Page 336 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“Better now?” he asks.

“He should be fine, no? He was fine before.”

“Of course, dear. He should start healing from the inside out now.”

“Why is he not saying anything then?”

“You’re worrying too much, Rità. You know it takes some time. We’re talking about thousands of years’ worth of memories, across multiple timelines. He’s probably overwhelmed.”

“My poor baby,” she murmurs.

“I can hear you, you know,” I add drily as I open my eyes, this time seeing them with lifetimes of history between us.

“See, he’s fine,” my father points out.

“You are?” Mother asks tentatively, moving closer to me. “Can I hug you then?”

“Come here,” I say and open my arms for her.

She lets out an excited squeak and rushes to hug me—a little too tight.

“That’s enough, Rità, he’s still recovering.”

“I missed my baby,” Mother murmurs as she kisses my cheek.

“Missed you too, Mom.” I chuckle. As she finally draws away, I grab my father’s arm and pull him into a hug. “Missed you too, Dad.”

“It’s good to have you back, Valerìon.”

My father is not one for overly overt displays of affection—unless you happen to be my mother—so he quickly resumes his place next to my bed.

“How did we do this time?” I ask them, ready to focus on the most important issue at hand.

My mother glances at my father sheepishly. “We think we’re on the right track this time.”

“She’s still captured,” I point out the obvious.

“Yes, but it took much longer for that to happen. In fact, I had a great idea?—”

Father stifles a laugh.

“What great idea?” I raise a brow. Mother somehow always hasideas.

“Well, as you know, the order already changed when Minnie went to the House of Moirai first andthento the House of Psyche. That, and she cut the proper thread this time.”

“Okay, and?”

“I’ve been thinking that since last time your soul triggered the defense mechanisms of Psyche due to your Tartareian essence, perhaps I could remove it before you died and then it would be easier for her to steal your soul.”

“That sounds logical.” I nod.

“But your mother failed to think about the fact that you would eventuallyneedthat essence back to be whole, so we had to come up with a different plan.”

“Just for the record,bothof us came up with this plan, all right?”

“What?”

“Well, your body. It was the perfect vessel for the remaining energy. And it stayed safe and hidden until?—”

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