Thanatos twirled the coin around in his fingers. “Cronus can make his own way back to the first level of course, but by my calculation, it’s going to take him about a hundred human years to manage that.”
I’d be dead. Long gone by the time he might find his way back.
“There must be another way,” I said, refusing to accept it. “If you know the rules so well, then fucking tell me how to get around them.” I glanced at the coin in his palm. Fucker better offer to give me that or I’d have Hyperion shoot a hole of light through his chest.
This time, his look was one of annoyance. “And why should I help you? You are a human, insignificant to me, and without any way to owe me a favor.”
I moved super fast, and even though I didn't have sins or powers any longer, it felt like I did as I grasped the front of his shirt. “If you don’t help me, I will figure out a way to make you fucking suffer. I have friends now, and never forget that I helped Cronus get that elixir for your once fragile human lover.”
Thanatos looked shocked at my boldness.
“She has family now,” Hyperion said shortly, and I could all but taste his rage as it built in the air. “It would be worth your time to remember that.”
Thanatos’ eyes bore into mine, like he was reading beneath the surface. “Fair point,” he finally said, brushing me away.
The god let out a sigh, closing his eyes briefly. “I might be able to get you and Hyperion into a closer realm. Maybe five or six. I can send forward a lot easier than bringing anyone back from those realms. The truth is, this world has many rules and some even I can’t break.”
“How does that help then to get us to level five?” I pushed, a flicker of hope making itself known.
He leaned forward. “It will only take you a month or so to go from that realm to the seventh. The last four realms are close to each other, but far from the first three. If you find Cronus, you can use the coins to travel back here.” He paused. “Where I can then allow you to resurrect him.”
“We’ll do it,” I said at the same time Hyperion said, “That’s too dangerous.”
Swinging my head to him, I glared. “Don’t you want to save Cronus?”
He tilted his head, eyes sad. “More than anything, Mais, but he would not want me to risk your life. Not even minutely. You do understand that if you go into the underworld, you’ll risk permanent death. It might have seemed like it was easy to bring beings back from the dead, as we did with the Titans, but that was a special circumstance. We set it up to allow that. It would not be the same with you. You would be permanently dead.”
I let out a strangled laugh, the darkness in my soul seeping out. “I’m already dead without Cronus. I don’t fucking want to walk this world and know I didn’t even try and get him back. There is no risk too great. I will be doing this, with or without your help.”
I realized in that moment how fucking selfish I was being. “You should actually stay here,” I hurriedly added. “You just got Theia back, and your own life. I don’t want to risk you. I can do this on my own.”
Thanatos cleared his throat. “No, you really can’t. I mean, I can lend you some powers to help get through, because without them you’d have no chance. But I still put your odds at about ten percent if you don't have Hyperion’s help.”
“I’ll take those odds,” I said stubbornly.
Hyperion looked resigned as he nodded. “I will be with you the whole way, granddaughter.”
My eyes pricked with unshed tears as I reached out to hug him quickly. “Thank you.”
Thanatos stood, towering over me, and it reminded me so much of Cronus that I had to choke back more sobs.
“Come. We shouldn’t waste time. Cronus will be fighting as we speak.”
A surge of adrenaline had me moving—I had to get to him.
Thanatos led us across to the veil between the living and the dead. Waving his hand, it shimmered and then turned translucent. “Step through here and you’ll go as far as I can push you. I don’t want to alert the Ery to your presence, but we’ll get you close.”
On instinct, I hugged him as well. Hard, with real emotion. “Thank you,” I whispered, and I was surprised when his arms went around me and he returned my hug.
Warmth passed between us and I felt a buzz of energy along my skin.
“Use this power sparingly. It’s not refillable,” he warned as he let me go.
Hyperion grabbed my hand; his free hand he held out for the coins. Thanatos slipped three into his palm. One for each of us. “These will not only allow you to travel back here,” he said. “But they will ensure you’re not overwhelmed by the underworld, like Maisey was the last time when she passed out. The living are not supposed to travel these realms, remember that, and don’t linger too long.”
I stared at them. “Why didn’t you give me one of these when I met with Selene?”
I mean, he’d warned me it was dangerous and that I might pass out in there, but he hadn’t even mentioned these coins.
He choked on a laugh. “Give you a soul coin for a five-minute meeting? Do you have any idea how much energy I have to expend to make these? For every coin I make, it permanently depletes my power.”
Oh shit. I hadn’t realized. That was kind of a big deal. It made me feel a little softer toward the prickly god. “I won’t forget this. I’ll owe you for life,” I told him.
He just nodded as if a human owing him couldn’t be more boring.
“Do not lose
