Athena sighed as she heard the call. Another Tarben wretch, ready to tear her down. She padded to the borders. A handsome peacock lad was sitting in the grass. Her eyes examined his tail. “You’re speaking to the queen of Sindri. What is the message?” she answered. Flames lit along Athena’s back, without her knowing it, at the thought of what this message might be. Could it be that they were dropping the alliance, or that he had need of her help? No, she knew what it could be. Her stomach twisted. At the battleground, Wendigo had spoken to her, that he expected Asmodeus and Vryko. No way in h e l l was she giving them to him. To Tarben. Her son might thrive and excel. But what about her daughter? Athena had had to comfort her after the meeting. All fricking God, her daughter had been scared by the tension. And after all, Sindri needed Asmo as delta and Vryko as theta. Unless any new arrivals proved sufficient for the jobs, or something else happened.
She examined this man. He hadn’t been on the battlefield. New arrival? She thought so. Lovely colors, he had. She found herself wondering where Beartooth found these exotics. Sure, she’d had a Zodiac lady join up, but . . .
Athena speared the man with a gaze. “Speak fast. I don’t have all day.”

“Lucky lucky lucky me, I got everything I need!”