JAWBREAKER

𝙀𝙋𝙄𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙐𝙀

September

"It's right through here," Warren said, turning the brass doorknob.

There was a clattering sound and a muffled curse behind her as a moving box tumbled to the ground.

"Hey," Warren called over her shoulder. "Watch the boxes!"

"Easy for you to say," a man's voice muttered. "They weigh a ton."

"I thought you were supposed to be a god."

"Be nice," Kendra chastised, coming up the stairs, arms loaded with cardboard crates.

Warren just rolled her eyes and pushed her way into the apartment.

A lot had changed since she'd left camp. The media went crazy at the news that Warren had survived the "gas leak" that took the life of her mother. She was hounded for interviews and statements, and every day more and more letters from law firms arrived— offering their services if Warren wanted to take legal action against her former apartment complex (which she declined.) A hydra attack would hardly hold up in court.

However, Warren did have to settle Kendra's estate. The Butcher, and her entire franchise, fell to Warren. All of her mother's bank accounts, contracts, businesses, and residuals became hers. Warren was the sole heir to her mother's legacy...and it was worth a lot.

Twice in one month she made headlines: first for coming back from the dead, and second for being the youngest millionaire on Forbes's thirty under thirty list. But the last thing Warren wanted was the limelight. As soon as she was able, and with a little help from Ares co-signing her lease, she packed up and moved to Manhattan.

"Just set them in the living room," Warren told her mom, and the man helping her— Leonidas. He was tall and strapping, with a hard face and grown-out hair.

So far, Kendra was adjusting well to godhood. Sure, things with Ares and Aphrodite were a little...tense, now that she was around, but overall she had taken immortality in stride. Kendra was still learning, though, what it meant to have this power, and how to handle such a massive change. Which was why Leonidas was there, her ever-present shadow.

He'd been assigned as her mentor, as another former-mortal turned god. They worked together on Olympus— minor deities of strength and stamina, respectively. Warren liked Leonidas well enough, he had a lot of cool war stories to tell. But the more time she spent around him and her mom, the more suspicious she became that their relationship wasn't entirely professional. It was small at first, just shy smiles and nervous laughs. But now it was impossible to miss the sidelong glances and touches that lingered just a few seconds too long.

Leonidas dusted off his hands. "Well, I think that's the last of them." He looked around at the meager stack of boxes. "Are you sure this is it?"

Warren nodded. "Not much survived being incinerated."