“Hi, sir. Oh shit. Your Highness. Your majesty? My lord.” I stood up and stumbled backward, bowing my head. He gave a deep laugh. He stood over his brother’s golden chair and tapped it with his finger. The gold began to fade as the gold throne turned to an obsidian one with jagged edges leading to an arched tip. Hades sat down as the last of the gold disappeared, and the darkness took its place.

“How did it go? Though I think I already know,” he said, leaning backward and resting his hands on the arms of his new throne. He closed his eyes as he rested his head.

“It went good. Great. It was a fantastic interview.”

“That’s good. I heard your request about that earlier; I’m glad the fates favored you,” he said dismissively. Well, that definitely wasn’t true. The fates never favored me.  “What brings you here? Surely someone with your gifts would be better suited elsewhere.”

“Gifts, sir? I don’t have any gifts.” My mom was sure to remind me of that every chance she got. He raised an eyebrow and looked in my direction as if he was examining my very soul. His pitch-black eyes were scanning me for something I wasn’t sure I had. I didn’t feel like I could do anything to match the expectant look in his eyes, even though that was all I wanted.

“Yes… gifts. On closer inspection, it seems like you’ve yet to discover yours. Tell me… what’s your name?” He said, closing his eyes and leaning back on his throne again.

“Rhea. Rhea Cybele, sir.” He laughed at the name. I bowed my head again.

“Rhea. That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. My mother decided not to come back with us when we returned. Many of her siblings shared her decision. They felt that the mortal realm was so far below them that it didn’t deserve their presence once more. My sister, Demeter, felt the same way. I think she’s still mad about Persephone. You kidnap one daughter, and your sister will drone on about it for millennia.”

I cringed slightly. “Oh yeah. You married your niece… right?” Fucking weirdo.

“Gods don’t follow the same rules as mortals.” He shot up, and his eyes flared. “Our genetics don’t work the same, and our customs are different. This isn’t about me, anyways.” Shit. Even I knew not to piss off a god. “This is about you,” he continued, leaning his head back again and closing those fierce eyes. “Have you ever noticed one of my kind around you? One of my siblings or one of their children, perhaps?”

From the aura he was putting out, I know I would’ve noticed being around a god before. The air felt heavy. I felt so inadequate that I wasn’t sure I deserved to occupy the same space as him. And yet something drew me to him. I wanted to be around him and serve him. It must be why I kept calling him sir and bowing my head to him. I had certainly never felt this way around anyone else in my life, so I couldn’t imagine that I’d seen another god.

“They may not have presented themselves in their divine forms,” he said, seemingly having read my mind. “You wouldn’t feel the same aura that I’m putting out now. I can shift to a mortal guise if that would make you more comfortable.”

“No, that’s okay, sir.” I knew gods didn’t like having to hide their auras. It was certainly nice of him to offer, though.

“So, have you noticed any of us? Maybe you were worshipping at one of our temples when you were younger, and a stranger came to you?”

“No, sir. I’ve never met a god. I’ve never even been to a temple except for a field trip to Poseidon’s one year in middle school.”

“Your aura is not that of Poseidon. Perhaps I’m wrong,” he mused, but it didn’t sound like he meant it. “We’re about to have a council meeting in here. Maybe it’s time you left. My brother and the other Olympians will be here any minute to go over some plans for Olympus University this upcoming year.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll leave immediately. Have a good day.” I bowed again and scurried from the room. He didn’t so much as raise his head from the throne as I walked by. I made it out of the room, and a weight immediately lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I could breathe again. I leaned back against the wall and caught my breath as I closed my eyes. I had just met a god. And my gods, was he beautiful. Were they all like that in person? Pictures and video didn’t do him justice at all. His entire persona was so beautifully constructed that I felt like melting to his will just by being in his presence.

“Overwhelming, isn’t it?” a voice came through. I opened my eyes to see Samantha, the receptionist, standing in front of me with a water bottle. “Here, this will help a little bit. Nothing will get rid of the feeling completely, but it helps.” I took the water and took a long gulp. She was right; it did help. I hadn’t realized how dry my mouth was. It was like he rendered my body useless, forgetting to do the most basic functions. “Zeus is even worse. The worst part of his is that it spikes your libido through the roof. And you’re still met with that insufferable need to please him like with Hades. You can imagine how that goes for most of us mortals when he’s feeling lecherous.”

“I can imagine worse fates,” I said, leaning off the wall and following her to the front desk. I handed her the lanyard, and she asked if I wanted her to call my mom. I waved her off and thanked her again before heading for the door. My mom wouldn’t want anything to do with me. She’d ask about the interview, which I would lie about. Then she’d tell me to catch the bus home and leave her alone. I didn’t need her to tell me to do that; I was capable of fucking off on my own. But first, I’d take a walk downtown. I couldn’t afford any of the pretty things around here, but they were still fun to look at. And it was better than going back to the house for the entire day. 

I walked outside and looked around at my surroundings. Typhon Tech was located in the heart of downtown. Immediately to my left was a clothing store, Athena’s. I felt drawn to it and dragged myself over to the window. The dresses sparkled on the mannequins, and their colors danced in the light as I moved to get a better view of some of them. Athena herself weaved every dress in the store, and they magically fit whoever wore them perfectly. Just one dress was more than six months of mortgage payments for my house. That didn’t even touch the jewelry that lined the glass cases I could make out through the door.

I had only ever seen her dresses in the window or on television. I had never seen one on an actual person in real life. They looked like the most beautiful art made into clothing. A purple dress particularly caught my eye. It was low cut and had a slit on the right leg up to the thigh. It shined under the light and had turquoise gems in the shape of my star symbol, Aquarius, on the heart.

“You like what you see, young one?” a melodic tone came from behind me. I felt a weight bearing down on me from behind. It wasn’t as intense as Hades, but I knew I was in the presence of another god. I turned to find the goddess of wisdom, Athena. She was tall with an athletic build. She wore her curly brown hair down to her shoulders and had a golden crown of laurels. She wore a skin-tight gold dress that showed her curves and looked down on me with a kind smile that radiated up to her purple eyes. She looked amused at the awestruck face I was making at her dresses. “Why don’t you go in and try one on?”

“I- I could never dream of affording one of these things. Besides, my mother would kill me for even trying it on. We’d have to take out a second mortgage if I accidentally ripped a dress just to pay it off.” The goddess laughed, and it sounded like ecstasy on air. It made me feel euphoric and like I wanted to laugh, even though nothing was funny about the situation.

“Come with me. I have a meeting to get to, but I can take a quick detour.” She motioned for me to follow her into the store. As she opened the door, the worker that walked up to meet her gasped and bowed low.

“Lady Athena. What an honor to have you in the store today. What can I help you with? Do you need anything? Rachel, get our lady a water,” he hollered off to another worker in the corner who went slack-jawed at seeing Athena before running into the back. Athena laughed, that euphoric feeling washing over me again. 

“I believe my young friend here was looking at the Aquarius dress in the window. Would you grab it for her?” she asked, though the worker and I both knew it wasn’t a question.

“I can’t afford it, ma’am. I truly appreciate the thought, but -“

“Nonsense,” she cut me off. “I can see that you will have a big event in your life very soon. You deserve to celebrate this twist of fate.” She turned to the worker who was shuffling around the mannequin, carefully removing the dress. “Anything this young lady wants is hers. Dresses, accessories, jewelry, whatever she desires. I don’t want to hear that you gave her any trouble. What was your name?”

“Jim, my lady.”

“Jim. Take care of this young woman. I will be back after my meeting to ensure everything went smoothly. Do not disappoint me.” She turned to face me and smiled. Her smile was beautiful and lit up her features. “And what was your name, dear?”

“I’m Rhea.”

“Rhea. What a beautiful name. My grandmother is named Rhea. Well, Rhea, take whatever you like. Don’t be shy, either. I can always make more.” She placed her hand on my shoulder, and a shiver ran down my spine. Her aura was suffocating enough, but her touch made me feel like she was the only thing in the world that mattered. I just had the overwhelming urge to please her. “Have a good day, young one. I’m sure we will meet again soon.” She removed her hand and walked toward the door. What did she mean we would meet again soon?

I heard a faint voice coming from beside me, but I couldn’t focus for a few seconds. The urge to chase down Athena was driving through me. I wanted to ask her what in the world I could do for her and make it so. This was the legendary influence of the gods. Only experienced through touch, much like the gifts they bestowed. I had heard of it but never experienced it myself, nor did I know anyone that had experienced it. Tina at school said she had given Zeus a blowjob once because of it, but she was a lying bitch about everything.

“Ms. Rhea? Are you okay?” the voice came through clearer. I snapped out of my stupor and saw Jim standing in front of me with the beautiful purple dress. “Would you like to try it on, or do you want me to just go ahead and wrap it?”

“I’ll try it on to see how it looks on me. I know it will fit, but I’d like to make sure I have the look for it.” I grabbed the dress from his hands, and he clutched onto it a little too tightly. I yanked it out of his hands and headed for the dressing rooms.

“I’m sure it will look fantastic on you, miss,” he said through a forced grin. What was his fucking problem? “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.” 

I paused and looked at some of the jewelry in the glass cases. A diamond necklace with strands of diamonds of increasing length leading to a sizeable tear-shaped diamond in the center caught my eye. There were two diamond earrings right below it to compliment it, both in tear shapes. “I’ll try these on, too.” Athena had said to get anything I wanted. Why not go a little crazy? Jim shuffled behind the counter to grab the pieces and handed them to me gingerly. I snagged them and continued to the dressing rooms, grabbing a pair of stilettos from a nearby shelf as I walked in.

I stepped in and stripped down before stepping into the dress. I could feel its shape shifting as I stepped into it, magically contouring to my body. I pulled it all the way up, slipped my arms into the straps, and snuggled in as the fabric stopped shifting. It was tight but comfortable. I looked in the mirror and saw it hugging my curves more tightly than anything I’d ever worn before. The neckline was a little low cut, and my cleavage was on full display, but the dress made me feel confident enough to not care. It was beautiful. I put on the necklace and held the earring up to my ear as I looked in the mirror. The total package was perfect. I never thought that about myself, but in this outfit, I was gorgeous. 

I couldn’t stop smiling when I heard the bell, which meant another customer had walked in the door. I went to take the dress off when I felt that heavy feeling again. I then heard a woman ask, “Where’s Rhea Cybele?”

“She’s in the dressing rooms, my lady.” Jim stuttered. Traitor.

“Rhea. Come out, please. I need to speak with you.” The voice was just as soothing as Athena’s, but it was totally unfamiliar. I didn’t recognize it from any of the interviews I’d seen of the gods online, but I could tell by the thickness that lay in the air that it was another goddess. I didn’t bother changing back into my clothes and stepped out in the dress. Before me stood the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. She was one of the most reclusive of the gods, rarely giving interviews with her family. She didn’t even teach many students at Olympus University.

She was beautiful, much like Athena and Hades. Her golden hair was in a braid down her back, and she was tall. Even in my high heels, I had to look up at her. She had a button nose and deep green eyes. She had a broad smile and wore a dark green strapless tank top with black leather pants.

“Hello, Rhea. It’s nice to see you again. You look beautiful.” Again? I’d never met a god before today, and now it seemed like they were just coming out of the woodwork. Apparently, she could read the confused look on my face. “You don’t recognize me. That’s fair; the last time we met, I was disguised as a doctor. I was there the day your father died. He had prayed to me for help on his deathbed, and I tried to answer his prayers. Sadly, I was too late. His fate had been decided well before I arrived. I would have had to make him an immortal to save him, and that’s against the new Olympian code. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

“It’s okay, ma’am. My dad was sick for a long time, long before you all returned. I was blessed to have him for as long as I did.” It was the truth. My dad had been sick for as long as I could remember. He died when I was ten, so he had seen the Olympians return, which sparked a new hope in him. But there was nothing that could be done. It wasn’t fair, but it was life. I had grown to accept it over the years.

“No, it’s not. If I had answered his prayers earlier, I could have saved him. I failed him. And I failed you, Rhea. The least I could do was bless you on that day. I visited The Fates about your dad and saw your fate while I was there. I knew it was cold and harsh after your dad passed. Your mom would grow cold toward you. She doesn’t hate you, for what it’s worth. You just remind her of the pain of losing her love.”

“My mom is a bitch.” Maybe I shouldn’t be so blunt with a goddess. “Ma’am.”Artemis laughed, and that same feeling of euphoria rushed over me. I giggled.

“Well, be that as it may, I didn’t come to discuss your relationship with your mother. I came here to discuss you. I had hoped you would have discovered your gift by now, but it appears that’s not the case. So I’m here to guide you a little. You don’t have to accept your gift if you choose not to. But I would see it as a great honor if you did.” She grabbed my hand, and I melted. I knew at that moment I would do anything to make her happy. Any gift she gave me, I would happily take. Anything she wanted, I would happily do.

“Of course. Anything.” I felt the words come out of my mouth but didn’t remember thinking them.

“Oh, damnit. I’m sorry. I forget about our influence sometimes. I’m used to being around my nymphs. They’re immune to it all.” She let go of my hand, and I regained my composure. Something about her aura wasn’t as commanding as Hades’ or Athena’s. It was warm. The pressure was still there, but it felt enveloping rather than smothering. “Soon, you’ll be immune to it, too. If you accept the gift, that is. Anyone gifted becomes immune to our auras and our influence. You’re not our peers, but you are as close as mortals can get. Unless someone like Zeus goes out of his way to influence you. He’s been known to force his will on mortals, gifted or not. He doesn’t do it much these days, but back in Greece, it was insufferable.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. Artemis was talking to me as if we were friends, but I couldn’t just address a goddess like an equal. We weren’t equals. We would never be equals. She was divinity. I was a bum.

“You really do look stunning in that dress, Rhea.” She smiled. “I’m not sure if it’s your usual style, but it still looks stunning on you.” She stepped forward and brushed her hand against the necklace I had on. The contact of her skin on my collarbone sent shivers down to my core. She was close enough now that I could almost feel her breath on my face. My knees grew weak, and I wasn’t so positive it was her influence that was making me feel this way. She was beautiful. Flawless. Divine.

“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, blushing.

“The ma’ams aren’t necessary. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other over the coming years. Just call me Artemis. Some of the other gods like the titles that get thrown around, but I don’t care for them.”

“Okay, Artemis.” She smiled and took a step back to give me a little room to breathe. I felt myself standing taller than I was previously. I felt proud. Dangerous. I blamed the dress.

“Now, about your gift. How do you feel about archery?” Artemis asked.

“Archery? I’ve never really thought about it.” Now that I had, though, I liked the idea. 

“Maybe you should. I’ve taken the liberty of signing you up for a class at The Underworld.” She reached out and handed me a card with some details written on it. The Underworld was Hades’ massive training facility near the university. It was used by all of the students but also by some fitness enthusiasts when a regular gym wasn’t meeting their demands anymore. I had never thought of going there. The membership wasn’t expensive, but it wasn’t cheap either. My local gym was a much better fit for me.

I read the card and the appointment time was at 1:00 PM today. That meant I had a few hours to go home and eat, get dressed, and then get back to the center of town. I needed to go. But I didn’t want to leave Artemis.

“It will be just an introductory thing. No commitment is necessary. I’ve given your instructor specific instructions to go over with you and an offer to be made at the end of your class. Again, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. But I would appreciate it if you do.” She grabbed my hand again, and I felt my willpower dissolving. Of course I was going to go to this class.

“You’re doing the influence thing again, Artemis,” I said dreamily. She gave a knowing smile and laughed before turning for the door.

“I’m late for a meeting with the others. You should go home and get dressed. You look lovely, but that’s not a sporting dress.”