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TRIVIA
Trivia paced the length of the narrow tunnel, wringing her hands together over and over. Anxiety and worry wriggled through her, making her stomach knot and swirl with nausea.
Gods, she was so nervous.
A figure appeared in the cave entrance, and Trivia stilled, her eyes going wide.
Midas offered her a small smile. “They’re here.”
Trivia swallowed and nodded. “Good. Good. Is he…” She trailed off, unable to ask the question.
“Sol is leading the council, yes,” Midas said. “I’ll be by his side.”
“Good,” she said again, breathlessly.
Midas paused. “He’s asking for you.”
Trivia went rigid, her heart slamming against her ribcage. “What?”
Midas chuckled. “You’re acting like I just announced that a hydra has claimed the throne of Elysium.”
Trivia was too stunned to reply.
“Trivia,” Midas said, his tone gentler as he drew closer to her. “He wants you as part of this council.”
She was shaking her head, backing slowly away from Midas, although there was little room. Her back immediately met the earthen wall behind her. “I don’t belong in there.” She gestured to the vast cavern behind Midas. “Not after what I’ve done.”
“Hell, if I can be a part of this after what I’ve done, then so can you. Get in there, Trivia.”
All she could do was keep shaking her head.
Midas drew closer, his brows lowering. “If I have to haul you over my shoulder, I will. But I’d wager that wouldn’t make a good impression on the others.”
Trivia fixed him with a loathsome scowl. “Bastard.”
Midas chuckled again, then offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
“Don’t pretend like this makes you a gentleman,” she said, but she still looped her arm through his.
“Of course it doesn’t. I’m just doing this to keep you from fainting and collapsing into a pitiful heap on the ground.”
Trivia rolled her eyes, but her mouth twitched into a smile. He was teasing her, but she knew he was doing it to make her feel better. To make her feel normal.
For a brief moment, it was working.
Then, she stepped into the massive cavern and took in the gods and goddesses seated in a circle around the hearth.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
Twelve figures sat there, watching her expectantly.
Some she recognized—Sol, of course, his eyes gleaming as he gazed at her; Marina, her back rigid in her seat, looking as regal as ever; Cyrus, still managing to appear fierce and intimidating, even while wearing an eye patch; Hypnos, with his dark skin and shock of white hair; Diana, her chestnut hair gleaming and her bow and quiver strapped to her back; Gaia, blue eyes sparking with pride; Deimos, the god of terror, whose thin and wiry frame barely took up the space of his seat; dark-haired Eris, the goddess of conflict, her crimson eyes flashing; and Morpheus, Hypnos’s son, the god of dreams, with tawny skin and bronze eyes that fixed on Trivia with curiosity.
The other three deities were people Trivia had never seen before: a man and two women. They looked at her with part curiosity, part suspicion.
Unease coiled in Trivia’s chest, but she let Midas lead her to the seat next to Sol. She sank into it and clasped her hands together on her lap. Midas took the seat on Sol’s other side.
Sol looked at Trivia, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. Even her bones seemed to quiver with trepidation. Her gaze snapped to Deimos as she briefly wondered if he was using his influence on her.
He offered an amused smirk, as if he could sense her fear. He probably could.
“I want to personally thank all of you for assisting us in battle,” Sol began, his voice strong and full of a confidence that Trivia envied. “We couldn’t have defeated the Titans without you.”
A few of the deities murmured their agreement before Sol spoke again.
“There is obviously a lot of cleaning up to be done among the three realms. But I think, first and foremost, we must select a ruler for Elysium. From there, he—or she—can rebuild and guide the souls to their final resting place. I don’t want to repeat the pattern we established before, of a power-hungry monarch who rules with no restraint.
This council”—he gestured to the circle—”will be the deciding force of Elysium, should a conflict arise.
But whoever is the ruler will make the bulk of the decisions.
” He paused, eyeing each person in the circle “So… any volunteers?”
Silence met his words. Gaia’s brows knitted together in clear displeasure. Cyrus lifted his chin, his lips curling into a cold smile.
Deimos spoke first, his voice thin and reedy. “I vote for Midas. We wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for him. He convinced us to fight.”
Hypnos and Morpheus nodded their agreement.
Midas shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I have served my time as a king in the mortal realm. I don’t wish to do it again.” He cocked his head, eyeing Sol with scrutiny. “But my nephew would make a fine king.”
Sol stiffened, his eyes widening. “What?”
“He trained directly under Apollo,” Midas went on. “He knows the duties associated with the crown. And he can fuel the sun of Elysium as well.”
“It was his magic that helped rebuild it,” Gaia offered.
Eris and Diana murmured their agreement, although judging by the way Eris was eyeing Sol up and down, Trivia would wager her thoughts were less on his king-like qualities and more on his proclivities in the bedroom.
The thought sent a spark of fury shooting through her, and she was speaking without realizing it. “We could not have defeated the Titans without him. He charged fearlessly into battle, even before realizing we had allies on our side.” She reached out her hand and took his, squeezing his fingers.
Sol was staring, wide-eyed, at the circle of deities, his face paling. “I—I don’t—That’s not why I gathered everyone. I am just conducting the meeting. That’s all.”
“Do you accept the nomination?” Midas asked. “Or will you refuse the honor?”
Sol’s brows lowered as he glared at Midas. “It’s inappropriate. I was too close to Apollo. Aren’t you worried I was working alongside him?”
“He murdered your mother,” Deimos said softly. “I don’t think any of us believe you sided with Apollo.”
A solemn silence filled the room.
Then, Marina spoke. “You were the only god from Elysium to willingly fight alongside the witches. When all hope seemed lost and victory seemed hopeless, you were there, fighting with us. The rest of you arrived later, for which we are grateful. But only Sol was there from the beginning.”
A few of the deities looked uncomfortable at this, and Trivia wondered just how much pleading had been required to convince them to fight.
Sol was squeezing Trivia’s hand now, too. When she looked at him, she found his gaze already fixed on her, filled with warmth and passion. A faint scar gleamed from the lamplight, tracing a line from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. Courtesy of Prometheus.
“I would not be here at all,” Sol said softly, “were it not for Trivia.”
Trivia’s heart stuttered in her chest. Sol’s eyes were still locked on her as if they were the only ones in the room. He spoke with such reverence, such tenderness, that she could almost believe they were alone.
Until Hypnos spoke up. “Wasn’t this the woman who brought down Elysium?”
A few others murmured in agreement.
Sol opened his mouth to speak, but Trivia touched his knee to stop him. With a trembling breath, she said, “Yes. That was me. I was under Pandora’s influence, but my choices were my own. I know I cannot undo what I did, but I am deeply sorrowful for the pain I have caused.”
“I believe Trivia more than paid her dues by willingly giving herself up to Pandora’s box in order to save Elysium,” said Midas, his voice full of pride and a touch of irritation.
Gasps echoed around them. Diana straightened in her seat. “You destroyed Elysium… and then sacrificed yourself to save it?”
Trivia swallowed hard. “Um, yes. Well… I mean, I gave myself up to save Gaia and Sol so they could continue to rebuild the wards of Elysium.”
“And then she united with my other two daughters to unleash the power of the Triple Goddess,” Gaia said. The affection in her voice made Trivia’s heart lift. “She defeated the Titans.”
“I had help,” Trivia argued. “It wasn’t just me. My sisters—”
“She also willingly accepted the punishment for her crimes,” Marina said.
“My sisters and I sentenced her to rebuild Elysium alongside Gaia and Sol. Trivia agreed to this. She has paid for her grievances. Sacrificing herself to Pandora’s box was not a requirement.
I would say she has more than redeemed herself for her past actions. ”
Trivia’s heart was twisting and tightening inside her.
She wasn’t sure if it was excitement or dread that filled her.
Her pulse was racing. Good gods, this couldn’t be happening.
Were these people… praising her? She was torn between shame and gratitude.
She didn’t deserve it, and yet… she was touched that people were acknowledging the lengths she had gone to to atone for her sins.
“I will gladly accept the nomination to become Elysium’s king,” Sol said. “So long as Trivia can reign by my side as queen.”
Trivia’s head whipped toward him, her eyes widening. And he winked at her. As if this were all some joke.
“Trivia, do you accept this?” Midas asked.
Trivia’s mouth opened and closed. Gods above, what could she say to this? Did she even want to be queen?
Sol watched her, his eyes softening with an unspoken question.
You can say no, his expression seemed to say. You have the choice.
But in that moment, Trivia realized she would do anything to be with him. They had been given a second chance. And a third and a fourth…
They could finally be together.
And right then and there, she realized she would do it—she would become queen—so long as she could be by his side.
How long had she been plotting her revenge, angry at how the gods had treated her? How long had she spouted on about the despicable actions of those like Apollo?
This was her chance to change it all. To bring justice and freedom to the lesser gods and goddesses like herself. To change the realm for the better.
Strength and resolve swelled in her chest, and she found herself nodding. “Y-Yes. I accept.”
“Fabulous.” Midas clapped his hands together with a grin. “Are there any other nominations?”
“I would nominate myself,” came Cyrus’s drawl, “if I weren’t already King of the Underworld.”
Several deities grumbled in annoyance.
“I nominate Gaia,” said Morpheus in his deep voice. “She was once our queen alongside Apollo before she was wrongfully banished.”
But Gaia was shaking her head. “I must refuse the nomination. I am not meant to be queen. I am meant to lead my coven of witches. As soon as our council is adjourned, I will be returning to my home in Krenia.”
Trivia’s chest tightened with dread. Gaia was… leaving?
But as Gaia met her gaze then, a mixture of sadness and joy filled those blue eyes. She was eager to return home. From what Trivia knew, there was a lover who awaited her.
And Gaia had suffered enough. She deserved to live happily with the one she loved most.
Trivia found herself smiling, and she nodded to her mother.
“Can I nominate myself?” Eris asked with a light laugh. Beside her, Diana rolled her eyes.
“Ah yes, the Goddess of Chaos as our ruler,” Deimos said in a flat voice. “No cause for concern there.”
“Conflict,” Eris said with a sniff. “Chaos is a nasty word. Far more disorderly.”
“Are there any other legitimate nominations?” Midas asked, his voice rising over Eris’s.
Silence met his words. A few of the deities exchanged looks in the circle, but none spoke up.
“Are there any opposed to Sol and Trivia as our king and queen?” Midas asked.
Trivia’s heart stopped for a full beat as she gazed around the circle with wide eyes. She wasn’t sure what she was most afraid of—objections, or acquiescence.
Would she become queen?
Or would she be rejected, as she had her entire life?
A tense silence filled the space. Her chest cinched tighter, tighter, tighter…
“Very well then.” Midas was beaming. “All hail Sol and Trivia, the new King and Queen of Elysium.”
Oh my gods, Trivia thought, shock rippling over her. Is this really happening?
Sol turned to look at her, eyebrows raised. A taunting smirk pulled at his lips, but his eyes were earnest as they bored into hers.
He was waiting for her to react. And she could say no. It wasn’t too late. She could claim she’d changed her mind. She could say she wasn’t ready.
But… she was ready. She had brushed with death far too many times. She had been ripped away from Sol, fearing she would never get to live her life with him.
This was her chance to make things right. To start anew.
She took a deep, steadying breath, then smiled at the man who held her heart, whose soul was forever entwined with hers.
One by one, the deities slid from their seats to take a knee before their new king and queen. Midas and Cyrus wore amused expressions, as if this whole ordeal were hilarious to them. Gaia’s eyes were shining with tears as she knelt, her head bowed in reverence.
Sol helped Trivia to her feet as they stood, hands clasped in unity to acknowledge the role they would play in rebuilding the realms.
King and Queen of Elysium.
Trivia found herself grinning broadly, all knots loosening in her chest. This was right. This was perfection.
She looked at Sol, whose eyes burned with intensity.
This—right here, with Sol—was home.