"The test, Alex."
Her voice was raw with emotion. "You passed the test. You were never supposed to complete the mission. You were supposed to refuse it."
She looked at him with the kind of recognition that felt ancient, as if she'd been searching through lifetimes and finally found the one soul that matched.
"And you did. After all the pressure, all the temptation, all the fear...you actually did."
Alex couldn't understand what was going on. What test was she talking about?
He stared at her, bewildered.
He'd never seen her like this.
The mighty goddess who'd appeared in his life with cold certainty and cruel amusement.
The untouchable being who'd tested and manipulated and pushed him with absolute confidence. The ancient entity who'd commanded his fate with a voice like silk over steel.
She was crying.
