It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep my composure. Who had told him? I glanced at Demeter, but she frowned, as confused as I was. Who, then?
Aphrodite. As my gaze landed on her, she looked down at her hands, and her cheeks turned pink. Traitor.
I had no choice now but to go through with it. Zeus could posture all he wanted—if he didn’t have the votes, he didn’t have the votes. I stood. “I did not realize that discussing a return to the natural order of things was considered treason.”
“And what, pray tell, is your definition of the natural order of things?” said Zeus.
I drew my shoulders back, every inch a queen. “I wish to introduce a motion to return the council to its rightful state, where only the original six of us shall be allowed to cast a vote. Everyone else may remain on as advisors, but it is only fair and right that we be the ones to make the final decisions. I do not think it is any great assumption to say that lately there has been no variation in the decisions this council has made. The same people—” I focused on Zeus, and then on the cluster of his illegitimate children “—have made each decision, ignoring the voices of others. That is not a council. That is a dictatorship, and I refuse to stand for it.”
“It is treason,” said Zeus, and thunder filled the throne room. “Wishing to replace your king—”
“You are not my king, nor will you ever be. You are a liar, a thief, and you have no right to rule over us all. You are no better than me, no more powerful than any of us, and you have proven time and time again that you cannot uphold the morals this council demands of its members.”
“And you can?” said Zeus.
“Yes,” I said with a sniff. “I can.”
“As I recall, pride is still considered to be a deadly mark against any candidate,” he said. “As is envy.”
“As is lust,” I snapped. “A crime you have committed more often than I have ever succumbed to pride or envy.”
“Then by your own admission, neither of us is fit to rule,” he said. “Yet here we are. I will not force my children to give up their rightful places on the council, places they have earned by passing the very test you created, when you yourself could not pass it.”
“And I will not back down until equality and fairness are restored.”
“Then we find ourselves at a standstill.” He folded his hands. “As I am still King, I will allow you a choice. If we take this vote and you win, we will do as you ask. But if I win, then you will be stripped of your title. You will remain in Olympus, where I can keep an eye on you, and you will grant me a divorce.”
I gaped at him. “That is completely unfair.”
“Is it? Perhaps you ought to consider yourself lucky you are not being tried for treason right now instead.” He nodded toward the council. “Tell me, Hera. Would you like to vote on it?”
I looked around the circle. My sisters both watched me, as did Hades. My sons would support me no matter what. And Aphrodite…
Somehow Zeus must have gotten to her. Perhaps in her excitement, she blurted out my promises, not realizing what the consequences would be. Surprise was not an integral part of this, but it would have helped to catch Zeus unaware. And if he had convinced her to change her vote…
I had to take that risk. For the sake of the council, for the sake of equality, for the sake of humanity, I had to try. And at last, I nodded.
“Let us vote.”
We went around the circle once. Hephaestus, sitting beside me, pledged his loyalty to me. As did Hades, as did Demeter, as did Hestia. As I’d predicted, Athena, Apollo, Artemis and Poseidon did not hesitate to vote with Zeus. And Ares voted with me.
At last it was on Aphrodite’s shoulders. She sat on the other side of Zeus, wringing her hands uncertainly, and several seconds passed in silence. She couldn’t change her vote. She couldn’t.
Remember. I pushed my thoughts toward her. You can have Ares. You can have the love you desire. All you have to do is say yes.
She looked up at me, her eyes red. I can’t be disloyal to my father. I can’t hurt him like that.
And what about your loyalty to yourself? What about your loyalty to Ares?
She looked at my son, who watched her with the same intensity as I did. Opening her mouth, she started to say something, but on her other side, Zeus set his hand over hers. That bastard. Loyalty was earned, not taken, and if he thought he could control her like that, snatching away her choice—
Power emanated from me before I realized what I was doing. As the invisible tendrils reached Aphrodite, her face went blank, and I slowly untied her connection to Zeus. It was so easy—so simple to remove that hold he had over her. To let her live. To give her freedom.
“Hera.” Zeus’s voice boomed. Aphrodite blinked, and all of my work unraveled. “What do you think you’re doing?”
I gritted my teeth. “Giving her a choice.”
In an instant, golden ropes flew from the air around me, binding me to my throne. I gasped, struggling to free myself, but it was no use. “You may not have considered this treason before, but now it is undeniable,” said Zeus, his voice echoing with the command of a king. “You are hereby stripped of your title—”
“Daddy!” cried Aphrodite. Hephaestus and Ares leaped to their feet, but Zeus waved his hand, warding them off me.
“—and you will be detained until the council decides what to do with you.”
“What?” I said, stunned. “You can’t possibly—”
“You abused your abilities to sway a council member’s vote against me,” said Zeus. “You will be given a trial for your crimes—”
“No!” I shrieked, fighting the bonds once more. They held even tighter, biting into my skin. “I am the queen. You can’t do this—”
“Oh, but I can,” said Zeus. And before I could say another word, my throne disappeared, taking me with it.
Part Four
For seven days and seven nights, I stayed locked in a small, dark room that even the sun didn’t touch.
No one came to visit me. Zeus had undoubtedly forbidden them all. I sat quietly in my throne, biding my time, and I went back through the past hundred years. Would I have done things differently if I’d known this was where I would end up? Would I have tried to be more compassionate, less consumed by pride?
The only mistake I regretted was my marriage to Zeus. I would have changed nothing else.
At last, on the eighth day, I returned to the middle of the throne room without warning. The sunlight blinded me, and though I didn’t want to show the council any weakness, I had to close my eyes.
“Hera.” Zeus’s voice. I didn’t bother answering. “We have made our decision. Do you have anything you would like to say before we reveal your fate?”
I didn’t speak until my eyes adjusted to the light. Finally I opened them, forcing myself not to squint. I was facing Zeus, and Hades was behind me. But I could feel his presence, an oasis in the storm that was my now.
“I did nothing wrong,” I said at last, my voice clear despite seven days without speaking. “My only intent was to protect the council. Nothing more.”
“So be it,” said Zeus, and he stood. “You have been found guilty of your crimes, and the council has decided effective immediately, you will be stripped of your rank as Queen. You will retain your duties as a goddess, and you will retain a place on the council. But you will no longer help rule my domain. Nor, for one millennium, will you have a vote equal to our own
. In the case of a tiebreaker where your vote is necessary, we will allow you to cast it. Otherwise, you will have no say.”
I took slow, steady breaths, not allowing my anguish to show. Not only had he stripped me of the power I deserved, the power I’d worked so hard to maintain, but by putting on this show, he ensured none of his children would ever respect me. Perhaps he’d even poisoned my sons against me, too.
“You will remain under the watch of the council at all times. You are never to be alone, and any move of yours to plot against the council or use your powers to sway our decisions will be met with exile.”
I burned with humiliation. He’d taken away everything I held dear. He knew what he was doing to me, and he relished it.
“And what if I choose exile now?” I said in as dignified a voice as I could muster.
His expression remained impassive. So he’d expected this. Perhaps even hoped for it. “If that is what you wish, then we will not stop you.”
It would be so easy to return to my mother. To remain with her and leave the council behind. It would be a good existence void of this pain, and in that moment, I was tempted. So very tempted.
Hera. Hades’s voice whispered to me. Be strong. Do not give up. Remember who you are and what you are capable of. Today is only one day. It is not forever.
I swallowed, the first sign of emotion I’d allowed. Did you fight for me?
I did. As did Demeter.
Will you still be there for me?
A pause, and then, with conviction, Always.
I straightened in my throne, holding my head as high as I could. “I will accept your terms,” I said. “This council matters more to me than you could ever understand, Zeus, and I will not give up on it. We are united for eternity whether or not we all share the same love for one another, and I will not abandon you. Any of you.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Zeus’s face, but he nodded. “So be it.” With a wave of his hand, my bonds disappeared, and I stood. I may not have had any power in rank, but I was still the most powerful of them all. I was still the daughter of a Titan, and no matter what Zeus did, I always would be.
In that moment, all of my anger crystallized into bitterness and revenge. It was a cold fury now, tucked deep away inside me, waiting for the day I could finally release it once more. And I would. I had made Zeus a promise, and I would keep it.
But as I turned and looked at Hades, he gave me a secret smile, and a sense of calm washed over me. He was my ally. My partner. My friend. I would be there for him every moment of every day. I would prove my loyalty to him as he had proven his to me. I would not lose him.
And he was right. Today wasn’t forever, and neither was a millennium. Time would pass, convictions would fade and soon this moment would be nothing more than a memory. One day, I would set things right. I would be a queen again. And no matter what it took, Hades would be my king.
* * * * *
For millennia, we’ve caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus.
Now Aimée Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.
Don’t miss THE LOVESTRUCK GODDESS, the next companion novella to the Goddess Test series, and find out how Ava/Aphrodite became the friend Kate knows.
And, read on for an excerpt from the final full-length novel in the Goddess Test series,
THE GODDESS INHERITANCE
Only from Aimée Carter and Harlequin TEEN!
Excerpt from THE GODDESS INHERITANCE copyright © 2013 by Aimée Carter.
CHAPTER ONE
BIRTH
Henry.
I bolted upright in the darkness. My face was drenched with sweat as my dream faded, but his scream clung to me, imprinting itself in my memory.
Another vision, one of dozens I’d had since leaving the Underworld an eternity ago. This time, however, I wasn’t watching Henry go about his life as ruler of the dead as he waited for me to return. I wasn’t standing by helplessly as Ava gave Henry false updates about where in Africa we were supposedly searching for Rhea.
Finally Henry knew what had really happened, and in the minutes before dawn broke through the night, I clung to the hope that it wasn’t too late.
“A nightmare, my dear?”
A shiver ran through me, and the candles scattered throughout my prison lit up. Cronus sat beside my bed, in the same chair he’d occupied every night since late December, when I’d woken up with a pounding headache and memories I wished were nightmares.
This wasn’t a nightmare though. Cronus was here, working side by side with the Queen of the Gods, who would stop at nothing to hurt me as much as she possibly could.
The baby stirred inside of me, undoubtedly unhappy about its rude awakening. I didn’t dare speculate over whether it was a boy or a girl. If Calliope had her way, I might never know, and that heartache was already more than I could take. I set a hand on my swollen belly, so big that the simplest movements were difficult now, and mentally tried to soothe it. “You didn’t hear that?” I said hoarsely.
“My son? Of course,” said Cronus, reaching for my stomach. I slapped his hand away, and he chuckled. “It seems the games are about to begin.”
“What games?” I knew the answer before I’d asked the question though. My dream, my vision—it was the autumnal equinox, and finally Henry knew I was missing.
A sharp pain shot from my back to my abdomen, and I gasped. Cronus was at my side in an instant, exactly the way Henry would’ve been if he were here. I turned away.
“Calliope has decided it will happen today instead,” he murmured, and his voice would have been comforting if it hadn’t come from him.
“Decided what would happen today?” I struggled to stand and make it to the bathroom, but my legs gave out. Cronus’s cool hands were there to steady me, but as soon as I was back on the bed, I jerked away from him.
“That your child would be born.”
All the air left my lungs, and this time it had nothing to do with physical pain. He was bluffing. They were trying to scare me into labor before Henry found out and rescued me, or—or something. Anything other than the truth.
But as I leaned back, my hand found a wet spot on the mattress, and my damp nightgown clung to the back of my thighs. My water had broken sometime in the night. It was really happening.
Nine months of waiting. Nine months of fear. Nine months of time being the only thing standing between Calliope and the baby I was carrying, and now it was over.
I wasn’t ready to be a mother. Never in a million years had I imagined having kids before I turned thirty, let alone twenty. But Calliope hadn’t given me a choice, and with each day that passed, the sick dread inside of me grew thicker until it nearly choked me. Calliope would take the baby from me, and there was nothing I could do about it. In a matter of hours, I would lose my child—Henry’s child—to someone who wanted nothing more than to see me suffer.
But now he knew. Now there was a chance, if only I could hold on a little longer until Henry came.
Cronus must have seen the look on my face, because he chuckled and fluffed a pillow for me. “Do not worry, my dear. Calliope cannot kill you unless I allow her, and I assure you I would never hurt you.”
It wasn’t me I was worried about though. “You’re not going to hurt me, but you’re going to let Calliope do it,” I snarled. “You’re going to let her take the baby the moment it’s born, and I’m never going to see it again.”
Cronus stared at me blankly. These were the moments I remembered that in spite of his human form, he was anything but. He didn’t understand why I loved the baby so much. Or, when I’d given Calliope too much attitude and she’d hit me in the mouth, why I
’d instinctively covered my belly. He didn’t get how badly the thought of being separated from the baby hurt me before I’d even met him or her.
Then again, Cronus was also the monster who’d tried to destroy his own children, so I suspected empathy was a little too much to hope for.
“If you would like to keep the child, all you need to do is say the word,” he said, as if it were that simple. Maybe to him it was. “I will ensure that Calliope does not get in the way. In return, all I ask is that you rule by my side.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d made that offer, and it wasn’t the first time that, for a single moment, I entertained the possibility. As the baby’s birth loomed, saying no grew more and more difficult.
Cronus had made no secret of the fact that he wanted me as his queen while he ruled over the entire world, destroying everyone who dared to get in his way. I had no idea why—the small bit of compassion I’d showed him in the Underworld, maybe, or because I hadn’t fought him in the first war—but it didn’t matter. I would be safe from the destruction, and so would the baby. Henry, however, would be the first person Cronus ripped apart, and the entire world would follow.
As much as I loved this baby, as much as I would have done anything to keep it safe, I couldn’t stand by Cronus’s side as he wiped out humanity. I couldn’t do nothing as he killed every last person I loved, and if I agreed, he would keep me alive until the end of all things. I wouldn’t have the choice to die like Persephone had, and I couldn’t live with that guilt no matter how happy and safe my baby was.
But time was running out. The game had changed now that the council knew I was gone, and if I could keep Cronus guessing long enough not to hurt anyone, then maybe that would give the council a chance to find Rhea. So I lied.
“Promise not to kill anyone and I’ll think about it.”
He grinned, showing off a full set of pearly teeth. Cronus had the smile of an airbrushed movie star, and it only made him more unnerving. “Is that so? Very well. Agree and I will leave humanity alone. My qualms are not with them, and one must have subjects when one rules.”