I shook my head, the pressure of Tuck’s impending fate weighing heavily on my chest. “She’s going to be executed in a few minutes. If I don’t get to her—”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”

I blinked. “Iris, you can’t—you’re already in hot water, and if Zeus finds out—”

“I don’t care.” But there was a tremor in her voice that said otherwise. “It’ll be worth it if we can save her life. I know Zeus doesn’t care about that kind of stuff, but I do. I’ve met countless mortals, and while some of them aren’t exactly savory, she doesn’t deserve to be executed. And those boys love her so damn much.” She shook her head, her eyes watering. “Don’t bother arguing with me. I’ve already made up my mind. Like you said, I’m the only goddess who puts up with Zeus’s antics, and even if he fires me, he’ll hire me back soon enough.”

I opened my mouth to protest. With the gods fading, even temporary unemployment wasn’t safe. But before I could say a word, the sky-blue ceiling and sunset floor dissolved, replaced by clouds and rain and the smell of wet dirt.

The forest. And just beyond it, the serfs, the walls, the village—

Without giving it a second thought, I kissed Iris on the cheek and bolted down the path. I felt the tug of Mac and Sprout and Perry behind me, but I didn’t have time to celebrate. I pushed my mind forward, searching for any sign of Tuck, and my heart skipped a beat. She was in the town square, by the gallows.

I raced through the gates and across the dirt road. The square wasn’t very big, with only a few shops surrounding it. Maybe a quarter of the village’s population could fit inside, but I didn’t care about them. I’d blast them aside if I had to, if that’s what it took to save Tuck’s life.

When I burst into the square, however, it was empty. No sign of onlookers, no executioner—just a stout man dragging a wagon from underneath the gallows.

I knew what was happening. I knew what the tug that led me to that wagon meant. But even as I shattered into infinite pieces, I ran up to the man and pulled the crude canvas from his load.

Tuck’s body, pale and still, lay underneath. Someone had mercifully closed her eyes, but I could see them in my mind, glaring at me for something I’d said or done. It would’ve been easy to pretend she was sleeping, if it hadn’t been for the ring of deep purple-and-blue around her broken neck.

My own body seized, and anger and hurt and grief beyond words ripped out of me. The stout man took one look at me, glowing with fire and the screams of a thousand dead souls, and he ran.

Tuck. My poor Tuck. How could this have happened? It wasn’t sunset yet. We should’ve had time—it wasn’t supposed to be over yet. I was supposed to have time to save her.

A shuddering sob escaped me, and I gently cradled her body. I’d failed her. Because of me, she was dead, and I’d lost the one friend I’d had in a very, very long time. That agony and guilt swirled around inside me, compounding my grief for a girl I’d barely known two days. But time didn’t mean a damn thing when it came to love, and as I stood there, rocking back and forth and trying to force the world to right itself, any last ounce of hope I’d had disappeared.

I don’t know how long I stood there—long enough for shutters to be drawn and the villagers to escape into their homes. They weren’t my targets though, and their fear only made my fury worse.

“Hermes?”

Iris’s soft voice brought me crashing back down into myself, and I turned to her. Her face swam in front of me, but even through the tears I could see her concern. “She’s gone,” I choked. “He killed her.”

Iris wilted, and her eyes grew red. “Oh, Hermes. I’m so sorry.”

“Can you—” My voice shook. “Can you take her body back to the boys? She deserves a proper burial. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I have something I need to do.”

Iris reached for my hand. “Hermes…”

I jerked away from her—an instinct, not because I didn’t want her to touch me. But I was too far gone to apologize, and instead I managed to force out, “Please. I’ll join you in a little while. Just make sure the boys are all right.”

Wordlessly she nodded, stepping back to give me a moment of privacy. I pressed my lips to Tuck’s cold forehead. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I hope you’ve found your happiness, and I swear to you, I will make sure the boys are all right. And I’ll come visit you as soon as I can.”

But even if I could get away long enough to hunt her down in the seemingly infinite Underworld, mortals weren’t completely there. They didn’t have a sense of time or place, as they did while they were alive, and even if Tuck recognized me, it wouldn’t be the same.

Didn’t have much of a choice now, and even half a Tuck was better than no Tuck at all.

After one more gentle hug, I relinquished Tuck’s body to Iris, who lifted her up and started to walk toward the gates. She would protect Tuck better than I had, and she would see to it that Tuck wasn’t buried in the very place she hated. That was all I could ask for now.

As soon as they were out of sight, I turned toward the castle. I don’t remember walking up to it—one moment I was in the dirt square, and the next I stood in the great hall, glowing with that same fire. A dozen guards surrounded me, but I brushed them aside, storming up to the earl without an ounce of remorse. If they wanted to protect a murderer, then that was their choice. This was mine.