The Goddess Test Boxed Set: Goddess Interrupted\The Goddess Inheritance\The Goddess Legacy (75 page)

“It would be no great thing for you to focus on helping us with
Ava's duties in the meantime,” said Walter. “Of us all, you are best suited for
the role, at least for a short period of time.”

A short period of time to Walter could have easily been a
hundred years. “I can't,” I said. “I'm sorry, but I can't replace her, and I
can't leave my family.”

“I'll do it,” said Eros—Eric. Even though his voice was high
and boyish, he'd featured prominently in a few of the myths I'd learned, which
meant he couldn't be that young, after all. “It's what my mother would have
wanted.”

“As generous an offer as it is,” said Walter, “you are not a
member of the council. You do not have the ability.”

Eric's face fell, and seeing his disappointment on top of his
grief was a punch to the gut. “I'll help him,” I blurted. “He can report to me,
and I'll make sure everything goes according to plan. Just as long as I don't
have to leave the Underworld for extended periods of time.”

Walter turned to Henry, who nodded once. “That is acceptable to
me, so long as Kate is not forced into any position she does not feel she is
ready for.”

“Very well,” said Walter. “In addition, I ask that Kate and
Eric be in charge of finding a suitable candidate for a more permanent
role.”

A goddess. He wanted us to find another goddess. Or a mortal to
take the test and earn immortality the way I had. “How?”

He shrugged. “I do not particularly care how you handle it,
only that it is done. Henry is familiar with the process. He can help you.”

Henry murmured his agreement, and just like that, it was up to
me and Ava's son to find someone who could take over her role on the
council—someone who couldn't possibly exist.

Then again, Henry must've thought the same when he began his
search for a new queen. If he could overcome his fears and hesitations, I could
do the same. “Okay,” I said softly. “I'll try.”

“I know you will,” said Walter. “And you will do
wonderfully.”

That may have been stretching it, but I would do Ava justice.
She deserved that much. Across the circle, James smiled at me, and I managed a
small one in return. Even if I wasn't up to the task, he would be there every
step of the way. They would all be.

The council wasn't perfect, not by a long shot. Dylan would
probably never like me. They would always give each other knowing looks I would
never understand. Walter and I would probably spend most of forever butting
heads, and it would be a long time before he saw me as an equal. But despite the
fights, despite the lies, despite the frustration and secrets and eons of
history I would never catch up on, they were my family now. And I wasn't letting
them go for anything.

* * *

Henry, Milo and I returned to the Underworld the next
morning. Despite the gloominess of the caverns, there was nowhere else I
would've rather been. We were home.

As we entered our red-and-gold bedroom, I stopped in the
doorway and gazed around, swallowing the lump in my throat. Ava had decorated it
before I'd arrived the year before. How long would it be before everything
stopped reminding me of her?

Never, I hoped. I'd keep my promise to remember her always even
if the guilt and pain killed me.

Henry bowed his head until his face was only inches from mine.
“It will get easier.”

“Promise?” I said.

“Yes.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I cannot tell you
it will ever go away, but that pain is part of you now. It is part of all of us.
And because we know it, because we have had to survive it, we will do what we
must to make sure we never have to experience it again.”

I exhaled. “I miss her. I don't know how Walter expects us to
just replace her like that.”

“I never thought I would find a replacement for Persephone
either,” he said quietly. “And as it happens, I did not. I found something even
better. I found you.”

My hand rested over his heart, and I didn't speak. Words
couldn't have possibly described how much I loved him in that moment. Burying
his nose in my hair, Henry held me as we swayed back and forth to a silent
rhythm.

“You will never find someone to replace Ava because that person
does not exist,” he murmured. “But you will find someone who understands love as
Ava did. Who embodies it. Who has, without question, inherited the passion and
devotion that defined her. And one day, perhaps in a few years, perhaps many
centuries from now, you will stop in the middle of whatever you are doing and
look around, and you will realize that things are okay again. Perhaps never
completely whole, because nothing can fill that gap of loss. But the parts
around it will grow. You will love. You will be happy. You will laugh again. And
that day will be better than today. I promise.”

With the baby between us, I hugged him, burying my nose in the
crook of his neck. “I love you,” I whispered. “Thank you for choosing me. Thank
you for letting me in.”

“I am the one who should be thanking you.” His lips brushed
against my hair, and his fingers tangled in the ends as he splayed his hand
across my back. “And I will, for the rest of eternity. You saved my life, Kate.
You gave me everything. There is nothing I would rather do than be with you
forever.”

“You will be,” I mumbled into his chest. “I'm never letting you
go again.”

He pulled away enough to touch his lips to mine. “Good.”

I captured him in another kiss, deeper this time and full of
everything I couldn't say. How much I loved him, how thankful I was not just for
him, but for the family we had together—all of it. I may have saved his life,
but he'd saved mine, as well. Neither of us would ever have to go through that
dark loneliness again.

Between us, Milo made a small sound, and I broke the kiss to
gaze down at him. He gurgled and waved his tiny fists. “Yes, all right, a kiss
for you, too,” I said, grinning, and I dropped one on his forehead. “Such a
demanding little boy.”

“The staff put together a nursery for Milo in the room next to
ours,” said Henry. “He has everything he needs.”

“Yes, he does.” I looked up at Henry once more. “Can you do me
a favor?”

“Of course,” he said. I hesitated, and a moment later I
launched into the most difficult question I'd ever asked him.

To Henry's credit, he didn't argue. He didn't like it, but
neither did I. That didn't change anything. And it was the right thing to do. He
took my hand, and slowly the bedroom around us faded, replaced by black rock and
a monstrous cavern.

The entrance to Tartarus.

“I sealed off the pathway in the wall,” said Henry. “Only we
can reach it now.”

I nodded. No need to take any chances. Wordlessly I kissed Milo
again and handed him to Henry. My arms felt empty without him, but he'd been in
enough danger to last him an eternal lifetime. He would be safe with Henry no
matter what happened.

Slowly I made my way to the gate. The bars, once carved out of
the black rock itself, now glowed with white light. Rhea. I stood up as straight
as I could. “Cronus, I want to talk to you.”

For several seconds, nothing happened. Not that I expected him
to come running the moment I called, but he didn't have to make this
difficult.

“Please,” I said, the word sour on my tongue. “I won't wait
forever.”

At last an opaque fog slithered across the ground, but it
stopped short of the bars. Unlike before, when he'd had enough of a reach to
wreak havoc in the Underworld, Cronus was completely trapped now.

The fog solidified into the silhouette of a man, and Cronus
stepped toward the gate, as tall and proud as ever. “Kate, my darling, I knew
you'd come back for me.”

“I'm not here to release you,” I said. “I'm here to be with
you.”

“Oh?” said Cronus, eyebrow raised. He focused on something
behind me, and I scowled. He had no right to look at Henry and Milo after
everything he'd done. “In what manner?”

“As your friend. And if not that, then to keep you company.”
Even if I would've rather burned in a lake of fire. “No one should be alone like
this for eternity.”

Cronus's expression grew thoughtful. “I did not realize you
cared.”

“I don't,” I said coolly. “I hate you for what you did to my
family. I hate you for not healing Ava. I hate you for being a megalomaniac who
can't see past your own desires. But you saved my son's life the day he was
born, and I will never forget that.” I paused. “I know what it feels like to
stare into a black future with no one left in your life, and no one deserves
that. So I'm going to come see you. Not every day, but enough to make sure
someone's watching you. Enough to make sure you're not alone.”

He narrowed his eyes. “And if I do not wish for you to
come?”

“Too damn bad. This is how it's going to be whether you like it
or not, so you might as well get used to it.”

A long moment passed, and at last Cronus nodded. “Very well.
Until then.”

He disappeared into the fog, and the tendrils drifted backward
until the darkness swallowed them completely. I took a shaky breath, trying to
calm my racing heart, and Henry placed his hand on my back.

“I love you,” he murmured. Those three words would never lose
their magic. “Even if you are frustratingly good sometimes.”

I brushed my fingers against Milo's cheek, reassuring myself
for the hundredth time that he was still there. “Someone on the council needs to
be,” I said, and Henry chuckled.

“Yes, I suppose you are right. Now come.” He took my hand, his
touch a reminder of everything about this world that I loved. “Let's go
home.”

The black rock around us faded, leaving only lingering remnants
of the war and heartache we'd battled. Henry was right—it would get better in
time, as all things did. As much as loss had defined us, so did our capacity for
hope.

And from here on out, no matter what the future had in store
for us, we would face it together. Always.

* * * * *

 

Acknowledgments

Writing the conclusion to Kate Winters' story is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've ever done, but it would have never been possible without the enthusiasm and support of readers.

So first and foremost, thank you—yes, you—for reading this series. I could have never done this without you.

In addition, I'd like to acknowledge and thank the following people:

As always, I would be nowhere without my magical agent, Rosemary Stimola, and her endless knowledge and support.

The entire Harlequin TEEN team, especially my incredible editor, Mary-Theresa Hussey, senior editor Natashya Wilson, and PR extraordinaire Lisa Wray. Thank you all for taking a chance on these books.

Caitlin Straw, for putting up with me every step of the way.

The ever-growing community of YA bloggers, especially those who supported this series from the beginning.

All of my writer friends, especially Courtney Allison Moulton, Carrie Harris, Lauren DeStefano, Sarah J. Maas, and Melissa Anelli.

All of the people in my life who have ever listened to me ramble about writing, especially Nick Navarre, Ally Hess, Kendall Basore, and Kristine Kempl.

The mother council, including Karla Olson-Bellfi, Barb Zdan, Mary Sweet, Lisa Rutledge, Mary Robert, and Sue Edwards-Haesler.

But most of all, I want to thank my father, Richard Carter, for all of his sacrifice, support, and corny jokes. You're the best dad I could ever ask for. Love you most.

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