Wendy – Are you saying that you're upset that Calliope was the murderer, or upset by the way I wrote it? If you're talking about the former, I completely agree. She was honestly one of the last people I'd ever suspected (though I did figure out that the council members were the gods and goddesses beforehand because I flipped to the back to see how many pages there were, noticed the list, and couldn't keep from reading it. If you're talking about the latter, all I can say in this moment is that I'm sorry. (;

megan p123 – I know! I can't believe we're almost to the end myself. I've debated on whether or not this chapter is to be the last, but we'll have to see once I start writing, you know? I don't know for sure if I'm planning on writing the rest of the series in Henry's POV. When I first started this fanfiction, I'd already decided that I was only going to write Goddess Test in this fashion. You're not the first person to ask me this, though, so I admit that my decision might be swayed. It all depends on how many people really are gunning for a fanfic sequel. Unfortunately, it would be put on the backburner; I have so many other fanfictions already posted that I absolutely need to finish, and I have several more that I'm planning on posting once I finished the aforementioned fanfictions. I am not Aimee Carter's clone (at least, I don't think I am.) But thank you so much for saying so. (:

iluvmycorgi22 – Wow, the same question keeps appearing again and again. As I mentioned in the above comment, I'm not sure if I plan on doing the rest of the Goddess Test series. For more explanation, look up. (;

DisneyPrincess55 – Aye, aye!

Moe – Thanks! I have to add a special thanks for jumping in this late in the fanfiction. Not many people are willing to read through tons of chapters. All of my stories are in first person; it's literally been years, maybe even a decade, since I've attempted third person omniscient.

Eve – I like exploring what Henry could possibly be thinking. He's more eloquent than my other characters, so it's fun to try and use a bigger vocabulary, lol! I always try to respond to each review, especially when questions are asked. I've never really liked Walter, and honestly, I was never really a big fan of Calliope's. According to goodreads, Goddess Inheritance is supposed to come out March 26, 2013. And it looks good.

lillyrosenight – Thanks for jumping in this late in the show! Have no fear, though, I'm thinking about writing other GT fanfiction. I've already started to write it, but I'm still trying to figure out the plot. If it all works out, you can expect to see it here!

Huntress3419 – I mentioned that this chapter might be the last, but after looking at what I have left, this one might be the second to last. However, I'm not for sure. You'll find out when you get to the bottom of the page. (;

KC – I'm attempting it, I promise!

CookiesHealAllWounds – First of all, your username is amazing. And very, very true. Second, thank you! I think Henry might be one of the most complex characters that I've ever written. Period.

Guest – (1) I'll think about doing the next book; honestly, if I did do it it would have to be pushed back behind a handful of other projects I'm doing. (2) Thanks!

Aubrey1207 – In a way, I can't wait for it to end because it would mean that I'm actually finished with it. But again, I'm sort of sad to see it end, too.

Esin of Sardis – I have read Goddess Legacy. I thought it was a pretty good way to see into everyone else's character. For me, though, I thought Henry's was lacking. Maybe it was because my hopes were up so high. I love Ava, and was never really a fan of James (even though he's the main person in one of my maybe-upcoming fanfictions.) Lol, I love the Avengers, and I hadn't thought of that until you said it. Now I won't be able to not think about it when I'm catching up on my own reading. I haven't read Radiant Darkness, but I found it online and added it to be my book list. Thanks for the suggestion! I've already read Meg Cabot's Abandon series, and I love it! I can't wait until the next one!

** NOTE: It is indeed true that the next book comes out in February!

The Goddess Test Series belongs to Aimee Carter.

12: Verdict

Misery. I thought I knew what that meant, but as I sat there, staring at the limp body of the woman I undeniably had come to love with everything that I was, I realized that I didn't know as much as I thought I did. Nicholas had his strong arms wrapped around Calliope as she fought against his hold. Everything was sort of blurry, as if there was a thick, invisible wall between all of us, blocking me from seeing and hearing and feeling clearly. Tears, I realized after a dazed moment, had come to Calliope's eyes. Perhaps it was because of what she'd done. Or maybe it was because she had been caught. My eyes drifted to Ava, who was crying, tears running down her cheeks, splotching her skin pink. She had rushed into the river, wading in and ruining her clothes, to pull Kate out onto the bank. She was simultaneously holding her fingers to Kate's neck and looking over her shoulder to yell obscenities at Calliope. Her other hand was pressed against Kate's chest, trying to staunch the bleeding. But I already knew, just by standing there, that Kate's soul had left this dimension. I had wanted her first real visit (discounting the one where I showed her what could possibly be her eternity) to the Underworld to be something amazing, a walk that she took to that brightly-colored stone in the middle of the foyer as my wife and queen. Somehow, in the midst of the deaths of the other girls, after Christmas it had never really crossed my mind that Kate would be gone forever.

Nicholas nearly had Calliope in a choke hold. I could see darkness in her eyes from where I kneeled. Ava stood up shakily and turned to me. I hadn't moved forward at all. I was still crouched on the ground, staring at Kate's body, and the way her blue eyes were halfway closed, the chalky white pallor of her skin, the way her hair looked black when it was wet, spread across the ground. Water seeped from her clothes into the dirt, and her blood was a large red stain on her shirt. There was nothing I could do, not anymore. She had passed from her mortal life, not in the way I'd wanted.

Ava came up to me. One of her hands was slicked with watered-down blood, dripping from her fingertips as she reached hurriedly for me. I flinched away almost immediately, ducking away from Kate's blood. I already had her blood on my hands metaphorically. I didn't want it literally. Ava stopped coming towards me, but her eyes were shining. "Ella's gone to get Diana." She said. I stared at her blankly. I didn't want my sister, my favorite sister, at that, to see the way that I had failed. Not this time. "You know what has to be done." She said. Ava's eyes were bloodshot, rimmed in red, her lips downturned in a grief-stricken frown.

Suddenly, Diana was there, her arm in Ella's tight hold. The two of them must have teleported here, to the river. I looked up at my sister, watching the way her eyes took in her daughter. Tears prickled them as she pulled away from Ella. She stalked over to me, her eyes blazing with fury. She sent a hard glare in Calliope's direction, and then dropped in front of me. Her fingers were gentle as they latched onto mine. "I'm still mortal, Henry. The Underworld works on the basis of a life for a life. I only accepted a mortal life for her, anyway." Her eyes looked into mine, searching. I didn't say anything. Diana pulled on my arm hard. "We've got to go, before it's too late. Take me down there, now."

Ava's hand, the one that hadn't been covered in Kate's blood, touched my shoulder. "Hurry," she whispered. "Before the boat leaves. I'll make sure that Nicholas keeps Calliope from going anywhere. Daddy is sure to be furious," she added. A deep, detached part of me wondered how true that statement was. Walter was ingenious when it came to twisting everyone's arms. He pretended to be something he wasn't, and usually got his way. How much would he really care that his wife had killed all twelve girls? Unless he knew she did it for me. Then he would be raging.

Diana's fingers tightened on mine as I stood up. I didn't give Kate's body another look, but I managed a choked out, "I'm sorry." I had no idea who it was directed to, if it was Kate, or Diana, or even Ava, for not believing her when she was right all along. But I said it, and then steeled myself. I hadn't returned to the Underworld in months. I had a strong, craving need to be back home, where I belonged. I just wished it was under different circumstances. Perhaps I could change that, though. I closed my eyes briefly, managing to see Diana do the same, and then we were no longer in the mortal realm.

# # #

The boat had already left. I stopped and glanced over to my sister, only to find that she wasn't with me, either. I hoped that the two of them were together. Maybe Diana had enough suppressed powers to move herself around the realm of the Underworld the way the rest of us did. My sister knew the secrets to the maze of death and gloom, just like I did.

I glanced out over the water. To me, it looked like a pool of green-gray water. There was absolutely no clarity in it at all as it lapped against the shore. It was easy to imagine the souls of millions that were trapped underneath, waiting to come crawling back out. That wasn't where they were, but it could still be imagined. I took a deep breath, my eyes scanning the gray stones that surrounded me, the empty expanse of pure nothing. If there was no scene around me, it meant that there were no souls nearby. Which meant Kate was farther than I imagined.

I closed my eyes, imagined the destination, and felt my body disperse before collecting together in a different place. Before I opened my eyes, I could already tell that I was in some soul's ever after. Warm sun beat down on my skin, the light behind my eyelids was orange instead of dull gray, and there was a gentleness to my surroundings that said this was someplace safe. When I opened my eyes, I recognized where I was immediately. Kate's eternity. She was somewhere close, most likely in the water, on the boat that transferred her from the living realm to the dead. If we were lucky, Diana would be with her, since her mortal form was at stake and most likely, empty. Perhaps they were traveling to the land of the dead together. Without my sister present, I couldn't bend the rules and make a trade, which is what Diana was saying when she told me that she was still mortal. I couldn't just take Kate out of the Underworld. When a human body dies, a soul makes its place among the others. I couldn't rip one out without leaving one behind.

Squinting into the sun, I could see a small wooden boat on the expanse of the Central Park lake. In it, Kate sat on one of the benches, Diana huddled around her, hugging her. I swallowed hard. I didn't see every soul that passed through the Underworld gates, just the ones that didn't know what awaited them in their afterlife. Kate had never really seemed unready, if the word had any sense. She seemed to know that even if she didn't get an immortal life with me, that she would most likely be happy elsewhere. Maybe she even though that Diana would be with her. But her mother's mortal body wouldn't have a soul imprint. With her being a goddess, she would just return to her divine form. But Kate hadn't been gifted immortality, so she didn't have any way out but this.

The boat glided up onto shore. Diana looked up from where her face had been buried in Kate's hair. She seemed to be saying a million words to me in just that glance. I knew that this was not final; I would see Diana again. But the chances that Walter would let me bend my own rules without some type of rebuttal were slim. And there wasn't a guarantee that Kate would be granted immortality. I might fade after all, and Kate would return to an empty world, with no memory of what had happened here, and without her mother. Diana did not hesitate to sacrifice her mortal form for Kate's, but there was no way for us to make sure that Kate could forever stay within my protection. It was a game of risk, but we were willing to take it.

Diana pulled away from Kate, and I reached forward to grab a hold of her. She couldn't stay in the boat with Diana, not unless she wanted her mortal form to forever die, as well. It was the first time I touched her since that unfortunate night we were drugged. I still felt the little bursts of energy in my skin as I lifted her up. Kate made a sluggish noise, probably her body's reaction to being in the Underworld for so long. We needed to move on; she needed the healing that the surface promised her. "I've got her." I said. My voice came out as if it were being squeezed, choked.

"Thank you," Diana said softly. But I knew my sister well enough that she wasn't done. She looked up into my eyes, a million words, a million promises passing between us. "Take care of her, Henry." She said. She didn't ask me to promise on it. She knew it was unfair to make me promise on something that was virtually out of my hands.

"I will," I said anyway. I refused to let Walter take Kate away from me. I would fight for her harder than I'd fought for anything before, and that included Persephone. My first wife was a dim light compared to her sister, I realized, even though it wasn't certain whether or not I'd get the chance to keep her. I swallowed hard as mother and daughter said their final mortal goodbyes. Kate clung to me as I lifted her effortlessly in my arms, holding her tight against my chest. This might be the last time I'd get to hold her like that, I thought, and so I relished the moment despite our morbid predicament. Kate's arms latched around my neck despite her tired state of mind, and she craned her neck to look down at her mother in the boat. I gave Diana one last look, promising her that I would do my best until she could be seen again, knowing that she would do her part to fight for Kate's immortality. Hopefully, she would be enough to sway a verdict of immortality.

Diana gave an almost imperceptible nod as I turned. A nearby tunnel would lead me right to my castle, where I could take the portal up to the surface, back to Eden Manor, where this had all begun. Kate craned her neck to look over my shoulder at this disappearing form of her mother. Her blue eyes were sad, but there was a wisdom and understanding in them that aged her. I fought the urge to hug her to my chest and kiss her wildly. I fought against the urge to promise her that she was getting out of the Underworld, and that I would do everything possible to keep her with me. Maybe she didn't want that anymore. And even if she didn't, I knew I still loved her with everything that I was. I glanced down at Kate as we neared the castle, only to find that her eyes had closed and her breathing had deepened. Allowing myself a moment, I leaned forward and kissed her temple very softly before heading back up to the mortal world.

# # #

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Ava whispered. She'd changed clothes, and her hands were clean of Kate's blood. She looked like she was in the state of perfection, except for the line of worry in between her eyebrows. Nicholas stood behind her, his hand on her elbow. I couldn't read the expression on his face, but I was sure his thoughts were somewhere else, perhaps on his mother. Walter, to my surprise, had been absolutely furious when he figured out that Calliope had been behind all the killings. A part of it, I had to admit, was probably because he wasn't very pleased with the fact that Calliope had been doing it because she'd wanted to take the place of Queen of the Underworld, since Walter had cast her out of her leadership of the skies so long ago. He, like most of the others in the manor, had taken a spot in Kate's bedroom where she rested, still unconscious.

I stared down at her pale skin, at her long lashes, at the dark wave of hair that fanned over the pillow. Walter had suggested giving her bits of ambrosia, not enough to actually kill her, but enough to help her healing process along. It was risky, but her life still hung in the balance, despite the fact that I'd traded her life for Diana's. I'd finally allowed it after I realized that Walter was indeed waiting for my permission. He had never waited for my thoughts on anything before acting out. He had taken the position of god of the skies without taking into account what Phillip and I would want, and he chased after Calliope without considering how she would feel about his inability to commit, he'd started adding to the council at about the same time he unofficially cut me out of it, and he decided that I would suffer the deaths of the girls that were contenders for being my queen. But this time, he asked. And I was so surprised that I let him do exactly what he wanted.

"She should be," I murmured. The others came and went, but I was always in the room. Ava would be, too, if Nicholas didn't force her to leave and get her own rest. I'd never seen Ava so vigilant before. Even Ella didn't bother her as they stood across from each other, looking down at Kate. Her breathing was soft and slow and content, and that alone made me feel like I'd won something. Kate had cheated death. Death by the hands of someone that I had called my family. Anger surged through me all over again, as it was prone to doing at random times whenever I thought about Calliope. She was locked away in a room, by Walter's orders. When Kate awoke, one of her tests would be wrath, and we would see if Kate had any spot of blackness in her heart – she was the one that was supposed to issue Calliope's punishment.

Ava stayed by the bedside long after the others had left. Long after Nicholas had left, even. Once there was silence, Ava looked over Kate. Apparently deciding that she was sufficiently knocked out, she whispered, "I've talked to Daddy, about the aphrodisiac. Calliope put it in there, she had to. Daddy says that he has a lot to think about. And we haven't tested her for pride, yet. I have the feeling that he's going to twist things around. You know Daddy." She said. I did. Walter liked to play games, liked to twist words and opinions and anything else to get what he wanted. While that was usually something that I found utterly disgusting in him, I had high hopes. He had never shown it, but it was clear that he did care for Kate. At first, I thought that maybe it was because Calliope had caused this in a fit of jealous rage that he stayed and offered any help. But it became apparent over time that he liked Kate just as much as the others did. Perhaps, if he wanted her to join the ranks of the immortal as much as Ava did, he would overlook something that had not truly been our fault.

When I didn't say anything, Ava sighed. "Ella and I corroborated for once. We chose out a white dress for Kate. It's just perfect. I mean, white is the color of mortal weddings. It means pure," she said. As soon as the words were out, she hesitated, then added, "I've never met anyone with a purer soul than hers." Even though I didn't want to smile, I couldn't help let a tiny grin find its way to my lips. Ava, unlike the others, was thrilled about the result of the aphrodisiac. But she wouldn't say anything about it, because the others weren't too pleased about it.

The two of us sat there for a while, staring down at Kate. When I was alone with her, I liked to reach out touch her, just to make sure that she was still there, still alive. Her skin was soft, as was her hair. I hadn't realized how much I craved Kate's company until she was in no state to speak to me. I wished that I could find out what was going on inside her mind, what she was seeing. Certainly, she didn't see Diana anymore. Maybe she saw nothing. I had no idea what one would see when they were on the brink of death.

"I'm sorry," Ava said suddenly. I looked up at her. She shrugged and glanced away from me. I guessed that she didn't want me to see the hurt in her eyes, but I could still hear it in her voice. "I should've called for you earlier. I told you that I was going to watch Kate because something fishy was going on, and I did. I had the feeling that it was one of us, but I didn't tell you until it was too late. Sometimes I wonder how I couldn't have known it was Calliope, especially since she said that she killed all of those girls, killed Kate, because she loved you. I sat there and wondered what was wrong with me, why I couldn't tell that she was so in love with you, and then I finally realized why. She doesn't love you, Henry, though she likes to say that she does. There's a fine line between obsession and love, and she clearly crossed it hundreds of years ago. I'm sorry I didn't see it before. And I'm sorry that I didn't let you know what was going on with Kate. I feel like if I'd just told you that you loved her, and that she loved you, there wouldn't be so much confusion."

I held my breath. Ava said that she wished she told me that Kate loved me. I wondered if that was purposely said in a way that would sound so past tense, like maybe she didn't still love me. I internally chastised myself for being so picky about it. I was sure that Ava hadn't meant it like that. But given my past, I wanted conviction. "I never knew love was so… messy." I finally said.

Ava smiled a little ruefully. "That's what's so great about it. It's what makes it so beautiful. There's this thing that humans say: find beauty in perfection. But I don't think that's the case at all. There's just something so mesmerizing about a mess, I think. Something wonderful. It isn't set in stone. There are emotions everywhere, and feelings that you can't name. It wouldn't be love if it was perfect." Before I could answer, she cocked her head to the side, listening intently. "Nicholas is calling me. He says there's going to be an impromptu council meeting. Walter says that you should stay here and watch Kate. I'll be back." She promised, resting a hand on my shoulder before leaving the room.

I sighed, running my fingers down to Kate's. She was unresponsive, but her skin was warm. I wrapped my fingers around hers. We were a mess, I knew. We were far from perfect. But perhaps what was between us was the true, pure love that Ava spoke so fondly of. Maybe, we would find a way to make it burn instead of letting it wither. I made a resolution with myself, then. I wouldn't just sit back and let Kate be taken away from me. I thought that I'd given up so much to give her a chance, but in reality, it was her who had given up things for me, and it was high time that I return the notion.

# # #

Almost everyone had gathered in Kate's bedroom like they did every day in the early afternoon. But somehow, it was like we all knew that something was going to change. And we were right, because after a little while, Kate's face, which had been passive, twitched into one that was slightly painful, like she was coming out of whatever darkness had a hold on her. She shifted ever so slightly, enough that I had to hold myself back from lurching to her side. The others whispered around me, and then Kate finally opened her eyes. Their blue depths were a color that I could have sworn only existed there. I was hopelessly relieved to see them again.

Kate's eyes went around the room before resting on me. "Am I dead?" She asked, her voice more a croak than the beautiful sound I was so used to hearing. I couldn't help but wince, but I promised her that she was, in fact, alive. Understanding came over Kate's face – she had just realized that the goodbye she'd had with her mother was Diana leaving her, not her leaving Diana. She tried to sit up, but Walter was there, pushing her back down and feeding her warm ambrosia. Her eyes never met me, and while that thrilled me, it also broke my resolve. She was hurt, and she was looking to me for comfort. Perhaps she found some, but I couldn't do anything more than what I was for her.

I hated feeling that helpless.

She said my name, and I told her to sleep. I promised her that I would be there when she woke up; there was no way that I was leaving her side. She needed me, and I needed her. We were two people that wouldn't survive without each other. I couldn't believe that it had taken me this long to figure out.

# # #

When Kate next woke up, it was morning. She asked me about what had happened down in the Underworld, and I gave her a vague explanation. I had traded her death for her mother's, something that was frowned upon but wasn't exactly impossible. There were rules to the dead that I had to follow, but there were rules of my own that I could decide to bend whenever a good enough reason occurred. They had very rarely been broken, but this time I hadn't even thought it through before I decided what was going to happen. Diana had offered her death for Kate's, and I'd taken it. I would not, under any circumstances, let Kate be taken away from me. I needed her more than I ever knew.

We talked about Calliope, and the nightmares she had sent Kate to suffer through. She was locked away in one of the rooms; Theo, Xander, and Nicholas were all standing guard. I was always at Kate's side these days, and since we'd already figured out that it was Calliope trying to kill Kate, our need for bodyguards was nonexistent. But they were all too happy to make sure that Calliope was stuck in her cell for a change. I worried that Nicholas would feel bad about the fact that he was the reason his mother was there, but our family ties weren't really that tight. Still, they had to be careful, because Calliope could unweave the loyalty ties we did have.

As we spoke, I tried to convey to Kate how much I cared about her, how lost I would've been without her. It had come to attention recently that she was my everything. But I couldn't find the way to say it without sounding like I expected her to say the same thing to me. I wanted to know if she really did love me, not if she was just willing to pretend she did. We talked about the possible failure, and then the night that the two of us had been drugged. I apologized for scaring her that morning instead of approaching the topic calmly.

And then the most amazing thing happened. Kate told me, "Even if I failed, I still love you, you know." I hadn't asked her to tell me that, I hadn't told it to her first. It hadn't been in past tense, as if she'd loved me but decided that I wasn't worth it. It was then, in the moment. She really did love me, just like Ava had said she did. It wasn't the first time Kate had said it to me, but for the first time, I knew that it was true on my side, too. But the words just wouldn't come. I was too giddy inside to say them, too calculating on what she meant by them. Apparently, I took too long, and she sighed, closing her eyes.

She was staring to fall asleep when I leaned forward, my lips almost touching her ear. "I love you, too." The words were whispered, but they were true, and I knew that they were more powerful than anything I had ever encountered before. Sitting back with relief, I watched my beautiful, beloved Kate.

# # #

It was the day. Today, we would find out if the council intended to let Kate join the ranks of immortality. For the past week, I'd been at Kate's side every moment. We talked and played cards, and once, she even asked me if I would allow her to visit the manor, should she fail. I hadn't the guts to tell her that if she failed, I would never be seen again. I didn't tell that to her, though, and instead we pretended like we had all the time in the world. But the spring equinox would be closing in, and after today, Kate would either leave as my wife or leave without recall of who I was.

I had left Kate's side, for once, to get dressed. Ava said that she and Ella needed to dress her in the white dress they'd chosen. I tried to wait patiently for when they called for me, but I couldn't. I ended up standing outside her bedroom door, waiting for them to say that they would go get me. When Ella asked Kate if she should go get me, I didn't wait. I just opened the door myself and said, "No need." Ella and Ava looked at me, and then back to Kate. "Girls, you are dismissed." I said. Ella and Ava turned to leave, Ava hesitating to say something to Kate. Ella rolled her eyes at me as she slipped out of the bedroom door, Ava behind her.

Ava had told me little of the council meeting that she'd left to attend a week ago. She'd just said that I was to keep my mouth shut and wait to see what would happen. I didn't like those terms, but my fate was at the mercy of the council, so it wasn't like I was in any position to argue.

Kate and I spoke softly as I led her to the throne room. And then I left her there, alone for just a moment, to retrieve my family members. I couldn't imagine that shock that Kate would get when she realized that the council was made up of people that she'd come to know and love as friends. Perhaps she would even be angry that she'd been so blatantly lied to.

As I pushed open the door to where the council was waiting, I looked over my family members. All of them were here, including James. My eyes continued to scan them, and then I saw something that made the anger and hatred deep inside me twist and turn. Sitting next to Walter, in a place that she'd more than once claimed was rightfully hers, was my sister, the one that I would have rather faded than ever see again. I'd even promised Kate that she would never have to see Calliope, who murdered her, ever again. And here she was, in my house, somewhere where I had said she would be kicked out of the moment that Kate gained immortality and was protected from her.

Ava smiled at me brightly, but I could tell in her gaze that she hadn't wanted Calliope to attend either. I could tell that the others were just as uncomfortable at the turn of events that I was, they just didn't say anything. Nobody had said a single thing about Calliope being here. I hadn't had time to prepare Kate that she would even be here at all. "She's not welcome here." I said suddenly. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me. I myself was surprised at the ferocity of my words, but I meant every one of them.

Walter stood up. "Brother, she is a part of this council. She is the one that created the test in the first place."

I turned on my heel and started walking away, but they all followed. Walter followed right behind me.

"No. I made her a promise, and I have no intention of breaking it."

"It was not your promise to make." Walter said darkly. I wanted to turn around and rip him to shreds. If Kate had tried to kill Calliope, then he wouldn't even be letting her breathe. "She is one of us, and she will stay."

"She is not welcome in my home," I reiterated.

"Either she stays or we all go." Walter said, his eyes hard as he looked at me. I knew that only a part of this was due to the fact that Calliope really was a part of the council. The other part had much more to do with the fact that Walter wanted to prove to me and the others that just because I was the oldest didn't mean I decided what goes. Walter as my youngest brother, yet he liked to think that he was the one in charge of us all.

Don't prod him, Henry. You need his vote. Ava's voice was soft as it floated over my mind, like water running down rocks. She gave me a look from where she stood in the line of my family waiting to take their thrones. I could just barely hear Kate shuffling nervously on the other side of the thrones. She had no idea what was going on here.

My eyes met Calliope's. She didn't look particularly interested in anything. It made me want to attack her.

Turning, I channeled all of the anger that I was holding back and slammed a fist into the wall. "Fine," I muttered. "But she leaves the instant it is over."

Walter surprised me then. "Agreed," he said. I stood there for a shocked moment before turning my back to him and walking back over to Kate. I wanted to get to her before Calliope made her grand appearance. Kate would surely need my support. It couldn't be easy to look into the eyes of your killer.

I apologized as I drew nearer, leaning down to kiss her cheek. It had been easier over the past week to try and show her just how much I truly loved her. I put a hand on Kate's shoulder, pushing away the urge to draw her into my side and push her behind me for extra protection. I introduced her, and then they all came out in a procession, taking their thrones easily.

I consoled Kate while she tried to digest all of the information thrown her way. She looked shocked, but she didn't necessarily look scared. She just looked a little more… nervous. We started the council meeting by having Calliope step forward. I told Kate that she was the only surviving victim of Calliope's attacks, therefore she was the one that decided her fate. I waited, almost impatiently, to hear what she had to say. Ava had told me that this was one of her tests, and I was determined not to let it show on my face.

Finally, Kate gave her verdict – Calliope was to spend time with the previous eleven girls that she had killed. She was supposed to see them as a person, not just as a girl who threatened to take my heart. And after she succeeded with the eleven girls, she was supposed to move on with her existence, staying away from me and Kate. Calliope's faced pinched up a little bit, and tears came to her eyes. I had the feeling that Calliope thought it was fair. Perhaps she would have hoped that Kate would scream at her, enough that my sister could accuse her of having wrath that was unmatched by any other. But Kate was just as sweet as she usually was. It was another pass for her, I was sure. I said that I would uphold Kate's ruling, and James surprised me by seconding it.

Then our fate's came to a head as Walter commenced the verdict on whether or not Kate was to become one of the immortal.

Irene passed her on her test of sloth.

Sofia passed her on her test of greed.

Ella passed her own her test of gluttony, while pointing out that it was almost thrown out because I'd told her, and because Kate had been unconscious for most of her time here. Still, she decided that she wasn't going to eat any more, and not a single morsel of food had passed her lips.

Ava passed her on her test of envy, though I myself thought that she was being a little biased. Her test was a stretch, but I didn't say anything, and neither did the rest of the council.

Surprisingly, Calliope passed her on her test of wrath.

I looked to my brother, the youngest who wanted to be the greatest. He looked at Kate for a moment, and then announced that she had failed on the test of lust. The word punched me hard, and my mouth suddenly went dry. The panic I felt wasn't unfamiliar, but it was something that I had never felt until I met Kate. "Brother," I said, stepping forward. "I would like to contest the council's ruling on this." Ava gave me a warning look, but I pressed on. Finally, she snapped, Shut up, Henry. It's her test of pride. So if you want her to pass, you will step back and agree.

I hesitated for a moment, before sighing and stepping back. The rest of it rested with Kate. We all knew that she was a fighter. If she thought this was wrong, she would fight for the truth. And that worried me, crushed me deep down inside. If she couldn't agree, we would certainly fail. I wished that I could tell her.

Just as we all expected, Kate tried to argue. She tried to stand up, to face Walter head on. It had been many years since I'd seen anyone try to face my brother head on, face-to-face. "Kate," I whispered. Walter cut her off, spitting out a few words in a way that made my skin itch with the need to tell him to tone it down. Finally, he asked if she accepted the failure. I tensed, waiting for her answer.

"I accept that the council has chosen to fail me, yes, and I understand what it means. But I don't think it's fair that you're doing this to Henry and if there's anything I can do to change your minds, I'll do it."

Be quiet, I wanted to tell her. Just wait and see what's going to happen next. Kate apologized, but I didn't meet her gaze. Diana was supposed to be here by now. Where was she?

Just then, I heard her come in. I let a tiny smile cross my face. "Sister," I said. The entire council smiled, pleased to see one of their loved ones returned.

"Hello, Henry." Diana said pleasantly. Kate sat there, her mouth dropped open, as Diana came up to me. I hugged her briefly. She stepped back and looked at her daughter. "Hello, Kate."

"Hi, Mom." Kate whispered.

Diana explained our deception. And then she passed Kate for her test on pride. I held my breath as they went around the circle, one after the other, agreeing that Kate was to become part of our family. The council stepped off of their thrones, a few of them coming to give Kate their congratulations.

Diana and I took a moment after that to explain what had happened. Kate was still in shock, but now that she was one of us, there were things she needed to know. First of all, she needed to know that she was always the last one. Diana told her that the reason she had become mortal was to give birth to Kate and raise her to be the perfect wife and queen for a lonely god of the Underworld. And then she said that Persephone was her other daughter, the first one born a millennia ago. Kate took the information in stride, staying strong just like I'd come to expect from her.

Once Diana departed, Kate and I had a few moments to ourselves. I led her to the room where she'd found out James's secret identity so many months ago. Kate seemed tensed at the idea that I was leading her to what had once been Persephone's bedroom. The memory, apparently, had not escaped her. But when I opened the door and revealed our family and a white wedding arch, she seemed to relax.

We stood together. We said our simple vows. And then I leaned forward to kiss her. Kate was mine, now, mine forever. And she would never, never be alone in the world.

# # #

We spent our wedding night in her bedroom, playing cards. I was not about to make a mistake all over again. Instead, we kept each other company and reveled over the fact that there was nothing hovering over our heads. Well, almost nothing. In the morning, Kate would leave the manor for her allotted six months out of the year.

We all stood at the gates of the manor. James had already volunteered to go with Kate for her six months. That worried me, but I told myself that I couldn't get that obsessed with her. Ava had enlightened me before, when she spoke of the way that Calliope was obsessed with me rather than loved me. Maybe that was what I had felt for Persephone – no love, but obsession. Was it possible? Absolutely. But I'd been deluding myself into thinking that it was love for so long that I wasn't sure what to think anymore.

I watched Kate as she said goodbye to our family members. That felt good to say. It was our family. We were together, now, and there would be nothing that could pull us apart. Not death, not failure, not even a crazed Calliope.

I stepped up to say goodbye to her. "Kate, whatever is waiting for you outside the gate, remember that the summer is yours to do with what you please." I was trying to give her an out, a way not to feel guilty. We had all but pushed her into a relationship with me, after all, and even though she said she loved me, maybe she would want to do a little experimentation. That was what Persephone had done, and she had found that she loathed me. I hoped that it would not be the same for Kate. But I would not trap her like I had trapped Persephone. "It is none of my business what you decide to do with that time."

"I know. And I also know that the way I feel about you isn't going to change just because the seasons do. So if you don't mind too much, I'm going to stick to the vows I made". She smiled. "You can't get rid of me that easily." I tried to say something, tried to explain that she was free, that I was not her captor or her warden. "Henry, enough about that. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not, so you might as well get used to it."

I watched her carefully. "Anytime you need me, I will be by your side. You have my word." She nodded, and I leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "I will be waiting for you when you return." There was something very important that I had to say, something that had been bubbling inside me for months that I just had not recognized. It was time that she knew just how important she was to me. "And I love you."

Kate smiled so brightly I thought her cheeks might hurt. Tears pricked her eyes. "Love you, too." Something broke inside me. I had hoped all along that someone like Kate would come along to pull me out of my misery, to make me see life as something important again. I took a hold of her chin and brought her face to mine. I pressed my lips to hers, hoping that she could feel all that love that I'd kept bottled inside me. It had turned out that I was just waiting for her.

Kate turned and headed down the drive, and I watched her go. And for the first time, I watched my wife, the love of my existence, walk away from me for her six months of freedom, and didn't have a single worry about her not coming back to me.

This is extremely sad. I mean, I'm thrilled that I've finished it. This is my first finished FanFiction ever. It gives me hope that I will, in fact, complete others and not be weighed down with ten million of them.

So here my FanFiction comes to an end. I don't really know what to say here, since it's never happened to me before. I'll just say that I hope all of you enjoyed it thoroughly. I thank you, readers, for taking the time to sit down and read each chapter and leave me reviews, which have been the main reason I continued to update. I greatly appreciate your support.

Thanks so much – leave me a final review, please, and if you have any questions and/or comments that you really, really want answered, feel free to send me a PM. So, this is my last update for this story. Thank you all, again.

Peace. (: