I stood so quickly that my stool flew backward, nearly hitting his knees. “I don’t need to do anything I don’t want to do, and I do not want to leave.”
“Hera—”
“No, you listen to me,” I snapped. I’d never spoken to him like this in our entire existence, but I couldn’t stop myself, not anymore. “I love you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. Being with you—being down here with you, ruling at your side, it makes me happy. It gives me purpose. You can’t take that away from me.”
His expression softened. “Hera, I am not taking anything away from you. We will always be friends, and you are welcome down here at any time. I simply can no longer burden you—”
“You haven’t burdened me.” My eyes stung with tears. “Please. Let me stay. Don’t marry her, whoever she is—”
“Persephone,” he said softly, and I froze once more.
Persephone. Demeter’s daughter. So this was what Zeus had meant. This was his game. He knew how I felt about Hades, and this was his final move. To take him from me completely. To leave me with no one at all.
Desperation flooded me, and every nerve in my eternal body burned. Without thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, pouring every ounce of passion and love and dedication I felt into that kiss. I couldn’t lose him.
For one beautiful moment, Hades set his hand on my cheek, though he didn’t kiss me back. I couldn’t expect him to, not before he was ready. But he would be someday, and when that day came—
“Hera,” he whispered, his lips brushing against mine. “You mean a great deal to me, but Persephone and I have both chosen this. When she comes of age, we will marry.”
“But you don’t even know her.”
“I do,” he said softly. “I go up to Olympus often to visit. We may not have the companionship you and I share, but you are my brother’s wife, and if I allowed us to happen—”
“What, you’d make him angry?” I wiped my eyes. “You’d cause the council to crack? It’s already cracked, Hades. We’ve already crumbled.”
Hades shook his head and reached for me again. I stepped away before he could touch me, and he dropped his hand to his side. “The council has not crumbled, Hera. You have. And I cannot allow us to happen, because it would mean losing you completely. Loyalty, fidelity—those are the things that make you who you are. I will gladly accept the first in friendship and offer it to you unconditionally in return. But I will not allow you to push aside the second, not when it would mean you are no longer you.”
I cried openly now. “What does it mean to be me when I have no one? Nobody loves me—”
“I love you,” he said quietly.
“Not the way I want you to.” My voice was thick, and I had to blink several times to force my vision back into focus. “No one does. I’m alone. And I thought—I thought you understood that. I thought you saw me.”
“I do, Hera. I do, and that is why I cannot allow you to break your vows no matter what my bastard of a brother does to you. You’re too good for it. You’re too good for all of us. We’re the ones who don’t deserve you.”
“Yet I’m the one who’s alone.” I allowed a single, miserable sob to escape my chest, taking my heart with it. “I can’t bless it.”
“I know,” he said gently. “I would never ask you to.”
His kindness only made the ache inside me grow. I’d lost him now, too, no matter how strongly he insisted he would always be there. Once again, he’d broken his promise, just like Zeus.
But now that I knew I couldn’t have him, there was one thing I did want. “Please,” I whispered, “promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
At last I took his hand and squeezed it, trying to memorize the way it felt in mine. “I’m going to make sure Zeus can no longer hurt anyone. Not me, not his children, not humanity, anyone. And I want your support.”
Wariness flashed across his face, but he’d already promised me anything, and he nodded. “Of course. Whatever it takes.”
I sniffed and wiped my cheeks once more. He pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in his shoulder for the last time. Whether or not I was invited to the Underworld as his guest, it would never be the same, not with Demeter’s daughter watching our every move. Not when he could never return the love I felt for him, not without doing to Persephone what Zeus had done to me. “Thank you,” I said softly. “I love you.”
“As I love you, forever and always,” he murmured. “Never forget that.”
I nodded. Nothing in the world could ever take those words away from me, not even my own broken heart.
* * *
I needed seven votes. Seven votes to overthrow Zeus’s rule, seven votes for me to step up and take his place.
As of the moment I returned to Olympus, I only had three. Hades, Ares and Hephaestus were loyal to me, and there was a chance I would be able to lure my sisters to my side. But Poseidon was firmly in Zeus’s camp, which meant I would have to sway one of the children.
I approached my sisters first. I hadn’t seen Hestia in a very long time, and though we both sobbed through our reunion, I didn’t feel guilty for leaving her behind. She’d never had any trouble finding company, and having vowed chastity, marriage and children would never get in the way of her relationships with our siblings. She was happy—maybe happier than all of us. And the ugly, twisted part of me that Zeus had created hated her for it.
Demeter sat in the corner as Hestia and I greeted each other, and once we’d finished, she cleared her throat. “As thrilled as I am that you have returned to us, Hera, why did you ask for both of us to be here?”
I gave her a withering look, but I couldn’t afford anything more. “Zeus has control of the council,” I said. I didn’t need to attend meetings to know that. “And I suspect your voices are no longer heard.”
“Here to campaign?” said Hestia with amusement, but I leveled my gaze at her, and her smile faded.
“I am Zeus’s equal. His domain is mine as well, and we both have the capacity to rule. After everything Zeus has done to our family, I want to make it right. I want to give you back your voices. Your power. The respect you deserve.”
My sisters watched me closely, their expressions giving nothing away. If I couldn’t convince them, I would have no choice.
“Hestia, you want to keep peace within the family, yes?” I said, and she nodded. “The only way to do that is to restore the original council. Perhaps we can keep the others on as…advisors, but we must reclaim our rightful place as rulers.”
“But Zeus—”
“Zeus will have no say, not if we have the most votes,” I said.
Demeter furrowed her brow. “You’re suggesting a coup?”
“I am suggesting we restore order, sensibility and respect. Nothing more. A coup would mean a war, and none of us wants that.”
“But in order to avoid it, we must give you power,” said Demeter.
“No,” I said with more patience than she deserved. “In order to avoid it, we must redistribute power among the six of us, equally, as it has always been. If we are successful, Hades has agreed to return to the council as a full-time member.”
“Hades supports this?” she said, her surprise in every syllable.
“Hades supports fairness and unity. Hestia? What do you think?”
Hestia crossed her arms over her full figure. She too had aged—had Poseidon, as well? Were Hades and I the only ones who remained youthf
ul? “If what you’re saying is true, then I would be supportive of reverting to the way the council was intended to run. Equally among the six of us.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I squeezed her hand. “Demeter?”
I could see the hesitation in her eyes, the uncertainty on her face, the doubt in the way she hunched her shoulders—she was going to say no. Why? Out of loyalty to Zeus?
Swallowing my pride, I knelt on the floor before her, taking her hands exactly as my dear husband had the day she’d revealed her pregnancy. “Demeter. Sister,” I murmured, and her gaze locked on mine. “Let us be whole again. Not just you and I, but all of us. We won’t cast Zeus out—simply restore order. Simply fulfill our duties to humanity, the same ones we fought the Titans for.”
Still her indecision remained. It was a pity I couldn’t use my abilities on my siblings, at least not without them knowing—but I didn’t want to force her hand. I wanted her to choose me because she thought it was the right decision.
“I’ll bless their marriage,” I said quietly. My last bargaining chip, though offering it made a knife twist in my gut. “Be our ally, and Persephone and Hades will be happy.”
At last she crumbled. “All right,” she said quietly. “You have my vote.”
I rose and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.” She would never have my forgiveness, and I would never be her sister again no matter how I addressed her, but if she did this for me, I would stick to my word and bless Hades’s marriage.
“We still don’t have the numbers though, even with Ares and Hephaestus,” said Hestia, and I straightened.
“We don’t, but we will.” I gave them both cordial nods. “Expect a council meeting to be called within the hour.” And in the meantime, with a little luck, Demeter wouldn’t have a change of heart. But she loved her daughter, that much was obvious, and she wanted the best for her. The only way she could get it was through me.
* * *
As I stood outside Aphrodite’s room, waiting for the courage to enter, I tried to think of what I was going to say. I had nothing to offer. Nothing to make up for what she would lose if she voted with me. But even during the most heated of debates, Aphrodite had never been particularly vocal. Ruling wasn’t in her blood, and perhaps that could work for me.
At last I took a breath and knocked. I would find a way somehow. Everyone had a weakness.
“Just a second!” called Aphrodite, and through the curtain, I heard her giggle. Something rustled, and I thought I heard a male voice murmur something. “All right, come in!”
Wary, I stepped inside. Aphrodite lounged on her bed, practically glowing, and a smile danced on her lips. As I’d predicted, she wasn’t alone. Leaning against the wall was Ares. Apparently his interest wasn’t simple wishful thinking.
“Hello, Aphrodite,” I said. “Ares. Did I interrupt?”
Ares opened his mouth to say something, but Aphrodite quickly cut him off. “Nothing that can’t be resumed at a later time. I’m sorry, did you want to speak with him?”
“As it happens, I came to see you.” I turned to my son. “You wouldn’t mind giving us a minute, would you, dear?”
He sighed dramatically, as if I’d asked him to carry the world. “Fine.”
“I love you,” I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He reluctantly returned it before trudging out of the room. Once he was gone, I moved closer to Aphrodite. “I’m sorry about the intrusion.”
“Oh, it’s fine,” she said, waving her hand. She sat up and ran her fingers through her blond curls. “It’s good to see you again. Ares didn’t tell me you were coming for a visit.”
“That’s because I’m not here for a visit.” I forced myself to smile as if this were all my idea. “I’ve returned to Olympus.”
She beamed and leaped for me before I had the chance to move away. Catching me in an embrace, she kissed both my cheeks. “Oh, that’s fantastic! Ares will be so pleased. He missed you, you know.”
“And I missed him.” I gingerly removed her arms and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m surprised the two of you have grown so…close. Did Zeus decide not to arrange your marriage after all?”
Aphrodite made a face. “Oh, he did, all right. Or—I guess Hephaestus suggested it, actually, though Daddy never gave me the chance to say no—”
“Wait.” I frowned. “You mean Hephaestus is marrying you?”
She nodded grimly. “I mean, I’m sure he’s a good guy and all, just—not my type, you know? I’d much rather get to choose, but…” She shrugged. “Daddy’s the head of the council.”
Everything couldn’t have been more perfect if the Fates themselves had intervened. Perhaps they had. I didn’t blame Hephaestus for this arrangement—no doubt Zeus had orchestrated the whole thing, knowing how much it would bother me to see my son marry a woman who didn’t love him. But in doing so, Zeus had unwittingly sprung his own trap upon himself.
I set my hand over hers, the most affection I’d ever shown her. “How would you like to choose who you marry? Or not have to marry at all?”
Her eyes lit up. “You could do that? You could talk to Daddy and convince him otherwise?”
“No,” I said slowly. “I could be the one in charge of your marriage. I could be the one with the power to arrange it.”
She frowned. “I don’t understand. That’s Daddy’s job.”
“Only because he’s head of the council.” I squeezed her hand. “There will be a vote tonight to decide whether or not to terminate his rule. When the six of us united to form the council, it was always our plan to have equal say. To make things fair.”
“Everyone already has equal say,” she said, a line forming in the middle of her brow.
“No, we do not,” I said gently. “Because Zeus has so many children who readily agree with him, he always gets his way. Like with your wedding, even though you don’t want to go through with it. But if we restore the council to its original intent…”
I trailed off, watching her expression flicker as she absorbed my proposition. “I wouldn’t be on the council, then,”
“On the contrary, you would all still remain on the council as advisors. It would just be the six of us who make the final decisions, that’s all. As it was when the council first formed.”
“Oh.” She twirled the ends of her hair around her fingers. “And if I did this, you would let me marry Ares?”
“Or not marry at all, if you so wish,” I repeated. “You would have complete control over your life.”
Slowly her pink lips twisted into a smile. “And we wouldn’t have to sit through all those boring meetings?”
“Not unless you wanted to. All I need is your vote, and it will be settled.”
Aphrodite beamed. “You’ll have it. This is brilliant—thank you so much, Hera.” She captured me in another hug. “I really did miss you, you know.”
I patted her hair. It was easy—too easy, and part of me knew I was taking advantage of her ignorance. But I had nothing to feel guilty for. This was the way it was supposed to be. And this was the only way we would restore balance. Zeus couldn’t be allowed a monopoly over the council any longer, and whether Aphrodite fully understood the implications or not, it didn’t matter. I was doing the right thing.
“I missed you, too,” I murmured. And to my surprise, I realized it was the truth.
* * *
Everything fell into place. Seven votes, that was all I needed, and now I had them.
Ha
des. Hestia. Demeter. Ares. Hephaestus. Myself. And now Aphrodite.
I arrived in the throne room long before the council meeting began. I’d missed the feeling of my throne, the power it emanated and the way it seemed to welcome me into its embrace. And as I waited, I stroked my peacock, listening to its soft coos. Everything would be all right. It already was.
I’d won.
The council began to gather shortly after. My sisters first, and then Poseidon and the children. Hades arrived on time, and finally Zeus strode into the room, his golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. There was a new boy now as well, one too young to have a throne, but he sat at Zeus’s feet. Another one of his bastards, then. How cute.
“I call this meeting to order,” said Zeus, although I was the one who had summoned everyone. He stood, radiating power as he always did, but instead it seemed to form a shield between us. As if he could sense the tension and knew I was his enemy now. “To begin—”
“Pardon me,” I murmured with faux politeness, and I too stood. Two could play at this game. “But I believe this is my meeting to direct.”
“On the contrary, I am the one who leads them regardless of who called it,” said Zeus.
I narrowed my eyes. “And how can you lead us when you do not know what is on the agenda?”
“I think you will find my leadership to be anything but lacking today,” he said, and he gestured. “Please, sit.”
Every single member of the council stared at me. I caught Hades’s eye, and he nodded briefly. It would do me no good to stir up trouble in the minutes before I asked the council to trust me, and though it killed my pride to do so, I sat down.
“Thank you.” Zeus stood to his full height. “We are all here today to discuss a dire matter, one that threatens the very foundation of our existence. Treason.”
I froze. What was he talking about?
Zeus turned to face me, a golden aura glowing around him. “Hera, have you or have you not spent the day convincing six of our rank to vote to have my children stripped of their thrones and me removed as King?”