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She sat up straight in her chair Looking around the room, she narrowed her eyes

"Athena, I would like to talk to you" Ree didn’t raise her voice, just waited patiently to see if the goddess was listening

"I ondering how long you were going to avoid oddess was tall,a dark suit, her white, button -down shirt tucked around her narroaist Ree found herself staring at the slasses that perched on her nose "You certainly have bad tiotiations"

"Thank you for answering" Ree stayed at the desk, not wanting to give up her spot of power

"Well, sos are a little more important" Athena’s mouth pulled to the side in a soddess knew just why she wasn’t vacating the large desk chair "Besides, it was getting a little boring I have the"

Athena pulled her glasses off and tucked them into her shirt pocket She walked over to the table in the corner and poured an alass Ree kneas alcohol, but had no idea what kind The goddess sat down in one of the chairs facing the desk and crossed her legs She took a sip of the drink and sighed happily

"Sophie always did stock the best whiskey A weakness ofanother sip "So, you look at home behind that desk"

"You mean I look frazzled and frustrated" Ree narrowed her eyes, not sure if the goddess was teasing her or not

"Exactly" Athena kicked off her shoes and looked at Ree with narrowed eyes "We should have had this talk sooner"

"Possibly I’ve been a little busy, however" Ree laced her fingers together and rested her hands on the desk "I’d like to talk to you about so iyou i at Ree around the cup

"Let’s be honest, Athena You would have turned ht it would have helped the situation" Ree’s heart beat a little faster, wondering if what she was planning would blow up in her face "I want to bring in the other Guardians"

"I take it you do not mean your friends"

"No I want to call in backup" Ree watched as Athena frowned

"What for?" Athena stayed in the chair and gazed at Ree with bright eyes

"I want to reth" Ree chose her words carefully

"I see" Athena continued to stare at Ree, but didn’t offer anything else

"The er he becoets, the harder he will be to beat" Ree took a deep breath and hoped she was playing her cards right "However, I’ve been infor their existence exposed Not even by the immortals that carry their blood"

"So, you appeal to me to see reason" Athena s I will see thehis food source"

"When in war, you block a country’s trade routes You take out its resources This is siy" Ree tried to keep her face blank, but knew the goddess understood just how much she needed her help

"And how do you propose we remove the humans?"

"If we can have the Guardians from other locations come help, we may be able to take them and hide them ourselves There are houses in the center of the island We could bring the her hands, Ree picked up the pen on the desk in front of her "There are sixthe We could settle them in the small houses easily"

"And ill you feed those that you bring to the island?" Athena twirled the whiskey in her cup

"Well, there is plenty of food in the kitchen…"

"Not enough to feed the twenty-two people you are suggesting bringing over"

Ree looked down at the list in front of her and frowned The six fa did add up to twenty-two people "Perhaps you could help provide food for them the same way you do for us"

"So, you ask ods to this plan Then you ask ees" Athena narrowed her eyes over the drink

"Providing for your family and extended family is not a favor to me It’s what faoddess "But, yes, I do ask that you help ods that it would be in their best interest to remove those that are in harm’s way"

"And ould you do for me in return?" Athena smiled when Ree’s shoulders jerked in surprise "Is that not how favors work? I help you and you helpin return You could say that was advanced payotiations work, Alastriana You want solass down on the table next to her before leaning her head back against the chair

"You’ve already asked sonashed her teeth together

"Then, no I will not help" Athena pulled out her glasses and slipped theet back to"

"What would you ask for?" Ree’s fury was quickly accelerating

"What do you plan on doing with yourself after the final battle?" Athena looked over her glasses at Ree, her eyes dancing with so vacation somewhere pretty"

"After the vacation What then? You can’t spend all of eternity on a beach" Athena tilted her head to the side "Trust reat for a little while, but you will end up bored stiff Even with the godling to keep you company"

"What do you have into oddess exuded

"There will be clean up, of course, but we ain soht need to help with a different project"

"What type of project?"

Athena shrugged delicately "That would have to be deter on in the world Not just the battle you are involved in"

"So, in other words, you want to be able to calllater" Ree rubbed the arht it over