Goddess in Time by Tera Lynn Childs Read Free Book Online Page A

interrupt.
    â€œYou can’t?” Phoebe frowns.
    â€œWhy not?” Troy asks. “We already know what to—ow!”
    I shake my head as Troy protects his ribs. I can’t tell her. I can’t involve her in this. It’s bad enough I’m letting Troy in—at least he’s been a part of this world his whole life. Phoebe’s only known about it for a year.
    Besides, we might still need them. Surprise twists and all that.
    Phoebe crosses the room to stand in front of me. “Tell me. I want to help.”
    I open my mouth and close it again.
    â€œTell her,” Troy nudges.
    Tilting my head back, I stare at the ceiling like I’m going to find some kind of answer there. Nope, nothing but boring white plaster.
    â€œWe’re friends,” Phoebe says. “You can trust me.”
    â€œIt’s not that,” I blurt. “I trust you, I just . . .”
    â€œDon’t want to involve me,” she finishes.
    I nod.
    â€œShe didn’t want to involve anyone,” Troy adds.
    â€œToo bad,” she says, surprising me. “Friends don’t only help each other when it’s safe or convenient. Whatever’s going on, I’m in.”
    I want to argue, to tell her that this is too dangerous. Too risky. Too important. I’ve already been responsible for ruining too many lives. I don’t want them to risk their futures, too.
    One glance at Troy tells me he agrees with Phoebe.
    Two against one. He practically blackmailed me into letting him help. She probably would, too. Doesn’t leave me much choice, does it?
    â€œOkay,” I say, walking over to my closet, where the books are safely hidden under a pile of junk. “But you have to promise not to tell your stepdad.”
    She scowls. “Do you even have to ask?”
    Of course not. I dig the bigger of the two books out of the hiding spot. I only hesitate a second before walking back across the room. When I hand it to Phoebe, she reads the title and her jaw drops.
    â€œYou said it wasn’t possible.” She flips open the book and skims the contents. “You said it was ridiculously illegal.”
    â€œIt’s both,” I reply.
    â€œThen why—”
    She starts to ask the question. Why would I do this? Why would I take such a huge risk?
    But then she jerks back, as if it all makes sense.
    She glances at Troy, who shrugs and nods.
    â€œYour parents,” she whispers.
    I jam my hands in my back pockets. “It’s the only way.”
    The gods know I’ve tried everything else. I’ve petitioned Olympus, scoured the legal section of the library, even asked Headmaster Petrolas for advice. The answer was always the same: the decree is irreversible without a unanimous Olympic vote. Hera will never vote in our favor.
    If I want to unbanish my parents and bring Griffin’s back to him, I have to try.
    â€œMy only chance to make things right,” I say, “is to go back and stop it from happening in the first place.”
    Phoebe stares at me for a long time. Like, an insanely long time. I can’t read her thoughts—I mean, I could use psychospection if I really wanted to, but that’s rude. Instead, I wait for her to finally speak.
    â€œChanging the past,” she says. “Isn’t that dangerous? Wouldn’t you risk, like, unmaking yourself?”
    â€œI would already be born,” I argue.
    â€œBut other things,” she insists. “You could screw up whole time lines that depend on that event happening. My mom used to love this old movie about a time-traveling car and—”
    â€œThere are fail-safes.” Troy points at the book. “According to the text, existing time lines are inviolable. Changing something in the past changes it now, but it still happened then.”
    â€œWhat does that even mean?” I demand.
    â€œI know, I had to read it three times to understand,” he says. “But