9: Demoted to a maid

HERA

I woke up the next morning to the sound of muffled voices. My head felt heavy, my body even more so, the events of last night still tangled in my mind. 

The trial. The moment with me and Atticus. The voice in my head. 

It all twirled in my mind like a whirlwind.

I had barely open my eyes when I saw them—Lilith and three maids, standing by the foot of the bed, watching me like they were waiting for something.

I sat up slowly, my body protesting, but I kept my face blank. 

"What’s going on?" I asked, my voice a little rough but steady.

Lilith stepped forward, a smug smile on her lips, clearly enjoying whatever game she was playing. 

“I just wanted to personally welcome you to your new role here, Hera.” She responded smugly. I narrowed my eyes, but I wasn’t in the mood for her theatrics. 

"And what role would that be?"

Lilith’s smile widened as she threw a bundle of clothes at the foot of the bed. 

"A maid. That’s all you’re worth here." She tilted her head, her voice oozing mockery. “You didn’t think you were going to live here like some sort of queen, did you?”

I looked at the clothes she tossed—simple, plain, nothing but a maid’s uniform. I raised an eyebrow, my eyes flicking back to hers. 

“You think I’m going to wear that?” 

Lilith crossed her arms, clearly expecting me to be rattled by her power play. 

“You don’t have a choice,” she said smugly. “From now on, you’re nothing more than a servant here. You’re going to earn your keep, just like the rest of them.” She bit back. I let out a low laugh, shaking my head. 

“Is that right?” I rolled my eyes. 

One of the maids shifted uncomfortably, clearly not used to seeing someone challenge Lilith. But I wasn’t intimidated. I wasn’t going to let her or anyone else here push me around. 

Lilith might think she had power, but I could see right through her. 

“Lilith,” I started, keeping my tone calm, though my words were sharp, “I don’t know what kind of delusional fantasy you’re living in, but let me make something very clear to you.” 

I swung my legs out of the bed, standing up slowly until I was face to face with her, only inches apart. 

“You’re nothing to me,” I spelled out for her. “You never will be. No matter how much you're revered here, you’ll always be nothing to me. If you think for a second that I’m going to bow down and play servant, you’ve severely underestimated me.”

Her face twitched, the smugness faltering for just a second, but she recovered quickly, trying to stand her ground. 

“You don’t have any powers here,” she spat. “Atticus made sure of that. So unless you want things to get worse for you, I suggest you play your part.”

I smirked, crossing my arms as I stared her down. 

“Oh, I see how it is,” I said coolly. “You’re threatened.” I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice but keeping my tone sharp as a knife. “You’re scared because you know I’m stronger than you, even without powers. That’s why you’re doing this, right? You’re trying to break me down before I can show everyone how insignificant you really are.”

Lilith’s eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her composure, trying to hold onto that fake confidence. 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” She bit back 

“Oh, I think I do,” I said, stepping even closer until we were practically nose to nose. “You’ve been nothing but second best your whole life, haven’t you? To Rachel, to Atticus. And now, here I am. You want to feel important, but deep down, you know you’ll never be more than a placeholder.”

Lilith’s nostrils flared, and I could feel the heat of her frustration radiating off her. 

Then, her face twisted with something darker than before. Her eyes gleamed with cruel intent as she looked at the maids, her lips curling into a wicked smile. 

“Hold her down,” she ordered.

The maids hesitated for a moment, casting glances at each other, clearly unsure if this was going too far. But they moved forward, cornering me against the bed. I raised my hands, preparing to use my power, to fight back—only to feel... nothing. 

My heart dropped as I tried again, reaching for that familiar spark of energy that had always been there, always ready. But it was gone. 

There was nothing. 

Lilith’s laugh echoed in the room, sharp and triumphant. 

“What’s wrong, Hera? Lost something?” She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “I told you. Atticus made sure you couldn’t use your powers here. You’re nothing now.”

The maids closed in, and without my powers, I had no choice but to fight them off physically. I swung at one, catching her off guard, but the other two grabbed my arms, pinning me down. I struggled against them, my muscles straining, but they were strong, and I was still weak from last night. 

Lilith sauntered over, standing above me with a smug smile. 

“You really should have just listened,” she said, her tone sickeningly sweet. “But now? Now I get to enjoy this.”

She motioned to the maids, and they immediately started their assault. Fists flew at me from every angle—my face, my stomach, my ribs. I gasped for breath, trying to shield myself, but it was no use. 

I felt the sharp crack of a punch to my jaw, the sting of a kick to my side. The room spun, but I didn’t scream. I wouldn’t give Lilith the satisfaction. 

Through the haze of pain, I caught sight of her, sitting calmly on the edge of the bed, watching with a satisfied smile, like she was enjoying a show. 

“That’s enough for now,” she called out after what felt like hours. The maids stopped, but not before one last kick to my ribs that left me coughing and gasping for air. 

I lay there, bruised and bloodied, my breath coming in ragged gasps. But even in the midst of the pain, I refused to let her see me broken. Slowly, I forced myself to sit up, glaring at her through swollen eyes. 

“Is that all you’ve got, Lilith?” My voice was hoarse, but I managed a weak smirk. “You’re still not half the woman Rachel was.”

Her smile vanished, and her eyes darkened with fury. She stormed toward me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head back. 

“You think this is a game?” she hissed. “You think this is funny?” She slapped me hard across the face, the force of it sending me back to the floor. “You killed her, you bitch! You took her from me, from Atticus!”

I spat out blood, my lip split from the force of the slap, but I laughed. It hurt, but I couldn’t help it.

“You’re carrying Rachel’s death on your head,” I said, my voice ragged but mocking. “And yet, here you are, screwing her mate like some pathetic replacement.”

Her eyes blazed with fury, and I knew for a fact that I was pressing the right buttons.

“Tell me, Lilith,” I continued, my smile wicked despite the pain. “Does he even look at you when he fucks you? Or are you just a warm body for him to get off on?”

“Shut up!” she screamed, her voice shrill and cracking. She stormed toward me and slapped me hard across the face, the sharp crack of her hand against my skin ringing out in the room.

I tasted blood again, my lip splitting from the force of the blow, but I grinned through it.

“Hit a nerve, did I?” I taunted.

Lilith’s hand was shaking, but she quickly steeled herself. 

“You’re nothing, Hera,” she spat, leaning in close. “You think you can walk in here and take everything? You think you can touch him after what you did to her?” Her voice was trembling with barely contained fury now. 

“You’re going to feel everything Rachel felt before she died. The pain, the fear, the hopelessness. And I’ll make sure it lasts.”

I wiped the blood from my lip, still smirking. 

“You might want to check who’s really taking what,” I whispered. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re the one trying to fill Rachel’s shoes—and failing miserably.”

Her face twisted into a snarl. 

“Shut up!” she screamed again, and without another word, she motioned to the maids. “Beat her until she can’t breathe.”

The maids didn’t hesitate. They descended on me again, their fists and boots crashing into me over and over. Every punch, every kick felt like fire ripping through my body. 

I could feel my ribs crack, my vision darkening at the edges. I didn’t know how long it went on, only that the pain became a dull roar, and the world around me started to blur.

But still, I didn’t cry out.

Lilith gave a cold, satisfied smirk as she watched the maids step back from me, leaving my bruised and battered body sprawled on the floor. Her eyes gleamed with twisted pleasure. 

“Dress her,” she ordered sharply, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. “I want her in that maid’s uniform, and I want her cleaning before noon.” She instructed them. 

The maids didn’t hesitate this time. They grabbed me roughly, yanking me to my feet. My entire body screamed in pain, and for a moment, I swayed, the room tilting around me. But I wasn’t going to break. 

Not for Lilith. 

Not for anyone.

They forced the coarse maid’s uniform over my head, the fabric scratching against my skin. I winced, feeling every bruise, every ache, but I bit my tongue and stayed silent. 

When they were done, I looked down at myself, the plain grey dress hanging limply on my frame, and I almost laughed. This is what Lilith thought would break me? A dress?

Lilith stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. 

“You look the part now,” she said, her voice dripping with mockery. “Let’s see how long you last.”

Bitch really thinks she’s being funny uhn. 

I glared at her, my chest heaving with barely contained rage. 

“You think this humiliates me?” I rasped, my voice hoarse. “This is nothing, Lilith. It’ll take a lot more than a dress and some bruises to break me.”

Her smile faltered for a moment, her eyes narrowing. 

“We’ll see,” she hissed, “drag her to where she’ll clean. She's cleaning that whole floor today.”

She ordered and the maids wasted no time in dragging me out. They dragged me through the hallways, with guards and maids loitering around. They whispered among themselves. They pointed at me and I tried not to squirm. I could hear their whispers, could hear how they were surprised to see what I've been reduced to. 

“Here,” they dumped me on the floor. A mop, a broom, and a bucket of water had materialized out of nowhere.

“This is where you'll start from,” one of the maids told me, her tone sharp and spiteful. She was probably relishing in the fact she could talk to almighty Hera anyhow or she was glad to treat me this way because apparently, I killed their future Luna and I was here to take her place.

“And you better be fast about it.”

With that, they turned on their heels and walked away. I slumped against the wall, drained, tired and bruised from the beating. I've never cleaned anything in my entire life and now, I was expected to sweep and mop this long hallway. 

I was still eyeing the cleaning materials in contempt when something else caught my attention—something familiar, something that tugged at my senses despite the pain clouding my mind.

A familiar scent.

Atticus’.

I knew his scent before but from what happened last night, it was ingrained in my brain. From his scent, I could tell that it was close and I didn't think twice before heading in its direction.

I followed his scent, turning corner after corner, until I found myself standing outside a set of large double doors. The heavy scent of Atticus was thick here. He was inside. 

I didn’t care who was with him, I didn’t care what he was doing. He was going to answer for this.

Without thinking, I shoved the doors open, the loud crack of the wood slamming against the walls echoing through the room and startling its occupants who were Atticus and a couple of other men.