Page 15 of Ungodly Rich

Hades nodded. “You’ll start by reporting to me at Olympus.”

“Olympus?” Hermes repeated, not bothering to hide his shock. “You’ll be there?”

“I will.”

When it became clear that Hades wouldn’t elaborate, Hermes shrugged and headed for the door. Hades waited until it had shut behind him before allowing himself a small, pleased smile.

To think that after all this time, he would attend the gods’ annual meeting at Olympus again. He was surprised to find that he was looking forward to it.

For so long he’d been alone, set apart from the other gods because of who he was: the Dread God, the Lord of the Underworld, the Iron King. He had wealth, and he had power, but not enough of either to do the one thing he truly wanted. To challenge Zeus.

But maybe, at last, he could find a way to do so.

Chapter Seven

Ares

“You’re absurdly fast, you know,” Julia panted. She reached up to tug at the elastic band that held her ponytail, letting her hair fall around her face before sweeping it back again and retying it. Ares found the whole motion surprisingly erotic.

“I’ve trained for marathons before,” he said quickly. Next time he would make sure to run at a more ordinary mortal pace. They had just finished the trail that looped around Queenstown’s harbor and were headed back to the apartment.

“You ran the New York marathon a few years ago, right?” Julia prompted.

Ares nodded. Actually, he’d done the New York marathon dozens of times over the years, along with Boston and Tokyo, London and Kilimanjaro. He hadinventedmarathons.

Each of the gods claimed ownership over something. The more powerful the deity, the greater their domain: from Zeus, Lord of the Skies, all the way down to the minor nymphs who ruled over a single pond.

Humans had a tendency to simplify, which was why they’d always referred to Ares as the stormer of cities, the breaker of walls—the god of war. Ares did count soldiers among his followers, but also explorers, athletes, rock stars. Humans who competed in triathlons and World Cups, who blasted themselves toward the stars in rickety metal spaceships, who climbed mountains and tamed wild animals, who tested the limits of what was possible. He embodied humanity’s wildest and most extreme impulses, their courage in the face of impossible odds.

He was the god of physical prowess. Of adventure, spontaneity, living on the edge. And yes, of war. The place where all those things came into brutal focus.

They turned onto their street, weaving past a delivery boy on a bicycle. Ares’s eyes traveled over the familiar landmarks: the laundromat, the drugstore, the fish-and-chips shop on the corner. He couldn’t help thinking, a bit wryly, that his mother would be appalled by where he lived—and was immediately annoyed with himself for the thought.

Over the past three years, he’d done a remarkable job of banishing his family from his mind. Until he and Julia ran into Dionysus last week. What a fool Ares had been, taking her to a luxury hotel, even if he’d deliberately chosen one that his familydidn’town.

Julia unlocked their mailbox, marked 2B, and began shuffling through envelopes as they walked up the stairs. “Do you want to head to Carlos and Molly’s tonight?” she asked. “She texted that they’re having some people over later, very casual.”

Ares opened their apartment door and flicked on the lights. “Sounds great.”

When Julia didn’t reply, he looked back to see that she was standing in the hallway, frowning at a heavy cream-colored envelope. “This one looks expensive. Maybe a wedding invitation?”

Ares’s heart plummeted.

He watched, powerless to stop her, as she sank onto the couch and opened the letter. It did resemble a wedding invitation, the words embossed in swirling calligraphy:

Please join us for a weekend of

Conversation and Cocktails

The Island of Olympus

Transportation will be provided from Athens upon request

Conversation and cocktails. What an understatement. The gathering at Olympus was vicious and unpredictable, a week of shifting alliances and high tension, the entire thing fueled by bottomless alcohol and magic.

“It’s an invitation to your family reunion,” Julia said slowly.

“I guess so.” Ares watched as Julia placed the invitation onto their cheap coffee table and began tracing the overlapping curlicues of theSincocktails.