Goddess Unraveled, page 1
Goddess Unraveled
Academy of the Divine, Book 6
Isadora Brown
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Newsletter Information
Did You Like Goddess Unraveled?
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
“How could you possibly know that?” Zeus asked, staring at his former betrothed from across the table in Hades’s library.
“I don’t know anything,” she said. “That’s just what I would guess.” She locked eyes with him. “As someone who gets underestimated a lot, I’m not particularly noticed, especially by the other Divine. I know what people say about me because they don’t realize they speak in front of me. I know people don’t take what I have to say seriously either simply because they look at me like I’m an innocent. But I also hear other things that are said. And you should know that not many are happy with you.”
“I beg your pardon?” Zeus asked, splaying his fingers across his chest.
“I don’t mean to offend,” Seph continued, shifting in her seat. “But the truth is, your arrogance is unbecoming. Your infidelity just adds to your ego. And you think you’re above criticism. You take no responsibility for yourself, and your leadership skills are lacking unless you’re about to run off into battle, but even then, Ares could probably do a better job than you.”
I expected some kind of reaction from Apollo upon hearing Ares’s name, but he said nothing.
“If someone were to release the Titans again and show just how incompetent you were, they could easily swoop in and take over as someone in charge of Olympus,” she finished.
“Impossible,” Zeus said. “That would never happen.”
“She’s not wrong,” Apollo said, leaning forward. “You’ve been here, in the Underworld. Not in Olympus, fighting off the Titans themselves. The people of Olympus, even the other Divine, they have no idea what you’re doing. They wouldn’t be surprised if you were passed out in some brothel, a drink in your hand and a tit in your mouth. If we can figure out who would want to usurp you, we might be able to get control of the Box.”
“We have the Box, you drunken buffoon,” Zeus pointed out. “How do you think we’ve Boxed up the two we already have?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Apollo said through gritted teeth. “You kill the one in charge of the Box, you take over the Box. It’s not like a lamp with a jinn in it. You should know that.”
“Do the Titans obey the master of the Box?” I asked. It was probably a stupid question, but one I felt needed to be answered.
“Always,” Zeus said without looking at me. “If we find a way to get control of the Box, we control the Titans.”
“And what are we doing in the meantime, huh?” Hades asked, steepling his long fingers as he glanced at Apollo. “They’re trying to get in my realm, and we have no idea why that is.”
“Well, maybe if we find out what they want, it would lead us to who’s controlling the Titans,” I suggested. I glanced between the two brothers who refused to look at each other. “Zeus, do you know anyone who would be so bold as to attempt to usurp you? And Hades, what would benefit someone from invading the Underworld? What resource do you have here that isn’t anywhere else?”
“Everyone wants to usurp me,” Zeus said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And I still don’t think we’ve proven my brother’s innocence.” He jutted his thumb at Hades.
“Excuse me?” Hades asked, leaning forward and glaring at Zeus. “You think I –”
“You’ve always been jealous.” Zeus leaned back in his chair, keeping his forearm on the surface of the table, drumming his long fingers on the wood. “It’s pathetic. You drew the short straw and you were regulated to the Underworld. This is the domain you rule. If I knew it would be such a burden for you –”
“A burden?” Hades asked. “You couldn’t handle the Underworld, you know that, don’t you? You feed off of people looking at you, fawning all over their precious ickle Zeusy. No one cares who you are here. There’s nothing but souls floating around, either serving out their penance or making their way to their final resting place. They’re not going to worship you. They’re not going to get on their knees and beg the Golden Prince for –”
“That’s it,” I said quietly, picking my head up. I inadvertently cut Hades off, which might have been a good thing.
“What?” Apollo asked.
“The souls.” I looked at Hades, waiting for some kind of confirmation from him. “What if whoever is doing this is invading the Underworld to get to the souls?”
“Why would they want to do that?” Hades asked, not because he doubted what I had to say but because he was curious as to what I thought.
“Are you serious?” Zeus asked. “Souls? Really? That’s what this is all about? I doubt it. Why can’t you believe that Hades would want –”
“When it turned out you weren’t responsible for Boxing the Titans up in the first place,” I snapped, glaring at Zeus. “Why would Hades free the Titans? Even if he did, would he really let one get inside the Underworld? Hades used his magic to defeat it. There are too many risks if that was all a farce, and I highly doubt he’s going to risk his own domain just to make a point about you.”
“I mean, I’d consider it, certainly,” Hades said, lifting a finger. “Pros and cons, see if the risks outweigh it. You know.” He shrugged. “But I would never risk –” Before he could finish that sentence, he cut himself off, but his eyes shifted over to Seph.
“We’re wasting time,” I said, placing my hand out in front of me. As happy as I was Seph found someone so devoted to her, we didn’t have time for this. “I think it’s safe to assume Hades isn’t behind unleashing the Titans. If he was, the Titan from within the Underworld wouldn’t have attempted to fight him. Who else would want to usurp you, Zeus? And don’t just say everyone. Really think about it.”
Zeus opened his mouth, the telltale scowl on his chiseled face enough for me to know he was going to continue to argue, despite the clear danger we were in.
I grunted, rolling my eyes and standing up. “You can’t do it, can you?” I demanded to know. I jerked my arm in his direction. “For once, get your head out of your ass. If you really care about your people, you’ll think about this. Because we’re safe – for now. The people in Olympus? Who knows? Sure, your brother is there, and I’m sure Ares is fighting his ass off. But do you really think they’re capable of taking down five other Titans on their own? We have to stop this before it turns deadly – if it hasn’t already. And, in order to do that, we need your help.” I shifted my gaze over to Hades. “The souls. If someone came down here and took souls, is that even possible?”
“Theoretically, maybe,” Hades said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Though souls are transparent, they’re still corporeal. You can still touch them and they can feel it.”
“So, let’s say that I come in and I take a soul out of the River Styx,” I said. “What happens?”
“I don’t know,” Hades said. “It’s never been done before. But souls provide the sanctity of the River Styx. Without them, I’m not sure what happens to the River. And if souls aren’t traveling throughout the Underworld…” He let his voice trail off. “The Underworld itself might collapse because the functionality would be stripped away along with the souls. It’d be purposeless.”
“Chaos,” Apollo said. “There would be chaos, especially if Olympus had souls and Titans running around up there rather than down here.”
“So,” I said, “whoever’s doing this is looking to unleash chaos in order to take over Olympus.”
“That will never happen,” Zeus said. It bothered me how dismissively casual he was being about everything; from the way he leaned back in his chair to the way he wouldn’t even consider anything being said. As far as he was concerned, this was some kind of fairytale that didn’t exist, and it was starting to piss me off.
“You know, you could take this more seriously,” I said. I knew I was overstepping my boundaries here, but I didn’t care. This was too important to concern myself with repercussions for talking out of turn.
“Excuse me?” Zeus arched a brow, leaning forward.
“I’m saying, this is your fault,” I said. “You could act a little more invested in what’s going on, especially since it wasn’t as though you helped get the two Titans Boxed up in any way. The first was because of me and Apollo, the second was the two of us, plus Hades. And you’re here, telling us how things aren’t going to work or how nothing we come up with is right. If that’s the case, what’s the right answer? Since you know everything?”
“How dare you –”
“No,” I snapped. I felt Apollo put his hand on my thigh, and I knew that was his way of signaling me to calm down, but I didn’t care. I was done. “How dare you? You have people who look up to you, who need your guidance and protection, and all you care about is getting off with Hera because you miss her even though she’s nearly as awful as you are. And now, the world is falling apart and you still think this is about you. You think it has to be Hades because of what he thinks about you. You’re pathetic.”
Zeus slowly raised to his feet, his eyes never leaving my own. Apollo’s grip on my thigh tightened.
“Exc
Hades rested his hands behind his head, smirk on his lips, as he watched me and his brother go at it. I didn’t think I had ever seen him this casual before.
“You heard me,” I snapped, wrinkling my nose. “You have people who look up to you, kids who want to be just like you. And you’re like a hydra with its head chopped off, except you don’t realize it grows back. You’re thinking this has to do with you and you’re taking it personally, when it’s about so much more than that. It’s about Olympus, about the oceans, and about the Underworld. Just because you rule one of these realms doesn’t mean the others aren’t affected. And if you don’t get that, nothing we do is going to make any sort of difference.”
“You’re a Junior Watcher who’s barely been involved in any kind of combat,” he said. “Why would you believe you know anything compared to me? I’ve actually seen these Titans. I’ve fought them. And I put them away.”
“The Box was lost on your watch,” I reminded him. “I’m not claiming I have experience, but since you are, you should know better. You took credit for your brothers’ assistance with the Box. You cheated on your fiancée with your ex at your betrothal party. And now, you still think Hades could be behind this instead of thinking rationally. Use your brain, for once. Or we won’t win this.”
Zeus continued to glare at me. I didn’t know how I was still sitting, taking a breath, when his glare could kill. Silence hung between us. The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat echoing in my mind.
“What would you have me do?” Zeus asked in a tightly controlled voice.
The tension in my face disappeared instantly. The fact that he even asked such a thing seemed to indicate he was willing to listen, even if he didn’t agree with what was being said.
“Well,” I said, scrambling to think of something to say. “For one, who do you think would do something like this?”
Zeus chuckled but the sound was hollow. “Shall I come up with a list?”
“Not just that,” I said. “Who is capable of such a thing?”
“Well, they’d have to be at the party your mother threw,” Zeus pointed out. “Perhaps we start there. You get me a list of who was there, I can go through it and see if anyone stands out. Include wait staff and anyone else who set foot at that party. No matter who they are.”
I nodded. “What’ll you do?” I asked.
Zeus glanced over at Hades. “I’ll go to Ares and Poseidon and see if there are more Titans to corral into the Box,” he said. “We must put a stop to this. Before it’s too late.”
Chapter Two
The four of us retired to our rooms for the time being. Zeus needed to collect some things, but other than that, Apollo and I were ready to go. It felt as though we had been in the Underworld for a long time, and I was ready to step back into the sunlight as quickly as I could. A flower couldn’t grow in just darkness except for the Moon Lilies, but then again, those were a special type of flower.
“You okay?” Apollo asked the second we were alone.
I nodded once, placing my hands on my hips and catching his eyes. “I think so,” I said. “I guess we’ll find out once we’re back on Olympus.”
“You’ve got some fucking balls, princess,” Apollo said, a gleam of respect in his eyes. “Talking to the Golden Prince that way.” He whistled.
I shook my head, trying to ignore him. I wasn’t seeking his approval, even if it did feel good. Apollo wasn’t the kind of guy to give compliments freely, and his acknowledgment meant a lot, but it was also something I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with right now. I wanted to focus. I kept telling myself that, kept telling myself the necessity of focusing on the mission, only to find my mind wandering at the slightest provocation.
What was the point of focusing on Titans when I had nothing to contribute? I didn’t want to open my mouth and be the asshole idiot who couldn’t think of something to say. At least I could do something. It was my house we were going to. My mother, the one who had the list. At least that was something.
But when it came to everything else? Who was I kidding? How could I fight against a Titan? Against something that big and that destructive? It didn’t make any sense. I was already questioning whether being a Junior Watcher was something I even wanted to do anymore, but now, I was certain. I didn’t think I was good at it. It wasn’t like I could take this on my own. I needed help. And if I needed help, then what?
“What’s wrong?” Apollo asked, tilting his head to the side.
“I’m just…thinking,” I admitted, plopping to the foot of the bed and crossing one arm over my chest.
“That’s never a good idea,” he teased, sitting next to me. “Want to talk about it?”
I glanced at him in surprise. “Really?”
He nodded. “Don’t go taking advantage of it because I will get bored rather quickly, but I’m here if you need me,” he said.
My heart warmed at the thought, and some of the tension that accumulated in my shoulders began to slip away.
“I just…I don’t know how I can make a difference.” The words came out in a rush, and I pressed my lips together, almost embarrassed by them. “I’m not saying I need to have the glory or anything like that. But how can someone like you depend on someone like me? I’m not as strong. I’m not a strategic thinker. I wanted to be a Watcher to make a difference, but the truth is, how much of a difference can one person really make? I’m not as strong as you. I don’t have magic like Hades. I…I don’t know what I can do to help.”
“What are you going on about?” Apollo asked.
I shook my head, rolling my eyes up to the ceiling, like the right words were up there somehow. “I’m not trying to make this about me,” I said. “I know it’s coming out that way, but it’s the truth. I just…” I dropped my gaze to my lap. “Cronus made it clear what I had to do in order to even become a Watcher.”
“What are you talking about?” Apollo asked slowly, his tone dark.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, Apollo,” I said. “I’m sure it hasn’t changed much since you were a Watcher. Cronus said there’s only two reasons women become Watchers: to use as bait and to use for the men as sort of a stress-reliever, a plaything.”
“Was this when he touched you?” Apollo asked, each word getting tight and more controlled than I had heard from him.
My cheeks pinched with embarrassment. “I don’t want to talk about that –”
“But that’s why you’re questioning everything, isn’t it?” he asked, perking his brows. He leaned forward, trying to catch my eyes. “What you went through with Cronus is what’s making you question things now.”
“No,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Well, yes. But it’s more than that. I tried to take on a Titan by myself, Apollo. If you weren’t there –”
“If Hades hadn’t come, we’d both be dead,” Apollo said. “It’s not about being the strongest or the fastest. The reason I joined the Watchers was because of what they represented. A group of likeminded men and women who served and protected the people of Olympus. It’s about being on a team. About trusting your fellow Watcher. I never had that before. For the longest time, it was me and my sister. And now…” He let his voice trail off. “And now, it’s me and you.”
“I just wanted to prove myself,” I muttered. “I didn’t want to be what my mother wanted me to be. I wanted an excuse to get away from her, away from my home. And now, Seph is being punished for my selfishness.”
“I think Seph’s fully capable of making her own choices,” Apollo said. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she made some here.” He reached forward and cupped my cheek in his rough hand. “You need to stop taking on the responsibilities of the world and focus on being responsible for yourself.”
I swallowed. “What do you mean?” I asked.
“You’re allowed to stand up for yourself the way you did with Zeus, no matter who’s talking to you,” he continued. “I just want you to know that, princess. Even if it’s with me. But that also means knowing you can’t jump into things on your own either. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to be wrong about things, even if it sucks to admit you’re wrong. I was wrong. About you.”
