Aida’s chest tightened. “So... we’re helping her? By collecting happiness, we’re helping destroy it?”
“Unwittingly, yes,” Sophie said softly. “That’s how she’s stayed hidden for so long. She used you to document happiness, so she could target and erase it. You didn’t know, but now that you do, you can help me restore the balance. Happiness is one of the most powerful forces in the human experience. It brings resilience, hope, and connection—all things that protect humanity from despair. By erasing joy, Oizys is stripping away humanity’s last defense against her influence. Once joy is gone, misery can take root more easily. If she succeeds, the balance will be shattered, and gods like me will fade. Oizys doesn’t just want to cripple humanity—she wants to reshape the world in her image, create a place where only misery thrives.”
Aida gripped the table’s edge to ground herself, her alarm rising and her heart threatening to leap out of her chest. Her ears and scalp began to tingle. The last time she’d had a panic attackwas at her grandmother’s funeral, standing by the graveside in the cold, the metal casket gleaming in the sunlight. She’d needed to sit on one of the folding chairs the cemetery had set out for the elderly. Yumi had held her and rubbed her back until she could be calm. Oh! How she wished Yumi were with her now.
Sophie could sense her discomfort. “Aida, please,” she said, holding out her hand again.
Aida swallowed and reached out her shaking hand. This time, Sophie curled her fingers around Aida’s and she laid her other hand on top, her skin warm and comforting.
“Don’t worry. Now I will give you my aegis.”
Immediately, Aida’s panic fled, and a sense of comfort and safety filled her. “Oh, oh, thank you,” she breathed, grateful for the reprieve from the attack on her senses. “I’m...”
“No.” The goddess stopped her. “Don’t ever apologize for your feelings.” She let go of Aida’s hand and reached for Luciano’s. “I give you my aegis.”
Aida felt Luciano relax next to her.
“Now, keep in mind you won’t be invincible. Gods gain power over humans when the humans believe in them, but my protection renders their direct influence upon you void. Yet careless decisions can still render you vulnerable to other humans under the influence of the gods, so be careful. But you don’t strike me as average humans. Use good judgment and you’ll be fine.”
“Could Mo be a god?” Aida wondered aloud.
“Mo?” Sophie paused, then sadly shook her head. “He didn’t even bother with a clever name. I’m impressed at his restraint.”
“Who is he?” Luciano asked.
“Momus, my brother. God of, what would you say... Snark. Guile. Sarcasm. Cutting wit.”
Aida gave a rueful chuckle, remembering the first meeting she had at MODA when Mo told her to get her snark on. “So much makes sense now. What about Fran and Disa?” She described the two women to Sophie.
“Fraus, who is better known as Apate. And Discordia. My sisters.”
“Fraus... fraud,” Luciano explained to Aida. “And discord.”
“I’m afraid so. My more nefarious siblings seem to have teamed up. Hence the name MODA. Not all gods care about balance. Some thrive in darkness and gain strength from chaos, deceit, and suffering. This imbalance is an opportunity for them. The more suffering there is, the more powerful they become. It’s their chance to rise again, to reclaim the influence they’ve lost. They don’t care that the world is slipping into despair, because they’re thriving on it. My guess is that they know exactly what happened to Effie.” Sophie took another sip of her wine. “You’ll have to help me find out what and why.”
“Wait, what? No, I’m done with this. I can’t go back to work for them knowing who they are. And you are a goddess! If they are your siblings, you should be able to handle this on your own.” Luciano began fumbling for his coat. “Come on, Aida.”
Sophie’s voice remained calm and measured. “Luciano, this is one of those careless decisions I was referring to that might render my protection void.”
He paused. “What do you mean?”
“If they suspect you know anything, do you think they will let you live? There are many ways for them to influence the coming of your death that will override my protection. You can skate below the surface, but as soon as you blatantly show them you are aware of who they are, they’ll arrange for your destruction.”
Luciano threw up his hands. “Why can’t you do anything? After all, this isyourfamily trying to destroy all joy in the world.”
Aida put a hand on Luciano’s arm. He looked at her, took a deep breath, and seemed to relax. She turned her attention to Sophie. “Help us understand.”
“Of course. There are two reasons. First, I can’t interfere as it would disrupt the very balance I exist to protect. My influence must remain neutral—if I act too directly, I shift the scalesin ways I can’t control. Worse, my siblings could use my interference as justification to do the same, and they have no interest in balance. If I overstep, I don’t weaken them—I strengthen them. Like my siblings, I’m bound by the Preservation of Order. That’s why I need you. Since you know of MODA and the missing happiness, you will help me.”
Her tone left no question that this was a command. Aida reached for Luciano’s hand under the table and squeezed it. He squeezed back and, to her relief, did not let go.
“I don’t think I can talk to them again without it being obvious that I know something, much less work to help you fix this,” Aida said. Despite Sophie’s assurance that the gods couldn’t hurt her directly, she couldn’t push aside the idea of Discordia sending lightning bolts from her fingers to burn her to a crisp. She was confident the woman despised her.
“That’s what my protection is for,” Sophie said. “I granted you calm in the presence of gods.”
“I don’t feel very calm right now.” Luciano’s words were bitter.
“You don’t need protection from me. And I prefer to see you as you are. But in the face of scrutiny by one of my sisters or brothers, you’ll find yourself cool as a cucumber. This is important because you’ll need to sleuth out where they hide all that happiness. Now think, have they told you what they do with your research?”
