For a brief moment, it was working.
Then, she stepped into the massive cavern and took in the gods and goddesses seated in a circle around the hearth.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
Twelve figures sat there, watching her expectantly. Some she recognized—Sol, of course, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at her; Marina, her back rigid in her seat, looking as regal as ever; Cyrus, still managing to appear fierce and intimidating, even while wearing an eye patch; Hypnos, with his dark skin and shock of white hair; Diana, her chestnut hair gleaming and her bow and quiver strapped to her back; Gaia, blue eyes sparking with pride; Deimos, the god of terror, whose thin and wiry frame barely took up the space of his seat; dark-haired Eris, the goddess of conflict, her crimson eyes flashing; and Morpheus, Hypnos’s son, the god of dreams, with tawny skin and bronze eyes that fixed on Trivia with curiosity.
The other three deities were people Trivia had never seen before: a man and two women. They looked at her with part curiosity, part suspicion.
Unease coiled in Trivia’s chest, but she let Midas lead her to the seat next to Sol. She sank into it and clasped her hands together on her lap. Midas took the seat on Sol’s other side.
Sol looked at Trivia, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. Even her bones seemed to quiver with trepidation. Her gaze snapped to Deimos as she briefly wondered if he was using his influence on her.
He offered an amused smirk, as if he couldsenseher fear. He probably could.
“I want to personally thank all of you for assisting us in battle,” Sol began, his voice strong and full of a confidence that Trivia envied. “We couldn’t have defeated the Titans without you.”
A few of the deities murmured their agreement before Sol spoke again.
“There is obviously a lot of cleaning up to be done among the three realms. But I think, first and foremost, we must select a ruler for Elysium. From there, he—or she—can rebuild and guide the souls to their final resting place. I don’t want to repeat the pattern we established before, of a power-hungry monarch who rules with no restraint.This council”—he gestured to the circle—”will be the deciding force of Elysium, should a conflict arise. But whoever is the ruler will make the bulk of the decisions.” He paused, eyeing each person in the circle “So… any volunteers?”
Silence met his words. Gaia’s brows knitted together in clear displeasure. Cyrus lifted his chin, his lips curling into a cold smile.
Deimos spoke first, his voice thin and reedy. “I vote for Midas. We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him. He convinced us to fight.”
Hypnos and Morpheus nodded their agreement.
Midas shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I have served my time as a king in the mortal realm. I don’t wish to do it again.” He cocked his head, eyeing Sol with scrutiny. “But my nephew would make afineking.”
Sol stiffened, his eyes widening. “What?”
“He trained directly under Apollo,” Midas went on. “He knows the duties associated with the crown. And he can fuel the sun of Elysium as well.”
“It was his magic that helped rebuild it,” Gaia offered.
Eris and Diana murmured their agreement, although judging by the way Eris was eyeing Sol up and down, Triviawould wager her thoughts were less on his king-like qualities and more on his proclivities in the bedroom.
The thought sent a spark of fury shooting through her, and she was speaking without realizing it. “We could not have defeated the Titans without him. He charged fearlessly into battle, even before realizing we had allies on our side.” She reached out her hand and took his, squeezing his fingers.
Sol was staring, wide-eyed, at the circle of deities, his face paling. “I—I don’t—That’snotwhy I gathered everyone. I am just conducting the meeting. That’s all.”
“Do you accept the nomination?” Midas asked. “Or will you refuse the honor?”
Sol’s brows lowered as he glared at Midas. “It’s inappropriate. I was too close to Apollo. Aren’t you worried I was working alongside him?”
“He murdered your mother,” Deimos said softly. “I don’t think any of us believe you sided with Apollo.”
A solemn silence filled the room.
Then, Marina spoke. “You were the only god from Elysium to willingly fight alongside the witches. When all hope seemed lost and victory seemed hopeless, you were there, fighting with us. The rest of you arrived later, for which we are grateful. But only Sol was there from the beginning.”
A few of the deities looked uncomfortable at this, and Trivia wondered just how much pleading had been required to convince them to fight.
Sol was squeezing Trivia’s hand now, too. When she looked at him, she found his gaze already fixed on her, filled with warmth and passion. A faint scar gleamed from thelamplight, tracing a line from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. Courtesy of Prometheus.
“I would not be here at all,” Sol said softly, “were it not for Trivia.”
Trivia’s heart stuttered in her chest. Sol’s eyes were still locked on her as if they were the only ones in the room. He spoke with such reverence, such tenderness, that she could almost believe they were alone.
