Chapter Ten

Toast

Several hours passed before Andy and his companions finally made it to the Dryads’ camp, the afternoon sun shining high in the sky, hot rays of light piercing through the thick trees of the forest. There had to be thousands of nymphs, just as Eugenia and Narcissa had insisted there would be, all as pretty as the other nymphs Andy had seen thus far. Thankfully, they’d packed up camp (which, to Andy’s surprise, consisted mostly of armor and weaponry) and were already prepared for travel to avoid Artemis. They’d just been waiting on Eugenia, Narcissa, Harmony, Prometheus, and the pegasi to return before leaving.

The nymph recruits were overjoyed to see that their Dryad leaders had stumbled upon Andy and Zoey and co in their search, cheering and clapping with enthusiasm once they found out who the newcomers were. Narcissa insisted that Andy and Zoey were not to be pestered by anyone, as they were “very important,” and that they needed to “focus on the task at hand, not on any of you.” Harmony, on the other hand, argued that it was all right if Andy and Zoey wanted to “make friends” and “get to know” the nymphs they’d be leading into battle.

In the end, Eugenia put a stop to the debate and asked the nymphs to simply keep to themselves for the time being, then told everyone to have a quick drink and snack before they left to find another camping spot. “Once we settle down somewhere,” she said, “we’ll begin formulating a plan to infiltrate Olympus.” Eugenia’s gentle orders sobered the nymphs up. They did as she said without protest, and then everyone was off, hiking through the trees once again. Just in case Artemis and her Huntresses attacked, Eugenia placed Andy, Zoey, Darko, Kali, and the pegasi in the center of the nymph army, keeping them protected on all sides.

The trip was a bit awkward because Andy didn’t know any of the Dryads and Naiads surrounding him and his companions, and he wasn’t in the mood to make new friends just yet. Also because he had some questions for Asteria regarding what she thought was going on with him and Anteros and Zoey and Calliope (since she hadn’t really talked on their initial hike to the nymphs’ first camp). However, Asteria pulled Prometheus to the back of the horde so they could discuss a few things, which meant chatting with the Titan gods was off the table for now. Andy suspected this also disturbed Zoey, as she barely spoke during the whole journey, a strained, far-off expression on her face.

By the end of the day, when the sun began to set, the nymphs decided to stop and make camp. “Is there anything we can help with?” Andy asked.

“No, not really,” a Naiad dripping with water replied.

Within minutes Andy saw why the nymphs didn’t need his and his friends’ help setting up camp. Rather than pitching tents and the like, the Dryads used their powers to erect thirty-foot-tall walls of logs and greenery—presumably to keep out monsters, but maybe they were for some other sort of protection, too. All the while, the Naiads went off to gather and wash provisions for dinner.

Kali let out a low whistle. “Wow.”

“That’s no kidding,” Andy said, watching the construction in awe.

As the nymphs kept working around the group, Eugenia, Narcissa, and Harmony approached them. “Come,” Eugenia said, gesturing at them to follow. “Let us determine our plan to storm Olympus.”

The group followed the Dryads through the trees, and after about ten minutes they reached a sort of cabin. It looked like the walls surrounding camp, and Andy knew right away that the nymphs had made it for him and his friends to sleep in tonight, as he remembered the nymphs saying nature was their true home and they didn’t need houses. Eugenia opened the big entryway doors, and the distinctive smell of lush green grass filled Andy’s nostrils.

Similar to the dwellings the nymphs constructed for satyrs back west, the cabin looked like someplace a fairy would live. Sunlight spilled in through the windows, vines and wildflowers poking out and twisting up and around the log walls and ceilings.

Prometheus and Asteria stood in a corner, hunched over and whispering to one another. When the group stepped into the cabin alongside the nymphs, the gods turned, going quiet.

Prometheus and Andy made eye contact briefly. Andy thought he saw a hint of sadness in the Titan’s gaze, but if he did, it was there and gone in an instant. Prometheus looked away.

Eugenia shut the doors and gestured at the soft grass floor. “Please, everyone, sit. Rest your tired feet.”

They did as she said. Prometheus clasped his hands in his lap, keeping his head down. “If we’re going to break into Olympus, we need a solid plan.”

Asteria nodded. “I think the best course of action would be to sneak in with the aristocrats the gods invite to Diana’s execution.” She gestured at Andy and his friends. “You all will need disguises, of course, and several baths. You don’t exactly blend in as you are now.” She faced the nymphs next. “Dryads are generally present at these events as well, but they are the ones who already live on Olympus, so you must conceal your true natures until the battle begins.”

“I can disguise everyone,” Prometheus said. “That way no one has to go into one of the cities and find clothes for this. We can just start straight away for Olympus.”

“No, you cannot disguise everyone,” Asteria replied. “Those chains weaken your power. You must limit using it prematurely as much as possible. Disguise everyone’s magical nature, not their physical appearances as well, for you will need all your strength at the battle of the amphitheater.”

Andy shivered. “What about you?” he asked Asteria. “Can’t you and Prometheus share the burden of hiding all of us?”

“Technically, we could,” Asteria answered. “But visions of the future have shown me I will be arriving late to the execution. I am afraid you will be sneaking in without me.”

“If ‘visions of the future’ show you you’ll be arriving late,” Zoey started, “then can’t you just, like, change the course of events leading up to the execution—change the choices you make until it happens—so we don’t have to sneak into Olympus without you?”

Asteria shrugged. “I can try. Even so, that does not mean fate will favor us. It is best if everyone who needs clothes goes into a city to get them—just in case.”

“What did you mean when you said that fate might not favor us?” Kali asked.

“There are many possible outcomes to every situation. Our choices do affect our individual destinies, and the people and events around us, but sometimes the universe allows certain things to happen in order for others to take place.”

“Ohhhh-kay,” Andy replied, his head spinning from all she’d just said. Almost nothing made sense these days. “So, is that it? Is that our plan? We sneak into Olympus with the aristocrats invited to the execution? Oh, and we maybe do it in fancy clothes, I guess. How do people even get there, anyway? I thought they weren’t allowed to leave the cities.”

“If they’re invited to an event on Olympus, they can leave,” Darko said. “I think their invitations are enchanted by the gods to keep monsters away, or something like that. I don’t know how they get up onto Olympus, though. They’re favored by the gods because of the massive number of sacrifices they make, but no human is favored enough to be gifted a pegasus.”

Asteria tucked a few red curls behind her ears. “For large gatherings such as an execution as important as this one, Heracles, the Gatekeeper of Olympus, is asked to usher guests into the amphitheater. He checks the guests’ invitations, then transports them to their seats.”

“He checks the guests’ invitations?” Zoey said. “We won’t have invitations. We aren’t invited. Or did you forget that tiny but very important detail?”

Prometheus waggled his eyebrows at Zoey. “Did you forget that I’m a trickster god? With a bit of magic, I can just make us invitations for a short time. And once we’re in our seats, I won’t have to keep up the façade, so it shouldn’t take up too much power. The gods won’t suspect a thing.”

Zoey offered Prometheus a stern expression. “Really? You think the literal Gatekeeper of Olympus won’t notice you doctored some invites?”

“Did the portal leading into Poseidon’s palace notice the four of you weren’t Poseidon?” Prometheus countered.

Zoey thought over the Titan’s point for a second. “Okay, fair enough. I hadn’t considered that.”

Andy chewed the tip of his thumbnail. “Where’re we gonna get new clothes from? Which city will we have to sneak into this time?” Memories of stealing garments from Aphrodite City, and especially of fighting the astynomia there, swirled through his thoughts. A knot formed in his stomach.

“I recommend Artemis City,” Prometheus said.

“What?” Asteria cried, narrowing her eyes at the other Titan. “Have you gone mad? Artemis is hunting the Chosen Two. If they are discovered in her polis, they—”

“Think about it,” Prometheus interrupted her. “Apollo’s was just destroyed. The citizens who weren’t killed were left to their own devices and ordered to emigrate to another city. They’re practically refugees now. They’ve been left unprotected—even the rich government officials who used to make lots of pretty sacrifices aren’t being defended, since they primarily worshipped Apollo. Now, don’t you think those people are probably desperate to find a new home? And don’t you think desperate people looking for a new home would travel to the nearest piece of civilization? Tell me, what’s the closest city to Apollo’s, hmm?”

“Artemis City,” Darko answered. “The closest city to Apollo’s is Artemis’s, because they’re twins.”

Zoey cupped her chin. “I see what you’re saying, Prometheus. Because of the number of refugees flooding Artemis City, if we go there, it’ll be difficult for us to be detected. In fact, no one will bat an eye at our arrival. They probably won’t even think twice about how dirty we are. I’ll bet everyone who’s shown up is filthy after the hell they’ve gone through to get there.”

Prometheus grinned. “Precisely . . . Zoey.” For some reason, he put emphasis on her name. Asteria gave him a confused look, but he seemed to make it a point to avoid the goddess’s gaze.

“What about once—once we’re actually on Olympus?” Andy asked. “What happens then? How do we rescue Diana and the twins and steal the Master Lightning Bolt?”

“I imagine at first you’ll be somewhere in the crowd, far from the Daughter of Apollo, her executioner, the grandchildren-of-Hephaestus, and the gods,” Harmony piped up. “Since, you know, Heracles transports guests straight to their seats. If all the excitement is taking place in the middle of the amphitheater, you’ll need a way to get down.”

“Well, Andy could fly down with someone,” Kali suggested. “Probably Zoey. I don’t think he’d have a chance to come back for the rest of us, though. We’d have to find our own way without being hindered by the crowd. Unless Andy and Zoey used the Helm of Darkness to stay out of sight, some people would probably figure out it’s an attack and alert everyone else, which would cause panic and chaos.” She snapped her fingers. “Hey, I know! Dryads are coming with us, right?”

Narcissa leaned forward. “Of course. A few Naiads, too.”

“They could build a bridge over the crowd into the amphitheater,” Kali went on. “Using those handy plant-powers.”

“That could work,” Eugenia remarked. “Dryads cannot conjure plants, though. We can only manipulate them and make them grow, so whoever came with you would have to carry them in. Still, what a clever idea.”

Harmony bounced in excitement. “It really is!” Darko stuck out a hand for Kali, and she gave him a high five.

Prometheus clapped his hands against his thighs. “Once we’re all together in the amphitheater, the hardest part will be fighting the gods.”

“It will be quite difficult, even though we do not intend to win the war in this single battle,” Asteria said. “Thankfully, it is not impossible if we utilize enough manpower. We will also have the element of surprise on our side—and two of the gods’ main objects of power.”

Zoey hugged her sides, a sour expression on her face. “Don’t forget about the demigods, though. They’re the three who captured us in Hephaestus City, and . . . well, you know.”

“The Son of Zeus?” Asteria asked. Zoey nodded, her expression darkening even more. Asteria tilted her head at the girl, and Andy did the same. He’d practically forgotten about Karter at this point, and he hadn’t expected Zoey to be so bitter about the guy. Yeah, it would have been nice to have the demigod on their team, and it sucked he’d chosen to side with the bad guys, but it was over and done with. There wasn’t anything they could do about it now, so there was no use in dwelling on it.

Prometheus burst into a fit of boisterous laughter. “There’re way more demigods on Olympus than those four. Oh, yes there are. Trust me on that one.” He chuckled a few more times, then composed himself. “Anyway, most of ’em will probably be trapped in the crowd after the fight begins and everyone starts to panic, but yes, we’ll need to watch out for several, the Son of Zeus included.” He pointed at Zoey. “I’ll personally kick him into the next century for ya. Okay, kiddo?” She forced a smile.

“What happens if we manage to incapacitate the gods and demigods?” Darko asked. “What do we do next?”

“After that we’ll have to be quick,” Prometheus answered. “We’ll steal the Master Lightning Bolt from Zeus—he always keeps that stupid thing tucked away in his robes—then free Diana and the twins and get off’a that hunk’a rock as fast as we can.” He looked to Asteria. “Think you can fly us down once we’re all finished up?”

“Yes, but I believe we should have a second plan in place as well, just in case something happens to me.” Andy hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but he agreed. They needed a backup escape route.

“Maybe the nymphs can make another bridge or staircase back down to the ground?” Darko suggested. “Or, if there are a lot of pegasi on Olympus, Diana can take us to the stables, and we can ride some away?”

“Most of us don’t know how to direct pegasi,” Narcissa replied flatly. “There isn’t enough time for all of us to learn well, anyway. We are friends, not handlers, of nature and her creations.”

Darko puffed out a breath, and Andy said, “Okay, bridge or staircase it is. Pegasi would probably be faster, but we can’t split up. We can’t leave anyone behind.”

“Well, I think that settles things,” Eugenia chirped, standing up. “We rest here for the night. Tomorrow, the Chosen Two, their companions, and a group of nymphs will go to Artemis City. Then, once they come back, we’ll all leave for Olympus at once.”

“Wait,” Andy began, “how long will it take us to get from here to Artemis City?”

“If I fly you,” Asteria said, “only a few hours.”

Zoey climbed to her feet. “Why don’t we just go now?” She turned to Asteria. “This morning you said there’s only three days before Diana’s new execution date, and we spent almost an entire day walking already. If it takes hours to fly to Artemis City, and then we have to sneak in, get clothes, sneak out, and fly back—it could take up a whole other day. That’s not even considering the fact that something could go wrong and hold us up. We need a head start.”

Kali stood as well. “I agree. We can’t waste any time.”

“What you need right now is a night of good sleep,” Asteria asserted. “You have been either fighting or at sea for days, and you have not properly rested. You must do so tonight, to keep up your strength, and if you wake early tomorrow, there will be plenty of time to complete all your tasks and make it to the Daughter of Apollo’s execution on time.”

Harmony hopped up next. “Asteria’s right, you know. About needing rest. You guys look exhausted. Get some beauty sleep!”

“Beauty has nothing to do with it, Harmony,” Narcissa scolded, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Harmony made a shooing motion at Narcissa. “Oh, lighten up. You know what I meant.”

Andy turned to Asteria. “You really think we’ll have enough time to save Diana, even if we take tonight to rest?”

The goddess nodded, and after a bit more coaxing on everyone’s part, the group finally agreed to sleep and head toward Artemis City early in the morning. The nymphs brought some dinner to the cabin, and by the time the sky went dark, the group was left alone to crash.

Once Darko’s and Kali’s heads hit the grass-pillows the nymphs had made for the group, and once they wrapped themselves up in the vine-and-flower blankets the nymphs had also made for them, Andy could hear them snoring. He and Zoey lay down as well, not beside each other but not far apart either. As they enveloped themselves in their separate beds, Andy could tell something was bothering Zoey. Something was bothering him, too.

To be honest, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Anteros—and now what Zoey and Asteria—had been saying about this whole Andy/Anteros and Zoey/Calliope debacle.

At first, when Anteros had called Andy’s body “our body,” as if it were the god’s body, too, and not just Andy’s, Andy hadn’t given it much thought. He hadn’t given Anteros saying “In time, you’ll come to understand that we are the same being” much thought, either. His focus had been on saving his friends and getting off Circe’s island, and Anteros had helped him do that.

However, after today’s events—and especially after Asteria kept calling him and Zoey Anteros and Calliope—well, Andy was confused. More confused than he ever thought he could be.

Were Andy and Zoey their own people?

Or were they Anteros and Calliope?

He looked over at Zoey, barely able to see her under the dim light of the stars sparkling in through the windows. She had her back turned to him, her curly hair splayed out behind her. She didn’t seem to be asleep yet. Remembering their kiss back at Circe’s palace, he cringed. I still can’t believe that happened. I really, really need to apologize to her again. Not just for the kiss, but for how I totally screwed up confessing my feelings for her, too . . .

“Yes, you really, really do need to apologize for that specifically,” Anteros said in his head.

Andy flinched. You’re back.

“But the kiss?” Anteros went on. “No, you don’t need to apologize for that. It was my doing. I’m sorry if it caused either of you distress. Ever since I first saw her—through your eyes, of course—I knew she was Calliope, and I desperately wanted to reunite with her. I know the Calliope part of her wanted to reunite with me, too.”

Andy ignored the god’s explanation. Even if it was true, Anteros shouldn’t have done what he did. Although he’d helped Andy and his friends, forcing Andy on Zoey was not okay, and Andy wasn’t sure he could be trusted. Gee, thanks for clarifying. Means a lot, Andy thought sarcastically.

“Of course. Anyway, apologies for my long absence. I needed time to regenerate after performing that spell on Circe, and after chasing you through our mind. Which reminds me: why didn’t you stop and listen to me when I told you I was trying to help us? You’re making this far more difficult than it needs to be, boy.”

Wait, that was real? That wasn’t just a dream?

“Of course it was real,” Anteros snapped. “So next time listen to me, unless you intend to ruin our chances of completing the convergence.”

If Andy hadn’t trusted Anteros before, this short conversation made him trust the god even less. Asteria had said something about a convergence, about how Anteros and Calliope would “soon transform into their most powerful selves.” Not only that, but if the dream he’d had was real—if his loved ones lost had really been in his head, trying to contact him—that made Anteros even less reliable. Andy’s loved ones hadn’t seemed to want Anteros to catch him.

Asteria said she believed the voices in his dream had to have been nightmare gods, but Andy didn’t believe that for a second, either. The logic simply didn’t hold up; Zoey had proven that in her argument regarding the Fates’ spell over the group and their allies.

If the dream was real, Andy knew the voices had to have been his loved ones. Despite the fact that Asteria had rescued him and his friends from Circe’s island, he wasn’t sure yet whether she had his best interests at heart, but he knew his loved ones did. He knew he could trust them completely.

You’re trying to take over my body for good, Andy thought hard at Anteros, narrowing his eyes as if the god were standing before him now. Calliope’s trying to do the same to Zoey. That’s why she got so flustered when Asteria mentioned the convergence stuff.

We’re not you guys reincarnated at all, are we? You’re both just—trapped inside of us, somehow. And now you wanna use us for your own personal gain.

Anteros sighed. “That is not true in the slightest. The truth is that you and I are the same being, just as Zoey and Calliope are the same being. If you would like to believe we are only using you both, then go ahead. Just know it will not stop the convergence. Resistance will only prolong the inevitable, making this harder than it needs to be for all parties involved.”

Andy snorted, rolling his eyes. That’s exactly what he would say if he were a god trying to take over the mortal’s body he was trapped in.

Anteros said something else, but Andy tuned him out, focusing on Zoey’s hair once more. Now that they were on the mainland again, things felt as if they were unfolding faster than ever. This might be one of my last chances to apologize to Zoey before things spiral out of control again, he thought. Darko and Kali are asleep, so maybe if I’m quiet enough about it . . .

Andy took a deep breath, trying to calm his frantic heartbeat. This is it. It’s time to say sorry. For everything.

He pushed his blanket away, scooted over to Zoey, and tapped her on the shoulder. “Um, hey . . . you,” he whispered. “You still up?”

“Yeah,” she whispered back, an anxious quiver in her voice. She rolled over to look at him. “What’s up?”

“Can I talk to you about something?”

The way Andy was looking at Zoey, the way his wings curled in nervously on themselves, made her stomach do a flip. The last time he’d been acting like this and had asked to talk to her, he’d ended up confessing that he thought he was in love with her. What did he plan on telling her this time?

“Whatever it is, be kind to him,” Calliope hissed in her head. “Just because you don’t believe you have feelings for him does not mean that is the case. If you break his heart, you will regret it later. This I promise you.”

You’re right that if I hurt him, I’ll regret it, Zoey thought at the goddess. But not for the reasons you think. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Darko and Kali were still sleeping. Once she determined they were, she answered his question. “Yeah, sure. What is it?”

“It’s about yesterday,” he whispered. “When I kissed you— I’m so sorry. I promise, I wasn’t in control of that. Anteros took over my body and—”

“I know. Seriously. You don’t have to beat yourself up about it. I’ll admit, I was mad at you initially, but once I realized it was Anteros who did it, I understood. Calliope’s messing with me too, remember?”

Andy nibbled on his thumbnail. “Y-yeah. I do. But that’s—that’s not—”

“That’s not what?”

“That’s not everything.”

This was what Zoey had been afraid of. Her stomach twisted and turned. She sat up and looked away from him. Couldn’t bear to face him any longer. “What do you mean?” she asked, fiddling with a curl that framed her face.

He was quiet for a long time. It seemed he was just as afraid to utter these next words as she was afraid for him to. “The other day, when I told you I’m in love with you—”

“You don’t have to say sorry for that. It’s how you feel, and I’m glad you can be honest with me.”

“Sure, but I . . . I . . . Listen, Zoey. Lemme just spit it out. I don’t wanna say sorry for telling you how I feel.” She faced him again. They locked eyes. “I’m not sorry for loving you, and I never will be. What I am sorry for is how I treated you when you came clean to me about all the stuff people used to say about you at school, back in the Before Time.”

Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t believe they were discussing this right now. Couldn’t believe he was apologizing to her for how he’d acted before.

“It was seriously uncool,” he went on. “I was being an insensitive jerk. I don’t care about your past. What I care about is you, all of you. Even if I don’t understand some of the stuff you’ve done, just . . . No matter what, the past doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change how I feel about you. You’re perfect. Amazing. Kind, and strong, and . . .”

He trailed off, and she looked away again, tears welling in her eyes. If she faced him right now, she might burst into tears. “Okay,” she said.

“I don’t need an answer from you right away,” he added. “An answer about how you feel about me, I mean. I’m sure it seems like I’m trying to get one out of you by bringing this up again. You can just tell me whenever you figure it out or whenever you’re ready.”

She swallowed hard. “I—I really appreciate your apology. No matter what, we’re good. We’re friends. Everything’s okay.”

“Awesome,” he replied, and he sounded genuinely relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “I just . . . I had to make sure that you knew I knew I was being an ass before. Y’know?”

Despite the tears in her eyes, despite the fear she had of bursting into a fit of sobs if she let herself look at him, Zoey couldn’t help but do just that. And, when she did, her lips turned up in a small smile. “I do know. Thanks, Andy.”

He smiled back at her. The sight made her heart ache. I hope you’re right, Calliope, she thought at the goddess. I hope you’re right that I’m actually in love with him and haven’t realized it yet.

Because I don’t know how I’m ever going to tell him otherwise.

Karter hovered outside the main dining hall of Zeus’s palace on New Mount Olympus, swallowing hard as he watched the hundreds of smiling gods, demigods, and nymphs chatting within. Some sat at the rectangular food-and-drink-filled tables lining the golden tiled floors, while others stood by or leaned on the tall, vine-wrapped columns. Lanterns hung from the curved ceiling, bathing the chamber in soft, warm light.

He ran his hands through his hair and shifted uncomfortably on his feet. A day of training—of successfully conjuring and controlling a green lightning bolt, and consequently “killing” Heracles with it, and all by harnessing his emotions rather than burying them—had rendered him thoroughly exhausted and sore. More exhausted and sore than he’d ever been after a day of training.

Even still, Zeus insisted that after Karter’s “long and perilous” journey, and after all Karter “endured and accomplished” in such a short time, he should “have some fun” tonight. “You need to recharge,” his father had said. “Replenish yourself before Diana’s execution in a couple of days. That way, when the time comes, you’ll have no excuse to falter.”

And so Karter had gone to his bedchamber, stripped down, washed, put on a clean set of his finest robes, and mentally prepared himself for the party Zeus had planned this evening. Gatherings on Olympus were held often, and this one wasn’t for any special occasion, but Karter’s heart still skipped with anxiety at the prospect of attending. He usually loved parties like this because attending them meant carousing with Spencer and Syrena, but those two were gone. Not only that, but the last time he’d been present for a celebration was the most recent summer solstice party, and that was the night Syrena and Diana fled Olympus to betray the gods and revive Zoey and Andy.

Karter took a deep breath, trying his best to calm his nerves, and stepped toward the dining hall.

As he wandered inside, those around him went quiet. Many watched him with wide eyes. Some began whispering among their companions. Karter heard bits and pieces of a few of their conversations as he passed them.

“Think he’ll be able to execute the Daughter of Apollo next time?” a Dryad asked the minor gods around her.

“Of course,” they said, not quite in unison. “It’s his destiny.”

“Uck,” another nymph muttered. “Hopefully, immortality will fix that awful scar of his.”

The goddess beside her replied, “Agreed. It ruined his good looks.”

Stomach churning, Karter pushed his shaggy black hair over the right side of his face.

Finally, he spotted Violet and Iro. He hurried toward the young women, soon discovering they sat at a table with Layla, Xander, Corinna, and Liam. As always, Violet was a vision of beauty, her golden hair piled atop her head in an elegant updo. Layla, Iro, and Corinna looked great, too; all three wore their hair in a similar style to Violet’s.

With a pang of grief, Karter wondered whether the girls had coordinated their looks for the evening. Back when Karter, Spencer, and Syrena had still been a team, and when Diana, Layla, and Pearl had still been a team as well, Syrena used to invite the other three girls to her room before parties so they could do their hair and makeup together. They would usually attend gatherings on Olympus with matching or complementary styles—they’d even dab themselves with the same perfumes—all-smiles and giggle-y as they entered the main dining hall for the festivities.

When Violet spotted Karter, she patted the seat next to her. “You’re just in time.” She winked. “Come, sit by me.”

He made his way over to Violet and sat down at her side, she and Iro smiling at him as he did so. Xander glared daggers at him, while Corinna and Liam remained engrossed in their own conversation. Layla stared blankly off at nothing.

“My father has already spread word throughout the palace about how well your training went today,” Iro said. “I can’t believe you’re almost an immortal god.”

“Uhhh, neither can I,” he replied. “Today has been . . . surreal.”

Violet seized his hand and placed it on her thigh, then grabbed the unblemished side of his face and made him look at her. A sweet, fruity-floral scent wafted from her skin, tickling Karter’s nostrils. “Finally, after all these years, we can be open about our feelings for one another.”

Across the table, Xander snorted and mumbled something under his breath, though Karter couldn’t hear what. Karter shot the Son of Hermes a quick scowl and turned back to Violet. “Finally, indeed.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips.

Soon the Olympians who hadn’t gone on the mission to the Underworld strutted into the dining hall. They started toward the head table, which was located on the dais at the end of the room.

First came Hestia, who shared many of the same features as Hera, such as the Queen of the Gods’ long brown hair. Hestia wore a flaming dress—literally, crackling fire made up the fabric. Karter assumed it was a representation of Hestia’s Goddess of the Hearth status.

Next came Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty herself. She wore a grape-purple silk gown that almost touched the floor, and she was the spitting image of Violet—or, rather, Violet was the spitting image of her. Aside from their dramatic height difference, of course. Violet was the same height as Karter, while Aphrodite stood a few feet taller than them both.

Last came Zeus and Hera. Arm in arm the pair entered the chamber with as much grace and authority as one would expect from the King and Queen of the Gods. They’d donned matching blue outfits, and Hera wore peacock feathers for earrings. Gold circlets had been placed atop their heads, shimmering jewelry adorning their necks and wrists and fingers.

As the four immortals marched through the crowd, nymphs, demigods, and minor gods alike ooohhed and aaahhed at their beauty and attire.

“Where are the rest of the Olympians?” Liam whispered to Corinna. In appearance he mostly took after his godly father, Dionysus, with his red hair and green eyes. “Besides Apollo and Artemis, I mean.”

Corinna swiped a few stray coils from her dark cheeks. “Mother told me they had business to attend to in the cities.” Well, Corinna, Demeter lied to you, Karter thought, biting his tongue. They’re banishing Apollo to Tartarus as we speak.

“You don’t seriously believe that, do you?” Layla snapped at Corinna. “We’re days away from Diana’s execution, Prometheus is on the loose, the Chosen Two have yet to be captured—I could go on and on. The gods are up to something. I think they might be hiding information from us.”

“Why would they do that?” Iro piped up, resting her forearms on the table. “What would they gain from it? We’re their warriors.”

“Maybe it’s something . . . bad,” Layla replied. “Maybe they don’t want us to—to panic.” Karter tensed. He couldn’t believe how close to the truth Layla’s prediction was. How had she thought of it?

Not only that, but he’d never known Layla to question the gods. She’d always just followed orders. Even when her teammate Pearl had been killed and the gods refused to bring Pearl back to life, she hadn’t argued with the decision. Where was this coming from?

Violet waved a dismissive hand at Layla. “Oh, hush up. You’re never any fun, and it’s only gotten worse since we captured the Daughter of Apollo. Can’t you just enjoy the evening, or at least pretend to? I’m tired of your attitude.”

Layla narrowed her eyes at Violet, her brown skin and irises shifting into an angry red. Her gaze flickered over to Karter, then back to Violet. She parted her lips, surely intending to snap back, but before she could utter a word, Zeus’s voice boomed across the chamber.

At first, the King of the Gods said the same things he always did at these get-togethers—thank you for being here tonight, let’s have a grand old time, et cetera et cetera—but then he said something Karter never expected. “Now, before we feast, let us toast one of the most powerful demigods the world has ever seen, the one destined to end this war on the gods: my son Karter!”

Karter froze as almost everyone in the dining hall began to clap and cheer for him. After all his failures, and especially after that flop of an execution last night, he certainly had not anticipated for something like this to happen.

“Please stand, Karter,” Hera said. For once, the tone in her voice was warm. Compassionate, almost. He did as she asked and slowly turned toward the head table. Sure enough, she stared down at him from the dais with the most kindhearted expression he’d ever seen her wear. She raised her cup to him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done and will do for the gods. I wholeheartedly believe you will earn a place in the pantheon. Perhaps one day, you will even earn a place in my heart—as my son.”

The crowd aaawwed at Hera’s words, but Karter found he couldn’t muster the strength to even pretend to feel honored. Maybe if the Queen of the Gods had said such a thing years ago he could have, but not after Asteria forced him to recall every gory detail of his mother’s murder, and certainly not after his discussion with Heracles today. Just remember what Heracles told you, he thought. You can disagree with the gods’ choices and still join them. The world is not so black and white.

It took everything in Karter to offer Hera a curt nod, his jaw clenched, his fists balled at his sides.

Aphrodite spoke next. “Young man, you are truly the savior of us all.”

“The very definition of a hero,” Hestia added. “An example of what all Warriors of the Gods should strive to be.”

Zeus raised his chalice. “To my beloved son. A hero, savior, and soon-to-be god!” Everyone clapped and cheered and drank to that, but Karter found he felt no joy or appreciation for it. Instead, a cold emptiness spread through his chest. Since when had the Olympians considered him a savior or hero? Since when had Hera treated him with anything but disdain? Since when had Zeus referred to him as the god’s “beloved” son?

Before he could contemplate these things further, someone snatched him by the wrist and yanked him back into his seat. He looked over to find it was Violet. “They’re already worshipping you, love,” she said, a dazzling smile on her lips. She kissed him before turning to the others at the table.

Iro giggled girlishly, facing Corinna and Liam. “Can you imagine how everyone will treat us after tonight? After seeing us sitting with Karter, Son of Zeus himself?”

Layla rested her chin in her hands and stared off at nothing again. Xander muttered something else under his breath and poked at his meal. Violet, Iro, Corinna, and Liam chatted excitedly, then started in on their food and drinks.

For some reason, though, even after the day he’d had, Karter found he wasn’t hungry. Found he didn’t care to participate in the revelry tonight. He forced himself to eat, but even his favorite dishes were flavorless and hard to swallow.

After dinner, and after Violet made him dance with her some, Karter slipped out of the dining hall. He headed back to his bedchamber, where he could sleep and, hopefully, push away the intrusive thoughts that wouldn’t leave him be.