by Aimee Carter
He hesitated, but finally he gave in. “Anytime you need me, I will be by your side. You have my word.”
I nodded, and he pressed his lips to my forehead. It was such a chaste kiss that I wondered if he would give me a proper goodbye or not. Probably not, I realized. Not with my mother watching.
“I will be waiting for you when you return,” he said. “And I love you.”
This time I hadn’t imagined or dreamed it; he’d really said it, and not because of some test or bet or obligation. Because he meant it. Something inside of me swelled, and I felt as if I was going to burst. “Love you, too.”
With that, he braved the mess that was my face and kissed me deeply. I tried to make it linger, but he pulled away, and I knew it was time to go.
I trudged down the drive, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds as I took my time. While Henry’s presence behind me pulled me back, knowing that I would have to leave before I could see him again pushed me forward. This was my home now, and nothing could keep me away forever.
When I reached the top of the gentle hill that hid any view of the manor from the outside world, I turned and waved, startled to see Henry was the only one still there. He raised his hand in return, and I forced myself to continue forward.
The gate came into view and with it a sight that made me stop in my tracks. Suddenly I understood exactly why Henry had been so adamant about reminding me I could do what I wanted with my summers.
James leaned against the same car he’d used to drive me to Eden Manor, and he wore the same humungous headphones he’d had in September. The only thing that was different was the lack of a smile on his face.
I slipped out from between the gates and hesitated, not sure what to say. Wordlessly he stepped around to open my door for me, and I thanked him, but he said nothing. It wasn’t until we were driving down the gravel road that I finally found the courage to talk, and even then my voice came out as a squeak.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my hands clasped together so tightly that my knuckles were white. “For everything.”
“Don’t be.” He turned the corner and the hedge disappeared from view. “You did what you had to do, and so did Henry. So did the council. I knew it was a long shot anyway after I met you.”
I pressed my lips together, not knowing what to say. I was sure he’d meant it as a compliment, but it didn’t help the guilt that gnawed at me incessantly. “You’ll exist for a long time, right? I mean, the world isn’t going to end tomorrow.”
“I don’t know,” said James, and for a moment I heard a hint of the boy who liked to build things with fries. “With Calliope on the rampage, anything’s possible.”
Leaning back against my seat, I let myself relax. At least he was still in there somewhere. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace I think you should go before you leave for the summer,” he said. When it was clear he wasn’t going to give me any more details, I resigned myself to looking out the window and trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t hurt so much.
Henry had been telling the truth. What had once been Main Street in Eden was now a dirt road surrounded by trees on either side, and the spot where Eden High School had stood was nothing more than a meadow. Even though I’d only been there for a few weeks, I felt a pang as we drove by. There would be no going back, not to the life I’d known as a mortal, and it was a loss I hadn’t been prepared to deal with.
By the time we reached our destination, we’d found civilization once more. It wasn’t New York City, but it wasn’t all dirt and trees either. Several small buildings clustered together to form a town near the hospital where my mother had stayed. I looked around, trying to find something familiar, but there were only small factories and churches and grocery stores.
James drove past a pair of wrought-iron gates, and my eyes widened as I realized where we were. I could hear the gravel on the road crunch underneath the tires, and he wound the car down the path slowly, coming to a stop a quarter of a mile inside.
“Come on,” he said, opening the door. “I want to show you something.”
I stepped out and stared at the cemetery that surrounded us, the headstones and statues rising out of the brown grass. Some of them were newer, the names clear and readable, while others we passed were so old and worn that I could hardly make out any kind of engraving at all. James kept his distance, shoving his hands in his pockets as if he were afraid to touch me, and I trailed behind him, busying myself with avoiding the mud and the melting snow.
He stopped in front of a fresh grave, one that was so new that there was no tombstone. Just a temporary marker with a name written in black marker. James stepped aside so I could see it, but there was no need. I knew exactly where we were.
“Diana Winters,” I said softly, running my shaking fingers over the letters that formed her name. “But I thought she was—”
“Alive?” said James, and I nodded. “As a deity, yes. But she took a mortal form to raise you, and that mortal form died ten days ago.”
I was silent, wondering what he expected me to say to that.
“She’s still your mother,” he said, “but you need to understand that things won’t be the same between you now, and things won’t be the same between you and Henry or you and the rest of the council either.”
I bristled at that. “Just like things aren’t the same between you and me?” I said, but instead of showing any signs of anger or frustration, James shrugged.
“Somewhat different, given you’re closer to both of them, but yeah. Something like that.”
I crouched down next to the marker, running my fingers over it as I stared at the mound of dirt that held my mother’s human body. I wasn’t sure what to feel—sadness was unavoidable, but there was a jumble of other emotions I didn’t fully understand. Relief, maybe, that her battle had ended. Fear for this new reality I faced and the truths I’d learned while she’d been wasting away in a hospital bed.
But most of all I felt a hollow ache inside of me, and it took me several seconds to realize I missed the life we’d had before we’d come to Eden. Not the years of sickness and pain, but the trips to Central Park. The Christmas trees. The days when I knew my best friend was only a short walk down the hall. Those were over now, and a new existence stretched out before me, blank except for the faces of Henry, my mother, and the rest of the council.
“I know it’s the end,” I said, placing a hand on the raised dirt. “I’ve known that for a long time.”
“No, it’s not,” said James, moving to stand beside me. “It’s the beginning.”
We stayed there until the cold seeped into my clothes and the fog clung to my hair, leaving me chilled and damp. I accepted his hand as he helped me up, and I touched the marker one last time, proof of my humanity and my brief existence in a world where all things died. At last, with a heavy heart, I tore myself away.
“So what are you going to do during the summer?” said James as we walked to the car. Even though it was an obvious attempt to lighten the mood, it took me several moments to reply, my mind too clouded with thoughts of my mother. I felt anchored to her grave, but with each step I took, the weight became a little easier to bear. It would never go away completely, I knew that, but at least I was sure that one day I would be able to accept it.
“I don’t know,” I said, and I stared at the muddy ground as I entertained the possibilities laid out before me. I could go back to New York City, but there was nothing for me there. I could stay in Eden with the trees, but I figured that would get boring after the first month or so. “Maybe try some authentic Greek food. I’ve never been to Greece, y’know.”
“Greece,” said James, and there was emptiness in his voice that ate at me. “It’s nice in the summer.”
Tentatively I reached out to slip my arm into his, and he didn’t move away. “Do you want to come?”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
“Of course.” I grinned with effort, but that didn’t m
ake it any less real. “I don’t want to go to Greece on my own, and I can’t imagine a better tour guide than one of my best friends.”
Slowly a smile spread across his face, but there was a hint of distance in his eyes I couldn’t completely ignore. “I’d really like that.”
The gravel crunched underneath our feet as we reached the car, and he opened the door for me, the silence between us now comfortable instead of tense and ugly. I sat down and relaxed against the seat as he slid behind the wheel. There was a lingering doubt in the back of my mind as I smiled at him and saw that look in his eyes again, but I pushed it away. Things weren’t anywhere near perfect, but no matter what happened, at least I had my friend back.
As we drove away, I twisted around to see my mother’s grave, dark against the remaining piles of white snow. James was right; this wasn’t an ending. It was the beginning my mother had wanted for me and the beginning I’d wanted for myself all along. I may not have planned on living forever, but now that I was, I was going to make the most of every moment.
GUIDE OF GODS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In one way or another, everyone who has ever been a significant part of my life has helped me down this path, and I’m grateful for everything. I’d like to acknowledge the following people in particular:
Rosemary Stimola, my lovely agent who never gives up. Thank you for taking a chance on me.
Mary-Theresa Hussey, my amazing editor, and Natashya Wilson, Senior Editor at Harlequin Teen. You’ve both been wonderfully supportive, and I’m so excited to continue this journey with you.
The many teachers I’ve had over the years, especially Terry Brooks, Jim Burnstein, Kathy Churchill, Larry Francis, Wendy Gortney, Kim Henson, Chris Keane, Bob Mayer, Mike Sack and John Saul. By teaching me how to tell a story, you showed me who I am.
Shannon and John Tullius. Your tireless support gave me hope that maybe I wasn’t as terrible as I thought I was.
Sarah Reck and Caitlin Straw, the two best friends and first readers I could ever ask for.
Melissa Anelli, the world’s greatest cheerleader.
And Jo, who changed my life just by living hers.
Thank you all so much for everything.
Immortality or love. You can’t have both.
If you loved The Goddess Test, don’t miss the rest of the Goddess Test series. Available now!
The Goddess Hunt (novella)
Goddess Interrupted
The Goddess Legacy
The Goddess Inheritance
“A fresh take on the Greek myths adds sparkle to this romantic fable.”
—Cassandra Clare on The Goddess Test
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Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she’ll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry’s first wife, Persephone.
“Do you accept your role as Queen of the Underworld?” said Henry.
I could do this. I had to do this. For Henry’s sake—for my mother’s sake. For my sake. Because in the end, without Henry, I didn’t know who I was anymore.
As I opened my mouth to say yes, a crash shattered the silence. I twisted around to survey the damage, but before I could get a good look, Ava appeared beside me and took my elbow. “We have to get out of here.” As we scrambled forward, another crash echoed through the hall, and a shimmering fog seeped into the palace. The same fog from my vision.
This was the thing that had nearly killed Henry, and now it was attacking all of us. Without warning, it sliced through the air faster than the members of the council could control it, but it wasn’t aimed at Henry or Walter or Phillip.
It went directly for me.
* * *
Praise for
THE GODDESS TEST
by
Aimée Carter
“This absorbing, contemporary take on the Greek myth of Persephone features romance, mystery, suspense, and an engaging, fully dimensional protagonist.”
—Booklist
“[A]bsolutely unique, fresh and fascinating.”
—BewitchedBookworms.com
“The narrative is well executed, and Kate is a heroine better equipped than most to confront and cope with the inexplicable.”
—Publishers Weekly
Also by
Aimée Carter from Harlequin TEEN
THE GODDESS TEST
THE GODDESS HUNT (ebook)
GODDESS INTERRUPTED
AIMÉE CARTER
For Melissa Anelli,
who knows how it feels to climb that long,
winding road just to see the dawn.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Acknowledgments
Guide to the Gods
Prologue
Calliope trudged through the sunny field as she ignored the babble of the redhead trailing behind her. Ingrid was the first mortal who had tried to pass the test to become Henry’s wife, and maybe if he’d spent more than five minutes a day with her, Henry would’ve understood why Calliope had killed her.
“You’re in for a treat,” said Ingrid, scooping up a rabbit from the tall grass and hugging it to her chest. “Everything’s going to bloom at noon.”
“Like it did yesterday?” said Calliope. “And the day before that? And the day before that?”
Ingrid beamed. “Isn’t it beautiful? Did you see the butterflies?”
“Yes, I saw the butterflies,” said Calliope. “And the deer. And every other pointless piece of your afterlife.”
A dark cloud passed over Ingrid’s face. “I’m sorry you think it’s stupid, but it’s my afterlife, and I like it this way.”
It took a great deal of effort, but Calliope fought off the urge to roll her eyes. Upsetting Ingrid would only make things worse, and at the rate this was going, it would be ages before Calliope got out of here. “You’re right,” she said tightly. “It’s only that I never spend any time in this realm, so the process is unfamiliar to me.”
Ingrid relaxed and ran her fingers through the rabbit’s fur. “Of course you don’t sp
end time here,” she said with a giggle that set Calliope’s teeth on edge. “You’re a goddess. You can’t die. Unlike me,” she added, skipping across a few feet of meadow. “But it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be.”
If that idiot of a girl knew a damn thing, she’d have known that Calliope wasn’t just any goddess. She was one of the original six members of the council, before they’d had children and the council had expanded. Before her husband had decided fidelity was beneath him. Before they’d started handing out immortality like it was candy. She was the daughter of Titans, and she wasn’t merely a goddess. She was a queen.
And no matter what the council and that bitch Kate had decided, she didn’t deserve to be here.
“Good,” said Calliope. “Death is a stupid thing to fear.”
“Henry makes sure I’m comfortable. He comes by every once in a while and spends the afternoon with me,” said Ingrid, and she added with a catty grin, “You never did tell me who won.”
Calliope opened her mouth to say that it wasn’t a contest, but that wasn’t true. Every part of it had been a competition, and she’d worked for the prize far more than the others. She’d wiped out her opponents masterfully. Even Kate would have died if Henry and Diana hadn’t intervened.
Calliope should’ve won, and the grin on Ingrid’s face felt like salt in the gaping hole where her heart had once been. First she’d lost her husband, and when she thought she’d found someone who could understand her plight and give her the love she so badly desired, that someone—Henry—had never given her a chance. Because of it, she’d lost everything. Her freedom, her dignity, every ounce of respect she’d fought to gain through the millennia, but most of all, she’d lost Henry.
