your weakness, your light and your darkness. They’re all pieces of you, and only half is a lie.”
He swallowed as if he were choking on broken glass. “What if the lie is all I have left?”
“Then you’re a hypocrite,” I said, turning my head so he couldn’t see the tears building in my eyes.
Leaning down, he rested his forehead against mine and let out a long, slow breath. “If I could, I would carry you off into the sunset, Sheridan. Our world really would be made of sunshine and daises, and I would spend all of my time trying to be worthy of you.”
“You already are,” I sighed.
I was the one with the monster living inside of me, not him.
Before I knew it, the song had ended. Xander let me go with such suddenness, that I stumbled. He started to walk away, took a few steps, then turned back again. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against mine, crushing me there for only a few quick seconds. I tasted his tears on my lips, and my throat bubbled up in response. Then, he was gone.
I couldn’t breathe.
For several long moments, I stood there, forgetting how to do the one thing that should be automatic. When air finally did return to my lungs, I gasped several times over.
But this time, he wasn’t coming back.
21
Petra,
Riley’s in. Let’s do this. Start of Fall.
-Sheridan
* * *
Short and simple, but to the point. I let out a shaky breath. Now that Xander had left, it made the decision much easier. There was nothing anchoring me to Arcadia, and it no longer mattered that he asked me not to go to the Underworld. Xander chose to keep me out of his decisions. I would do the same.
This was happening, really happening. The idea of Persephone’s Cure had always appealed to me, but the execution was easier said than done. I swallowed. Both of our mothers, Petra and Selena, had survived seventeen years there. Six months was a hiccup compared to that. That’s all this was, a hiccup. A short blip of time, and then freedom forever. That was worth it.
A reply came only an hour or so later.
* * *
Sheridan,
Your wish is my command. I’ve found safe accommodations for the two of you. Be ready.
-Your Mom
22
Early Sunday morning, a knock sounded just outside the door. Since Sunday was the only day students had free, I wondered who was crazy enough to disturb us at this hour. None of Ione’s friends would dare. They had all partied late into the night, even after the ball had ended. It was possible it was for me, but I didn’t care. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping they would get the hint and go away. All I wanted to do was to sleep in late and forget the previous evening had ever happened.
“Sheridan, wake up!” A big booming voice came from outside the door, followed by louder, intense knocking.
Ione didn’t even stir. After a while, I was pretty sure if I didn’t get up to answer it, the knocking would continue until the whole of House Aphrodite was awake.
I threw open the door, startled to find Cassius standing there, looking way too chipper at this hour.
“Morning, sunshine.”
Despite his carefree demeanor, I immediately panicked. If Xander’s best friend went to the trouble of coming all the way across campus to find me, that could only mean—“What’s wrong?” I blurted. “Is Xander okay?”
“Nothing is wrong.” He looked at me like I’d come to the wrong conclusion. “And I have no idea where Xander went, so I don’t know if he’s okay.”
It took a few seconds for both of his answers to register. Once they had, I blinked, more confused now than before. “Then why are you here?”
“Before he left, he asked for a favor.”
Xander was not the favor-asking type; he preferred handling even the most difficult tasks on his own, so that he would never be indebted to anyone ever again. “What does that have to do with me?”
“He said you need some training,” Cassius said simply. “And since he can’t be here to do it himself, he asked me to take his place.”
I stared through him, several emotions hitting me at once. For one, I was angry with Xander for not keeping the promise he made to train me himself. But at the same time, it was comforting to know he was still trying to look after me while he was gone.
“I appreciate it, Cassius.” I turned away, heading back inside