I had already been told that Zeus was missing, but I was disappointed not to see Hera. I wanted to know why she’d sent a miserable freaking cat to keep an eye on me for years.
“So. You’re the reason Ares has been so secretive,” said a voice behind me, and I spun around.
A woman with boobs so big they barely fit in the corseted red dress she was wearing was giving me a narrow-eyed look, a half-smile on her handsome face. “Interesting.”
“Who are you?” I asked. I didn’t have the patience or inclination to be polite to her if that’s how she was going to start a conversation. A more genuine smile tipped her lips up, and she brushed a strand of black hair out of her face.
“I’m his sister, Eris. Who are you?”
“Bella.”
“Bella,” she repeated, and a sudden urge to do something completely outrageous, like take all my clothes off, gripped me. Eris gave a tinkling laugh. “Oh, you’re a susceptible one,” she grinned, her eyes sparkling with either mischief or malice, I couldn’t tell. “I like you.”
“Erm,” I said, concentrating hard on stopping my hands from undoing the snap on my jeans. “Are you doing this?”
“Doing what?” she purred innocently, then a cackling laugh bubbled from her lips. “Sorry, it’s too easy, I’ll stop,” she said, and the feeling vanished. I scowled at her.
“Don’t fucking do that again.”
“But I’m the Goddess of Chaos and Discord, I can’t help myself,” she pouted. “What are you a goddess of? I hope it’s something fun. I can tell you have power, and you don’t come across very innocent.”
“Erm, war, apparently,” I said, my eyes widening as I saw something walk behind her. “What in the name of sweet fuck is that?” I breathed. Eris ignored the question, her eyes lighting up.
“War? You’re the goddess of war?”
“So I’m told. Seriously, what is that?” I pointed at the creature who had now stopped loping across the room and was talking to a woman with a lopsided face and leathery wings. Eris turned and waved her hand dismissively.
“That’s a griffin talking to a harpy. Who told you that you were the Goddess of War?”
“Ares did. What the hell is a griffin?” I’d heard of a harpy, but not a griffin. He had a beak for a nose, huge torn wings, and legs like the back legs of a lion.
“Lion-eagle cross. Let me get this right. Ares told you that you were the Goddess of War? This is too good.”
She was beaming as I dragged my attention from the griffin back to her face.
“Why?”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough. Come, let me show you some more beasties of Olympus. That over there is a minotaur, he’s Hades’ captain of the guard in fact, and that is a centaur. They’re reclusive creatures, never leave that stuck-up bore Artemis’ realm if they can help it.”
My mouth fell open as I stared at the centaur. She was freaking magnificent. The bottom half of her body was that of a white mare, and rising from the horse’s chest was the torso of a warrior woman. Gleaming silver armor and a belt hung with axes and war hammers wrapped around her body, and white hair the color of the horse’s coat was pushed back from her stern face with a silver band.
Strength and fearlessness and battle-bravery stirred inside me as I stared at her.
“She’s ready for war,” I breathed, without even realizing I was speaking aloud.
“Well, you would know,” said Eris. “Being Goddess of War, and all that.” She said the words with barely-contained delight, and suspicion roused me from my fascination with the centaur.
“Why are you so excited about this?”
“Because my brother can be a complete fucking asshole, and you might just provide me with some entertainment.”
“Well, we agree on that at least. Your brother is an asshole. He wanted to kill me.”
“Wanted? I would amend that to ‘wants’, sweetie. Present tense. I highly doubt he’s stopped wanting to kill you; Ares wants to kill most things.”
“Great. Any tips on not being killed by him?”
“Nope. But I look forward to seeing if you survive.”
“Thanks,” I said, loading my voice with sarcasm.
“You’re welcome,” she smiled, and an urge to run over and slap the serious centaur on the ass gripped me so hard my feet started to move.
“Stop it!”
“Eris, whatever you’re doing, stop,” I heard Persephone’s voice say, and mercifully my feet stilled. The grin on Eris’ face vanished.
“Of course, oh Queen of dull,” Eris said with an over the top bow. For a moment I thought her huge boobs would spill out of her top, but she straightened in time. “Good luck surviving my idiot brother, sweetie,” she said to me, then turned and strode away.
“Thanks. You keep rescuing me,” I said, turning gratefully to Persephone.
“Not for much longer. You’re needed,” she said.
She walked me the length of the room to stand in front of the dais with the thrones, Hades now occupying one. Ares glared at me as I approached, and as before, his anger seemed to steel me rather than intimidate me. I could take his bullshit. I gave him a potent ‘fuck off’ look as I came to a stop beside him.
The other gods’ eyes bore into me too, and I avoided looking at any of them directly. I wasn’t one to shy away from threats, but fuck - they were intimidating. Energy thrummed from them, swirling through the air like heat over tarmac. It was weird. And I didn’t like it.
The smell of the ocean washed over me suddenly, so strong I froze, then a cool breeze seemed to cut through the uncomfortable power-heat. I felt myself relax instantly, and a man shimmered into being just in front of the dais.
He looked like a completely normal man in his sixties, with a weather-beaten face, fierce blue eyes, and a pale green toga. Persephone and Ares bowed on either side of me, so I did the same.
“Oceanus,” ground out Ares as he straightened, and I felt my eyebrow quirk. This was the most powerful being in Olympus? But he didn’t exude power like the gods behind him. All he exuded, in fact, was a cheerful calm.
“Ares,” Oceanus said pleasantly. “I am pleased to hear that you may have an opportunity to prove yourself a true ruler.” Every muscle in the God of War’s body tensed, and I wished I could see under his helmet. I was pretty sure his face would be as red as a tomato. He clearly didn’t like Oceanus much.
“I have agreed to help Hades with his escaped demon,” he said eventually, voice hoarse.
“And in doing so, you will also be helping this young lady whose power you covet. How selfless.” Oceanus’ eyes twinkled as he looked at me, and I instantly trusted him. Which was very unlike me. I folded my arms, suspicious.
Oceanus smiled. “I have a desire to prove myself an ally to the Olympians,” he said loudly, and turned in a full circle, looking at all the gods on their thrones in turn. “So I have a gift for you. It is in everyone’s interest to get Ares back to ruling his... unique realm. But I am bound by my own rules, and those do not allow me to just hand out power of that magnitude. Power must be earned. It is the most dangerous thing in the world.”