Chapter Summaries

Metis tried to persuade Themis to support Zeus, then left after provoking her and inviting Samael to Olympus. Days later, she visited Echidna to propose a deal that could decide the future of gods and monsters.

• Metis urged Themis to help Zeus overthrow the old order, but Themis refused to take sides and warned that Zeus could become like Cronus.
• Metis teased Themis into calling her Aunt Metis, then lost their chess game as Themis trapped and defeated her.
• Metis invited Samael to Olympus to teach her chess, but Themis ordered her to leave.
• Metis departed after warning Themis that breaking the old order might be necessary, while Samael wondered about the hidden stakes in the war between the New and Old Gods.
• Several days later, Metis visited Echidna in Arima cave and offered a deal that would decide the future of gods and monsters.

Metis’s strategies had strengthened Olympus and weakened the Titans, but her latest attempt to persuade the remaining Titans had stalled. Zeus then introduced Prometheus and Epimetheus, who claimed they could further divide the Titans, leaving the gathered gods waiting to hear their plan.

• Metis returned to Olympus after trying to persuade the remaining Titans, and Zeus welcomed her with affection.
• The chapter recounted how Zeus freed the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires, gained their support, and secured weapons that strengthened Olympus.
• Metis persuaded Oceanus and Tethys to support Zeus, convinced Hyperion and Theia to withdraw from the war, and left Rhea outside the conflict, reducing the active Titan Lords to seven.
• Zeus hosted a feast for Metis and the other gods, then kept his siblings and two new guests behind after the celebration.
• Zeus introduced Prometheus and Epimetheus, sons of Iapetus, and said they had a way to further dismantle the Twelve Titans.

Epimetheus publicly revealed Prometheus’s plan to weaken the Titans by having Zeus court unmarried goddesses, provoking Zeus’s anger. Metis saved the brothers and directed Zeus toward Uranus, whose hatred of Cronus could help them.

• Epimetheus praised Prometheus’s strategy and explained how Zeus could win Titan goddesses and their families as allies.
• Zeus threatened Prometheus, who feared he would be made a scapegoat, while Epimetheus tried to take the blame.
• Metis calmed Zeus and argued that Prometheus’s prophecy could be acted upon, sparing the brothers.
• Metis told Zeus to seek help at the boundary of sky and sea, where Uranus, who hated Cronus, might be found.

Zeus indulged Metis while secretly arranging to monitor her during her pregnancy, and Prometheus explained to his brother that their marriage concealed a struggle for power. Prometheus and the Afterthinker headed to visit Themis, while Samael discovered Tina had brought an unexpected companion out of the forest.

• Zeus split the Goatskin Divine Shield in two at Metis’s request, then sent the fragments to be reforged for their daughter.
• Prometheus warned the Afterthinker to avoid Zeus and his family, explaining that Zeus had skinned the goat who nursed him and was now secretly watching Metis.
• Prometheus revealed that Zeus both loved Metis and pursued supreme power, and the Afterthinker realized the brothers had been used against her.
• Prometheus took the Afterthinker toward Chryseis Marsh to visit Themis and repay a favor.
• Samael called Tina to the campfire, then saw her emerge from the forest holding hands with a purple-haired, half-human, half-serpent figure.

Samael and Tina met Echidna and her three-headed son Cerberus, then offered to help care for her children. At Echidna’s cave, Samael recognized several future Divine Monsters and found a massive purple-glowing egg that stirred him deeply.

• Tina met Echidna while picking mushrooms, and Cerberus obediently stayed with her until his mother arrived.
• Samael and Tina spent the day with Echidna and offered to help care for her children at home.
• Echidna led Samael and Tina to her cave, where they fed her hungry young Divine Monsters.
• Samael recognized Hydra, Cerberus, Ladon, the Colchian dragon, Chimera, and the Nemean Lion among the offspring.
• Samael entered the central cavern with Cerberus and Hydra and felt a powerful tremor at the sight of a huge purple-glowing egg.

Samael learned more about Anna’s exceptional nature and chose to stay in Echidna’s lair to care for the divine monster hatchlings. He used Gorgon’s purple scale and his blood to restore Anna’s memories of her life in the Mesopotamian world, while Themis sensed the arrival of Prometheus and Epimetheus.

• Samael examined the egg containing the Gorgon Sisters and concluded that Anna alone had the potential to become a god among Echidna’s divine monsters.
• Samael found traces of golden-red divine blood in the lair and grew more certain that Anna’s birth and bloodline were unusual.
• Samael and Tiamat agreed to stay in Echidna’s lair as nannies, helping care for the hatchlings while waiting for the remaining eggs to hatch.
• Samael crushed Gorgon’s purple scale and mixed it with his blood, causing Anna’s egg to absorb memories of her Mesopotamian life.
• Samael soothed the trembling egg and told Anna he would wait for her to wake.
• Themis looked up from her manuscript as Prometheus and Epimetheus emerged from the bushes and approached Daphne’s home.

Themis searched for Samael and worried that Metis was drawing him into the struggle between Zeus and Cronus, but she decided she might help Metis after all. At the Oceanus Sea, Zeus sought Uranus’s help against Cronus and received a mysterious sleeping goddess as a gift.

• Daphne told Themis that the Nymphs had been unable to find Samael or Sister Tina, and Themis sent them home with aether fruits.
• Themis suspected Metis was maneuvering to involve Samael in the conflict between Zeus and Cronus, and resolved to keep him out of the struggle.
• Remembering her affection for Metis, Themis decided she would help her if she could and visit Zeus after he returned.
• Zeus approached Uranus at the Oceanus Sea and tried to persuade him to help take revenge on Cronus.
• Uranus summoned the Three Goddesses of Vengeance, then offered Zeus a sleeping goddess in a white shell, stirring intense feelings in him.

Zeus welcomed Aphrodite and brought three new partners to Olympus before setting out to meet Themis. In the marshlands, Samael learned that Astraea had been searching for him for two months and hurried to find her.

• Uranus vanished, and Zeus opened the shell that carried Aphrodite, who awoke and offered to follow his orders.
• Zeus returned from Oceanus with Mnemosyne, Leto, and Metis, while Aphrodite teased him and led him toward Themis's invitation.
• Samael struggled to manage Cerberus and Hydra in the Serpent Mother's cave and threatened Cerberus for trying to relieve herself by the entrance.
• Cerberus caught a Nymph who had wandered into the cave, and Samael rescued her from the hellhound's jaws.
• The Nymph told Samael that Astraea had been looking for him for two months, so he immediately set off to find her.

Zeus visited Themis in the Cilician Marshes and rejected her offer to support him only if he swore to uphold laws protecting marriage and civilized conduct. He then asked her to return to Olympus as his wife, leaving her to face his possessive invitation.

• Zeus arrived at Themis’s treehouse and said he would leave her uninvolved in his war against Cronus while preserving her divine position.
• Themis presented Zeus with laws and offered to help restore order if he swore to treat his wife well in the name of justice.
• Zeus rejected the laws, saying he might adopt them after becoming King of Gods, and Themis lowered the Sword of Judgment.
• Zeus praised Themis’s foresight and beauty and invited her to Olympus to become his wife.

Zeus tried to recruit Themis, but she drove him away when Samael arrived. Themis then confessed her love to Samael and asked him to become her divine attendant and beloved, leaving him unsure whether to accept or flee.

• Themis refused Zeus's request to swear beneath his sword and ordered him out of the Cilician Marshes.
• Samael arrived with Cerberus, and Themis affectionately took his hand.
• Themis attacked Zeus with her sword, forcing him to retreat toward Olympus rather than risk a fight before his battle with Mount Othrys.
• Themis clung to Samael and revealed that she was the Goddess of Justice, explaining her vision of laws and civilization replacing the old gods.
• Themis confessed that she loved Samael more than justice and asked him to become her divine attendant, companion, teacher, and beloved.

Zeus learned from Aphrodite that his power had only amplified existing feelings, then left to tend to the goddesses he had seduced. Meanwhile, the Nymph worried over Samael and Themis’s long silence in the treehouse and went to find help; the pair eventually awoke together.

• Aphrodite explained that Zeus’s divine power had magnified the goddesses’ existing feelings, and suggested Themis had fought over more than slight affection for Samael.
• Aphrodite warned Zeus to spend time stabilizing the feelings he had inspired, and Zeus left to attend to Demeter and the others.
• Zeus secretly placed a Cursed Seal around Aphrodite’s room, while she wondered what kind of child Samael was and expressed a wish to meet him.
• Outside the damaged treehouse, a Nymph heard Themis reciting laws amid the prolonged commotion and, unable to enter past Cerberus, flew off to find help.
• After a day and night, Samael and Themis awoke inside the treehouse with their arms beneath their heads and met each other’s gaze.

Samael and Themis treated their night together as a marriage, teasing each other about the vows and the law. Their private moment was interrupted when Tina arrived in a panic, and Samael tried to hide what had happened while calming her down.

• Themis declared that she and Samael had completed their marriage procedures under the stars, and Samael privately tried to excuse his role in their night together.
• Themis warned Samael that marriage vows bound them both, and she began recording his loophole argument for a future judgment.
• Cerberus alerted Samael that Tiamat was approaching, while Daphne cried out about her damaged house and called to him.
• Tina burst through the half-collapsed wall, and Samael stopped her just before her horns struck him.
• Samael learned that Tina had flown over after hearing little Nymph's message and praised her newly appeared green wings.

After repairing Daphne’s treehouse and celebrating with the Nymphs, Samael and Themis discussed the danger posed by both Mount Othrys and Mount Olympus. They expected Cronus’s power to collapse but worried that Zeus might turn against them, and Samael ended the night resolved to face the danger beside Themis.

• Themis rebuilt and expanded Daphne’s damaged treehouse, then the Nymphs prepared a feast to celebrate.
• Samael and Themis petted Cerberus together, and Samael privately recognized the scene as resembling a classic image of Themis.
• After the feast, Samael and Themis discussed how Cronus had alienated his allies and how Zeus might threaten them once Mount Othrys fell.
• Samael carried the sleeping Tina to bed and covered her with a blanket, feeling guilty that his actions had exposed her to danger.
• Samael took Themis’s hand and reaffirmed that he did not regret their choices.

Samael and Themis weighed their poor chances of opposing Zeus when Metis arrived to apologize and negotiate on his behalf. She secured a temporary promise that Zeus would leave Themis and Samael alone, then gave Themis contact marks for Titans who might help pressure him; Samael hinted that he wanted to discuss Metis's destiny.

• Samael and Themis concluded that Zeus had grown too powerful to confront easily and considered fleeing with Tiamat if necessary.
• Metis visited Themis and apologized for Zeus stripping away her power, while Samael insisted that an apology required compensation.
• Metis said Zeus would preserve Themis's divine position, respect justice, and refrain from targeting her or Samael for quite a while.
• Metis explained that Zeus had agreed because the Titans might oppose him if he pursued personal revenge against Themis.
• Metis gave Themis the divine marks of Titans she had contacted so Themis could reach them and pressure Zeus if needed.
• As Metis prepared to leave, Samael accepted her favor and asked to discuss her destiny.

Samael confronted Metis about the curse on the King of Gods Bloodline and discovered her concern was really for her unborn child. He proposed that he and Themis raise the child in exchange for Metis ending Olympus’s hostility, leaving the deal open for negotiation.

• Samael warned Metis that Uranus’s curse would lead Zeus to consume her, but Metis welcomed the fate because she loved Zeus.
• Themis rebuked Metis for loving Zeus, while Metis insisted he would give his heart to her if she asked.
• Tina brought Samael news that Zeus had stationed a Hecatoncheires to guard Metis near the marsh.
• Samael argued that Metis’s visit was meant to secure a future for her unborn child, and Metis’s reaction confirmed his suspicion.
• Themis drew Samael, Metis, and Tina into a starlit barrier, where Samael offered to have himself and Themis raise Metis’s child if Metis would end Olympus’s hostility.

Samael arranged for Metis to give birth beneath Themis’s Starry Sky Court barrier while the Hecatoncheires searched for them. After the child was born and the barrier collapsed, Metis convinced the Hecatoncheires to leave by threatening to send him back to Tartarus Prison.

• Samael proposed that Metis give birth where they were, and Tina used her life authority to induce the birth.
• Themis warned that the Hecatoncheires was approaching and could only conceal them for fifteen minutes.
• Metis asked Themis to help her deliver, and Tina’s power brought on her contractions.
• The Hecatoncheires shattered the Starry Sky Court barrier as Metis gave birth to a daughter.
• Metis concealed the birth from the Hecatoncheires and ordered him away, threatening to arrange a better spot for him in Tartarus Prison if he failed his mission.

Metis gave birth to Athena, then left after entrusting her daughter’s safety to Samael. Samael planned to hide Athena in Arima Cave, where a purple-red egg began to crack.

• Themis helped Metis recover after the birth, and Metis named her daughter Athena and placed her in Samael’s care.
• Samael and Tina created a soulless duplicate from Athena’s blood to conceal the birth from Zeus.
• As Zeus approached, Metis crowned Athena with an olive branch, said goodbye, and left the marsh.
• After Zeus and the Hundred-Handed One departed, Samael decided to take Athena to Arima Cave, and Cerberus led the way.
• A purple-red egg in Arima Cave’s incubation chamber trembled and began to crack.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with the protagonist, Alex, waking up late due to oversleeping.
• Alex rushes to get ready, missing breakfast and having to skip a morning class.
• Alex's friend, Jamie, covers for Alex in the missed class, sending Alex notes and recordings.
• Alex receives a text from their crush, Taylor, inviting them to a party that evening.

Character Developments

• Alex shows responsibility and appreciation for Jamie's help, demonstrating their good friendship.
• Alex's eagerness to attend Taylor's party hints at their growing feelings for Taylor.

Significant Themes

• Friendship: Jamie's actions highlight the importance of friends supporting each other.
• Time Management: Alex's oversleeping and subsequent rush emphasize the theme of time management and responsibility.

Character Interactions

• Alex and Jamie's interaction shows their strong friendship, with Jamie helping Alex without being asked.
• Alex and Taylor's text exchange hints at a potential romantic interest, with Alex looking forward to the party.

Cronus prepared to face Zeus after Rhea revealed that most of the Titans had abandoned Mount Othrys, and a heavenly signal set the decisive battle for three days later. As Cronus marched to gather his remaining allies, Samael sensed the divine war beginning near Arima Cave.

• Rhea confronted the drunken Cronus and told him his attendants and most of his forces had deserted Mount Othrys.
• Rhea said that she and eight other Titans had withdrawn, while Iapetus and Crius still supported Cronus.
• Lightning announced that the decisive battle would take place at the Sea of Oceanus in three days.
• Cronus summoned his black sickle, declared he would crush Zeus's rebellion, and left Mount Othrys to gather his allies.
• Rhea watched Cronus march away, troubled by the fact that he was both her husband and her child's father.
• Samael sensed the heavens fill with signs of war and realized the divine conflict was about to begin.

Samael caught Athena tormenting Cerberus with Hydra's venom and exposed her schemes, then ordered her to apologize and write a self-criticism. The chapter ended with Athena and the purple-haired girl arguing over Samael while he stood trapped between them.

• Samael found Athena paralyzing Cerberus and freed the dog with divine power.
• Samael searched Athena and confiscated her sharp stones, scales, and vial of diluted Hydra's venom.
• Athena claimed she had helped Hydra get revenge on Cerberus, and Samael accused her of using the feud for her own amusement.
• Samael rapped Athena on the head and ordered her to apologize to Cerberus and write a two-thousand-word account of her crime and a self-criticism.
• Athena clung to Samael as the purple-haired girl arrived, and the two girls traded insults while Samael felt caught between them.