Goddess Undone Read online

  I rolled my eyes. “What kind of question is that?” I asked. “You don’t take me seriously? You think I don’t really want it?”

  “On the contrary,” he said. “I know you do. I’m trying to gauge how much you want it.”

  I shook my head before realizing he was watching me. “Why do you care?” I asked. I wasn’t trying to avoid the question, nor was I trying to give him attitude. I was genuinely curious. He didn’t know me, and I doubted he wanted to get to know me better.

  “I don’t,” he said. “But I know people, women, who want to be a Watcher so bad they would let anything happen to them. Especially with Cronus as a trainer. And I was just curious if you…” He let his voice trail off. “You know what? It’s none of my business. You do what you have to do.”

  Without warning, he released his hold on me and stepped back in the middle of the dance floor. He bumped into a woman behind him who shot him a look. Apollo didn’t seem to care, however. He didn’t even notice her.

  “I’m not -” I started to say, then stopped. I shouldn't care what he thought of me. It shouldn’t matter. But I felt compelled to tell him anyway. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  He gave me a long look. Then, “You’d be surprised what you would do if you really wanted something.”

  Chapter Six

  I didn’t like the feeling Apollo left me with. It was like looking into muddy waters. What should have been clear was terribly distorted. These feelings I thought I knew about were rippling with doubt. Plus, his touch lingered way more than I cared to admit.

  I blew out a breath and immediately made my way to the buffet again, since I hadn’t had a chance to eat my first plate and the waitstaff must have cleared it while I was on the balcony. As a Watcher in training, I needed to focus on foods that would nourish my body, that wouldn’t slow me down. As it was, I decided to put that aside for the moment and indulge in some pasta. Maybe it wasn’t the healthiest thing, but it would give me energy, and after everything that just happened, I needed that.

  It wasn’t long before my plate was filled to the brim with cheesy pasta, crisp thin bread, salad, fruit, and mashed potatoes with extra gravy. Anything I could get my hands on, I added to my plate. I didn’t even care if people judged me for it.

  “Really, Dora?” My mother stood across the buffet table, grabbing a few grapes. She arched a brow at my plate before lifting her chin in order to look at me. “Don’t you think that’s a lot?”

  “I don’t know, Mother,” I said, shifting my weight. I held the plate in one hand and gestured with the other. “Don’t you think this is too much?”

  My mother blanched at my attitude and it wasn’t long before her eyes narrowed and her cheeks turned red. If I didn’t do something, she’d start to sputter and then I would probably be punished with menial chores for the rest of the month. I couldn’t keep watering her plants. I was terrible at it and they were only going to keep dying.

  “Demeter, baby, why the red face? Dionysus spike the grape juice you feeding to the kiddies around here?”

  “Hades.” If a voice could slap someone or narrow their eyes, this would be my mother’s voice. She didn’t even use this tone on me, which meant it was bad. “I’m surprised you showed up. You know, I only invited you because you’re Zeus’s older brother and I didn’t want to be rude.”

  “Yeah, you. Rude. Who could imagine.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep myself from even smiling. I didn’t need her to turn her wrath on me when it was placed on someone else. However, even I couldn’t help but be amused by the fact that Hades would talk to her like this, and that she talked to him the way she did in return. Apparently, the awe and the obsession she had with Zeus didn’t seem to extend to Hades. I wondered how it would fare with Poseidon, the middle brother.

  “You know, I keep popping up to these things for the food.”

  I angled my body towards Hades just so I could get a good look at him. I had heard so many things about him, most of them not great, some even intimidating, but I had never actually met him in person.

  The oldest Divine known to Olympus and its subsequent realms was tall and broad. He had crisp blue eyes and black hair slicked back from his angled face. His broad shoulders were careless, but he still held himself like he believed he was the most important person here, despite the fact that this party was for Zeus and Seph. Not that he went out of his way to claim attention he demanded as his; rather, he would rather not be here and made no qualms about sharing his feelings even if they were politically correct.

  For one thing, it was evident that Hades resented his youngest brother and believed he was cheated out of ruling over the sky. Instead, Hades was forced to rule the Underworld, a thankless job that villainized him, whether he deserved it or not. He had been there for so long, isolated and bitter, that he had turned into one himself. Now, the only time he left his realm was because he was compelled to, because etiquette demanded his presence, regardless of his strong desire to tell everyone to fuck off.

  He was attractive in a brooding, mysterious sort of way, kind of like Cronus but not as...unnerving. Cronus was nothing compared to the power of Hades, and the fact that my mother openly defied him just revealed how little others thought of him. It was as though the Divine forgot he was just as powerful, if not more powerful, than Zeus himself.

  “You come to these things because it’s the right thing to do,” my mother said, wagging her finger at him.

  It awed me she would act so...matenal to a Divine who was centuries and centuries older than she was.

  Hades scoffed. “Oh, really?” he said. “And who decides that, hmm? Who decides what’s right and wrong? Tell me, is it my ickle brother? He thinks he runs the place -”

  “He does run the place, or have you forgotten?” my mother asked, interrupting him. “He’s the one who put all those Titans in the Box. Not you. Not anyone else. Zeus.”

  I began to bunch some pasta on my plastic spork, raising my eyebrows in shock at the audacity of my mother. Zeus’s greatest triumph was The Box. As Watchers, our duty was to prevent anyone from getting close to the Box. The problem was, Zeus wanted to keep the Box for himself somewhere in his manor. I had never seen it in person, but I heard he kept it on the mantle over his fireplace in his bedroom to impress the women he took there. Even thinking about the arrogance made my stomach roll.

  “Oh, he did that all by himself? That’s cute, Meter, even for you.” Hades chuckled but it wasn’t the sound that one would associate with laughter. It was dark and chilling. “You really think that?”

  “I know it,” my mother snapped. She clearly didn’t detect the darkness in Hades’ voice, the low warning he seemed to be trying to give out. Except, my mother was too wrapped up in her own bullshit to recognize what it was.

  I edged closer to them, just in case.

  I didn’t think Hades was stupid enough to try something here, of all places, but I never knew with him. It was difficult to tell. His temper was volatile, unpredictable. He might have been Divine, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. If anything, he reminded me of Ares, but at least I understood Ares. Ares fought because he believed in what he fought for. I wasn’t sure if Hades was the same way only because I didn’t know anything about Hades, only that no one actually liked him. Now that I saw him, though, I could see he wasn’t likable. Charming, but angry. Brimming with...brutality underneath an aesthetically pleasing demeanor that wasn’t exactly typical, like Adonis or Zeus or even Poseidon. It was more...rugged. Which wasn’t a bad thing.

  If anything, he reminded me of Apollo. Brooding. Angry about something. Some guy with a secret.

  Definitely not my type.

  “Do you?” Hades asked passively. He lifted his glass and inspected the green olives in what I assumed was some sort of martini. “Remind me, Meter, were you there? Did you see what happened?”

  “Well, no, but -”

  He held up his hand. “Then save it, would ya?” he asked. “If you can’t even be bothered to check the facts, what good are you to me, hmm? What good are you to anyone?” He threw his free arm out, gesturing at the room. “Do you really think we can’t see through your bullshit? Do you? You’re marrying off your daughter to the Olympian bachelor, not even knowing what kind of guy he is. It’s all a game to you, isn’t it? You want that status, to belong to a sect of Divine you could only dream of getting into but can’t. You can’t, can you, because your eldest fucked that all up when she decided she was going to be a Watcher, huh?”

  I froze. I wished there was some sort of pillar I could hide behind because, so far, he hadn’t seen me, and after that, I definitely didn’t want to be the focal point of his blunt attention.

  “My daughter made her choice,” my mother said. “I couldn’t stop her even if I wanted to. And while she chose to do something I don’t agree with, she’s not wallowing in a kingdom designated to her specific talents like a spoiled child.”

  “Where is your younger daughter?” Hades asked, ignoring the barb. “Tie her up with some of that ivy, huh, Meter? I don’t think I’ve met her. You keep her on a tight leash.”

  “Specifically so she doesn’t have to deal with scoundrels like you,” my mother snapped. Her face was redder than one of her tomatoes. “She deserves better than the likes of you. In fact, she has someone. Zeus. Your brother. He is a gentleman. He is worthy, a warrior with a true heart.”

  Hades took a step back from my mother and glanced around, almost as though he was looking around for a witness. “Are you shitting me, Meter?” he asked. “You honestly think my ickes baby brother is true? Let me make one thing clear, Flower Power, but Zeus is not who you think he is. He’s an obnoxious, spoiled snot who thinks he gets whatever he wants because he saved me and
my brother from the stomach of our psychopath father who was afraid his own power would be challenged, okay? He’s not. He wants his own power, and for whatever reason, he’s marrying your little baby girl. Don’t you think that’s strange? Someone who has a reputation worse than an alley cat wants to settle down with your virginal daughter?”

  “He sees her as worthy -“

  “Fuck worthy,” Hades said. “Let me tell you this much, if she were my daughter, I’d grab your precious kid and run the hell away. You think he’s going to change his ways just because he has a stupid band on his finger? Surely you’re smarter than that. I mean, I know the country isn’t the most educated but you know him, Meter. You do. And yet, you’re still marrying your kid off to him without even asking why. What, he put a bunch of Titans in a Box and that’s enough to sell your kid to him for? Or is this about you and your status?”

  I heard the slap coming before my mother’s hand connected to his face. Even I winced at it.

  Slowly, I picked up my fork and took another bite of my macaroni and cheese, trying not to draw attention to myself.

  “I think you forget yourself, Goddess of the Harvest,” Hades said slowly.

  I shoved a bite of sourdough roll in my mouth, breathing through my mouth like an asshole so I wouldn’t be gasping like I ran five miles in a half hour or whatever was appropriate. I didn’t know shit about running.

  “You strike a Divine? You dare strike the God of Death?”

  My mother had no response to that. I couldn’t blame her. What could she say?

  “Mark me, Meter. This whole shindig is nothing. These pretentious assholes will forget all about you and this party. Your daughter will have the distinction of being Zeus’s wife, which I guess is more than Hera can say even though they’ve been on and off for the past three centuries. Even so, nothing will change. Not for you. Not for your family. You’ll still be pitiful, pathetic people and you’ll never have what you truly want because you don’t know what that is. So, spare me. My brother can choke on a chicken bone for all I care. Like I said. I’m only here for the food.”

  With that, he sauntered away, as though he hadn’t been awful to my mother.

  I looked over at my mother, and for a moment, she looked more shaken than I had ever seen her. When she caught my eye, however; the emotion instantly vanished and she was Demeter once more. She opened her mouth, probably prepared to explain what had just happened, when a lady in waiting rushed to her. The flower petals knotted in her hair trailed after her like tears.

  “My Goddess,” she said, clutching Demeter tightly. “Seph.”

  “What about Seph?” my mother asked. I was completely forgotten. Again.

  “She’s gone, Goddess. And so is the Box.”

  Chapter Seven

  I immediately sprung into action. I shoved one more bite of macaroni in my face before I stepped forward. I couldn’t speak - and judging from the way my mother’s temple was pulsating right now, I didn’t think it was necessary or desired of me to speak. Regardless, I wasn’t just going to sit idly by and do nothing.

  This was Seph. My sister.

  And whoever stole the Box also stole her.

  My heart raced but I tried to keep my concern masked under determined resolve.

  Once I swallowed the large bite of food, I stepped closer to my mother and her servant. They were already whispering quietly, and I tilted my head to the side so I could hear them better.

  “...he must not be informed lest he assume she stole the Box,” my mother said under her breath.

  My eyebrows shot straight up my forehead. Seph stole the Box? There was no way. Why would anyone even think that? Did they not know who Seph was? How delicate? How kind? How naive?

  I wasn’t trying to be mean, but Seph didn’t know the world. Not like I did. I wasn’t as crazy as my mom, but I wanted to protect her from the harsh realities as well. And it wasn’t fair to assume the worst of her, especially since there was no evidence.

  “She was the last one seen with the Box when he showed it to us earlier and left it on the mantle over the fireplace,” my mother continued, talking more to herself than the servant. It was like she was trying to work things out for herself but the only person she had was the servant. I almost scowled at that, considering I was standing right in front of them. “Though he wouldn’t jump to that conclusion, would he?” She looked up, expecting an answer.

  The servant started sputtering. “Of course he wouldn’t,” I said in a low voice, stepping in front of the servant. She took this as some sort of dismissal and dashed off, not bothering to hide the relief on her face. “You know Seph is no thief.”

  Mother scowled at me. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion, dearest,” she said, fiddling with her bracelets on her wrists. These ones resembled ivy.

  “Don’t worry, you don’t need to,” I said, forcing a smile. “This is Seph we’re talking about, which means we need to figure out what happened to her. I’ll talk to Zeus -“

  “No.” My mother’s eyes widened like I just told her I was going to have sex with Hades himself. “No, you are not going anywhere near Zeus. The last thing we need is for him to break the betrothal -“

  “That’s what you care about?” I asked.

  It was only when my mother raised her eyebrows did I realize I had raised my voice. I glanced around. No one seemed to hear me, but just because I couldn’t see anyone didn’t mean there weren’t people listening in. The servants were notorious for blending in and picking up information that was confidential. Lesser Divine always looked for ways to raise their status and, unfortunately, gossip was one of the keys to do just that.

  My mother was well aware of this too. She grabbed my arm and all but dragged me back out to the balcony I had first encountered Apollo on. I tried to ignore the way my eyes searched for him, the way hope fluttered through my body like a baby bird, trying to catch flight. Now was not the time to think about Apollo or hope or feelings. I needed to figure out what was going on with Seph.

  “I care about Seph,” she said through clenched teeth. It was like she was trying to whisper and yell at me at the same time and she was unsure how to complete both goals simultaneously. “Whether you want to admit it or not, I care about you too, Pandora. You might not be my favorite daughter but you’re still my daughter.”

  I shot my mother a forced smile. “Gee, thanks,” I said.

  “I’m only thinking about your futures,” she continued, thrusting her arms behind her back and pacing. “Yes, as in yours too. If Seph's future is compromised, yours is as well. Do you think they will let you be a Watcher if your sister is rejected by Zeus himself?”

  “What does my sister have anything to do with my status as a Watcher?” I asked. The chill outside suddenly gripped me, and I wrapped my arms around my middle, hoping to secure some warmth for myself.

  “You foolish girl,” my mother snapped. “And everyone thinks Seph is the naive one? Why do you think I’ve been working so hard to ensure Seph’s purity, hiding her away from the world? Even you can admit that she is the most beautiful of you two, and if she secures a husband, our futures will be set. No one will question your status as a Watcher, not with the influence of Zeus.”

  “Mother, I don’t want Zeus to inform the Council’s decision of whether or not I can be a Watcher,” I said, shifting my weight. “I want to earn that right on my own.”

  My mother did something completely unexpected: she laughed. She keeled over, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “You think you earn being a Watcher as a woman?” she managed to get out.

  Her words were like thorns from her precious roses scraping my skin, digging in until I bled.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked in a low voice. I didn’t want to even ask the question but I knew I had to. I needed to understand what she was referring to, why she was so damn amused by all of this.

  “Oh, please,” she said, waving her hand away. Her words were sandwiched between bubbles of laughter, still unable to fully control herself. I didn’t think I had ever heard her laugh this much before. “Like you don’t know.”

  “Know what?” I asked. The chill from outside was trying to weave its way around me, but I was so focused on the shadows caressing my mother’s face, the way the moon cast an ominous glow around her features, that I barely noticed.