[This post is from Matt’s point of view.]
Hecate froze. Her voice came out flat, no hint of incredulity or emotion. “You want what?”
Leviathan’s smile faded. “You heard me, sister, now sit.”
Matt’s thoughts reeled, but the loudest thought was the most illogical of them all.
Why the hell do they always want the whole damn world? It’s not like it was ever all that great to begin with.
He tugged on Hecate’s hand until she sat. She was stiff next to him, her fingers cold in his. All he wanted to do was gather her against his chest and tell her everything would be all right—whether the words were a lie or not.
“I heard you,” she said in a whisper a moment later. “I just can’t believe it. Are you insane?”
“An odd question, coming from you.”
Hecate fell back in her chair, her eyes wide and expression bleak. “Bastard.” There was only pain in her voice. Matt squeezed her hand again.
Not good.
“You’ll have your vengeance, little sister,” Leviathan said, leaning forward across the table toward them. “You’ll make them all pay for what they did to you—for what they did to both of you.”
“What if I don’t want that anymore?” she asked. “What if, for the first time in a dozen lifetimes, my life is finally starting to go right? What if I was finally happy until you pounded on my door?” She leaned forward. “Don’t you see? I’ve gotten what I need. I have what I want. Now you come here with your demands and I—Leviathan, I want no part of this. Whatever you’re planning, do it without me.”
“I can’t,” he said simply. “If I could do this alone, I wouldn’t have come to you. This is not a situation of something I want, it’s a situation of something I need.” His gaze flicked toward Matt for the barest moment before returning to her. “That you’ve won the Ridden Druid to your side makes me feel even better about the choice I’ve made.”
Her chair scraped against the floor and the only thing that kept her from going across the table at him was Matt’s restraining hand.
“Don’t you dare drag him into this. Don’t you even think it. Do you have any idea why I hated them so much? Do you? No, of course not.” Hecate sank back down into her chair, her eyes sliding shut, jaw trembling for the barest moment. “They hurt him, you bastard. They used him as a weapon and I was the hand wielding it and they hurt him. I won’t do it again for you or for anyone.”
This time, when she stood up, she was more composed and her eyes were clear.
“Get out of my house, Leviathan,” she said softly. “Before I make it impossible for you to do that under your own power.”
The river-god stood, meeting her gaze levelly, evenly. His voice was carefully neutral. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” he told her. “I will have you with me in this, Hecate. I need you.”
She walked over to the back door and opened it. “Good-bye, Yam.”
Leviathan dusted off his hoodie sweatshirt and jeans, then smiled faintly. “Until tomorrow, sister.”
Without another word, he walked out the door.
