Page 29 of The Call of Monsters
“Maybe while I’m building my business up, I should get a job teaching about Greek history or write a book to set the record straight. I’m not all that bad, but I had my moments several centuries ago.”
Yeah, she did, and it was pretty fucking wrong.
Barbatos just stretched.
“Well, we need to take a vote if we’re going to take Hera’s help and form a plan. I vote yes. I’m totally against genocide, and Hera seems to know who we can trust here.”
Hera shot him this grateful smile. Tryphon’s tentacle sneaked across my waist to touch River. I would have to get used to those tentacles because he liked to touch her with them a lot.
“I didn’t think we’d have Hera’s help, but I’m on board with this,” he said.
“You aren’t as big of a bitch as I’ve heard,” Pavlina said.
Pavlina justhadto go there.
“Pavlina and Demos still get to kill Athena and Poseidon, right?” Demos asked.
What the fuck went on while I was in Olympus that Demos gave a shit if Pavlina got her revenge? I was going to have to find that out. Hera just crossed her arms and laughed.
“Oh, Poseidon and Athena have been plotting to steal the throne for ages. So has Ares, even if Zeus thinks he can trust him. Zeus brought Ares in on the whole knife thing because the poor man is as dumb as a rock, but Ares intends to betray him.”
“Mother, are you watching everyone in Olympus?”
How did she know all this?
“Hermes doesn’t know about your weapon, but he’s the one gathering intel. He knows Athena, Poseidon, and Ares all want the throne.”
“Do they know what happened to Demeter?” Kimon asked.
Good question. Who all knew Demeter was dead?
“Not many people knew she was in the Underworld. Artemis lent her soldiers to rescue Persephone, but Zeus swore them both to secrecy. We all felt it when she died, and everyone knows it was her because she’s been missing for so long, but Zeus has been telling everyone he’s investigating, even though he knows the truth.”
“What about this Artemis?” Solron asked. “Is she on our side? Her soldiers were pretty nasty.”
Everyone perked up, waiting for her to answer, but I already knew.
“ArtemisloathesZeus and Ares. She allowed her soldiers to go with Demeter because she thought Persephone was being mistreated. Artemis has a lot to say about the men here,” Hera said.
“I like her already, even if one of her people shot me over a cliff,” Pavlina said.
River grabbed her butt.
“I never want to see that again.”
“You are all so strange. Do you love my son?” Hera asked.
River reached behind her and clutched my hair.
“With all my heart.”
That hit me right in the gut. She loved me. She really did. Limp and all.
“Good. Rest now. I’ll figure out how to bring your allies to you tomorrow. It’s late, and it won’t do to sneak around here.”
Hera disappeared behind the door. I would have felt better if we had some semblance of a plan, but we had allies, and my little Hellspawn fucking loved me.
Chapter 16
