Chapter 7

The Strategist

Watching Olympus crumble around me was a constant reminder of all I’d lost. After the fall of our pantheon, we hadn’t exactly been forgotten by humanity. Instead, they’d simply stopped believing in our existence. We’d still been remembered in stories. Most on Olympus had become feeble-minded over the centuries—each living in the past. Until recently, I’d been among those living in the past. When I’d looked around the great hall where we’d once met to discuss pantheon business, I’d still seen the shining example of our power.

One day, something had snapped in me. A demon had been delivering a message from Lucifer, and I’d suddenly been filled with rage. We were taking orders from Lucifer. He’d never been a god, just the leader of a failed rebellion. Why did we have to take orders from him? That day, I’d started planning for a better future. It was then that I’d learned of our new followers. The movement was small, but some humans had begun to worship at our altars again. Lucifer would never allow me to reclaim my rightful place as a god. He had to be overthrown. I needed an army, and I’d quickly realized I would have to look outside of Olympus for soldiers to fight with me.

Hades was the answer. Not only was he still a skilled fighter, he was close to Lucifer. If I could get him on our side, we’d have information on our enemy. His position in the detention areas also gave him access to other skilled fighters. There were plenty of fallen angels and demons in Lucifer’s prisons who’d been involved in rebellions. Hades could get them on our side.

I had the perfect plan, but I was surrounded by idiots.

“If Hades won’t help us, then we should abandon this scheme.” Zeus made that statement as if it didn’t matter one way or the other. He probably didn’t even remember the plan we’d discussed. Sadly, it was already too late to go with my original idea to manipulate Hades by making him believe we were Persephone’s protectors. Hades wouldn’t buy it after the vague threats we’d made.

With a sigh, I wondered if I should have gone to Poseidon or Hera. I needed one of them to help rally the others and to be a scapegoat if my plan failed.

“Don’t you miss it?” I asked softly.

“Miss what?” Zeus asked with a dazed look in his eyes.

Lucidity clearly wasn’t in the cards. How many times did I have to remind him of all he’d lost?

“The power,” I replied. “The millions of humans worshiping at your shrines. You were the most powerful god.” I was proud of myself for not choking on that lie. “Don’t you miss the stupid human women falling all over themselves to serve you in any way you desired? They were willing to give you their bodies, bear your children, and beg for your attention.”

“The men also fell all over themselves to please me,” Zeus added with a wistful smile. “I prefer women, but men can be fun, especially pretty ones. It’s been far too long since I’ve been with a man. Don’t you agree that men have their own appeal?”

“Yes, men are entertaining,” I muttered in response. “You could have all that again.”

“I should visit the sex demons!” Zeus shouted with a clap of his hands. “There are some very attractive incubi. Do you want to join me?”

“I’ll pass.” It was tempting to smack some sense into the old fool. I held back because it would be a waste of time and energy. There was no denying it; I’d lost him, and I had no clue how long it would be before he was lucid enough to be useful again.

“Your loss,” he stated as he hurried off, probably to devise some moronic plan to seduce a sex demon while in the form of an animal.

Hera’s laughter echoed across the hall. I’d heard her enter while Zeus was discussing incubi, and I’d expected her to come at him in a jealous rage. Her restraint was surprising.

“You find this amusing?” I demanded. “That’s your husband going off to fuck a sex demon.”

“I gave up caring what Zeus does a long time ago,” Hera scoffed. “I was laughing at you. Did you and your siblings honestly expect Zeus to help you?”

“He wants the power,” I spat out. “I offered him a way to get it.”

“He wants the illusion of power,” Hera argued. “Zeus couldn’t handle ruling Olympus again, and he doesn’t really want to do the work. Why even involve him in your scheme?”

“Zeus is the head of our pantheon,” I reminded Hera. “We need him. It’s too bad. You always were the more powerful god.”

“Yes,” she agreed with a wistful smile. “I’ve always been more powerful and more intelligent. Let’s discuss our plans to rebuild the glory of the pantheon.”

“Our plans?” I asked.

“Involving Zeus in any plan dooms it to failure. The same is true of Poseidon. You need me,” she replied.

I was quiet as I pretended to consider what she’d said. In all honesty, I didn’t want to work with Hera. Still, much as it pained me to admit it, Hera was right about me needing her. “We still need Hades on our side,” I told her. We couldn’t go to Poseidon for help since he was likely still on Hade’s shit list. “If Aphrodite hadn’t pissed off Lucifer, she could have helped us.”

“That useless slut threw away the perfect chance to gain power over Lucifer,” Hera muttered.

Aphrodite had been a fool, but I wasn’t surprised she’d messed up her chances with Lucifer. Seducing him had been a brilliant plan, and having his child would have been equally brilliant if she hadn’t acted like a mother panda after Lucafina was born. Aphrodite had no maternal instincts. She interacted with her children when the mood struck her but, generally, considered them competition for the attention she desperately craved.

“How do you plan to help me?” I asked.

“I will make this plan succeed because I want to be the queen of this pantheon again,” Hera announced as if that answered my question. It didn’t.

She spun in a circle, gesturing to the hall we stood in. At one time, pillars of ivory and ornate tapestries had adorned the room. Ambrosia had flowed from a fountain in the middle. It had truly been a sight to behold. The pillars still stood, but they were cracked and coated with dirt. The fountain had dried up and sat collecting dust. All the furniture should be burned. In fact, the entire hall should be destroyed.

“You can see it, can’t you?” I asked Hera. “While the others are caught up in our past, you can see the future we could build.”

“Yes, but we need to do more than picture it,” she replied. “I’ll rule Olympus as the most powerful god.”

I frowned and fought the urge to tell her she’d never be the most powerful god. Still, Hera could help me, unlike Zeus or Poseidon. I could put up with her long enough to destroy Lucifer, but there could only be one person in charge when all was said and done. That person was going to be me. Hera would learn that soon enough.