“But,” I faltered, “you have help. You have me and Ryan.”

He nodded, almost too quickly. “I do, and you’re great, both of you, but... Harper, if my powers could actually be used to help people, if this guy”—he nodded at Alexander—“can help me do that... it kind of seems worth it, don’t you think?”

I stood there, my stomach twisting, my skin suddenly cold. “Saylor and Christopher gave up everything to protect you from these people. They tried to kill you, David. They took Bee.”

“I know,” David said, “but, Pres, I looked into this guy’s mind. He’s not trying to hurt me, and what he said adds up. The Ephors only wanted me gone when they thought I was a crappy Oracle. Now that the ritual has worked and it didn’t kill me, they need me again. Hell, maybe...” He trailed off, tugging at his hair. “Maybe the world needs me. And it’s not worth your lives”—he gestured at me and Ryan—“if I’m not doing something important. Plus, I’m...” Another hair tug. “I’m sick of running from this. Aren’t you?” Behind his glasses, his eyes were very blue, and I could hear the plea in his voice.

“He’s got a point, Harper,” Ryan agreed, and I turned, surprised.

“Okay, what happened to ‘damn straight’?”

Ryan gave one of those easy shrugs, and it was the weirdest thing, seeing such a familiar gesture in such a bizarre setting. “Our job is to protect David, right? If this is what David wants, it seems like we should go with it. If the alternative is us looking over our shoulders forever, this seems a hell of a lot better.”

I had plenty of experience getting girls in line, but it seemed like boys were a way bigger pain in the butt. I couldn’t believe I was being overruled by my boyfriend and my ex-boyfriend in front of a guy I was already pretty sure I hated.

Still, I wanted to present a united front. “Let’s go home and talk about it,” I said, smoothing my hands over my skirt. In the soft golden lamplight of the study, I could make out a little stain at the hem. Ugh, Spencer must have spilled beer on me when I grabbed him, and I suddenly felt exhausted. “No decision needs to be made tonight, and, hey, not to be rude, but it’s not like either of you have to go through some kind of crazy Greek trials if we say yes.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Alexander said, his brows drawing together with what had to be fake concern. “I don’t think I was clear. There’s no ‘deciding.’ You are already in the Peirasmos, Miss Price.”

I turned to look at him. “What?”