Blackhearted Betrayal (35 page)

Mom’s eyes glittered with emotion, but she held back the tears. I couldn’t say the same for myself, and I wasn’t ashamed a damn bit. Mom
deserved
the chance to speak with Nan after all they’d been through, and Nan deserved the chance to get her own body back. Selfishly, I couldn’t help but be pleased that Scott and Trinity would have her to depend upon in the time to come as they settled into their duties.

Ala’s gaze fell upon me, and I held my breath. I couldn’t imagine what reward they could give that would top having Trinity and Scott still, on whatever
abbreviated schedule, or the knowledge that Nan would be provided for while stuck in the limbo caused by her evil sister.

“You, Marissa Holloway, we owe perhaps the greatest debt to. Your ingenuity in invoking the Feather against Anubis the Once-Jackal-Headed and perseverance in seeing both the traitor immortals defeated ensured that divine law was upheld.
Your
reward comes, as seems appropriate, in three parts. First: that you immediately ascend to Elder Fury status, several decades sooner than usual.”

Okay, on the one hand that meant getting sucked further into Fury politics sooner than I wanted, but on the other it meant Nifty! New! Powers! like keeping my enhanced telepathy with my Amphisbaena, who seemed just as enthused about that prospect as I.

“Second: We will champion your brother’s cause once your mother assumes her place upon the Conclave and puts him forward for entrance to the—ah—
Sister
hood of Furies.”

I didn’t need to ask
how
they knew any of that, just found myself grateful for the assist. We were going to
need
the divine intervention since there’d never been a male Fury in all the millennia since Nyx birthed the first three.

“Third: something We have not considered implementing in the past but now feel is absolutely crucial going forward. A second Persephone solution needs must be put into place, especially considering that your mate is now three-quarters divine.”

I froze as her words sank in. I hadn’t truly considered the ramifications of Scott’s being mostly immortal as far as our relationship went, not beyond the fact that we’d be
forced to spend so much time apart. Stupid, considering the lengths Anubis and Kamanu had taken to put themselves on an even level, metaphysically speaking. It only made sense that they would be concerned about the new disparity between Scott and me—which would hit the moment my ambrosia wore off. The whole
second Persephone solution
thing did
not
sound good, however.

“Marissa Holloway, the Triad of Immortals bestows upon you the first permanent position as Our Nemesis and calls upon you to serve as such for no less than one-twelfth of each year as needed, during which time you shall be charged with such duties as restoring Imseti’s body to him and recovering the traitorous Fury, Medea Holloway, so she may face justice and your grandmother be restored to
her
body.”

Shock at the potential ramifications of accepting this charge—which hadn’t
really
sounded like a choice—battled admiration for how neatly they’d boxed me in. Not surprising that they wanted to engage me in returning Imseti to his corporeal form in light of my previous success (and luck!)—even less surprising that they dangled the carrot of saving my grandmother from permanent death to ensure I’d cooperate. Honestly, it was the kind of crazy, brilliant scheme
I
might have come up with.

Scott and I exchanged looks again.
That
was another potential benefit: As a full demigoddess, I could visit him in Duat during his times there if needs—or overwhelming Fury hormones—be. My gaze went back to Ala, and I slowly nodded. The situation was not ideal—immortal rewards often hid double-edged blades, and who knew exactly how long
no less than one-twelfth of each year
would play out logistically. Still, the potential
price was one I was willing to pay. To secure their help in acceptance for my brother, to bring both Sean and Medea—blackhearted betrayers—to justice, and to ensure Scott and I maintained the delicate divine balance allowing us to be together, I would dare far worse.

I crossed my arms and strove to sound nonchalant. “So, where do I sign up?”