“Do you see something you like?”
“Perhaps,” I answered lightly, propping myself up on one elbow.
“I certainly hope so,” he said. “Because you’re stuck with me.”
“Ha,” I sniffed as I threw the covers off and got out of bed. “Don’t push me. I know how to suck your soul out.”
He laughed and threw a pillow at me, striking me squarely in the back. I whirled and pounced on him, pummeling him with the pillow that I had left behind. He finally threw his hands up.
“Truce! Truce!” he called. “I mean no harm. I come in peace!”
“Whatever,” I laughed. “Let’s try this again. I’m going to get ready for the day. I suggest you do the same. We’ve got a war to wage.”
I said it lightly, but we both knew there was truth to my words. There truly was a war to wage and I was certain that the others were already meeting to discuss it.
I hurriedly got dressed and washed up, then together with Brennan walked downstairs to the banquet hall. The magnificent tables were set for breakfast with food of every kind steaming from the tabletop.
“Are we late?” I asked as we stepped into the room. It seemed that everyone else was already here. My mother rose from her chair and crossed the room to kiss my cheek.
“No, sweet child,” she told me. “We’ve just begun discussions. You’re right on time.”
Everyone continued chattering while Brennan and I prepared our breakfast plates and found seats at the table.
“Well, the Olympians are down by three,” Hades announced. “Ares, Aphrodite and myself decrease their headcount.”
“That will be useful,” Ortrera reasoned. “And we’ve got my entire Amazon army, plus all of the beasts of the Underworld. I’m sure we could round up the heroes of the Isles, too, could we not?”
Hades nodded. “I’m sure we can. I’m certain that Hercules and Achilles will welcome the excitement.”
Their strategic planning droned on in the backdrop as Brennan and I ate our breakfast. Talk of war didn’t interest me at all. I had never been interested in military strategy. It was interesting, though, to watch some of our group talk about it. Ares, in particular, grew extremely animated during the discussions. I supposed that it had to do with him being the god of war. He thrived on it.
At one point, even though I wasn’t listened to their words, I caught Ares’ dark eye. He was studying me intently and I lowered my fork.
“What do you think about that, Empusa?” Ares asked. I was embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t heard the question. I could feel the heat in my cheeks as I asked them to repeat it.
“We’re certain that Zeus is still pondering the idea of a mortal apocalypse. None of us are sure how that would affect us, including Zeus himself. But we’re fairly certain of how it would affect you.”
Ares’ voice was strong and carried throughout the room easily. But it took a moment for his words to sink in.
“What do you mean… how it would affect me?” I asked uncertainly.
Ares looked at me curiously, and ignored my mother’s requests to stay silent. He glanced at her and continued speaking.
“We aren’t sure how a mortal apocalypse would affect you, moon princess. We’re fairly certain that if Zeus destroyed the moon and the sun in order to destroy the mortal world, it would mean a slow death for you and Brennan… but it would also certainly kill Apollo and it would affect many others, as well. We’re not certain if Zeus would do it, if he would risk it. He doesn’t know how the absence of the mortal world would affect us a whole. We have long since known that our emotions and actions affect the mortal world. How much does it truly affect us, though? No one knows.”
Ares’ words started running together as soon as he had made his point about Brennan and I. Why had I never considered that option? It was the most simple of plans… but Ares was still correct. No one knew how it would affect the Olympians and because of that, we might be safe.
“Without the sun or the moon, there would be no light,” I said haltingly, my heart beating a little faster now at the mere thought. “There would be utter darkness everywhere. Surely Zeus can think of a better way to wage war than that.”
“Oh, most likely,” Ares said, biting into a huge leg of turkey. “He will most likely not try it. There are a hundred other things he could do.” And Ares turned his attention back to the others, discussing these many ways that Zeus could try to kill us all. Ares was excited by the notion, I could tell.
I was not. I suddenly felt sick that Zeus could dim the light of the entire universe with a whim. No wonder Hades had been saying that his tyranny needed to end. I pushed away from the table.
“I need some air,” I told Brennan, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Do you want me to come?” Brennan asked in concern, starting to get up.
“No, I’m fine. Finish your breakfast. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded reluctantly, but let the matter drop. I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked out onto the terrace. I inhaled the fresh air deeply, enjoying the scents of the many different flowers. But none of the delectable scents or the beauty surrounding me could take my mind off of what I had just learned.
Brennan and I could quite literally be obliterated at Zeus’ mere whim. He had never needed us to kill each other at all… he simply thought that would be more entertaining. He could wipe us out so very easily. It was sickening and disheartening.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
Hades stepped onto the terrace, a glass of nectar in his slender fingers.
“You wouldn’t want my thoughts,” I told him. “They aren’t pretty or entertaining.”
“I can imagine,” he told me sympathetically. “It will be alright, Empusa. Together, we will stand against him and finally, we will prevail.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked him doubtfully.
He looked at me thoughtfully as he crossed the terrace. “Have you ever heard of the Fountain of Truth?” he asked.