Page 54

Another place.

Another woman.

The chamber was half empty.

After all this time, I still thought of this place as a chamber, though the roof had long been blown to pieces after one of my father's legendary temper tantrums.

Out of the twelve seats—and the thirteenth, a simple stool which was nothing short of an insult—only five were occupied when I reluctantly answered the summons. I would make the sixth. Half of us were not in attendance.

No surprise there.

Many of those who ought to have taken their throne had long since perished. Other had been replaced by new faces, still bearing souls I was familiar with.

And then, there were the occasional new gods. Nonentities I wasn't quite sure of yet.

For five thousand years, I suffered the simplicity of my elder brother, and now, in his place, there was another, holding his power, his strength, the lightning in his veins and the mind of blades and battlefields, but far more subtle and cunning.

I didn't know what to do with the new Ares. I knew even less what to do with him when he played the part of Thor.

So many shifting pieces on the board. Only one truly mattered. The king on the other side.

I walked straight to him and knelt so low my forehead almost touched the polished marble. There was a reason I was his favorite.

"Daughter," Zeus said, something almost like warmth in his low, rumbling timbre. "Come. Sit. I am in need of your counsel."

When wasn't he? But time had taught me that what he needed and what he wanted were two diametrically opposite things. He needed a great amount of advice, and wanted nothing but assent.

I was the only one, amongst all his children, who still bore the flesh I was first born into. Every other had perished by his hand at one time or another.

More often than not, they came back to us in a new body, but still the same mind. And in other times, we got things like this New Ares: my brother's power, and yet, someone else's entirely.

And I was still myself, body, mind, and soul, because I was smart enough to shut the fuck up.

I sat as I was bid.

"We have a situation. One I'd hoped to resolve before it got to this point."

I wish I could have snorted. As though any god here could have failed to notice. I only cocked a brow. "Oh?"

"Our city on Earth has always been a breeding ground for heroes, and occasionally, yes, gods, too. It is home to our flesh and blood. It stands to reason that it would have held great power."

We were all used to his self-satisfaction by now.

Hephaestus grunted in agreement, Hermes laughed good-heartedly.

Hera, naturally, rolled her eyes, focusing her attention on her new manicure.

Purple. I'd have to mention how comely that particular shade was.

On the rare occasion Zeus was cross with me, it was his wife who saved my skin.

Ares did not move a single muscle.

"Surely, nothing of concern?" I said, lying through my teeth with ease.

Oh, he was more than concerned. With good reason.

For years, I suspected what had occurred to the silly girl who didn't know her place yet. Today was confirmation. The change in the very air, the very fabric of the mortal world could only have come from one thing.

Godly power, awakening, right where nothing of our world was allowed to dwell.

Yes, the gods could visit Earth, when called and at great cost, often to the poor fool who dared to make the request. But we could only project parts of ourselves, our lesser essence.

I didn't bother to think of the simple weaklings who better fit amongst mortal than the rest of us. They fared well enough. The rest of us however? We could no longer touch the human world.

I'd seen to that.

"The brat," my father growled, thunder quaking at the words. "She's stirred. She's awakening."He stood, calling his bolt to his fist. I was the only one who didn't visibly flinch. "I will gladly raze their entire world to the ground before I see the likes of her return."

Again, I showed no outward reaction.

It wouldn't do to betray my relief.

He'd only noticed one of them, then. The one who did not concern me.

The end...

For now.

Vow Forever Night is Book One in Kleos and Lucian's Duet, which concludes at book two.