I can see his face as he falls off the tower.
It keeps cropping up between all the other memories, hitting harder every time. He never looked away. He watched me until the very end.
He didn’t die fast enough. Not right away. He felt those spikes—
Why can’t I stop reliving all this? I need to stop. I need to shut it down.
Oh gods…
“Boone.” His name whispers from my lips.
I curl into Hades, gripping his shirt, squeezing my eyes shut.
“I’m sorry,” Hades murmurs. “I’m sorry.” He runs a soothing hand over my hair. “I’m sorry.”
His words are like a ribbon of warmth wrapping around my heart, not taking away the pain but soothing it, gentling it. It slows the memories I don’t want to relive.
I stay tucked in against him. “Can you find B—”
My throat clogs around his name.
Breathe.
Start over.
“Can you find his soul a good place in Elysium? Like you did for Isabel?” I whisper, my voice thick. “I know he’s a thief, but—”
“Don’t worry about that. He’ll be taken care of.”
Is Boone down here already? Is he crossing the Styx on Charon’s boat? Is he walking into the Fields of Asphodel alone?
“Can I see him?”
Hades stiffens against me slightly. “No. It’s not good for souls to see loved ones so soon after. It confuses them or causes them pain, makes them want to go back. That’s how souls get trapped in the Overworld and become spirits.”
“Oh.” I pluck at his shirt. “Thank you.”
“Don’t… Don’t thank me, Lyra.”
His statement is the first thing that’s made the memories completely stop. I should be grateful. But I frown against his chest. “Why?”
“He was right. This is my fault. You’re here because of me. He was here because of me. I did this.” His voice is weighted with guilt. “I’m so sorry, Lyra.”
I lift my head. Dull gray eyes look back at me, and my heart squeezes. It took me getting roasted by a dragon and then losing Boone for Hades to realize what entering me into the Crucible really means to me. But the thing is…
“I’m not angry with you,” I tell him.
He can’t hold my gaze and looks away. “You should be.”
“You told me about Persephone.” I take a breath. “You may not want to tell me how the Crucible is involved, but I know you didn’t do this to me on a whim.”
His gaze cuts back to me, searching mine. For what? The truth in my words? The anger he thinks I should feel?
“You don’t do anything without a specific reason, Hades. A good reason. Am I wrong?”
Don’t tell me I’m wrong and you’re as petty as the others. I don’t think I could take it.
Hades swallows hard. “Someday, I’ll tell you the rest, and I think you’ll agree it was a good reason. In fact, I know you will. But I’m not sure now that it’s good enough for what you are having to pay. I didn’t know.”
I knew it. Deep in my heart. I’m not here because some capricious god is toying with me just for shits and giggles or greed for a throne. Boone won’t die for no reason at all.
At the mere thought of him, tears burn, and I close my eyes and screw up my face, stuffing them back down. I try to focus on Hades, on the distraction he’s providing. “Why can’t you tell me now? Maybe it will make me feel better.”
Hades shakes his head. “It’s too dangerous now. But if you win, I’ll…” He trails off.
I force my stinging eyes open to study the underside of his chin. “You’ll what? Tell me?”
He straightens against me, expression suddenly intent. “If you win.” He looks directly at me now, and I can feel the emotions vibrating through him. “If you win, I can save Boone.”
77
The Power Of A Sovereign
My eyes go wide. “What?” The word rips from me. “What did you say?”
“The King or Queen of the Gods, and only that god or goddess, has the ability to make new gods out of mortals. If you win the Crucible, I’ll—”
