The Rise of Athena (Hiatus)| Book I of the "A Goddess' War" Trilogy

Not Your Ordinary Day

The Upper East Side of New York City was known for its elegant brownstones. Clustered together to form a great wall of brick and stucco, accented with windows and little staircases. They were best known for being the homes of the social elite, people the mortals treated like modern-day gods. But they would never consider the brownstones a place where a goddess would reside.

Goddesses were supposed to live in grand palaces or hidden hovels in the woods. Not common townhouses in New York City. It was hard to picture one sitting on the back patio with her feet popped up on the bistro table, a book laid across her lap. Enjoying a cup of tea in the crisp fall air. It certainly wasn't a balcony overlooking the grand waterfalls of Olympus but the patio's high brick walls, cascading greenery, and marble fountain were just as good.

The house was a gift after all, and who was the great goddess Athena to reject gifts when there were so few to be had. And she needed somewhere to enjoy her days off.

After her fall, S.H.I.E.L.D. offered her a proposition since she was stuck on Earth for an indefinite amount of time. S.H.I.E.L.D. would help her find a job and housing and help her assimilate into human life and Athena wouldn't cause any trouble. She raised a little ruckus with the townhouse ordeal but, in her defense, it was an unused safehouse excluded from any of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s records. After she sweet-talked Fury into letting her inhabit the property, his superiors weren't the happiest.

It was a five-thousand square foot masterpiece. Two floors were dedicated to master bedrooms, one of which Athena turned into a private museum of sorts. And the rooftop terrace was perfect for gazing at the night sky and wishing for more stars. She could host fabulous parties if she wanted to. But for parties she needed friends and Athena was short on those.

For the time being, she enjoyed having a big place for herself and her books. The one she held in her hands was an old favorite. The worn, aged pages felt familiar against her fingertips. The ancient script scrawled along them made her miss her home.

Golden sunlight streamed down through the clear November sky. Birds chirped and flitted from the little house concealed in the foliage. The only way the day could get better was if it was a little warmer. She took another sip of tea from her still warm mug before she retired back inside.

The book found its place on the shelf once again and the mug to the sink in the upstairs kitchen. She went up another flight on the spiral staircase and into the bedroom that she turned into a little museum. It had an old Victorian glamour hidden behind her collections. Birchwood parquet floors, a marble fireplace, and a cream color scheme. Pottery from private collectors and hundreds of books from libraries. Handwoven tapestries hung about the walls.

Athena had made it a hobby to collect things that reminded her of home. Little statue horses and paintings of muses and gods. A few ottomans and settees and even potted olive and citrus trees.

Athena's bedroom was the only room that resembled an actual home instead of a museum. After staying with a host family for so long, Athena had gotten used to modern styles. Mahogany wood paneling, glass tiled floors, and a bathtub large enough for two that faced a fireplace. Of course, she couldn't forget about the King-sized bed with more than enough pillows. In Olympus, she slept with a thin sheet to cover her. Now, she couldn't fall asleep without a heavy comforter pulled up to her chin. Unlike in the summer with her host family.

There was only one window air conditioning unit for the apartment and it was in the living room. When the bedroom fans didn't provide enough circulation, Athena and her brothers would set up camp in the living room. Making forts out of the couch cushions and pillows and staying up much later than Lydia wanted them too. It was great to feel like a kid without responsibility, something she missed during the war in Olympus.