It was some distance away—I’d have to pass four palaces. I made myself take in the symbols over their grand entrance. The cornucopia was likely Demeter’s, and the owl, Athena’s. The trident, I decided, was likely not a problem—not so much because Poseidon was on Kleos’s side, and might forgive me trespassing on her account, but because I knew he didn’t tend to hang out here.
That left one problem: the palace showing a caduceus on top. I grimaced. Hermes, the fastest, most wicked of all the gods. Even if hewasn’taround when I crossed, he could materialize himself in a blink of an eye if he so wished. I had to evade him entirely if I could.
I bit my lip, trying to find other paths, but it seemed like the city was designed to ensure the imperial seat could only be accessed after passing each of those domains.
“What in the name of our father are you doing here?” the most melodious voice intoned right behind me.
I never even felt her approach, but when I turned, I faced a woman so tall I couldn’t hope to see her face. I only reached her toe. Yet her voice had been just a whisper buzzing in my ear.
In the next breath, she flicked out of focus and reappeared, only one head taller than me this time.
I knew her. Not only because of the memories Cas had allowed me to see, but because deep inside me, I realized I knew this person as well as I knew myself. Better, perhaps.
My sister.
What Cas and Apollo had claimed about genetics had made sense, reflecting my own observations and beliefs, but there was such a thing as chosen family. Kleos, for one, had no drop of blood in common with me, but I considered her a sister. And this gray-eyed beauty with ink-black tresses was just that.
“Athena,” I whispered, voice weak.
My theory had been that right now, as weak as a mortal, my energy was too inconsequential for anyone on Olympus to sense it. I figured I was just a little ant to the greater-than-life creatures who lived here. Yet she’d located me in instants. Would she call Zeus, bring me to her father in chains?
I wasn’t sure. Yes, I’d loved this woman like family lifetimes ago, but one thing I knew for a fact was that Athena was Zeus’s favorite child, always by his side, to offer her support and counsel.
“I asked you a question, stupid girl,” she said, though the insult held no heat.
My lower lip quivered. I didn’t know how to voice what had clearly ended up being the stupidest idea I’ve ever had.
“I’m here—” I croaked. “I’m here for Hestia.”
There was no point in lying. In fact, attempting to lie badly was the one guaranteed path to getting blasted out of here by a pissed-off goddess of wisdom.
My tongue untangled. “Cas—Ares, that is—won’t help us while she’s in danger. I need to get her out of there so he can be on our side. Hewillbe,” I asserted, absolutely certain.
The gray-eyed goddess held my gaze for what felt like an eternity.
Then thunder boomed in the distance, once, twice, and again until there were twelve counts, calling all the gods to their seats.
She gave me away.
I backtracked, desperately looking around for somewhere to hide. The bow I carried, the quiver full of arrows, seemed as consequential as sticks and stones in the hands of children. I couldn’t even attempt to fight her.
No.
No. I wouldn’t hide. I wouldn’t flee.
If I was to meet my end, let it be here, against this goddess, and not the mercurial, cruel Zeus who’d likely take pleasure in torturing me first—or worse, use me to hurt my friends, to reach Highvale.
Hands steadier, I reached for the bow and one of my arrows, pulling it effortlessly, though the string had been so hard to move when I’d first tried.
I lifted my chin as a silver-white flame ignited at the arrowhead.
Let it end with pride rather than fear.
My heartbeat was steady, my ears buzzing, ignoring every sound to focus on the moment. On the hunt.
I knew just where to shoot. Athena would call to her shield, but if I willed the arrow to curve, and shot a second before she could recover, I’d get her.
I always managed an arrow or two when she was on the defense.
Floods of memories flashed through my eyes as the silver flame grew, from the arrow tip to the fletching at the end, and then engulfingme.
Bring it on,I thought, steadily, confidently. Not only because I remembered how to hunt, but because I knew, to the depths of my soul, that I would never lose against this woman.
Not that I was better than her. I won because she let me.
She always had and always would.
Slowly, the goddess’s shapely mouth curved up. “Well, that certainly is unexpected, little sister.”
The End
