Page 68 of Heroines of Olympus

A man hands Psyche over to the person manning the boat and then climbs in. Was his name Cyril?

“I’m going to have Iris hold you for a minute so I can get in, and then you’ll be right back in my arms.” Alec’s voice is deep and smooth, so much richer in person than through the stone.

Cadmus situates the nymph in the boat and turns back to where they left Medusa behind. “I’m going after her.”

Alec steps in front of Cadmus, blocking his path. “Don’t be stupid. You’re just going to get yourself taken, too. The best way for you to help her is by coming with us so we can make a plan and get her back, by force, if necessary.

Cadmus lets out an aggravated huff and shoves Alec. “Get out of my way! We can’t leave her!”

Using his broad stature, Alec steps forward, getting into Cadmus’s face and grabbing his shoulders, shaking them. “Pull it together. They would probably just kill you. We have to GO!”

“Medusa?” Iris asks Hestia.

“She stayed behind so we could make it out.” Hestia answers, her voice still raw.

“Fine. But if the Allegiance takes too long, I’m going after her myself.”

Alec’s expression softens. “If they take too long, I’ll join you. You have my word.”

They row to the ship, and everyone on board hastily prepares to make sail. Hestia recognizes a few faces from the one time she was at the Isle of Mysts. The last thing Hestia sees on the deck before Alec carries her below is Cadmus standing at the railing, staring at the Temple.

Alec takes Hestia to a cabin and gets her settled in.

“I’m going to leave you here in my cabin until we are safe and clear, then we will get you situated wherever you’d like.”

Hestia nods. Fatigue drags her down.

“I’ll send a healer to look at you and Psyche as soon as I can.”

Alec kisses the top of her head and walks out of the room.

A few minutes later, there is a knock on the door and Psyche comes in.

“I’m already feeling much better now that I’m out of that disgusting cage. How are you?” Psyche asks.

“I don’t know, honestly. Everything feels different, wrong.” Will Psyche understand? Or will she and the other gods look at Hestia as if she is a false god?

Psyche takes Hestia’s hand and sits next to her on the small bed.

“I’m sure your soul is making room for something new, mortality.” Psyche’s voice is soft and patient.

Hestia is a mortal. Eons no longer span before her. There is so little time now. If Hestia has to be mortal, though, at least she can be mortal with Alec. The imbalance of their life spans will no longer play a part in their love story. It does not make up for having the rest of time stolen from her, but at least she will not be alone.

“Is Medusa going to be alright?” Hestia asks, wanting to change the subject from the topic of her mortality.

Psyche drops her head onto Hestia’s shoulder. “I hope so. Poseidon is too enraptured with her to kill her. We just have to hope he isn’t too monstrous before we can get to her.”

“Another rescue mission? When this one went so well?” Hestia raises an eyebrow.

“There’s nothing I won’t do to get her back. If I have to risk everything, I will. If I hadn’t been it that damned god cage, I would have been strong enough to at least try to save her.”

A light knock and the door opens. Cadmus comes in and he drops to the floor before Psyche.

“Goddess, forgive me.” His voice is choked up and full of emotion. “I didn’t want to leave her.”

Psyche runs her fingers through his hair. “It was an impossible choice. We will find her. Together.”

Cadmus takes the hand that’s in his hair and brings it to his lips. “I’m so glad we found you.”

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