Sweet Legacy (Sweet Venom) (26 page)

CHAPTER 31
G
RACE

W
hile Greer goes to her school and Gretchen goes off with Nick and Sillus, Thane and I stay at the marina. He gives me a little distance, moving off under a nearby tree as I pull out my phone. My hand shakes as I start to dial Milo’s number.

Sure, he’s been very understanding about all of this—he didn’t run screaming from the room, never to be seen again—but this might cross a line. Knowing this world exists and participating in it are two different things.

But my sisters are right. We need as many people helping us, fighting on our side, as possible. And the results of the war, whether we win or lose, affect the humans who live in this world, too.

He picks up on the third ring.

“Grace?” he asks, his voice a hushed whisper.

Shoot. I forgot it was a school day. He’s probably in class right now. I can’t remember the last time I was in class. Time has just slipped away from me.

“Sorry,” I say. “I shouldn’t have—”

“Hold on,” he whispers. His voice is muffled as he says, “Mr. Johnson? I need to use the restroom.” Moments later, he’s back at full volume. “What’s up? Everything okay?”

I smile at how easily he got out of class. He is such a charmer.

Then I remember why I called.

“Actually . . .” How do I say this? I’m about to be involved in a mythological battle for my life, and I’d like you at my side? Well, maybe that. “It’s time,” I say quietly. “We’ve found the door, and we’re about to—”

“Where are you?” he asks.

“I’m at the marina,” I say. “We’re trying to gather some forces to our side before all Hades breaks loose.”

“I’ll be right there,” he says.

Then the phone goes dead, and I’m left silent and stunned. He’s coming. He’s really coming. Just like that. I need him, and he’ll be right here. How did I get so lucky?

Thane walks back over to me. “Okay?”

I look up at him. “Yeah,” I say, confused. “I didn’t even have to ask. He’s . . . he’s on his way.”

Thane winks at me. “I pick good friends.”

He does. Milo might not have any godly blood in him, no personal reasons to get involved with this war, but his friendship with Thane and his feelings for me are enough. He’s in.

Next, I scroll to Cassandra’s contact info.

“Grace?” she asks when she answers two rings later. “Is it time?”

“Yes. We’ve found it,” I whisper. Even though we’re not near the door, I don’t want to risk being overheard—not if we really are being watched. “We’re ready.”

I tell her where the door is and where we’re meeting.

“I’ll be there soon,” she says. “And I’ll bring the reinforcements.”

Before I can ask what that means, she’s gone.

I walk over to Thane and sit down next to him on a bench. I place my hand over his.

“You know I love you, right?” I ask him.

He twists to look at me, surprised by my question.

“I know you’re worried that I’ll hold your past against you.” I squeeze his hand. “But nothing can change the fact that you’re my brother in every way that matters.”

“I—” He tries to pull his hand away, but I hold on tight. “I lied to you, Grace-face. Since day one.”

I turn to face him and make sure he’s looking at me when I ask, “Were you lying when you told me that Sherwood Pierce was a moron if he didn’t see how great I was?”

Thane laughs and shakes his head. “No.”

“Were you lying when you crawled into my bed and told me you were scared of thunderstorms?”

Again, “No.”

“Were you lying when you told me you would protect me with your life?”

“Of course not,” he says, trying to look away.

I tug him back to face me. “Then nothing else matters. You’re my brother,” I say again, “and I love you. End of story.”

The emotions battling inside him show on his handsome face, the hope and the guilt fighting for prominence. But I know Thane—the core of him, not the pesky details—and I know that hope will win in the end.

I don’t say this out loud, but I’m relieved to finally have the secrets of his past out in the open. They have been eating at him for so long, he could never truly be his whole self with us, with his family. No matter how much he loved us and wanted to belong, he always kept himself at a bit of a distance.

Now, he’ll be able to shed all that armor.

The first step, I think, is whatever is growing between him and Greer. He’s never dated before, never seemed interested in forming relationships outside the family. Probably because he thought he wouldn’t live long enough for them to matter when his bosses found out he was defying them.

I’m glad he’s finally taking that step.

“You and Greer are a good match,” I say, turning to look back out over the water.

He doesn’t say anything; he doesn’t have to.

As we both stare out at the boats, we fall into a peaceful silence as we wait for everyone to return—for my sisters and the support they’re bringing with them.

I’m shocked when the first car that pulls up is our station wagon. Mom jumps out of the passenger side and runs over to me.

She wraps me in a big bear hug. “Oh good,” she cries. “We’re not too late.”

“Not too—?” I pull back and look at her. “Mom, what’s going on? What are you doing here?”

“When Thane called,” she says, her eyes damp, “I was afraid we wouldn’t get here in time.”

I give my brother a questioning look as Dad gets out of the car and walks over.

“I told them. Everything.” Thane shrugs. “I thought they should know.”

“We want to help,” Dad says, walking up to Thane and proudly wrapping an arm around his shoulder. For once, Thane doesn’t pull away.

“No,” I say, glaring at Thane. “It’s too dangerous.”

Thane looks at me. “I got some good advice recently,” he says. “When you love someone, you don’t abandon them in their time of need.” His mouth lifts into a half smile, telling me exactly who gave him this advice. “You’re in need. They love you and want to help.”

“You’re both in need,” Mom says. “And we love you both.”

Thane won’t admit it, but he needed to hear her say that more than almost anything.

“We’ll do whatever we can,” Dad adds. “Even if you tell us to stay out of the way. Whatever we can.”

I feel so loved. My heart feels like it might burst. Between Thane, Mom and Dad, and Milo, I can’t believe I’m so lucky—to have people willing to risk everything, to take a stand side by side with me and my sisters. I pull my family into a group hug.

“Thanks,” I say with an emotional sniff. “It means . . . a lot.”

“That’s what family is for,” Mom says.

And it only makes me cry harder.

Greer returns first, leading an alarmingly large crowd of monsters across the parking lot. Her eyes are wide, like she can’t quite believe she’s at the head of this parade.

“Hi,” she says, sounding kind of shocked. Waving over her back, she says, “These are, um, some of the monsters who have, um, been living in our fair city.”

Greer is not an
um
kind of girl. I can tell she’s uncomfortable with the swarm of beasties following her. There are a
lot
of them. It’s hard to imagine all these creatures living in San Francisco without anyone—Gretchen especially—noticing. Gretchen
before
things started changing. Then again, I suppose they kept pretty low under the radar.

Well, at least we’ll have some good backup.

I wave at the crowd.

Then Milo arrives—with half the soccer team. I hurry up to him. “What are they doing here?”

He gives me an uncertain shrug. “Davidoff saw me skipping out of class and decided to join me.”

A tall, lanky boy with straight hair that falls to his shoulders waves at me.

I turn back to Milo. “So?”

“So . . .” He looks over his shoulder. “Then the rest of the guys caught us leaving and followed us out.”

“You couldn’t have told them not to come?”

He gives me a helpless look. “I tried.” He leans forward and whispers. “They want to help. Once a team, always a team.”

I breathe in and out, trying to decide what to do. Well, I guess it can’t hurt to have their help. We can always hypno their memories away later.

“Okay,” I tell Milo, lifting up to press a kiss to his cheek. “It’ll be fine. Just keep them away from the most dangerous fighting.”

He nods.

“And keep yourself there, too,” I add. “Stay safe.”

He grins, tracing an X on his chest. “Not a scratch.”

Next comes Gretchen, without Nick. What happened to him? She squeals into the parking lot, pops her trunk, and starts hauling duffel bags out of her car. A furry monkey jumps out after her, and at first I think it’s Sillus. But then another monkey climbs out, and another, and even more—at least twenty little Silluses pile out of the Mustang. They run around to the trunk and try to help Gretchen.

She already has all four duffel bags out and on the ground. They’re totally stuffed to the brim.

She says something to the monkeys and then hefts a bag onto each shoulder, walks over to the rendezvous spot, and drops them to the ground with a clatter.

“Weapons,” she says, glancing around at the gathered crowd, not acting at all surprised by the sheer number of monsters in our group. “Lots of them.”

Thane crosses to her car and grabs the other two duffel bags away from the monkeys who are trying—and failing—to drag them across the concrete. My brother brings them over and adds them to the pile.

“Who are your friends?” I ask Gretchen, hiding a smile.

“Apparently,” she says with a wary look at the monkeys, “this is Sillus’s extended family.”

Two of the little guys have climbed onto Gretchen’s roof and are trying to shove the trunk door down from above without success. A few are
in
the trunk, jumping up and down to make the car bounce as they giggle and laugh. Another pair sits in the driver’s seat—one standing behind the steering wheel pretending to drive, the other on the floor playing with the pedals.

I hope Gretchen has her keys secured.

“They’re adorable,” I say.

“They smell,” she replies, but there is no venom in her tone. She likes them.

“So,” I ask, “where’s Nick?”

She shakes her head. “He had to—”

“Right here,” Nick says.

We all turn as he appears out of nowhere—literally out of nowhere. That must be what my autoporting looks like. Nick brings with him a couple dozen of his closest friends. Most of them look . . . more than human: women with leaves and flowers in their hair, men with tree trunks for legs, and various beings of both sexes who look like they’re made out of soil, rock, and water.

“I brought more troops,” he says with a wink.

“What are they?” Gretchen asks in a suspicious whisper.

“Nature creatures,” he replies. “Dryads, naiads, and all the other ‘ads.’ These are the nymphs.”

“Did you just autoport?” I ask. I thought that was my special gift—mine and Euryale’s, anyway.

“No,” a woman’s voice says. “But we did.”

Speaking of Euryale, she and Sthenno appear right in front of us.

“I did not find the oracle,” Sthenno confesses. “She has truly gone to ground.”

“That’s all right,” Greer replies. “We found the door without her.”

“That is most impressive.” Euryale grants her a brilliant smile.

I can understand why Gretchen is always so determined to make her proud. She has a way of making you feel like a superstar.

“I had success as well,” Euryale says. “Our Olympic allies will be ready when the battle begins.”

“That’s great news,” I cheer. “Right?”

“Yes, it’s stupendous,” Gretchen says, handing me a dagger. “Now let’s get back to business. Start coating the weapons with venom.”

I stare at the knife for a few seconds before asking, “With venom? How do we do that?”

Gretchen grabs another dagger, drops her fangs, and then traces them over the blade. When she holds it out for me to inspect, I can see the glisten of clear purple liquid on the edge.

“Only our venom can send the monsters home,” she says. “Once the door is open, they’ll be pouring out into our realm, so we’re going to give as many people as possible the power of our venom.”

That’s assuming we get the door open.

I nod and let my fangs drop.

Gretchen hands a knife to Greer, who does the same. We each take a duffel bag of weapons, coating every dagger, sword, and arrow, along with weapons I can’t even name, with our sweet purple venom. Gretchen coats two duffel bags full in the time it takes me and Greer to each do one.

When all the weapons have been envenomed, we hand them out to our growing crew of volunteers.