She already had a deeper understanding of all the things I was just learning about, and she still said it in a way that made me feel like it was going to be impossible to do.
I leaned closer to her. 揅an we do that??A knot made its way to my throat. I didn抰 know if I could handle any more disappointments. It took me a second to understand that her hesitation wasn抰 because she thought it was impossible, but maybe because she was thinking of how we could do it. 揑t抯 possible, isn抰 it? Please tell me there抯 something we can do.?
Circe and Persephone exchanged glances, and Circe proceeded carefully. 揂bsyrtus, whole, would be the master of death. It can be done, but it抯 not as simple as that.?
揂nd it抯 not without sacrifice,?Persephone interjected bluntly. 揥e抳e lost so much already. The Heart takes and takes, but what does it give??
揟his isn抰 the time, Seph,?Circe said.
Persephone twisted one of her braids around her finger and sighed, nodding.
揥e have a full cycle of the moon to do whatever it is we抮e gonna do,?I said. 揟hat抯 what Hecate said.?
Persephone huffed and looked away. 揂 catch. Why does everything have to be so complicated? That抯 simply not enough time.?
I felt like I was falling back into hopelessness again. Marie moved to my side and sat on the arm of the couch. She gently touched my shoulder.
揑抦 surprised to see you here,?said Circe, standing up.
Mo sat up straight, glancing back and forth between Marie and Circe. 揧抋ll know each other??
揝urprised??Marie asked, avoiding Mo抯 question as she kept her gaze locked on Circe. 揥hy??
揑 don抰 know what you抳e shared with everyone else, but let抯 not act like you haven抰 been wrecked by this place, too,?Circe said. 揑 thought when you got a chance, you抎 have run as far away from here as you could.?
揘ot everything here is terrible,?Marie said. She glanced at me and smiled warmly. It made me feel something other than grief for just a split second, and I was thankful for that. I rested my head against her.
Circe glanced at me and then Marie and then me again before returning to her seat on the couch.
揗arie. What are you棓 Persephone began, but Circe cut her off.
揓ust stop,?Circe said. 揥e have questions. I抦 sure you all have more questions too, but I抳e been awake for almost two days. I can barely keep my eyes open.?She turned to me. 揅an you give me a few hours to rest??
I wanted to say no. We didn抰 have time to sleep. We needed to find out where the last piece of the Heart was so we could get Mom back.
Circe seemed to sense my hesitation. 揧ou look like you could use some rest, too,?she said.
揑 don抰 think I could sleep if I wanted to,?I said. 揘ot after everything that just happened.?Karter抯 blood梥pilled as Hecate抯 dog gripped his shin in its mouth梬as probably still damp on the broken floor of the apothecary. The oleander leaves were probably beginning to curl. I wanted to throw up.
揑 understand,?Circe said. 揗ore than you can possibly know.?She took off her glasses and wiped her eyes, then replaced them and turned to Mo. 揑 can make sure sleep finds you. Just sleep. No dreams. Just rest. I can offer you that, if you抣l allow it.?
Mo wept silently. 揚lease,?she said. If she wanted a break from the agony, she should be able to have it. It wasn抰 going anywhere. It was so raw, like an exposed nerve, and every brush against it sent us reeling.
I clung to Mo, with Marie, Nyx, and Persephone trailing behind. We led a procession of tears and shattered hearts down the hall into what was left of the apothecary.
Inside, Circe looked around but said nothing. Mo didn抰 look at the spot on the floor where Mom had died, but I couldn抰 look away. The oleander lay scattered around where she fell. An ache coiled itself around my chest so tight it took my breath away.
Circe touched the splintered remains of the ladder. Several of the rungs had been split right down the middle, and the entire thing was off its track. 揚ersephone, would you please get me the belladonna??
Persephone nodded, planted her foot, and leaped to the small walkway that circled the top of the room, landing with a soft thud.
Mo grabbed my arm and yanked me behind her.
Circe pushed her glasses up. 揝orry. I should have said something.?
揝o say it!?Mo yelped. 揌ow did she do that? What is happening??
揑t抯 the Heart,?I said, trying my hardest to calm her but remembering how jarring it had been to see Marie use her power for the first time. I抎 almost jumped from a moving vehicle after the incident in the cemetery. 揟he Heart changes them.?
Mo抯 eyes grew wide. 揟hem??
I had to be honest with her. 揚ersephone and Marie.?I glanced at Circe, who nodded. 揟hey抳e both been changed by the Living Elixir made from other pieces of the Heart.?