“Are you saying…we’re free?” He hesitated to understand—in case he didn’t. He feared a trick that would leave him devastated.

Athena’s head swiveled toward Novalight, sliding in a way that reminded him she wasn’t at all human. “Oh, I can do better than that.”

A stick appeared in her hand. She waved it. “Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.” Athena winked at Sophie. “I’ve always wanted to say that. Or at least, for the last seventy years or so.”

Novalight rose to his feet like a ragdoll. Athena spun him around several times with glittering, swirling magic, bringing him back to consciousness and fixing his nose. She hit him over the head with her stick, and he disappeared.

Piers blinked hard, making sure the man was really gone. Sophie’s relieved laughter unraveled the knots in his chest.

“That was all for show.” Athena grinned, especially at Sophie. “I couldn’t resist.”

“What happened to him?” Sophie asked, smiling back.

“He’s back in his house on Christmas eve, contemplating calling the woman he’ll eventually make those fated babies with, and not remembering a single thing about either of you or the Shard of Olympus. The whole thing never happened. His hired guns have no idea why they were out and about and getting pummeled in New York. His archeological site in the Mediterranean turned out to be a complete dud, and he’ll sell the entire island tomorrow to a professional soccer player from England who’s about to retire.”

Piers understood only parts of that, but Sophie nodded, appearing to like the plan.

“That’s brilliant. Thank you.” Sophie blushed. Athena might seem less intimidating masquerading as a thirty-something New Yorker, but she was still an Olympian and radiated power.

Athena looked at Sophie almost with affection. “You won’t have your magic without the Shard of Olympus. The shard was dormant, like all magic here, until it encountered Heracleidae. Aaron first, although his blood was very diluted. The shard spoke to him just enough to spark some research into his ancient lineage—and yours. The magic is far stronger in your blood.”

“I don’t want magic.” Sophie shuddered. “It terrifies me.”

“As it should.” Athena sighed. “The people of Earth have invented terrible enough weapons as it is. Magic has no place here.”

Sophie murmured her agreement as she tucked herself into Piers’s side.

“What happens next?” Piers asked, still fearing a trick in the end. He wouldn’t put it past Athena to let the other shoe drop now and kick him in the head.

The goddess tsked at him, chuckling under her breath. Then she waved her magic stick again. Several things appeared on the bed. “Well, you’re still exiled—sorry. Can’t change that.”

Piers wasn’t sorry. Not with Sophie by his side. Not with the life he could imagine for them.