by Aimee Carter
“For the seventh and final test, pride and humility.” My mother paused and smiled. “Kate passes.”
I didn’t understand. The ruling was over, wasn’t it? Hadn’t their decision already been made? I couldn’t fail any of the tests. Walter himself had said it. I waited for some kind of explanation, but it didn’t come.
“Those who agree?” said Walter.
Wildly I turned from face to face, but none of them gave any hint. Ava, Ella, even Henry gave no sign of what was happening. One after the other they murmured their agreement. To my surprise, Calliope, who looked so pale and miserable that I couldn’t help but feel a stab of sympathy for her, also nodded.
They were saying yes, I realized. They were voting. Even though I’d slept with Henry, by some miracle I hadn’t failed completely. But when the vote reached James, my breath caught in my throat, and I was sure he would shake his head.
Without meeting my eye, he, too, nodded. The others continued to vote, but I stared at him, and when at last he looked up, I mouthed a simple thank you.
“So it has been decided,” said Walter when the vote reached him. “Katherine Winters will be granted immortality, and she will be wed to our brother, to rule the Underworld with him as long as she so chooses.” And then he smiled, his ancient eyes twinkling. “Welcome to the family. This session of the council is adjourned.”
The finality in his voice confused me, and dumbfounded, I waited as the council stood and headed toward the door. Some—Ella, Nicholas, Irene, Sofia, even Xander—squeezed my shoulder or gave me a word of encouragement as they passed. Ava grinned widely. Others, particularly Calliope, said nothing as they left. James, too, passed by without a word, his shoulders hunched and his head bowed. Remembering his nod and thinking of what it must have cost him to give it, I wanted to reach out to him, but I was frozen on my stool, unable to move in fear all of this would shatter and reveal itself to be nothing but a dream.
Soon only three of us remained. Me, Henry and my mother. She stood once the others had left, and without a word she enveloped me in her arms, hugging me gently. I rested my chin on her shoulder and buried my nose in her hair. Apples and freesia. It was really her.
I don’t know how long she held me, but by the time we let go of one another, my chest ached and I’d slid halfway off the stool. She helped me right myself, but it was Henry standing a few feet away from us who caught my eye.
“Was—” I paused and cleared my throat, hating how small my voice sounded. “Was that a good thing or a bad thing?”
Henry stepped beside me, and both he and my mother gently helped me stand. “You passed,” he said. “I hope you are pleased.”
Pleased wasn’t exactly the word for it. Confused, yes. Reeling, sure. And I wasn’t going to be pleased until I understood what had happened. “He said I failed,” I said, wobbling on my feet. “How could I pass after I failed?”
“It was the seventh test, sweetheart,” said my mother. “You did not fail lust. Even if you hadn’t loved him, Henry made sure we were all aware of what happened. This was the only way the council had to test you on your pride. In accepting your failure despite wanting to stay, and in respecting the council’s decision, you showed humility.”
“And by showing humility, you passed the final test,” said Henry.
“So—” I stopped, hating that I felt so slow and stupid, but it felt too good to be true. “What does that mean? What’s going to happen now?”
Henry cleared his throat. “It means, if you agree, we will be married at sunset.”
Married at sunset. What had felt like a far-fetched fantasy hours ago now pressed against me, an impending reality that was hurtling toward me faster than I could run away.
Not that I was running. This was what I’d wanted, wasn’t it? Not to be anyone’s wife, but to give Henry a chance. To give him the same hope I’d wanted for myself, and now with my mother here, even if she wasn’t exactly the same, we’d both won, hadn’t we?
No…not all of us. Calliope hadn’t won, and neither had James. In order for Henry to be alive and happy, in order for me to have my mother back, they had to lose. Calliope had brought it on herself, but James—what had he given up for me to have this?
With a start, I realized both Henry and my mother were staring at me. We’d somehow made it across the ballroom, and now we were stopped between the heavy double doors that were opened wide enough for the three of us to exit.
“Yes, of course,” I said, my face reddening. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t hesitating, I was just—thinking, and—of course I still want to do this.”
It wasn’t until Henry relaxed that I noticed how tense he’d grown. “I am glad to hear that,” he said, his relief plain in his voice. “May I ask what it was you were thinking of?”
I didn’t want to tell him that I was worried about James, in case it was still a sore spot for him, so instead I asked the question that had been burning in my mind ever since Ava had walked through those doors. “Was it all a setup?”
There was an awkward silence, and this time I saw Henry and my mother exchanging looks, as if all they needed to communicate was a glance. It wasn’t so impossible, really, and I bit the inside of my cheek, irritated they weren’t sharing.
“Yes and no,” said my mother. We continued slowly down the hallway, each step more painful than the last, but my injuries were the least of my concerns. “After the decades Henry spent searching for a new queen, when it became apparent his search wasn’t yielding the results we needed—”
“I was going to give up,” said Henry. “Each girl failed before they’d begun, or if they showed any promise at all, they turned up dead. We know what was happening now, but I cannot tell you how heart-wrenching it was to watch those young women die, knowing it was my fault. I could not bring myself to put anyone else in such danger, and I was determined it would end.”
“And I was just as determined that he try until we had no more time left,” said my mother. “So we compromised. Persephone…” Something in her expression changed, and for the briefest of moments I saw shame. “Persephone was my daughter. Your sister. It’s my fault she was never happy, and because of that, Henry was never happy either.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” said Henry with quiet fierceness. “It was no one’s fault but my own. I am the one who could not make her happy—”
“And I’m the one who pushed you together to begin with,” said my mother. “Don’t argue with me, Henry. I mean it.”
He fell silent, though I thought I saw the barest hint of a smile.
“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.” She ran her fingers through my hair, and I knew she didn’t mean any of the sharpness in her voice. “You always had a choice, sweetheart. If you didn’t want to do this, we would have all accepted it and proceeded without you. You have always been in control of your life—all we did was offer you the opportunity.”
My throat tightened as I imagined what might have happened if I hadn’t. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It would have given you an unfair advantage,” said my mother. “It needed to be your decision, not one I influenced you to make or one that you automatically rejected because you knew what you were getting into. Besides,” she added gently, “even if I’d told you, would you really have believed me?”
Of course not. And when I left for the real world, who would possibly believe me if I told them how I spent my winters? Nobody sane, I was sure of it. “Does Eden even exist? Everyone there, even Ava and Dylan—was that part of giving me a choice?”
“Eden does not exist outside of the few weeks you occupied it,” said Henry. “If you decide to go back to where the town stood, you will see nothing but trees and fields. I am sorry for the deception.”
So was I. I pursed my lips, trying to come up with something to say that didn’t make me sound like I was twelve. “Just—don’t do it again, all right?” I looked between him and my mother. “No more lies, and no more ho
lding out on me.”
To my surprise, my mother laughed, but it wasn’t the laugh I was used to. It was a strange combination of sounds—a gurgling brook, the chirping of crickets and somehow the first day of spring. It was incredible.
“Of course,” she said, her voice filled with affection that spilled through me and made it easier to walk the next few feet. “Now, before we get to your wedding, is there anything else you’d like to know?”
My wedding. A lump formed in my throat, and it was all I could do to speak around it. “Yeah,” I said hoarsely. “What kind of name is Diana for a goddess, anyway?”
She laughed again, and the knot in my throat loosened. “Ella was rather put out I took her Roman name, but she did not want it, and I’ve always been quite fond of it. We all choose new ones throughout the years.”
“Ones that match where and when we are,” said Henry. “We are most famous within Greek mythology, and that is why we are known throughout by our Greek names.”
“But we have no real names,” said my mother. “We were created before names.”
“And we will survive long after names are needed,” said Henry.
My mother glanced at him. “Some of us, anyhow.”
Her words brought an image of James crashing into my thoughts, and I tried to push it away, but he remained stubbornly in the forefront of my mind. “You’re really the Olympians then?”
“All thirteen,” said my mother. “Plus Henry, on a good day.”
He grunted, and my frown deepened as I struggled to put the pieces together. “Then—who’s who? I mean, I know who you two are, Hades and Demeter, but everyone else?”
“You mean to tell me you haven’t figured it out already?” said Henry. I gave him a dirty look.
“Not all of us are omniscient, y’know.”
“Neither are we,” he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
I chewed on my lower lip as I thought about it. “I could probably guess if I had to. Not all of you though.” I shook my head. “Olympians. That’s—” Incredible. Unspeakable. “A warning would’ve been nice.”
I must’ve sounded bitterer than I’d intended, because my mother hugged me tighter and buried her nose in my hair. “No matter what I’m called or who I am, I’m still your mother, and I love you very, very much.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. She was my mother, but my mother didn’t have laughter that felt like sunshine. My mother gave up her life for me, and what was left of her was cold and stiff. Not this warm, bubbly being who was so much stronger than I would ever be.
“Come,” said Henry, apparently sensing my change in mood. We stopped in front of a pair of richly decorated doors depicting the earth and the world below, and my breath caught in my throat. Persephone’s bedroom.
“Henry?” I said, but he shook his head and offered me nothing but a smile in return. I tugged self-consciously on the white lace of my dress, making sure my bandages hadn’t leaked.
The doors open, and instead of the shrine it had been only months before, it was empty except for a small white arch decorated with a rainbow of daisies. Standing off to the side were nine of the other council members, all but Calliope and James, and Walter stood underneath the arch, waiting for us.
“I hope it will do,” said Henry. “I was not sure if you wanted something more elaborate.”
“No,” I said breathlessly. “This is perfect.”
My mother took my hand, her eyes shining with tears. “That’s my girl,” she said, and even though I never wanted her to leave again, I knew it was time. This was my life now, and while she would always be part of it, she would no longer be the center. It was a shift I hadn’t been expecting, but somehow these past six months had prepared me for it.
I let go of her hand, and she walked away to join the others. Henry led me to the archway, and as Walter spoke, I could feel every eye on us. Henry and I repeated our simple vows, and in a voice with such unshakable authority that the very stones of the manor seemed to quake, Walter proclaimed us husband and wife.
Henry leaned forward to kiss me, and as he did, heat started at my lips and ran through me, leaving coolness in its wake that replaced the pain. By the time he pulled away, my body felt whole again, healed and strong in a way it never had before. But that wasn’t what mattered; what mattered was the way he looked at me, as if this moment were the happiest in his long life. And deep inside of me, I knew I would never be alone again.
We spent our wedding night in my suite playing card games and making every effort to avoid mentioning what would happen the next day. It was my last night in Eden Manor for six months, and even though I knew I would return, something about it felt final. Half a year was no time at all for Henry, but for me, it stretched out in front of me, the end nowhere in sight.
Married one day and gone the next. Somehow it didn’t seem fair. I could return early if I wanted, I knew that, but my mother was adamant that I spend my first summer without Henry.
The next morning we had breakfast in bed, me sitting cross-legged in my pajamas on one side and him on the other. I was allowed to eat now that it was spring again, and even though I wasn’t any hungrier than usual, I attacked my pancakes with unusual vigor, making a mess of myself in the process. Henry didn’t seem to mind; every now and then he leaned toward me and kissed the syrup off my lips, smirking when he saw me blush.
Packing took no time at all, and much sooner than I’d anticipated, I stood facing the majority of my new family on the winding drive that led to the front gates. Once again Calliope was missing, but it was James’s empty spot that made my insides twist unpleasantly.
One by one I hugged them goodbye, even gruff Phillip, who smelled of horses and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but witnessing this tear-filled display of sentimentality. Before I’d even reached her, Ava was crying, and she threw her arms around me so tightly that I thought she might never let go. “Oh, Kate—I’m going to miss you!”
“I’m going to miss you, too.” No matter what had passed between us that winter, I hoped her tears meant all was forgiven and that I would see her when I came back in the fall. “One day you’ll have to fill me in on everything that happened when I wasn’t looking.”
She nodded, too choked up to speak, and with one last hug, we finally let go of each other.
My mother was next. She stood serenely in the sunlight, looking as if she were glowing, and for a moment I was afraid to touch her. She fixed that for me, gathering me up in a hug and giving me a wet kiss on the cheek. “Have fun,” she said warmly, but there was a glint in her eyes that made it clear she expected me to uphold our deal. I would stay away for six months, but this was the only summer I’d let her boss me around. “Go experience mortal life before it passes you by.”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to enjoy mortal life again, knowing what was waiting for me in the autumn, but I nodded. “Love you,” I said, suddenly as choked up as Ava. My mother gazed at me, and for a long moment it felt as if we were the only two people in the world. But as quickly as it had come, the feeling vanished, and then it was Henry’s turn.
I didn’t know what to say, so instead I wrapped my arms around him, and he embraced me. I was crying in earnest now, making a mess of what little makeup Ava had talked me into that morning, but I didn’t care.
“Take care of Pogo, yeah?” I said with a sniff, pulling away to wipe my eyes.
“Cerberus and I both promise to do so,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “Kate…whatever is waiting for you outside that gate, remember that the summer is yours to do with what you please.” His voice was strained, but he seemed to make an effort to push past it. “It is none of my business what you decide to do with that time.”
“I know,” I said. “And I also know that the way I feel about you isn’t going to change just because the seasons do. So if you don’t mind too much, I’m going to stick to the vows I made.” I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “You can’t g
et rid of me that easily.”
He managed to return it. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am to hear that, but that still does not change—”
“Henry,” I said firmly. “Enough about that. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not, so you might as well get used to it.”
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.
