Everyone zapped out one by one until it was just Cronus and me.
“This is it, love. Are you ready?”
#Nope #TakeMeHome
I just nodded.
Cronus looked vulnerable. “Mais, before we take these final steps, I just want you to know that I love you.”
My heart ached as he pulled me into his arms.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
I really fucking did. Despite all of his anaconda adventures over the years. Dude had a past, but that was bound to happen when you were thousands of years old. Accepting that about him, meant accepting it was this past that made him who he was today.
The Titan I loved.
Just as he leaned in to kiss me, there was a fissure of power, and I spun to see all three of the fucking Fates. They stared at Cronus and raised one finger. “Your line e—”
Cronus zapped us away from them, causing me to scream in panic. My feet landed on the wet wood of a huge ship, terror filling my bones.
“Why did you do that?” I asked him. “You didn’t let them speak.”
“Doesn’t matter. We make our own fate, remember?” Then I got that kiss, so brief, before he ran across the boat toward Okeanos.
Everyone was on the deck, spanned out, staring at … holy shit…
The sins were a giant black blob that had taken over the sky and blotted out the sun. Absolutely terrifying. As were the Fates’ almost-spoken words.
If the man I loved died today, there would be hell to pay. I didn’t care how not powerful I was. Somehow I’d figure out a way to make heads roll.
Chapter 15
“Maisey and I must stay close to this,” Cronus said, tapping his hand on the side of the box. It was large enough that I would have been able to fit inside, but there was only a small visible seam to indicate it had a lid. This was built with the sole purpose of funneling the energy of nine sins. I prayed it could hold Death.
Forever.
I did admire what Hepatitis had done in an hour. If I had to throw a box together that fast, it would be held up with seventy billion zip ties, some gum, and possibly string.
His box looked like it had been hand carved and crafted from the finest metals. Intricate designs wrapped right around it. I was almost certain the symbols were the language of the gods.
No time to ask though.
The inky Sin blob was expanding at a rapid rate, sending our large ship lurching from side to side. The sky was dark. I couldn’t tell if it was because the sins were amassing to a size that totally eclipsed the sun, or if there was a literal darkness crossing the Earth now.
I swayed with the ship, almost crashing to the deck. Cronus caught me just before I hit.
“How long since you’ve slept?” he murmured, holding me close.
I shook my head, black dots dancing in front of my vision.
“Uh, I can’t remember. But I haven’t eaten much.”
#LackOfSleepFoodAndSexSickness
My tolerance since taking on the sins had risen, but I couldn’t go without sustenance indefinitely. “Not much longer,” he said, setting me back on my feet. “Just hold on a little longer.”
I could do this. I would be Cronus’ equal. #JustThrowMeATwinkie
The Titans and gods moved to the side of the ship, all of them focused on the blob.
“It’s huge,” Rhea said. She sounded rightfully unhappy about it. “How can we possibly fight this and separate the sins again so they can be siphoned by Cronus and Maisey?”
“Do we absolutely have to separate them?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to take them in one go?”
Didn’t Okeanos say something about needing to take them in a certain order? #WasntListening
Rhea spared me a withering glance. “You have no idea the power they wield like this. Trying to take them in one go will definitely kill you and everyone you’re standing near.”
Hyperion cleared his throat. “We don’t know that for sure. But last time we had to take them in order. So Famine, Frost, Fire, and then Death. If that doesn’t work, we move on to plan B.”
#OhGoodThereWasAPlanB
Okeanos, who’d first told us about the order, shook his head as he stared at the blob. “I don’t think the order will matter now. They’ve basically formed one entity. The line of manifestation is broken.” He met my gaze. “As long as Death is last, because it ends it all, take the others as you find them.”
The other Titans turned to the blob, doing some introspective energy observation thing, before confirming this with lots of nods and grim faces. “Any order with Death last,” Cronus reiterated. “Okay, let’s get it moving.”
Before we could take a step, there was a shout from someone on deck. “Tsunami!”
I was pretty sure it had been Koios, and I wondered how he could tell there was a wave coming when I could see no obvious signs.
“Protect the ship!” Cronus called. I was tucked under one arm, the box under his other, as he dashed down under the main deck.
“Stay here,” he said gruffly, dropping us both off, disappearing again.
Turning, I blinked at Theia with me in the room as well. “Oh, hey!” I said. “Apparently Cronus thinks we need protecting.”
She chuckled and waved a hand at me. “Oh no, he knows I need protecting from no one. I’m here to keep you safe, my darling.”
I blinked at her. She might be my grandmother, but I barely even knew her. Still, it didn’t feel weird to have her call me darling. I was adapting super fast to this new reality.
“Oh, well, thank you.”
She patted me on the shoulder and it was the oddest thing to have such a grandmotherly persona from this young, beautiful woman. In her eyes though, she was all grammy.
“How did Koios know that a tsunami was coming?” I asked, looking around, hoping there was a window down here. We appeared to be in
