Hera muttered something beneath her breath.
Zeus’s head swivelled her way, and his heavy attention settled on his former lover. “Is there something you would like to add, Hera?”
“It’s just I see no reason to fib,” she countered with a grim smile. “Erebus didn’t create Selene. She is a Titan, lest you forget.”
“Oh, trust me, I have not forgotten,” Zeus said viciously.
I held up my hands. “It’s fine. I brought a sacrifice for Erebus. As I said before, I’ve come to do my duty.”
Hera leaned across the table, her youthful face a striking contrast to the ancient wisdom in her eyes. I hadn’t aged for several years, but Hera appeared impossibly youthful and much younger than me. She was as fresh-faced and sparkling as a human girl of twenty-two. But at two-hundred-and-three, Hera was one of the eldest among them, second only to Zeus.
The queen who had once loved Zeus patted my hand. “My love, itshould notbe your duty. If I had my way, we would release Troy, and you, from this sham of a treaty. In fact, I would release every damn one of us.”
“I…” I fell silent, my hours of preparation and speech recitals failing me. I hadn’t come here expecting anything like this. I’d known Zeus and Hera were at odds, yes, but I thought it was nothing more than a lover’s quarrel.
“Those are treasonous words, Hera,” came another voice, one almost as deep and as gravelly as Zeus’s. The towering vampire king, whose skin reflected a pale blue light, slowly stood from his seat, fisted hands braced on the wood. He glared down the table at Hera. “Just because you once took Zeus’s cock in your—”
“Poseidon, I’ll have you stop right there,” Zeus said, scowling.
Poseidon clenched his jaw and rubbed the rough skin of his cheeks. Beneath the candlelight, they almost looked like scales. “Apologies, Archon.”
High King Poseidon sat, but he kept his glare trained on Hera’s face. She smiled at him.
“High Queen Selene, why don’t you join us on this side of the table?” Zeus gestured at an empty chair sandwiched between a thin-lipped, stern-faced queen—Athena—and a king with waist-length blond hair and a crimson scarf tied around his neck—Apollo. I cleared my throat, uneasy. If I got up and left Dion’s side of the table, I knew it would come across like a declaration of loyalty to Zeus, and I would lose any favor I had with him. And I could tell I had a little.
But if I refused, Zeus would take offense.
“Go on,” Ares said, finally making his voice known for the first time since I’d entered the room. I had been avoiding looking at him after the confrontation outside.
I lifted my eyes and met his fierce gaze. There was a reckless edge to his expression, and I could practically read his mind.I dare you to stay right there. In fact, I bet he wanted me to do just that, to defy his precious Archon. It would give him an excuse to move against me.
And that, out of everything else, was what made up my mind.
I stood. My chair scraped against the marble floor, echoing through the silent room. The harpist had not yet returned to fill the strained silence with anything other than the thundering of hearts.
Hera sighed. Dion leaned back in his chair and chugged another chalice of wine. Aphrodite and Demeter continued to sit quietly, but they shot each other a weighted glance.
A pang went through my gut. I yearned to apologize, to explain why I had to move. But I didn’t.
Instead, I reluctantly walked across the floor and sat with the vampire who had murdered my mother. And when Ares shot me a smile, I imagined all the ways I would make him suffer for this.
10
SELENE
As soon as my arse touched the seat, Zeus held his goblet aloft and resumed his speech as if nothing at all had happened, ignoring the palpable tension that settled over the table like the mist-heavy clouds outside the palace walls.
“As I was saying, we have come to the Isle of Aiaia to ensure our continued dominion over this land. Our lives and reigns are a gift to us from Erebus. During our time on this island, we will abide by three rules. First, he requires we do this in peace. No one may commit violence against another.”
“Does that include you, dearest Zeus?” Hera muttered, rolling her eyes. “Because last I heard, you’re more than happy to slay other monarchs who displease you.”
“Second rule,” Zeus said through clenched teeth, “includes no worship of Gaia, even in her holy temple. To do so means forfeiting any right to peace, as was the case with High Queen Theia. You do understand how that works, Hera? If not, you’re free to test it.”
I fought the urge to fidget with the sleeve of my gown. Zeus acted like this was a recent development, but my mother had worshipped Gaia in secret for centuries. Zeus never bothered to visit Troy. To him, it was a backwater city ruled by a humiliated Titan. It wasbeneath him.
But if he stepped foot inside the gates, he’d see evidence of Gaia everywhere—more and more monuments had sprouted in the streets as the years had passed. Symbols were etched into doors. Green flags fluttered along the palace walls. Little did he know just how deep it went.
“Bah!” Hera waved her hand in dismissal. “You don’t care about Gaia. You would have takenanyexcuse to rid yourself of the last Titan. And now that her daughter is here, you’ll find an excuse to get rid of her, too.”
