the drink was because I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you like I lost her.” His voice cracked on the last word. “Like I lost your mother.”
I wanted to feel pity for him, but I couldn’t. He was my father. He’d made the choice to bring me into this world, and then he’d abandoned me the second things had gotten too hard. “If my fate bothered you that much, why didn’t you try to do something about it? You could have at least been there for me, but instead you ran away.”
Cronus cleared his throat, brushing at his eyes. “I was blinded by grief, too weak and the pain too great. I was afraid.”
I winced, his words like a knife in my broken heart. Words so similar to my own thoughts moments earlier. A shuddering breath escaped my throat as I fought with my inner demons.
“I know you’ll never forgive me,” Cronus continued when I didn’t speak. “And I don’t expect you to. I just hope that maybe it’s not too late to try and set things right between us.”
His words were like a punch to the gut. “Not too late? I’ll be dead in under a week!”
Anguish crossed Cronus’ face. “It doesn’t have to be that way, you know,” he murmured. “You do have a choice.”
I stared at him for a heartbeat in disbelief. “Of course I don’t.” I set Judex’s skull down on the floor and started pacing the length of the bedroom. Had he really come just to torment me? “I’m basically a sheep in the stocks, waiting for slaughter.”
He rose from the bed, reaching toward me. “Kaleah—”
“Look, I don’t want to fight with you when this is probably the last time I’ll ever see you—”
“Kaleah—” Boots thudded down the hall, cutting off my father and both our heads whipped toward the door.
“Dammit, I thought I’d have more time.” His eyes flicked to mine. “Listen, there’s something you need to know. There’s a reason that hell-bat moved up the Ascension, other than to torment you. Your mother, Mariah—her body is sick.”
I balked, staring at him.
Pain filled his features as loud shouts and the clashing of metal ensued outside, Jolly buying us a few more precious seconds. “She’s dying, Kaleah, and as her body fails, it sap’s the empress’ strength. She’s weaker than she’s ever been before. Don’t let her take you.” He rushed forward to grip my hands.
“I don’t have a choice—”
“You do. The empresscan’tpossess another unless they are willing or weak.”
“What are you talking about?”
Several guards burst through the door. “Cronus, you are under arrest for violating the use of your golem and attacking royal personnel,” one of the guards snapped. In unison, they surrounded my father, yanking him from me, but his eyes never left mine.
“You’re not weak, daughter,” he grunted as they wrenched his arms behind his back. “So don’t be willing. She can’t force you to give up your body to her, no matter how powerful she is.”
My eyes widened. I’d always thought when I’d agreed to be heir, it had just been for show, that I would be Lilitha’s heir whether I wanted to or not. “What about Mother?”
Cronus’ shoulders slumped, his eyes clenched shut. “Your mother is gone, but it’s what she would’ve wanted. Parents are supposed to protect their children, not selfishly ask them to give up their lives—”
“Shut up, drunkard.” One of the guards swung the butt of his sword, whacking my father across the temple. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped to the ground.
“No!” I lunged toward the men dragging my father out the door, but a strong hand wrapped around my bicep, stopping me. I looked up into Marshals’ narrowed green eyes.
“Marshal, please, you can stop this!” I begged, struggling against his grip while the guards dragged my father’s unconscious form from the room.
His hold only tightened. “Why would I stop anything? You and your father are both traitors to the Goddess.”
“W-what?”
“You abandoned your duties, your people, and your empress—”
“I was going to come back!” I shouted, still trying to wrench away. “But even if I hadn’t, is wanting to live such a sin?”
Marshal sighed, but he finally released me as the door slammed shut, making the paintings on the walls reverberate. I tumbled backward, smacking into the floor, and glared up at him. “We all make sacrifices, Kaleah.” His voice became gentler, and he offered me a hand to help me up. “I know the price required of you is high, but don’t think you're the first to offer their life for the empress' cause—”