“So how are you, Cole?” Zeus asked in English, breaking our state of awkward silence. I thought that he sounded a little too optimistic given our circumstances, but he was probably just trying to make Cole feel better.
“Okay,” Cole replied vaguely. He avoided eye contact, looking down at his shoes and picking at the lush grass instead. Ever since we had passed through the section of the forest with Medusa’s kills, Cole had been on edge, like he hadn’t expected any of this. I had tried to warn him, but maybe he hadn’t taken me seriously until then.
“My parents are probably worried sick about me,” Cole added a moment later, hinting at the fact that he wanted to go home.
Zeus sighed and replied quietly, “Sorry, man, but it’s not safe for you to go back into town without protection. You’re a target for monsters now, just like the rest of us. But don’t worry, I’ll tell someone to make up a cover story for you.” Then he muttered some orders into his walkie-talkie and a minute later, Hermes agreed to talk to Cole’s parents.
“When will I be able to go home?” Cole asked, hugging his knees. He sounded a lot like a lost child and, in a way, he really was.
Zeus looked over to me, figuring that my guess would be better than his, and I thought silently to myself for a moment. “Probably tomorrow, later in the day,” I told Cole with a shrug. “With any luck, the war will have ended by then.”
“You really think so?” Zeus looked at me, mild surprise in his blue eyes, and I nodded. I knew that most of the Knowing had expected the war to run on for at least two more weeks, if not months, though I’m not sure how well they thought it would continue once the gods started school again. If it did, we would be forced to abandon our regular human lifestyles completely, which was never part of the gods’ plan.
Scratching my head, I pondered aloud, “Do you think it’s wrong that we haven’t told the Knowing everything about the war? Why they’re fighting, how this whole thing really started and all that.”
Again, Zeus raised one eyebrow at me, probably wondering why I would ask such an indicative question, the answer to which had the potential to make us gods look too secretive and untrustworthy or possibly even unfit to rule. His expression was deadly serious, however, as he answered me without the slightest indication of hesitancy, “No, they know enough.”
Frowning, he clenched his fists in his lap and glared at them. I wanted to ask, Do you think they would actually fight for us if they knew the whole truth? But I knew another provocative question would only upset the king of the gods, who was already on edge, so I kept the thought to myself.
Uncomfortably, the three of us plunged into another silence, listening to the rushing river, the wind rustling through the tree branches, and the murmurs coming from the camp. Silver dapples of reflected moonlight seeping through the thick tree cover danced across the strong currents of dark waters in front of us, and the only other light emanated dully from the flickering orange campfire behind us. But then I heard a more noticeable sound that didn’t quite belong with the rest—the low rustling of a bush nearby—and I rolled my eyes immediately.
“Stop spying and get over here, Alec,” I called over my shoulder and heard the rebellious hero sigh for dramatic effect as he emerged from the thick foliage. When Alec pointedly took a seat a few inches closer to me than Cole had, Cole narrowed his eyes at him. Alec didn’t seem to notice, but he still sat stiff and rigid, his fists clenched, his muscles taut. I, meanwhile, exchanged amused glances with Zeus, who just grinned at me teasingly and rolled his eyes as well. Boys will be boys, I supposed.
“So what are you guys talking about?” Alec asked me in Greek, as if he didn’t know already, though he was probably just trying to make Cole jealous. And judging by Cole’s sudden restlessness, the plan was working. Plus, Alec was shirtless, showing off his well-defined abs and bandaged back, so he probably looked pretty intimidating. Having Zeus, who was even better looking and more intimidating than Alec, splayed out in the grass probably didn’t help much either.
“Tomorrow,” I answered Alec, also in Greek. “Do you want to come with Zeus and me to meet with Hades? I think it would be beneficial.” He just nodded eagerly.
“He speaks English, right?” Cole suddenly interrupted.
“Yes, you idiot,” Alec rudely snarled back in English, and I shot him a warning glare. I also heard a snicker come from the other side of Cole where Zeus was sitting, but then Alec changed the subject, still speaking English. “Anyway, I thought you might want to know that Pan just updated the map. A scout spotted a huge troop of undead warriors camped out on the east edge of the forest, close to town. It sure seems like Hades isn’t slowing his additions to his army.”
Zeus let out a stressed sigh, running his fingers through his dark blond hair. “As long as they don’t make a move tonight, everyone should be fine. I’ll just send Ares, Apollo, and a bunch of sword fighters in that direction tomorrow.”
“How can you guys deal with this life? You could die any day, but you keep coming into the woods, and now you’ve gotten yourselves caught up in a war,” Cole butted in as he shook his head in disbelief. “You’re only fifteen years old, for crying out loud! Why are you doing this? How could you let this happen? I thought you all were smart.”
Again, Zeus looked to me to give the moral support. (Why was that not surprising?) In the meantime, Alec was staring blankly off into the trees on my other side, doing his best to completely ignore Cole as I explained, “Well, we—and that includes Hades—probably did rush into war too quickly. Now we just have to finish it, rather than let it drag on forever. Adding more and more soldiers isn’t the best way to do that, but Hades is forcing our hand, which is partly why we’re meeting with him tomorrow. I want to get rid of as much extraneous damage as possible. So I’ll tell you the same thing I told Alec when I was training him: it’s better to die a hero than a monster. I’d rather not leave any more trouble behind than I already have. And on a shallower note, being a hero is a hell of a lot more fun than being a lonely villain.”
Zeus and Alec chuckled in agreement, exchanging a fist bump, but Cole only mumbled glumly, “You must be crazy.”
“Well, I like crazy. Crazy can be good sometimes,” Alec spoke up, playfully nudging me in the side with his elbow, and I winced as he accidentally hit a bruise. It occurred to me that I might have cracked a rib or two during my tumble down the steps to the Underworld. When Alec raised one eyebrow at me out of concern, I waved him off, knowing I would heal soon enough. He continued brightly, “After all, you can’t have a philosophical party without a little insanity. Everyone knows the truth is just as insane as the lie.” Both Zeus and I snorted at his bumptious tone, but he was still right.
“A philosophical party, huh? Well, I guess this is a good time to vent about how much my life sucks,” Cole mused halfheartedly, more to himself than anyone else, but it was enough to set Alec off on a rant, to switch his mood in the blink of an eye.
“You think you have it bad?” Alec stood up abruptly and gave a short, hollow laugh. “Really? You haven’t even done anything yet! Try being persecuted for your beliefs, beaten by your own family, and tortured by Hades!” By the time Alec had stopped shouting, his blue eyes were angry and cold.
“Well, sorry—” Cole started, not sounding very sorry at all as he lazily picked at a clump of dirt stuck to his old, white T-shirt. I wished he would’ve been a little more sympathetic, even though he had been unconscious for the most terrorizing part of our visit to the Underworld and being kidnapped was definitely stressful too.
Fuming, Alec interrupted, “You’re just ignorant and innocent, and you know absolutely nothing about suffering! Forget this. I’m done.”
Without another word, he turned on his heel and stalked off toward our tent, the crowds parting for him like the sea. I couldn’t help but think that I was finally catching a glimpse of what Alec was like before he met the gods. Or maybe he had just been spending too much time around Hera; it seemed her jealou
s nature was rubbing off on him. Actually, with a temper like Poseidon’s, bloodlust like Ares’s, leadership like Zeus’s, love like Aphrodite’s, optimism like Apollo’s, strategies like mine, and more, it seemed Alec really did have a little bit of each god inside of him. I also knew that in the long run these attributes would unfortunately cause both physical and mental problems for us, the gods, and most importantly, for the hero himself.
As I watched the disgruntled hero disappear into the crowded circle of tents, I suggested quietly, “Maybe we should all just go to bed now. It’s getting late.”
Zeus nodded in agreement, stood up, and then followed Alec’s path to the tent, making sure to stop and wink flirtatiously at each of the most beautiful nymphs and Knowing members. I got up next and Cole followed suit, but he grabbed my arm and whispered suggestively, “Maybe you and I could stay out here a little longer? You know, alone”
“Oh.” My mouth went dry, not sure how to let him down without sounding like a jerk. “Sorry, Cole, but I shouldn’t. Athena can’t date. She’s supposed to be a virgin and never marry and all that, so . . .” I let my voice trail off, but when I saw Cole narrow his eyes dubiously, I added curtly, “That means I can’t date Alec either, you know. I was never cheating on you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Obviously, I didn’t mention the kiss I had shared with Alec just an hour earlier.
Cole brightened up again, but only slightly. We then returned to camp, and I felt the eyes of the many different soldiers boring into the backs of our necks as I led him into the large tent to sleep with the rest of the gods. I simply exchanged nods with Pan, Persephone, Poseidon, and Apollo on the other side of the tent, bidding them goodnight before I settled down on my own little cot while Cole took his place on the other side of Zeus. Alec didn’t say anything, but he caught my hand and kissed it lightly before hastily rolling over on his side, and I heard Cole mutter some profanities under his breath in annoyance.
Next, I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that sleep would come easily to me, but of course, it did not. My mind was too alert and busy thinking over the terrible prophecy to allow me to rest so, instead, I fretfully tossed and turned on my cot all night long. Nevertheless, morning came much, much too soon.
The soldiers and all of the other gods had a light breakfast of nuts and berries, but I ate nothing. If I had, I was certain I would have just vomited so I only watched as the troops split up around eight, each heading toward a different part of the forest, each led by a different god. After thirty minutes, Zeus, Alec, and I were the only gods left in camp (besides Hestia and the injured Hephaestus, who were helping out in the infirmary with Cole), busy coming up with a battle strategy for the day and waiting for the time when we would meet Hades. Together we monitored the chatter on the walkie-talkies, changed the map and its figures accordingly, then ordered the troops’ movements based on those changes—a true exercise of strategy, a chess match with real-life consequences.
“Alec, how long has it been since you’ve heard from Jason back in Kentucky?” I asked when there was a pause in radio communications.
He furrowed his brow. “A couple of days, maybe? Base camp was under siege at the time.”
Zeus inhaled sharply and held my gaze. Although his expression was stoic, his silence told me his aggravation was mounting. When he finally exhaled, temporarily letting go of his anger in favor of maintaining self-control in front of two friends, he looked back to Alec.
“Well, you’d better call him now. I don’t know what you’re waiting for,” Zeus ordered, his voice tight. “Hopefully the Knowing haven’t been starved to insuperable weakness already.”
The king turned swiftly on his heel and headed toward the infirmary, his stress level obviously increasing by the minute. He was no doubt going to tell Hephaestus and Hestia it was time for us to leave and meet Hades, so Alec and I quickly suited up in our armor.
“Make sure you ask about the other Knowing camps as well,” I added to Alec as he stepped away to call Jason. “Don’t let up about New York.”
The hero just nodded, and a few minutes later both he and Zeus returned to my side. The news wasn’t good; the Knowing base camp had lost a lot of men, and Jason had lost contact with two of the other, smaller camps around the world, presumably due to destruction by monsters. Evidently, we were losing the war on more than one front.
There wasn’t a moment to lose. We walked at a faster pace than the day before since most of the wounds Zeus and I had received had healed overnight and Alec didn’t have any injuries except the ugly gashes on his back. We ran into a couple of undead warriors, but Zeus electrocuted them all with a single bolt of lightning, and they crumbled to dust before Alec and I could do anything to help out. About half an hour later, we descended a small hill and found ourselves next to the entrance to the Underworld I had used the night before, the place we had first met Hades.
While we waited for the lord of the dead to show up, Zeus, Alec, and I stood as silent and still as the gray boulder in front of us, keeping a close ear out for anyone or anything coming our way. I was sure that I heard the loud crack of a tree branch behind me, and I was just about to turn around when the buff Minotaur and golden Nemean Lion walked out in front of the boulder together, keeping just enough distance between them to fit one person: the invisible Hades.
Zeus glanced over at me quizzically, and I just nodded at him, as if to answer his unspoken question. Two guards—Hades had held up his end of the bargain so far, which was a very good sign. I was almost certain that he would agree to my terms of continuing the war only among the gods.
The lion and Minotaur stopped a few feet in front of us, staring hungrily with their yellow and red eyes until Hades gave a commanding cough. Immediately, the lion sat down on his haunches and, out of respect, bowed his head in unison with the Minotaur. Hades chose that moment to nonchalantly slip off his helm of invisibility, revealing his pearl-white body and messy hair that was as black as night—features with which I’d recently become all too familiar. I gulped.
“Nice to see you again,” Hades began coldly, gripping the bronze helmet under his arm very tightly and nodding in turn to each of us. “Let’s get right down to business. I’ve thought a lot about your proposition, Lady Athena, and I’m going to—”
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself. Sometimes I hate being right all the time.
An arrow pierced Hades’s vulnerable forehead before he even got the chance to finish his sentence. Suddenly out of breath, both Zeus and I fell to our knees and watched Hades helplessly crumble to dust in front of us. Just like a monster, I thought bitterly. The only difference was that if you looked closely, you could see his almost transparent soul rise out of the gray ashes and disappear into the treetops, on its way to inhabit the body of the next generation Hades. What a way to die.
“NO!” Alec screamed, reaching out for me. Neither Zeus nor I had the strength to move toward him.
I only panicked more when out of the corner of my eye I saw Hades’s shimmering spirit suddenly dive back down through the forest canopy as if pulled by some powerful outside force toward Alec, into Alec. And the spirit didn’t come back out. I automatically glanced at Zeus, but he didn’t appear to have seen what I had. For Alec’s sake, I hoped that I really was crazy, that I really hadn’t seen what I thought I did.
Simultaneously, the Nemean lion let out a great roar and leaped over Zeus and me, landing heavily on the grass behind us. Without hesitation, the lion lunged for the throat of the clueless archer, who had stepped out from behind a pine tree in order to take the deadly shot. I could only let out a shaky sigh when I recognized him as the man Cole had been talking to in the infirmary. Then the body collapsed and dark red beads of blood sprayed everywhere when the lion latched onto the Knowing Warrior’s neck with its powerful jaws and shook its head vigorously.
With blurry vision, I saw the Warrior’s severed head roll away from the lion, which then started to devour the rest of the man’s muscular body, cla
wing off his armor in the process. Blood pooled, turning the man’s blond hair red. A swollen tongue stuck out of the head’s open mouth, and its lifeless brown eyes were ripped out of their sockets, hanging only by thin, pink strands of soft tissue. I noticed that his mouth was still open and his facial muscles were still taut in an expression of horror at what he had done, but at least he didn’t have to live on with the guilt of knowing he had killed the gods. The lion was angry, so angry, yet so merciful. I wished I had been merciful to Alec.
As I was lifted up from the damp forest floor, I could only feel relief that the disturbing sights of the dead man and the lion’s furry face speckled with blood were not the last things I would see.
Meanwhile, the Minotaur bounded off in the opposite direction, presumably to spread word that the gods were dying, that the war was over. The monsters had no true purpose for fighting anymore, except to fill their insatiable hunger.
I gasped for air, feeling as if something had just died inside of me, and clung desperately to Alec as he just barely managed to throw me over one shoulder and Zeus over the other. With a sudden burst of superhuman strength, Alec ran through the forest as fast as he could while carrying Zeus and me, repeating over and over under his breath, “No, no, no.”
“You’ll be okay, Alec,” I whispered to him shakily, trying not to cry. “You’ll be okay.”
Alec did not say anything more as we crashed noisily through bushes and ferns, but I felt his body quivering slightly so I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, although I knew very well that it wouldn’t be enough to comfort him. Nothing would ever be enough for him after the deaths of the gods. My heart had this irrational hope that Alec would recover emotionally, at least somewhat, but my brain—my better half—knew he would ultimately choose to live a lonely life filled with sadness, punishing himself for not stopping our deaths even though the prophecy had always been out of his control.
I glanced over at Zeus, who looked like his troubled breathing equaled mine, and he gave me a weak smile before mouthing sadly, I love you. Our matching stormy gray eyes swelled up with tears as we silently relived our past together, but somehow we managed to keep from breaking down completely. We couldn’t let our worshippers see us bawling our eyes out.
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