“Even though you can see it now, I put the ring in a velvet pouch for transport,” she said, making sure her voice was loud and clear. “And I added a little something for you—for your journey home. I know how you love sweets.”

He stared at the banana nut bread for a moment, confused, then his face cleared in understanding. Marina knew he was on a diet. She would never give him something loaded with sugar. He threw his arms around her and squeezed her as tightly as he could for a man holding bread.

“You are my hero,” he whispered before kissing her on the cheek.

He released her and headed for the door. She could see the tears pooling in his eyes as he looked back at her and smiled.

Then the door burst open and a man wearing a mask stepped inside. He held something in his hand that was round and kinda looked like a stress ball, but whatever it was had Alexios taking a few steps back. Alexios had told her that earthly weapons couldn’t harm him but clearly whatever the stalker was holding could.

“Give me the ring,” the stalker said.

“And seal my death warrant?” Alexios asked.

“You’re dead if you don’t,” the stalker said. “It’s either me or Zeus. I wouldn’t expect mercy from either.”

The stalker lifted his arm, moving the object closer to Alexios, who cowered a bit and shook his head as if in pain.

“Stop!” Alexios yelled. “Take it.”

Alexios thrust the velvet pouch at the stalker. He took it and loosened the drawstring to peer inside. Then he smiled and Marina felt her blood run cold. Until this moment, it had all been an adventure. A child’s game almost. Except that it wasn’t a game. And these men weren’t children.

For the first time since it had all begun, she realized that this was really a war. A war that someone would win and someone would lose. Where people would die. And gods. Both. She clutched the counter as she started to sway. This was it. The stalker was going to kill her and Alexios, and the ring would never get back to Zeus. The world would end.

She’d miscalculated.

She’d thought by giving Alexios a decoy that if the stalker intercepted him, he’d take the bait and run. But it looked like he was going to take the bait, kill them, then run. She wouldn’t even have an opportunity to warn Halcyon or Avery. Or more importantly, tell them how much she loved them one last time.

This was how her life ended.

And despite all the awful things that had happened the past week, Marina still loved every moment of every day she’d been on earth. Even the bad ones. Every second had shaped her into the person she was today. And finally, after forty-eight years, she thought she knew exactly who that person was.

More importantly, she really liked her.

The stalker punched his fist with the weapon toward Alexios and the demigod crumpled onto the ground. Marina rushed over to him and crouched down, figuring at least they could die together. She looked back at the stalker and he laughed. Then he ran out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him.