The Goddess Queen. Aimee Carter

fingers through his golden hair. “Maybe so, but I was the one who led us all to victory. We can all be kings and queens in our own rights, and there’s plenty for us to rule over. But as far as a supreme leader goes—”

      “Hera won the war for us,” said Hades in that quiet, measured voice of his. How he was able to stay so calm in the face of blatant arrogance baffled me. Zeus might have been responsible for the majority of the brute force against the Titans, but he was no more powerful than the rest of us. And he was the youngest and by far the least ready to handle the responsibilities of leadership.

      “We all won the war,” said Demeter. “We will all rule together, as a council. We will all have equal say, and we will all listen to and respect one another. It is the only way we will not fall victim to revolt, as the Titans did.” She squeezed my hand. “Is that acceptable to you, Hera?”

      As if I had any real say. But all five of my siblings watched me, waiting for me to yield, and I had little choice. I would not be the one to cut the ties that bound us together.

      “As long as it is an equal rule, I can accept that,” I said. At least that way the chances of Zeus and Poseidon wreaking havoc were considerably diminished.

      Zeus grinned boyishly. “Then it’s settled. Let’s draw lots for the kingdoms.”

      “The kingdoms?” I said. “But there are only three.”

      “Yes,” said Zeus with mock patience, as if I were a child who had to be spoken to slowly in order to grasp anything. “Like I said, humanity would never follow a queen.”

      The edges of my vision turned red, and I clenched my jaw so tightly that I could have shattered diamond between my teeth. But Zeus went on as if he didn’t notice, and three gray pebbles appeared in his hand. “Poseidon,” he said with a grand bow, as if he were doing him a favor, letting him draw first.

      Poseidon narrowed his eyes and touched each of the three stones in turn. “I know which domain you want,” he said. “And you know which domain I want. So why don’t you just tell me which one to pick?”

      Zeus scoffed. “Where would be the fun in that?” But the middle stone began to glow, and Poseidon snatched it up. As he held it in his palm, a great crash of sea against rock echoed around us, and the stone exploded into a rush of water.

      Poseidon grinned. “Perfect.”

      “Thought you might like that.” Zeus turned to Hades next and offered him the remaining stones. “Brother.”

      Hades eyed him for a long moment, and it wasn’t difficult to see what was going on underneath his mask of neutrality. Allowing Zeus to have the sky domain and ultimate rule over the living was dangerous at best. Zeus wasn’t ready for it, but if this council was truly to be, then perhaps we could all temper him. Then again, forcing Zeus into the Underworld to mingle with the dead would kill the light inside him, the same light that had rallied us even when we thought all was lost. Zeus wasn’t meant to remain among the dead. It simply wasn’t his place in the world, and we all knew it. But that didn’t mean he was ready to rule.

      Without breaking his stare, Hades picked up one of the remaining pebbles and cradled it in his palm. I held my breath, and at last the stone burst into flame, an unexpected light in the dark. The Underworld. Of course Hades would sacrifice himself for our brother’s happiness.

      Before anyone could react, I snatched the third pebble from Zeus’s hand, closing my fist around it. “I will rule the skies,” I said. “When you are ready and have proven yourself worthy of kingship, then you may have this stone back.”

      “Hera—” started Demeter, but Zeus interrupted her.

      “Is that what you want? Further anarchy and pain for humanity?” He drew himself up to his full height, thunder rumbling around him. In that moment, a flash of our father appeared on his face, and I took a step back. “You condemn us to another war if you insist on not allowing me my rightful place.”

      “Why is it your rightful place and not mine? Because of my sex?” I spat, sounding far more courageous than I felt in the face of my brother’s crackling power. Though mine easily rivaled his, it was quiet, understated, the sort you didn’t know was there until it was too late. I could never display my power in such an intimidating manner.

      “Yes,” said Zeus without preamble. “Because you had the misfortune of being made in our mother’s image, and our mother chose to defer to our father. Because that is the example the Titans set for not only us, but for the world, and we must maintain some order. You will be a queen if you wish, Hera, but only second to one of us.”

      No one challenged him. No one spoke to support me. And as those eternal seconds passed, hatred unlike anything I had ever felt before burned within me. Not even for Cronus had I felt such disgust. “I will prove you wrong someday,” I snarled. “And when that day comes, you will be cast out and fed to the wolves. Do not say I did not warn you.”

      Turning on my heel, I stormed off toward the center of the island. It would be a beautiful place to live if not for the scar of healing earth that led straight into the Underworld, where Cronus and the other Titans now resided. Perhaps it wasn’t such a terrible thing that Hades had given up Olympus, after all. At least he could be trusted not to let Cronus escape from the depths of Tartarus.

      “Hera!” called Zeus. “Don’t be that way.”

      I ignored him. If he didn’t want me there, then I wouldn’t be there. But soon enough I heard footsteps behind me, and as they grew closer, I stopped and whirled around. “Can’t you take a—”

      I stopped. It was Hades, not Zeus, who followed me. In the darkness, he looked far too much like our father for my comfort, but we were all used to it by now. He could change his form, as the rest of us could, but I had no doubt he would keep his natural appearance, determined not to let Cronus dictate who and what he was.

      “I am sorry for Zeus,” said Hades quietly. “You do not deserve to be spoken to in such a manner.”

      I swallowed and held my head high. I wouldn’t let Zeus get to me. He wasn’t worth it. “I won’t be anyone’s second. I’m better than that. We all are.”

      He managed a faint smile. “You could never be anyone’s second, because that would imply someone was more deserving than you. Never doubt that you are the reason we have won, Hera. You are our true power, and we all know it. It is simply difficult for some of us to acknowledge our own lacking.”

      A pause, and I deflated. “He’ll ruin us.”

      “Maybe,” he allowed. “Maybe not. Time will tell.”

      “I won’t rule at his side.”

      “I do not blame you.” He touched my shoulder. “You deserve better than how he would treat you.”

      Something tingled down my spine, and his hand felt warm and heavy against my skin. “I could go into the Underworld with you,” I said. “You will need someone to help you sort through the souls.”

      For a split second, his understanding smile changed to one of pity, and I bristled. But before I could react, he said kindly, “Nothing would please me more. As much as I would enjoy your company, however, the Underworld would not suit you. I am fine with the darkness and the quiet, but you, sister, would wither without light. And I cannot do that to you.”

      “You don’t know that for sure,” I said. “It would be worth the isolation if I didn’t have to be near Zeus.”

      He chuckled softly. “As I said, I do not blame you. But something better will come along, and in the meantime, you will have an equal voice on this council.”

      “What if that isn’t enough? What if Zeus still finds a way to take over?”

      “Then we will deal with that as it happens,” said Hades. “I am on your side.”

      At least someone was. “You’re sure I can’t come with you?”