Page 16 of Ungodly Rich

“Olympus,” she murmured. “You failed to mention that the reunion is inGreece,on an island named after the Greek gods’ mythical mountain.”

“My family has a weird sense of humor,” he said hastily. “Besides, so much of my family lives abroad that Europe is the most convenient location.”

Julia bit her lip, then looked up. “Harry…I really think we should go.”

He sank onto the couch next to her. “If you want to go on a trip, let’s do Fiji. There’s no point in going all the way to Greece for a few days of boring family stuff.”

“Why are you so determined not to go? Are you worried I’ll embarrass you around all your rich relatives?” Julia asked, her voice quiet.

Ares stared at her. “What? Of course not. But, Jules, it’ll be miserable.”

“I’m not asking because I want to go on a fun trip. I’m asking because I want toknowyou better. You’ve met my grandmother, and my aunt Jess and uncle Daniel,” Julia pointed out, naming the only family she had left. “I should meet your family, too.”

My family will treat you with contempt, or if we’re lucky, they’ll just ignore you,Ares wanted to say. And what if taking her to Olympus put her indanger? Though it was forbidden to hurt a mortal under the protection of another god, “accidents” still happened.

Ares had his fair share of enemies. A god who didn’t dare strike at him directly might decide to hurt him by going after Julia.

“My family is complicated,” he said helplessly.

Julia looked away, her voice tense. “All families are complicated, Harry.”

“Not like mine. We love each other, but we’re always fighting. I wouldn’t expect you to understand—”

“Because I didn’t grow up with money?” Julia demanded. “What does your family possibly have to fight over? Opera tickets and vacation houses and—” She spluttered as if searching for the perfect insult. “Yachts?”

As if the gods would waste their time arguing over yachts. They only ever fought over one thing.

Power.

Julia crossed her arms. She was still sweaty from their run, her cheeks flushed and her athletic shirt clinging to her skin, but it only made her more formidable. “This is about that woman, isn’t it?”

Ares went as still as one of Athena’s statues. “What woman?”

“The one Dylan mentioned. Your ex-girlfriend,” Julia pressed, watching his face.

For once, Ares wished that Julia weren’t so smart, so observant. What had possessed Dionysus to bring that up? Of all the shameful things Ares had done—and there were plenty to choose from—sleeping with Aphrodite was the worst of them all. He’d certainly hoped he would never have to share any of it with Julia.

That was yet another reason he had no desire to return to Olympus. It was where he’d ruined everything, three summers ago.

• • •

The council talks had been especially contentious that year, dragging on and on as each of the Twelve presented an issue for discussion. They had already covered the American presidential election, two major corporate mergers and acquisitions, and climate change, always Demeter’sissue of choice. Aphrodite had tried to shut down some video app that she insisted made young woman hate their bodies, only to be overruled in the name oftechnological innovation.Hera worried about the declining birth rate in Japan and was permitted to cast fertility charms in the water supply. Ares almost suggested that Hera enlist Aphrodite’s support—it seemed logical that more sex would lead to more babies—but he kept quiet. Even back then, no one would have dreamed of putting those two goddesses together.

Then it was Ares’s turn to present an issue to the Twelve.

He cleared his throat nervously. Public speaking, especially before his quick-witted sister and judgmental family, always left him feeling defenseless. As if he’d walked into a fight without any weapons.

“I’d like to close the cobalt and copper mines in the Congo,” Ares began. “Too many young boys are getting conscripted to work in the mines, and—”

Zeus cut in with a loud guffaw. “Getting a humanitarian impulse, Ares? Why don’t you stick to what you do best and decide which team should win the World Cup this year.”

“We need those mines open,” Hephaestus chimed in. “Those metals are used for all sorts of human technologies, like computer chips and conductive wire.”

Ares knew that Hephaestus was trying to smooth things over, to soften their father’s brusque teasing. But there was a note of condescension in his words that stoked, rather than soothed, Ares’s resentment.

“Sounds like my brother is talking his own book,” Ares observed, leaning back in his chair. “The more humans scrabbling in the dirt for metals, the better for him.”

It was true: the more humans who worshipped a given god, the stronger that god’s magic became. And while worship might not have happened in temples anymore, it was still worship. Humans still devoted their time and energy tosomething.They delighted in their families (Hera’s domain) or their careers (Zeus’s). Farmers were the modern devotees of Demeter, scholars the quiet followers of Athena. And every human lingering at a bar, demanding one more cocktail before last call, was unknowingly a worshipper of Dionysus.