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PROLOGUE

Two goddesses had called for a secret meeting, in light of the small matter of Rome having no emperor. They met in a blue grotto in the city of the gods, hidden away from prying eyes. Diana, goddess of the wilderness, came straight from a hunt, clad in sandals and carrying a bow on her back. Venus, goddess of love, wore her most fashionable robes, as if she were hosting a grand ball and not a rebellion.

They sat at the edge of the pool, concealed behind snaking plumes of steam. A lyre played without a musician, illuminated by the soft glow of small floating stars.

Though they were immortal and divine, capable of moving both the earth and the heavens, the goddesses were anxious. Diana toyed with one of her arrows while Venus fiddled with her necklace, which was shaped like a clamshell with a pearl in it.

They had handed out invitations to the resistance meeting sparingly, approaching only those deities they believed would be loyal to their fellow goddesses over Jupiter, king of the gods. Such covert reconnaissance was a gamble. Diana and Venus had to be pragmatic, careful, even in their planning. Each goddess was evaluated based on their history in the pantheon, their associations, their alliances, their talents and weaknesses, as well as their philosophies on mortals. If they invited the wrong deity, their plans could be foiled.

Diana and Venus were sure that word would spread, and soon. They would need to convert as many as they could, if they were to succeed.

‘What if no one comes, and it is just us?’ asked Venus.

‘I am certain they will,’ said Diana, ‘if only for curiosity’s sake.’

‘But can we trust them?’ said Venus. ‘We cannot assume they will be loyal just because they are women. They might run straight to Jupiter.’

Diana paused before answering.

‘We will find out, one way or another,’ she said.

‘I’m nervous,’ said Venus.

‘As am I,’ said Diana.

‘It is a terrible thing, for a goddess to be nervous,’ said Venus.

Smiling, Diana reached out to pat her hand.

‘We are defying the gods. Of course we are nervous,’ she said.

Their world was in disarray. King Jupiter had vanished, leaving the empire of Elysium unattended, just like his murdered mortal protégé in Rome. Pompeii had been destroyed. The empire was without a ruler. The world of tomorrow depended entirely on Diana and Venus mounting a resistance, and yet, they were already two allies down.

‘I wish Minerva was here,’ said Venus, of the absent goddess of wisdom. ‘How could she leave us to deal with this mortal mess?’

‘She’ll return soon enough, with information that can benefit us,’ said Diana, though she did not meet Venus’s eyes as she said it.

‘You think she is off on a noble quest?’

‘This is Minerva we’re talking about. She won’t give up so easily. She’d want us to go on without her. “There is no time to spare, we must make plans with haste!”.’ Diana imitated Minerva’s lofty voice. ‘ “History waits for no one, not even us. If we fail, the consequences will be grave indeed.” ’

‘I hope you’re right,’ sniffed Venus, suppressing a smile.

‘You are normally the optimistic one of the two of us,’ said Diana. ‘I’m not used to making the motivational speeches.’

‘I am struggling. So long as Fortuna is blinded, unable to see the future, we are lost in the dark.’

‘Don’t you always say the most interesting things happen where none can see them?’ said Diana, gesturing around at their covert location.

‘I was thinking more of secret trysts, forbidden encounters, deliciously illicit rendezvous… that sort of thing.’

They fell silent, listening to the animated lyre and the burble of the waters around them.

Diana opened her mouth, as if to say something, but the sound of deities manifesting into being drew their attention.

A hooded goddess emerged from behind a pillar, her expression sheepish.

‘Concordia, so glad you could make it,’ said Diana, rising gracefully to her feet as Venus followed behind.