Twice Loved by the War God

By Mana Sol

SEQUEL TO THE BELOVED OF THE GOD OF WAR, AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME -

 

----

 

Zeus has fallen, but the wise know the troubles of the gods are far from over.

 

Astra, newly enthroned god-queen, must seek her proper place in this world so unprepared for all that is coming. With allies by her side, including Ares the war god, she will face the greatest darkness and the deepest waters, and truths that may shatter even her.

 

She is Astra, First of the New Gods, and the enemies awaiting her are old and mighty, waiting to bend and break her.

 

But the wise know a god-queen does not surrender.

 

The god-queen must make them kneel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mana Sol
• Release date: Jun 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201859947

Book preview

Preface

Thank you for picking up this ebook. If it interested you, please be aware this is Book 2 in a series. Book 1 is The Beloved of the God of War and exclusively available on the Dreame reading app. It is where the First of the New Gods, Astraea - or Astra, as she calls herself - begins her journey, which is continued in this sequel.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact me at my Facebook author page @ManaSolStories.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

She’s healing, so let her rest. The more you fret, the more she’ll feel it, and the more slowly she’ll recover.

Ares looked up and turned around on his chair to find Aphrodite standing in the doorway. She looked as magnificent as ever, and he wondered how it was that she always managed to stay so strong. He envied it.

The Horn is useless, it’s not doing anything, he rasped. We should get off the Mount and find healers to come help.

And yet you can’t bring yourself to leave her side. She gave him a pointed look. Hermes is still too weak to leave this place for long, either, and I don’t trust him not to get distracted while he’s down there. Besides, it’s better to leave Astraea be. The House is still bonding to her, and the longer she’s asleep, the more receptive she’ll be to its influence. It’ll be too messy to try to teach these things to her while she’s conscious. Give it time.

Ares turned back around and stared at the motionless figure lying in the bed before him. It had been weeks already, but her flesh was still veined with silver and faded black in some places. The ritual magic of the Ascension had preserved her life after she and Zeus clashed, but it was only a temporary burst of power that had filled her. Now it faded fast, and her healing had slowed to a painful grind.

You have more pressing things to worry about than this, Aphrodite said after a moment, and he heard her footsteps tap lightly on the floor as she approached him from behind. I can watch over her, but anything more is futile. In the meantime, you and Hermes need to go and make sure the rumors are untrue -

We will. He’s almost strong enough to leave with me.

You should be worried about yourself. You’ve been attached to the Horn as much as Hestia’s been, and she’s bedridden.

Her hand rested on his shoulder, and he dropped his chin with a silent sigh. He had done well in hiding his true condition from his brother, but there was no fooling her. She must have known this entire time and simply chosen not to mention it until now.

…I’m also recovering, he said after a moment. But I still can’t leave without the Horn. Not for long.

That’s a problem. The nectar is the only thing prolonging Hestia’s life, so it can’t leave the House. She still can’t take in the ambrosia, even.

His shoulders bowed slightly, a testament to his fatigue. His helplessness. His weakness -

The Giants are starting to move in, he said quietly. They see the state of the House. But something’s not right. They should be trying to invade while Astra’s still weak, not coming one at a time. They’re keeping their distance for some reason.

Then we’ll just be thankful for now and stop the ones that do come. I know about it, I’ve had my nymphs going back and forth and spying on whatever’s happening at the foot of the mountain. Whatever the Giants are up to, at least it’s buying us more time. But it’s not the Giants I’m worried about anyway. You remember the curse Astraea laid on Zeus, don’t you?

…Yes.

And you heard her say he was disinherited? she pressed. That wouldn’t have been within her power; that’s not her doing. You know whose it is.

Of course he did. His jaw tightened, and he reached forward suddenly to try to take Astra’s limp hand. But he couldn’t touch her; she was still too fragile. Pain blossomed in his chest as his fingers hovered a hair’s breadth from hers, the closest he would allow himself to come to her.

That means the demigods will come soon, she continued when he remained silent. They won’t let go of an opportunity like this. Thousands of years of waiting for their time, and then this door opens for them with no warning? They’ll stampede through. Disinherited, who would have ever thought it would come to this…?

I won’t let them have her.

He could feel her gaze burning into the side of his head, but he refused to meet her eyes. He knew what she was going to say -

As if you could stop them in your state, she scolded. This is why you have to focus on getting stronger, so that you can protect her. That’s the way you can help, not hovering by her side. If I could be the one to go so you and Hermes could stay, I would. But I’m not a warrior, and if I’m captured, that’ll just put an even greater burden on both of you. You know we should have already begun looking for Artemis weeks ago. If you don’t go now, it’ll only be that much harder to leave later. I’d leave this second but even if I managed to find her, she would never come back with me. It has to be you. It has to be you or Hermes or really both, just like before.

She was right. It frustrated him that she could always see through him with ease.

But this was no time for frustration, either. What she had said about the demigods was right. They must all have felt it the instant it happened when Zeus was stripped of Gaia’s blessing, through their human halves. Ordinary mortals would only have felt the sensation and have no clue what it meant, but the demigods’ divine halves would have lent instinctive understanding to complement it.

They were going to come. They were going to come in droves. They were going to come for Astraea.

I’ll protect her, he said, his voice rumbling from the lowest, deepest parts of him. I’ll keep her safe.

Chapter 2

Iwas lost.

I was lost, and I couldn’t remember how to find my way back home anymore. It had been so long since I last felt sure on my feet, and I didn’t recognize the brambles and thorns that had risen up to carpet the broken path I walked. The dirt road that used to be so familiar was now shattered and cracked like dried desert earth, brown and hard and ugly, parched under the sun. It was thirsty, calling for water. I had never been here before.

But that was impossible. It was this way, home. It had to be. Why else would I be here? Where else would I be going?

…straea. Astraea.

A voice, a familiar one. It came from somewhere ahead of me, calling me forward. I tried to pick my way through the field of black brambles, but suddenly, the thorns came alive, curling and tearing into my skin. I leaped back, flinching away from the sharp, stinging pain that lanced up and down my legs - but there was no longer any ground to tread behind me, nothing but air. A shout bubbled up in my throat, but no sound escaped as I fell backward in slow motion. I couldn’t move, couldn’t catch myself, and the world flew up all around me in waves of brown and green, and then they faded and darkened to shades of blue and gray as I plummeted headfirst into the darkness -

Astraea!

I floundered weakly in the grasp of something that constricted by body from head to toe. Whatever it was, it held me tight, nearly choking the breath out of me. I had no idea where I was or how I had ended up this way, but I wasn’t going to go down so easily. Zeus, I thought. Zeus was here and - something. Now I remembered. He was trying to kill Ares - no, he was trying to kill me, now. Confusing, jumbled noises, fierce shouting and the cracking of the ground underneath me, and now an enormous serpent rising up out of the sea to stare down at me with eyes black as the void -

Astraea, stop! You’re hurting yourself, calm down.

I didn’t recognize this voice. It was different from the one that had called to me a moment ago in my dream or vision or whatever it was, though this one belonged to a woman, too. Soft and yet somehow strong at the same time, graceful yet firm. I instinctively trusted it, and the instant I registered the command, the panicked, throbbing pace of my heartbeat immediately began to slow.

It took me a moment to catch my breath, and then another to realize I was caught in a tangle of soft bed covers, not some insidious trap laid by an enemy.

Where was I?

Oh, you look terrible, the voice clucked at me, and with great effort, I turned my head to see who it belonged to and ask what was going on -

- and promptly forgot whatever it was that I was going to say.

In all my life, I had never seen anyone so beautiful before. There was no way to describe what exactly it was that made her so captivating, just that everything was perfect in every way no matter where I looked. Soft brown hair that rippled down in waves around a slender, heart shaped face, pretty dimples that framed a graceful, pink lipped smile, eyes of a startlingly light brown hue that looked wonderfully unearthly. I couldn’t look away, and as I continued to stare up at the woman, I felt my jaw drop open. I must have looked like an idiot, lying useless and weak on a bed as I goggled open-mouthed at her.

But she looked away and began tugging the tangled covers away from me instead. That’s enough, she said in a firm voice braced with a little impatience. If you’re finally awake, then we need to keep you that way. Up, up!

Who was this woman? I had no idea, but even so, I didn’t hesitate to obey her command. All I knew was that despite every inch of my body feeling as if it were about to burst into flames or shatter into pieces, I had to do exactly as she said so that she would be pleased with me.

Wait - not like that, just sit up for now. I need to grab those things first before you start jumping around. Don’t want you taking a nasty spill, do we?

Again, I immediately obeyed and stopped trying to leap to my feet, choosing instead to sit quietly on the bed as she leaned over to fetch a pair of simple, curved wooden crutches from the wall. They were topped with angular V-shaped supports, no doubt intended to fit under my arms so that I could walk around - and despite being utterly hypnotized by the woman, I was still aware enough of my condition to know that I would absolutely need the help.

I said, that’s enough. Wake up, pay attention!

I jumped a little when the woman snapped her fingers in front of my face several times in quick succession. I’d been so dazed that I didn’t even realize she was holding the crutches up and waiting for me to rise. Sorry, I mumbled. I just -

I know, I know. Don’t have to explain. But you must be doing even worse than I thought you’d be, if you’re this affected.

Affected? What was she talking about? I wobbled to my feet with great effort and peered up at her with curious, confused eyes - wow, she was tall, too. I felt like a misshapen dwarf before her.

What do you mean? Affected how?

By my Aspect, what do you think? She frowned at me as if there were something wrong with me. Hold on, watch yourself. Now come with me. We need to get you moving as soon as possible and start building that body back up.

I was so confused. I didn’t know who this woman was, and I didn’t recognize this place either. Now that my mind was finally starting to clear, I was beginning to remember pieces of what had happened - but wait. I had last been in the House of Olympus, at the very peak of the Mount as I went head to head with Zeus. This place was nothing like it. Plain, wooden walls and a low ceiling, and a stone floor that felt neither smooth nor level under my bare feet. Or maybe I just didn’t recognize it because I was so disoriented and -

My eyes widened, and I nearly toppled back into the bed before I even took my first step forward.

Ares! I exclaimed. What - where is he? What’s happened to him? I - where’s Ares? And my mother. She’s here, isn’t she? Or did Zeus not -

Shh. Calm yourself. Your mother isn’t here, and neither is Ares. As for him, he’s doing better than you are, so you should be worrying about yourself first. He’s with Hermes right now.

So he’s alright? And my mother? Where is she?

Your mother’s in no peril anymore. Ares could be better, but it’s a miracle he’s alive as it is. Zeus nearly killed him, and he’s still putting himself back together after all of that.

My heart felt like it was going to explode. Nearly killed? So then it was true, all true, every hazy half-memory that floated around in the back of my mind. I still had yet to piece everything together, but now I knew what little I remembered was no nightmare. It had all happened, everything.

But where is he now?

She leaned over to pick me up under my armpits as if I were nothing more than an unruly child, and I let out a strangled squeak of surprise when she lifted me bodily to my feet before setting me back on the floor. Stay standing, she said. You need to remind your body how to heal and grow. Your god’s Aspect is nothing but a whisper of a whisper right now, and your condition is no better than a mortal’s. Worse, actually, seeing as how you can’t even seem to stand on your feet properly anymore. Up, here. Grab my arm. Let’s head to the Hall. And - fine, fine! Don’t look at me like that. Ares is with Hermes right now. We’ve got a stray Giant who’s wandered up the way, and they’re getting rid of him. Satisfied? They should be fine.

I ducked my head, both because I was so relieved and also because I felt sheepish guilt swamp me at her frustrated scowl. Maybe I had no idea who she was even now, but she was clearly trying to help me while I was doing nothing but making it impossibly difficult. Enough whining, enough panicking -

…That’s not fair of me, I’m sorry, she said. You’ve been through a lot.

I raised my head and caught her gaze once more, surprised at the sudden change in her stern demeanor. It had been so quick that I didn’t know how to respond, but it seemed she wasn’t waiting for a reply anyway. She took a deep breath and motioned for me to follow. Come on, then. We need to get some food in you, and I keep the Horn at Hestia’s side. As poorly as you are, she needs it more. Besides, it’s good exercise. One step at a time, now, a-one-and-two-and-one-and-two…

I didn’t have the energy or willpower to tell her that her pace was too quick for me, so somehow I forced my body to cooperate against its protests as if that was any less demanding. How did that work, I wondered as I winced with every step. All I knew was that I really, really did not want to disappoint her.

When are they coming back? I asked between panting breaths as she led me out into a narrow corridor that was dim and shadowed. I didn’t recognize any of this, either. Where exactly was I? I would ask that next, along with who she was.

Soon, I suppose. The Giants aren’t the pushovers they used to be. This one’s a dumb one, I think, but still dangerous. Anyway, I said not to worry about him. Both of you are impossible; he would be doing much better than he is now if he would focus on recovering instead of spending all his time fretting over you.

I let a short silence lapse after that. I wanted to change the subject, after all, now that I’d gathered Ares was safe. Well, I hoped he was safe. She didn’t seem worried, at least, and something about her made me feel confident about putting my trust in her. Or was that her Aspect at work? It soothed me and made me uneasy all at once.

…S…So, who are you? I asked. I didn’t mean to stammer, but just as I’d lifted my head to look at her and ask the question, her sheer beauty had nearly knocked me off my feet as we walked. Outrageous. How could someone like this possibly exist? Looking at her was like seeing her for the first time, every time. I blinked and shook my head, and when I opened my eyes again, I thought she appeared less shimmery and blinding. Slightly. Maybe.

Me? You don’t remember? She frowned at me again as she had earlier, and this one was even deeper. She looked insulted, and I immediately regretted asking the question. The last thing I wanted to do was offend her, and I fervently hoped that she would let me take it back…I groaned inwardly, interrupting my own spiraling thoughts. This panic and inexplicable eagerness to please the woman was making my mind sloppy and dull. She was the most perfectly formed being I had ever seen in my life, but I needed to get a hold of myself.

It’s me, Aphrodite. We’ve already met, don’t you remember?

What? No, she couldn’t be. My memories were still jumbled and not quite coherent yet, but I clearly remembered meeting the famed goddess of love and beauty before. It was only for the briefest of moments just before she directed me to save Ares from Zeus’s clutches, but I clearly remembered blond tresses and clear blue eyes. And not quite so tall, either.

Oh, you’re confused, she said. I see - I forgot you wouldn’t know. Well, anyway, it’s me. Expect me to change the way I look from time to time, and you’ve been dead asleep for weeks. Far too long for me to stay in one form, for sure.

Oh. So that was how it was. Well, no matter what appearance she took on, she was always the most beautiful woman in the world anyway, according to the stories. I supposed it made no difference no matter what form she took on.

Now that I knew what was happening, I could feel the hold of her Aspect loosening on me. Not all the way, but enough to keep my head above the hypnotic influence and stay alert. Unfortunately, now that I wasn’t so distracted by Aphrodite’s aura, the pain returned to my body tenfold. Every step felt like pins driving deep into my feet through the soles, and I trembled so much I nearly lost my grip on my primitive crutches.

I really wished they were cushioned. I missed modern luxuries…And I missed Ares. I was too afraid to ask how long I had been unconscious for, but if not my mind, then at least my body seemed to know instinctively that it had been too long since I had last seen him. Was he on his way back now? What would he say when he saw me? And what would I say to him -

I stumbled suddenly, and Aphrodite caught me with a steadying grip around one arm. Astraea, I told you to be careful, she scolded. Ares won’t be back any sooner just because you try to go rushing off.

I…

Yes, I could tell you were thinking of him. Don’t forget who I am, I recognize all the signs.

I blushed, unable to think of anything to say to defend myself. I felt silly and ridiculous, as if I were a student caught staring out the window of a classroom instead of paying attention. But what was so wrong about it anyway? I was in pain and still so disoriented. The last time I had seen Ares, he had been so hurt…Of course I wanted to see him now so I could know he was alright, to prove it to myself with my own eyes.

At least try to focus, Astraea. If nothing else, you owe Hestia that. And we don’t have all that much time before…well, anyway. Slow down and take your time. We can’t have you agitating Hestia when you see her. Honestly, I wish we could leave those crutches behind…They’re so noisy. I’m hoping you won’t need them by the next day or so if the House is good to you.

I didn’t bother arguing that it was the punishing pace she had set for both of us that had me so exhausted. I could barely catch my breath anymore, and I was panting more and more heavily with every passing second. Fine. Since Ares was all right and my mother wasn’t even here, I would do what needed to be done first, take care of urgent matters one by one.

She had spoken of Hestia. The last time I had seen her was when I’d arrived on the Mount and found her collapsed by her hearth, unmoving. Aphrodite was right. I needed to see her and make sure she was alright. I had a part to play in everything that had happened, after all, and I remembered her to be kindly. Wise. I didn’t know her well yet, but I would change that soon. I owed her a great deal and if she was in trouble, I would do everything I could to help.

In here, said Aphrodite, and she opened one of two large wooden doors before us that led into a spacious room. Time for you to meet Hestia.

Chapter 3

Hestia, goddess of the burning hearth, of the realm of family and home. Of all the Olympians, she was the only one none could claim to have met in their travels - none of us from the New World, at least, because she was bound to the mountaintop, never to leave. No one really understood why, or what would happen if she ever did leave, but I had since learned gods’ domains were tricky things. Her power to bring people to the Mount was only one side of her nature; maybe her eternal entrapment here was simply the other side of it.

The first time I had ever seen her was when Ares took me captive and brought me to Mount Olympus. She had looked different then. Maybe not happy, but calm and composed. She had exuded a wise serenity that had made me want to like and trust her even though we’d never met before. But now, I barely recognized her. Her skin was deathly pale instead of colored with the deep tan I remembered, as if something had cut her open and drained all the life from under her skin. Her hair that had been so richly auburn and full was now limp and a vague shade of gray-brown. Her face had been motherly, the gentle curves of her cheeks soft and warm. But now, she was nothing more than a fading afterimage, a dull imitation of what she used to be.

I limped closer to the bed that was next to the crackling hearth dancing with orange flames. In the middle of this round, domed hall littered with dark pillars, the bed was very out of place, but I realized vaguely that perhaps it was because Hestia could not be moved from this room to any other. Besides being unable to leave the hearthside, she looked too fragile to be transported anywhere at all.

Did Zeus do this? I asked, taking care to keep my voice quiet and soft so she didn’t awake.

He did. Aphrodite moved her hair back over her shoulder and pointed at the two chairs set at an angle by the bedside, indicating for me to sit first. But not all of it. She might have recovered had she not spent the last of her strength to bring you and Hermes here that night. Put your crutches against the headboard, it’s fine.

I had just sat down, and I looked up with a quick, furtive glance at her face. Was she blaming us? It didn’t sound like it, more like a neutral observation. But I wouldn’t argue it if she was. In the back of my mind, I’d already known Hestia had helped us with the last of her strength to get here in time to save Ares, that we hadn’t simply managed it on our own with luck. Without her, we would have continued to wander the plains, looking, searching forever - and would have been too late.

But that’s the price she paid to save him, Aphrodite added, echoing my thoughts almost exactly. It was unnerving, or maybe it was just the guilt that made me so uncomfortable. My decisions had made me choose between the gods, made me choose who I would save.

I’d chosen Ares. As for Hestia…

But that was the price Hestia had paid, as Aphrodite said, and I had to believe she didn’t regret it. My agonizing over it would do nothing for either of us anyway.

How long will she be like this? I asked. Is there anything I can do to help?

No.

…No?

She won’t get any better. I don’t think so, at least. Her words were so final and yet sounded little more than casual - I didn’t grasp the full import of her reply, at first, and for a moment, I did nothing but stare at her, waiting for more. Surely that couldn’t be it…?

So, she’ll be like this…forever?

Of course not, she said, and just as I breathed a sigh of relief - She’ll linger for a while, and then she’ll disappear. It’s the way of it.

My eyes widened. You mean -?

Disappear, die, I suppose they’re the same thing from your perspective. Aphrodite leaned forward and pulled the covers up close to the sleeping Hestia’s chin. The moment he broke her soul with the god pact, her immortality was gone. So now we wait, and then we send her off in dignity.

How could she sound so blasé, so unaffected? Wasn’t Hestia her family? Maybe I was simply missing the pain in her words, overlooking her grief. I’d always been good at understanding the unspoken, but I had felt out of sorts and disconnected from reality ever since I’d woken up. Maybe she was merely pretending to be strong, then. Maybe I was just not hearing her weakness.

I wondered again if she blamed me. But surely she, too, could understand the choice I had made to come here and face Zeus, to save Ares. She had been the one to direct me that night, after all. If she hadn’t wanted me to make the choice I did, she would have chased me out or told me not to interfere, something. Anything. Or perhaps she blamed me for inciting Ares in the first place, and faced with no other options, she felt as if she’d been pulled along in my wild, reckless scheme.

After all of that, it didn’t feel right staying here, with Aphrodite and Hestia. I felt like an intruder. I had made choices for this family that had changed them irreversibly, and I had done it by force. I certainly hadn’t stopped to ask them what they wanted.

It was then that I suddenly realized something. Fogged by fatigue, I had dismissed my confusion when I first awoke, but now was as good a time as any to ask. Aphrodite was watching Hestia sleep in quiet contemplation and nothing else; she couldn’t begrudge me a few answers while we sat here.

If Hestia is here, I said slowly, then this is definitely still the House. I looked around at the unfamiliar ceiling and walls that were made of wood rather than the marble and granite they should have been. Even if I was still woozy, I remembered at least that much. But none of this looks familiar. I don’t understand. What happened?

Aphrodite shrugged. I’ve never witnessed the Ascension of a Head in person, but things like this are supposed to happen. You’re the master of the House now, so of course it’ll change to reflect you. It’s a living thing, with spirit.

I pressed my lips together and looked around with a grimace. Rough wood instead of smooth stone, cramped corridors, and low, clumsily sloping ceilings. Before this, under Zeus’s rule, the House had been a grand thing, beautiful and massive and colorful. But now? I didn’t know what to think. If the appearance of the temple truly reflected me, did that mean all of this was a monument to how much weaker and more inferior I was? It seemed the House’s spirit preferred its former master after all, then.

Don’t overthink it. You have a lot more things to worry about than your vanity. I assure you that neither Hermes nor I have had time to complain about our new lodgings, and Ares - well, he’s him. I don’t need to explain how little he cares about décor, do I?

I looked away from her. Again, it felt as if she’d read my mind…both uncanny and embarrassing.

Hestia will wake soon. She’ll have felt you by now, but it takes a moment for her to rouse herself. Grab the Horn there, will you? You can help her drink, she’d like that.

I obeyed without hesitation and turned in the direction of her pointed finger to my left. And there it was, on the plain, boxy wooden nightstand that sat low by the head of the bed. I picked up the Cornucopia with careful fingers and set it in my lap.

What do you mean, feel me? I asked. I glanced back at Aphrodite for a brief instant before returning my gaze to Hestia. She hadn’t stirred yet.

She’s the link from our House to you, isn’t she? The hearth and the home, that’s her domain, so of course she can feel you. Anyone who comes and goes, she knows, always. Oh, look. She’s waking up -

Just as I saw Hestia’s eyelids flutter open, I heard something else, too: the sound of heavy doors creaking open with a fierce whine behind us. I winced at the sound, yet another reminder of the deplorable condition of this temple, this place that should be the magnificent home of the gods. I’d never heard of any with rusty hinges. But if someone was joining us, there were only so many people it could be. My heartbeat quickened, and I rose to my feet with the Cornucopia in my hands so that I could look behind me.

Ares!

I didn’t recognize my own voice when I called his name. Not only did it crack and send a searing pain through my throat, it was far weaker and more hoarse than it had been when I’d been speaking with Aphrodite just a second ago. I held onto the Horn with my left hand while my right flew to my neck to wrap around it and try to soothe the stinging inside.

Somehow, Ares’s tall, broad form went from standing at the open double doors to inches in front of me in the time it took for me to blink away the pain. I nearly stumbled back against Hestia’s bed when I saw him looming over me suddenly, but he caught me with his hands gripped tight on my upper arms.

Ares, don’t startle her like that when she’s still…

I could hear Aphrodite beginning to scold him, but the rest of what she said was lost to me. Ares shoved aside the chair I had been sitting in, nearly sending it toppling, while I all but fell forward into his arms. Here, a voice whispered in my thoughts. Here he was, finally. I didn’t know how long I’d lain comatose while I recovered all this time, but I did know one thing. It had been too long since I’d last been so close to him.

I still couldn’t recall much of my final moments against Zeus, but in the fog, I thought I could remember seeing Ares lying motionless on the ground, coated in a sheen of silver blood. I didn’t know if that was something from the nightmares or if that was a genuine memory, but it terrified me either way. I didn’t want to remember. I didn’t want it to be real. This - this. This was what I wanted, needed, what had to replace those terrible memories…

I squeezed my eyes shut and buried myself against his chest. This inhuman warmth that felt like it was just as much a part of me now as it was his, it filled me, completed me. Even through his baggy white chiton and my own, I could feel his heat radiating through to sink into my skin like a living thing, strong and true. And had he always been this big, so much larger than life? For the first time since I had awoken, I felt safe, and I pushed away the stray warning thoughts in my head that told me I was being too wishful.

He continued to hold me, and I waited until my pulse slowed and calmed before I lifted my head to look at him. The way his familiar red eyes stared down at me nearly made me forget what I was going to say, until a faint, weak whisper floated around from behind me, a reminder that we weren’t alone.

Ares…

I pulled myself away from him with a discreet but insistent tug, and when he released me - reluctantly - I twisted around to look at Hestia. She was awake and watching us through tired, swollen eyes, and the joy that I’d felt bubbling up inside me upon seeing Ares again dissipated instantly. She looked even worse awake than she had when she was asleep. The goddess’s lips were pale and cracked, and I thought I could see faint spiderweb traces of black running under the surface of her skin that I hadn’t noticed until now.

Ares…Come here.

At her quiet request, I moved aside and reached for his hand to pull him forward. He was staring at her as if he’d never seen her before, and despite his expression showing no weakness, no sadness, I could feel something dark and terrible brewing inside him.

I hesitated, glancing between them several times in the silence, then pried apart our laced fingers so that I could hold open his palm. I was still holding the Cornucopia in my other hand, but now I pressed it firmly into his. He tore his gaze away from Hestia to look down at it, then at me.

Go ahead, I said softly. I’ll wait.

A displeased grimace flashed across his face when I stepped away to sit back down, and I thought for a second that he would reach for me and drag me back over. But then the moment passed, and with stiff movements, he sat down carefully on the bed next to Hestia. It sagged under his enormous stature, then settled.

She said something to him too quiet for me to hear, but maybe that was because Ares’ broad back was presented to me now and muffling her voice. He leaned forward and answered her in a low murmur as well, and I looked to my right to see Aphrodite watching me with her arms crossed loosely over her chest.

I looked away again, not knowing what to say or feel anymore. I was overjoyed that Ares was safe, and evidently Hermes too even if he hadn’t shown up yet. But there lay a woman dying just a few feet away, one of the last few pieces of family that these gods had. There were supposed to be twelve Olympians, but now they were reduced just four. Three, soon, if it was true what Aphrodite had said about Hestia’s imminent passing.

In the end, I had fulfilled the role of a new god, displacing the old hierarchy as I’d always meant to. But I’d never planned for this, had never thought of any of them as the enemy even back when I was still in hiding. Had never thought things would be so bleak, so cruel…

As…traea…

My head bobbed back up at the sound of the hoarse whisper. I’d been staring down at my folded hands in my lap, trying to think of any way that we might heal and save Hestia yet.

Yes? I shot up from my chair, and Ares reached out to stay my arm as if he thought I would topple over in my haste. But I was fine, just anxious. Especially since for some reason, everything seemed to remind me of my mother. At least she wasn’t here, I thought. Maybe it would be for the better if I stayed away from her for now so I wouldn’t drag her into more danger. What would I even say when I saw her next? How could I possibly apologize for everything that had happened because of me?

Just like with Hestia. I didn’t know what to say to this broken woman either, the one who was paying so high a price for the choices others had made for her.

I moved around Ares so I could stand beside the bed. There was a faint, glistening sheen on Hestia’s bottom lip from the nectar she’d just sipped. She couldn’t even feed herself, I thought, and a sickening wave of helplessness flooded me from head to toe. An old god from a long gone era, made so low. It felt wrong to pity her, and yet…

Be…good to them… she murmured, and when she lifted her trembling hand from the covers, I hurriedly took it in both of mine. There is… so much…danger…

She could hardly speak. I could see her throat bobbing, could hear her words catch with every syllable. Twice, it seemed as if she were trying to cough but simply lacked the energy to do so.

Her dark brown eyes drifted back to Ares’s face, and a faint smile pulled at her lips. Even that looked like it cost her dearly, but she had more to say. You both…tell her. Tell her…what comes next…

Mid-sentence, her eyes fluttered closed again while her mouth fell slack, but I continued to watch her sleeping face for a moment longer. Once I was sure she was sound asleep, I carefully placed her hand back down on the bed and rose to my feet. But before I could step back, Ares took my hand again in what might have been a compulsive motion: he looked startled at himself and looked down at my hand.

I smiled and squeezed back. For better or for worse, we were here. Together. And I wasn’t leaving.

So what’s this about ‘what comes next’? I asked suddenly, and I craned my neck to peer around Ares at the goddess behind him. Aphrodite pursed her lips and frowned as if she didn’t want to answer, and I let my eyes dart back and forth between them as I waited. Someone was going to have to explain it. I didn’t care who, but I wanted to know. Needed to know, or else Hestia wouldn’t have exhausted herself back to sleep with her efforts just to tell me so.

…Ares? I pressed, hoping he would be more amenable, but the goddess sighed and waved her hand at me before he could answer.

I’ll do it. He’s no good at explaining. Just…come sit here. We won’t wake her, it’s fine.

I nodded.

Chapter 4

You laid a curse on Zeus that night, said Aphrodite. That alone isn’t surprising, insofar as his defeat was concerned. None of us have been strong enough to invoke true curses for a long time, but it’s typical fare for things like this -

A curse? I interrupted. She’d scarcely said more than a few sentences, and I was already confused. While I hated to stop her in the middle of her explanation, I knew if I didn’t ask for answers I needed right away, the rest of what she wanted to say would be utterly lost to me.

Yes, She gave me a long, curious look before glancing behind me at Ares. He said nothing, however, and she looked back at me again. You didn’t know?

I - I don’t even know what curse it would have been, I stammered, too surprised to string any intelligent words together. You know about me, right? I’ve been hiding all my life. I’ve never been able to do much of anything, not until Ares found me.

At the mention of his name, I felt him wrap his hand around my wrist and pull me closer. I had been standing next to the bed and leaning back against it so I could face Aphrodite, but at his wordless urging, I perched on the edge of the covers and nestled my fingers tighter into his grasp. He felt warm next to me, strong and solid and safe.

Well, whatever your past, you laid a curse on him for sure. It won’t last forever, but you did strip him of his power for the time being. You shouldn’t have been able to do that even with the power of the Ascension behind you, but it happened, and now we have time to prepare for his return. The goddess leaned back in her chair and shifted around in the seat with a sigh. There’s no telling how long we have, but it’s better than nothing. Really, it’s a marvel what you managed. But you won’t have the power to do that again, not for a long, long time, if ever. I don’t know. You’re a new element. No one’s ever seen anything quite like what you did, and frankly, I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to do it again.

My heart sank. That was the next thing I had been about to ask. Why not?

The Ascension grants you strength exactly once, and it doesn’t stay with you, either. No one really knows where it comes from, so there’s no point asking and no point in trying to find a way to regain it. Some say it comes from the Oracle, and that it grants you a moment in the future when you’re at the peak of your power, but I wasn’t around for the last Head’s Ascension so I wouldn’t know. Neither would Ares or Hermes, for that matter, none of the younger generation.

I frowned and dropped my chin. The Oracle. That was right, now I remembered: the shards of shattered crystal lighting up like stars in the night under my feet, a sea of lights. But then…

The Oracle is broken, isn’t it? I asked. That night…

It’s all a bit hazy for us, but I suppose the most straightforward thing to say would be that it’s gone, yes. We have no idea where it is or what happened to it afterward. What’s the last thing you remember?

I gripped the edge of the bed with one hand and tightened my grasp on Ares’s hand with the other. He stirred and pressed back against me as well, and I let out a long breath as I relaxed into the warmth of his shoulder. I remember Apollo appearing, I said slowly. That was right. The man with the aura like the sun…He took Zeus with him.

And Demeter, too.

I squinted and looked back up at her. How come he couldn’t take you with him? I asked. I remember why he couldn’t make Hermes leave with him, because…

You’d made a genuine bond with Hermes that superseded both his loyalty and his half-blood link to Olympian heritage. I don’t know exactly how that would have happened since neither that little fish-mouthed troublemaker nor the big lunk next to you are good at making bonds with anyone at all, but lucky that you managed it anyway. Blessed be whatever force made them less man-dense enough for that.

I smiled despite the seriousness of the conversation. It made me guilty that I felt relaxed enough to think Aphrodite entertaining, even funny, but I couldn’t help it. The familiar way she spoke of Hermes and Ares warmed me.

- but in any case, I’m an Olympian because I was gifted to the House, not born into it. I share no blood with Zeus and was only bound to the god pact through his authority over this place, nothing else. Once you revoked his claim on the House itself, he could no longer do anything to me. I’m sure Apollo still wanted to take me with him, but while his gifts are aplenty, he can’t drag me out by the hair and expect to get away unscathed. So he left without me. But make no mistake, he’s hovering somewhere in the world, just waiting for his chance.

I grimaced. I didn’t know exactly what Apollo’s powers were, but I knew he was powerful. He was Zeus’s favorite son, according to the stories, and could not only heal and inflict plague but also foretell the future. Fearsome abilities, ones that had gained the affection of even such a bloodthirsty and ruthless father. That said -

What about Artemis? Where is she? Is she with Apollo, too? They’re twins, aren’t they?

Aphrodite glanced above my head and shared a meaningful look with Ares, but when I turned around to see for myself what kind of expression he wore, all I found waiting for me was a stone-hard stare and nothing else.

What? I asked and turned back around. What’s wrong?

She sighed and crossed her arms again, the other way this time. She’s missing. We need to find her, too. That’s one of the things we need to talk about.

Find her? Do we have any idea where she is?

No. Once she hides herself, she’s as good as gone. Even Apollo can’t find her when she’s like this, not anymore. Whatever connection they used to have as twins is long gone; she’s a loner now.

Twins were powerful, always had been in the old stories. There was something about godly blood and heritage that gave such relationships special power, but if it was true that they were parted now… That’s good, right? I asked. It’s better that she not choose a side at all than for Apollo to be able to find her.

That’s assuming Zeus won’t be able to summon her to his side and bind her as before once he’s recovered. God pact, remember? And we have no idea how much time we have before that happens, whether that’s a season or ten years from now. Aphrodite crossed one leg over the other with a flourish. Somehow, the motion conveyed her frustration better than words possibly could. In any case, we need numbers. It comes down to simple arithmetic in the end. The side with the greater numbers almost always wins.

That I could understand. And if it was true I couldn’t rely once more on the inexplicable power I had attained that night against Zeus, then the simple fact of the matter was that I would be useless when he returned. I would be unable to protect Ares, Hermes, Aphrodite - and Hestia I had already failed to save. I hoped still that she would make it through this, but if Zeus returned and hurt her again, there was no chance at all she would survive. Even I couldn’t be optimistic about her chances.

I wouldn’t give up, but I wasn’t conceited enough to think they could rely on me unconditionally. But this was my House, something whispered inside me. This was my responsibility, and so was everyone who took refuge in it. If I couldn’t protect everyone alone, then I needed to find a different way.

Artemis was powerful. I knew little else about her except that she was a fierce huntress, but she had helped Ares once already. I had to believe that just like the day she had come with Hermes and me to rescue him from the Aloadae, that she would do the same now…even if her family was now split in two. But which side? She had family on both. Except she was reasonable, had to be. She had rescued her brother against her father’s wishes, knowing it was the right thing to do. She wouldn’t ally herself with Zeus, given the choice, even if her brother had decided to do so, would she? Maybe she could even convince Apollo to see reason. Twins, connected as close as soulmates. There had be some way to reach him and take him away from Zeus’ grasp.

Astraea? Aphrodite leaned over and waved a hand in my face. Hello?

Sorry. I was just thinking. Does that mean Apollo will be looking for the others, too? I know he’ll want to find Athena, but what about -

Hera, certainly, she said with a firm nod. Zeus treated her terribly to keep her pressed down and subservient, but technically she’s one half his power. If they’re together, his strength will grow exponentially. She’s his consort and his queen even if they no longer reign over this House. He needs her even more than he needs Athena.

Even though Hera is bedridden?

Even so. The greatest power is never realized alone. And I’m not saying that just because I have a share in the domain of sacred union - it’s undeniable truth. It’s why Zeus married Hera as soon as he Ascended, and why Cronus married Rhea as well. Technically, Gaia married Uranus too, even if their union was a bit different from ours. It’s about balance and the harmony of the halves and such. But that’s another reason why Artemis and Apollo are so formidable, and why we can’t let Zeus have them both. They’re siblings, not wife and husband, but as twin gods, their power together is…

She didn’t have to explain any further. The specifics would only confuse me, and besides, I could imagine how bad that would be for us. Very bad.

There’s another thing, too, Aphrodite added before I could say anything else. It’s not just the curse you laid on Zeus, but the fact that you revoked his inheritance from Gaia. I don’t know exactly what happened between you two, but Ares and Hermes managed to tell me bits and pieces about what happened. Or what they think happened, since apparently they only heard it from you. Later, you’ll have to tell me more. Words from an elder god are powerful things. They can tell you the wisdom that would be lost forever otherwise.

I will.

Anyway, the disinheritance stands. This is an even bigger problem, because what that did was release Zeus’ demigod children that were under his control. Well, not control - but they couldn’t fight him, not directly.

Because of the blood relation? I asked.

Right. They’re only half-god and diluted with mortal blood, so you might think that spares them, but not so. Because most of his demigod children have human mothers, and all humans already born are of Gaia’s domain, whether she’s gone now or not. And Gaia bequeathed the domain of the world on Zeus a long time ago, so for eons, he had two parts authority over them.

Two parts? What do you mean?

Again, this is the principle of power by halves. One half of the demigods are of Zeus’ blood, but the other half was also bound to him because humans too are within his domain. They would have felt compelled to obey his every order. Except they’re not anymore. The moment you delivered her disinheritance and revoked his claim to the domain of humanity, you broke that compulsion. Now, even the blood relation between Zeus and his demigod children isn’t enough to keep them in line. It’s only one half, after all. From that point onward, they became half yours, and your claim at the very least can begin to balance his.

My eyes had gone so wide that I could feel them bugging out. Mine? My claim? I repeated, aghast. What does that even mean?

No idea. You’re a new god, the first of your kind. There’s no telling what it might mean, whether now or in the future. Not to mention this is completely unprecedented in the first place.

I sat in silence, utterly stunned and trying to make sense of everything. Think, I told myself. Think of something useful -

What about Artemis and Apollo? I managed to say. Their mother, was she human? Does this mean they’re free from the god pact?

Their mother wasn’t human, no. She was a daughter of the Titans, too close to Zeus’s] bloodline for them to be free. They’re not as trapped as they would have been if they were born within the marriage union, though, so that’s something. Maybe Artemis can be saved a little more easily than we expect…provided we find her.

Born within the marriage union. She was talking about Ares. I looked back at him, and with a cold thrill of fear that filled me like ice shards in a storm, I suddenly remembered something else from the night of the Ascension.

Apollo said they’d come back for you, I whispered. Is that true?

He said nothing, but I saw the answer somewhere behind his dark red gaze. I sucked in a sharp breath between my teeth and stiffened like a board. So not only did I have to worry about Zeus’ imminent return, I had to be afraid of what he would do to get to Ares. Apollo might even try to come for him first, perhaps with other dangerous allies. What if he found Athena and came together with her? What could I do to protect Ares from them?

Worry about one thing at a time, he said in a low, rumbling voice, and he reached up to take my chin between his thumb and forefinger. Aphrodite is right about the demigods. They’ll come in force. They’ve been waiting for a chance like this for a long time.

Aren’t their grievances with Zeus? I protested. Why are they coming against us?

Because power is power, and if they get you on their side, they can go after Zeus next whenever he appears again. And also because they’ve always hated all the old gods, not just him. Aphrodite crossed her legs the other way now. It’s not just about grudges, Astraea. They want to Ascend just like you. They want to become part of the new godhood.

I sighed and dropped my head. This is too complicated.

That’s how the Old World works, my sweet. It’s a lot of complicated and not a lot of common sense. If everyone would just calm down a little bit… She shrugged. But they won’t, and now it’s a problem. But we’ll deal with it.

I must have looked doubtful.

Astraea, she said firmly. "We will."

What choice did I have but to agree with a gentle nod? I wasn’t about to give up, after all, no matter how out of my depth I felt.

What now, then? I asked. And where’s Hermes? Isn’t he back yet?

Soon, I’m sure. He’s probably out seducing one of my nymphs again. But in any case, there’s one other problem. A tiny one, nothing to fret about. Yet, I suppose.

I sighed again. What is it?

Oh, well, the humans are all massacring each other.

Chapter 5

What do you mean!

Calm down, calm down. Aphrodite leaned over and patted my knee several times in a vain attempt to comfort me. It’s not as bad as it could be. And as sad as it is, this is typical fare for whenever there’s a balancing of the scales. The state of mankind reflects the state of the House, and considering the sheer scale of the upset when you displaced Zeus -

Is this my fault! I exclaimed, horrified.

I’m not saying it’s - well, it’s not that simple, and ‘fault’ is a bit of a strong word…Listen, you can’t blame yourself so easily, Astraea. You were in no condition to go out and attend to your duties. What, were you going to sleepwalk out there and appease the people that way? That would be a first, a comatose queen making her rounds. And as for the Ascension triggering everything, well. How could you have known? And there was no time to plan and prepare, no time to ease the transition. You’re so young. Of course you didn’t know.

Her chiding, soothing tone did nothing to calm me. I remembered just in time to make my movements careful and slow when I slipped off the bed so I wouldn’t disturb the sleeping Hestia, but once my feet found the floor again, I whirled to face the goddess with wide eyes. Tell me exactly what’s happened, I demanded, although I kept my voice to a hushed whisper. What do you mean that the humans are massacring each other?

It’s war and pestilence and unrest, same as always. Before, Zeus’s authority kept things in check, but by now, everyone will either have heard rumors that the god-king is no more or simply felt the change in the world, like I told you earlier. They won’t understand, but they’ll feel the discord deep down in their souls. It makes them change, makes them act in ways they might not otherwise. And of those who do know, however it is that they do, there are…a lot of people who don’t like the change. They’re going to be very unhappy that their patron god-king has been brought low. They’re the bad ones, though, so don’t blame yourself, Astraea. The Ascension was always going to happen one way or another, whether a season ago as it did or a century hence. And you’re a different breed entirely, so of course there was going to be opposition either way.

A season ago? I held my hands up between us and waved them frantically, signaling her to stay her speech for a moment. A season? Are you telling me I’ve been asleep for…

Nearly three months, darling. It’s the first month of the year now, though you might not be able to tell by the weather once you’re out and about. It’s becoming more and more unstable with the Old and New planes still shifting around and into each other, so when you’re strong enough to go see to the people, you’ll have to be very, very careful.

What did I