The small group I indicated stood close to me. Ares and Bill both felt strong relief at having something positive to do rather than talking. Titan smiled at me and Mnemosyne simply looked worried. Maybe she had a right to be.

The sun was four hours from rising on Sarah Ann. Hermes landed us on the beach on the north side of the island. We walked to the house Phobos and company erected to shelter them from the elements with the light of a nearly full moon as our guide. When I entered the cleared area in front of the house, Phobos waited.

He didn’t approach us from the porch’s illusion of protection. "Finally, you remember Phobos," He said, accusing me with his tone. Phobos and Ares, his father, could pass for twins. The resemblance was uncanny until they actually stood side by side. Ares stood an inch or two taller and his skin was more weathered. However, the eyes were identical.

"I trust you haven't been too uncomfortable," I said to him.

"Little food besides fish and birds we catch ourselves. Cold nights. Windy days. Your prison conditions leave much to be desired."

"Every prisoner who has ever been held against their will complains about the accommodations," I said to him.

"Glad to know I haven't disappointed you." His words dripped with venom.

From the interior of the house, Deimos and Eris walked onto the porch and stood one on either side of Phobos. Solidarity among the prisoners. Deimos was less than happy and Eris looked angry enough to run me through on the spot. Good. Anger, I could use. I simply needed to point it in another direction.

"Phobos, I have a proposition for you," I preambled. "We have a common enemy and you can help me vanquish her."

"Circe." His voice was flat when he said her name. "I will not conjure with that name, Athena."

"I don't want you to conjure, Phobos. I want you to fight her," I said.

"You can fight her, but you can't defeat her. No one can," Phobos said.

"I fought her and took her head. Had I realized she was not yet dead, I would have prevented her transport. I defeated her in the dungeon of your own house. Do not tell me that I cannot win."

"If that is true, then why are you talking to me, now?" Phobos asked.

"She has taken something that belongs to me and I want it back," I told him.

"If you defeated her so easily once before, then why come to me now?" Phobos asked.

"Because she is in her seat of power right now. I cannot penetrate it alone," I said.

"So, you seek Phobos. You seek my help. Look at your rag-tag group. Hermes is still a pig. You cannot even undo that tiny bit of magic. As I indicated, Circe is too powerful for you." He looked at the ground at his feet, not meeting my eyes.

"I need your help."

His voice boomed in the midnight air. "Why should I help you? You killed my mate. You killed Enyo! Tell me why I should help you in any form or fashion. Are you totally deluded or simply that stupid?" Red fire danced behind his eyes and tears coursed down his cheeks. Maybe he really did love Enyo. But, I killed her so she wouldn't kill me.

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"Phobos. I killed Enyo in a fair fight, a thing I deeply regret. I assumed she would regrow her lungs and not die within a few hours. Enyo was not as strong as I thought. If I knew then what I know now, as they say."

"Is that an apology?" Phobos asked me, surprise in his voice. "You admit you were wrong?"

"I wasn't wrong when I ran her through. I discovered later that she was not the one we sought," I said. "So, yes, I was wrong, but I didn't know that at the time. And if I recall, Phobos, you fought against us, too."

Mnemosyne said quietly, "This is gaining us nothing. We can point fingers all day and nothing will change."

"Right," I said. "Phobos, I need your help and the help of your followers. But, I will extract an oath from you before we allow you freedom."

"You want me to go against Circe?" Phobos asked.

"Not alone, to be sure. You will be in good company," I said.

"And what kind of oath will you require if I agree?"

"An Oath of Binding," I said to him.

"But, I have already given such an oath to Zeus, who is your father," Phobos protested.

"All binding oaths to Zeus can be superseded by an oath to me because I stand before you as Zeus's heir," I explained.

I watched the emotions play across Phobos's face. He was alternately shocked, surprised, incredulous, and skeptical. He directed his attention to Ares. "Is this true?"

Ares nodded and then said, "Athena stands before you in Zeus's place as Queen. She is your liege. We all knew this day would come when Zeus named her and he has. Now, it is time for you to decide. Will you bind yourself to Athena with oath and with heart or do you want to stay in your prison forever?" Ares looked at his son with great sympathy.

"But, Father, binding myself to her will mean my life will change," Phobos said in a low tone.

"Yes, it does mean that. But, Son, everything changes. Surely you know that."

Phobos nodded and stared at the ground.

Ares directed his voice to Deimos. "And what about you? Will you make an oath to Athena?"

Deimos glanced at his brother, seeking guidance. Deimos was a powerful Olympian in his own right, but he continually deferred to his brother.

Eris stood straighter and announced. "I am tired of my prison. I will make an oath to Athena."

Titan addressed her. "You know that it will bind you to death. If you betray your mistress, you will die."

"Yes, I do know what I am doing, King of the Titans. But, tell me. Did you pledge the Titans to Athena out of necessity or out of love? You have only ever barely tolerated Zeus after he defeated you in the Titan war. Your oath to him was the minimum you could actually get away with," Eris said to him.

Titan replied, "Yes, you are very correct. Zeus has always rankled because of the defeat when he threw so many of us into that cave and sealed it forever. Athena has my oath of love."

Eris snatched her eyes from Titan's to stare at me. "You even collected the Titans to your side? Or is it because you love Titan's brother, Helios? Do the Titans stand with you now because of him? Who is the real power behind the throne? Does it lie with the Shining Throng?"

"No, they are not the power behind the throne. The Titans follow me of their own free will. Helios is not the power. I am." I took several steps closer to her. "Will you take the oath? Will you do it now?"

She heaved a big sigh. "Yes. I will," Eris said. "I will pledge my heart and strength to you." She fell to her knees and swore her allegiance, her obedience, and her heart to me. It was kind of touching really.

From behind me, Mnemosyne said, "Her oath is a true one." Good to know. Eris didn't cross her fingers behind her back. She couldn't claim a do-over. Eris was mine to death. By her pledge, I could also control some of her baser appetites. No more killing, even the willing, for Eris. But, she couldn't do that in her prison, anyway. Eris knew her life would be different from that moment on.

"Come to me, Eris," I said and she walked free of the barrier that bound the others to the island. The others would remain until I let them go.

Phobos watched the proceedings with interest and then said, "Alright. I, with oath, pledge myself to Athena."

One by one all of Phobos's dark ones gathered themselves and soon all were released from the prison and I gained thirteen more followers.

Hermes transported all of us back to the Highrise.