Changing the Future

Chapter 53

I nodded, suddenly grateful for the three ladies preventing the gods from trying to bury me alive. But I knew I must've been near dead from the fact that neither Hades nor Apollo could sense life within me while I was out.

So that brought up the question: what exactly had Zeus's plan been if not to kill me? And how was this supposed to be a punishment? Because if there's anything I know about the Lord of the Skies, he enjoys setting up his punishments to torment his prisoners as much as possible – like what he did to Prometheus.

"So then what was your intention, brother?" Hades spat, glaring daggers at Zeus, the shadows in the room swirling around him in agitation. Even the damned souls of the god's clothes were restless, incessantly moving across the fabric, rippling like waves in a pond.

"Whatever it was that you did was meant to be a punishment," Poseidon pointed out, sounding just as furious as Hades. "And clearly the punishment wasn't death, so go on, out with it. Or did you just want to see what your glorified shock stick could do to someone with the Curse of Achilles?"

Zeus swallowed thickly, like someone had just forced the world's largest pill down his throat. Even Hera seemed downright murderous towards her husband, giving him such a severe scowl that Kronos himself would be proud. Not to mention that Hestia, who could probably have been a goddess of peace from how adamant she was to stay out of conflicts, looked like she wanted to throttle her youngest brother with her bare hands, while they were on fire.

"Your punishment, er, it is to..." Zeus cut himself off, scanning the room only to realize that the only god in his favor was Ares, who was licking his lips with anticipation and cleaning his nails with a razor sharp knife. But even then, Ares and I respected each other, so I don't know how much Ares really wanted me punished or if he just wanted another fight to break out.

"Well?" I asked, hating the feebleness of my own voice. It sounded like the electricity had fried my voice box, much to my disgust.

Zeus hung his head in defeat. "I was never going to punish you, Andromeda. What I did is force a gift upon you, one I knew you would turn down if given the option."

Uh oh, I heard George and Martha mutter, slithering around Hermes's caduceus, while the god was gripping his throne's armrest so tightly it was a miracle he hadn't ripped the leather off yet. Apollo was just as ticked, his body shining with excess light to reflect his anger, which made him nearly impossible to look at.

Thankfully, I'd learned my lesson ages ago and fished out my pair of Apollo-grade sunglasses, strong enough to stare at a blazing sun god without permanent damage to my eyes.

"What...did...you...do?" Hera said through gritted teeth, about to tear out Zeus's throat.

"Oh, heh, funny story..."

"ZEUS!"

"All right, all right; calm down, woman!" Zeus threw up his hands in surrender. "I made Andromeda a goddess – there, the big secret has been revealed!"

All the strength drained out of my body again, and I wanted nothing more than to have Hera wipe my mind, wanting to forget that this conversation had ever happened. Me, a goddess? When had that ever been part of the plan? I didn't want to be a goddess, restricted by the Ancient Laws, unable to do the one thing I'd been brought here to do.

"Take it back," I growled, staggering to my feet, suppressing any feeling of vertigo that I was starting to develop. "I don't want to be a goddess. Take it back!"

"It is already too late, I'm afraid-"

"That's a load of Minotaur dung!" I shouted, anger bubbling up in my chest. "Why would you do this to me? I didn't ask to become a goddess! You forbade me from becoming a goddess!"