Because I am happy.
The thought, so mundane on its surface, is anything but. I’m happy here in Carver City with Ursa and Alaric. We still have things to work out, but that doesn’t change the fact that they make me happy. That I care about them.
That I…love them.
Alaric shocked me when he said the same. I wanted to brush it off, to ignore it, to not look too closely at the way my feelings mirror his. But standing here with my sisters, there’s no hiding from the truth. I’ve gone and given my fool heart to both Ursa and Alaric.
And now my father will bring his men and try to take me back.
Even though he attempted to keep us from his business, Father always maintained security at the house and any time we ventured outside those four walls. I’d have to be particularly naive not to recognize those people as the killers they are, especially in hindsight. It’s there in the eyes, an emptiness that scared me even though Father acted like they were part of the scenery.
If they come for me, they’ll hurt Ursa. They might even kill her. And now that Father knows Alaric played a part in this, they’ll do the same to him.
Ursa is a leader of a territory. She has security and scary people that answer to her, too, but the only one I’ve seen is her head of security, Monica. I can only make decisions based on the facts I know.
Ursa and Alaric are in danger.
My father isn’t going to let me go; he’s going to try to take me back.
My sisters offer an opportunity to dodge the coming conflict.
I hold up my hands. “Give me a second. I need to think.”
Jael shifts from foot to foot. “You don’t have long. Hercules said he could get us ten minutes and we’re coming up on that fast.”
“Give her a second,” Aya murmurs.
If I stay, Father will come. If I go, I’ll hurt Ursa and Alaric, possibly beyond measure. I’ll hurt myself beyond measure. I don’t want to leave them, don’t want to walk away from what might be my chance at a real happily ever after. Not one that I imagined while wearing my rose-tinted glasses, falling for the fantasy of someone instead of the real person. I see them. I love them. I want a life with them.
If I leave, they’ll still be alive.
That’s worth more than everything. More than happiness. More than love.
My throat feels tight and hot, but I manage to say, “Okay.” I try to think. “Just give me a second to—”
“There’s no time.” Jael starts for the door. “If she knows you’re leaving, she’ll try to stop you.”
She might not, but Alaric certainly will. The thought of walking away without saying anything is a horrible one, but what’s the alternative? Letting them convince me to stay and one of them being hurt because I didn’t move quickly enough to hold off my father?
No, Jael’s right. We have to go now.
Aya shakes her head, still watching me closely. “Are you okay? You don’t look happy to be going home.”
Because I’m not, though I’m not sure I can explain it to either of my sisters. We’ve been taught to hate and fear the Sea Witch our entire lives. How can they understand that I’ve fallen in love with her? “I have to stop father.”
Aya frowns. “If you’re sure…”
“She’s sure. Let’s go.” Jael grabs both our arms and muscles us toward the door. “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather get out of here before our window closes and the Sea Witch has three captives instead of one.”
“This is neutral territory.” I let her tow me to the door and open it. “Hades rules here.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t expect he’ll be happy to lose out on his percentage of your auction fee.” Jael glances at me, taking in my shocked look. “Yeah, we know about the auction.” Her determination flickers, replaced by guilt. “I’m sorry we weren’t there to save you from it.”
“It was my choice.”
But she’s not listening. She opens the door and pulls us out into the hallway. Hercules is waiting for us there and though he’s perfectly still, there’s an impatient tension in his body. He looks at us. “Well?”
“She’s coming with us.”
Just like that, I am back to being the little sister. The follower. The innocent one in need of protecting. The one incapable of standing on her own. I dig in my heels for a moment. “Promise me that no matter what happens to the money, Alaric’s debt remains paid.”
He hesitates but finally nods. “I promise I’ll make sure he stays out of Hades’s debt.”
“Okay.” There’s nothing left to do but go. I let my sisters all but drag me from the building and down to the street where a nondescript gray sedan waits for us, it feels like they’re shoving me back into a skin that no longer fits. One I’ve outgrown at some point in the last week.