Page 105 of Courting War
No, she was worse because she hurt her friends. She hurt Cecile with her callousness and Kellyn with her lies.
And she hated herself for it. A tear rolled down her face, and she batted it away.
Kellyn was different. He was her opium. He was poppy tears and poison. Potent both physically and mentally. He was the drugthat awakened her soul, melting the ice in her veins. She couldn’t turn back the clock and return to the god she’d been before.
She couldn’t un-experience his kindness, patience, and caring. He’d shown her what it was like to need someone, to depend on someone, to havehimtake care of her, to have him there for her even when he didn’t want to be.
Kellyn had shown her genuine kindness, and Theo couldn’t forget it.
His kindness had changed her. Irrevocably.
He’d broken her hollow echo and replaced it with something far more terrifying. Something she couldn’t dare name . . .
Theo had her revenge in the palm of her hand. She had everything she needed to regain her divinity . . . but she couldn’t take it back.Not now. Because taking it back would mean leaving Kellyn to face the Sacrifice alone. The divine couldn’t play the games, and he was doomed if she got what she wanted.
Tears flowed down her cheeks freely.
Theo had spent 10,000 years being a selfish god. Ten thousand years focused on her needs, pain, and hollow unbreakable echo. But no longer. She’d change. For Kellyn, for Cecile, but primarily for herself.
She slammed the book shut, and it hissed at her, but Theo didn’t care. She vowed to see these sickening games through.
Vowed to save Kellyn at all costs. Even if he hated her.
Cecile was right. Theo had ruined many lives with her cruelty and apathy. Lives like the former Theoden champions and Medusa. Theo was sick of being the villain, sick of breaking everything. She couldn’t do anything about her dead champions, but she could at least fix one mistake.
Theo needed Havyn to do it, and as if summoned, she stepped out of the shadows. “Well, that was rather unfortunate.”
“You were watching?”
“Of course, I was. I am darkness, after all.”
“Have you come to gloat?”
The corners of Havyn’s lips twitched. “Partly, but I also sense you might need me.”
Theo’s brows drew together.How?
Havyn was always seven steps ahead. Almost as if she were a seer, but that was an impossibility. Only humans were seers.
“How did you . . . you know, never mind,” Theo panted. “I need you to help me—”
“Yes, you need help with a spell, and you need me to counter Love’s magic chain for an hour so you can leave the palace, not to mention make sure your torc doesn’t kill you while you do.” Havyn’s lips curled up in a self-satisfied smile. Theo had completely forgotten about the chain and the torc. Love must have been giving them a long leash.
“I will accept an open-ended favor as payment,” Havyn said.
“How did you know I needed you?”
“I will always be seven steps ahead of you, sister.”
Theo jolted. Was Havyn reading her mind? Another impossibility.
“How?”
“Erety told me,” Havyn said, “Did you know my wife is an oracle?”
No. Theo didn’t. But it made sense, she had become the Goddess of Fate after turning. But this was just another example of Theo’s self-centered nature. She didn’t care to know anything that didn’t affect her.
“Now, shall we?”Giving no warning, Havyn refracted them to the edge of Medusa’s lair.
