by A. J. Rosen
I nodded my assent. Satisfied I wasn’t going to give him attitude, he marched off toward the Hyped. Letting out a long sigh of relief, my rebel alter ego took over—time for a self-guided tour of the Court.
I had never seen this many Hellenicus in one place—people were bustling around everywhere I looked. Wandering past the Hyped and the crowds toward the center of the Court, I found a beautiful garden. The big oak tree standing in the center of the garden must be the Whispering Oak of Dodona—the oldest Oracle and Zeus’s sacred oak, from which, through the whisper of its leaves, priests had interpreted messages from the gods to mortals. People used to travel from all over Greece to Dodona, where the tree first grew, to worship Zeus and the goddess Dione, whom the city was named after.
But centuries later the sacred oak was in danger of being cut down. So Zeus moved the soul of the tree here, far away from the religious struggles of the time to a land where the natural world was respected. It has remained here ever since, protected by the Court walls and our people.
Every December the tree bloomed. It was rare for any tree to bloom in the middle of winter, but this was no ordinary oak. Every time a pair of soul mates met a bud would grow. When their souls were finally reunited, a flower would blossom—catkins for a male pair, small flowers for a female pair, and a pale pink and white flower inside a catkin for mixed-gender soul mates. Kris, who had always spent a week of December visiting her grandparents here, told me that by the end of the month the tree would have dozens of flowers.
Even though I should have gotten back to where my dad had ordered me to wait, I had to see the tree. There were a few small buds already there, and I wondered if one of them was for Kris. Since I wasn’t yet eighteen, my bud wouldn’t appear for at least a few weeks. That was, if my soul mate even existed, and if they were at Court as well.
A muffled voice, like a whisper in the wind, echoed, and I turned to see if someone had approached without me noticing. I was all alone. As I moved closer to the tree, the whispering grew louder. The breeze whooshed in my hair and as I strained to hear it again I ignored the strange lingering feeling I had. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I held my breath and reached out my hand to touch the rough surface of the trunk. My fingers were mere inches away when a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.
“What the—” I turned around, a murderous glare prepared for whoever was rude enough to grab me like that. “Mom?”
Maybe I was going crazy, but only a few hours earlier she had dramatically yelled at us to leave her behind, stating that she would rather come with her friends and would meet us here tomorrow—which meant she would miss my induction as an Awakened. Yet here she was, standing in front of me.
“Mom, what are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be arriving tomorrow with Kiara?”
“Her name is Tiana,” my mom grumbled. “But the question is, what are you doing here? This is not a tourist spot. You’re not here for a vacation.” Here it was, another lecture about to go down. “You can’t be here. This is the Court—you can’t just go wandering around like you own the place. Behave as you were raised. Do not embarrass your father and me,” she hissed as she dragged me away.
“I’m not trying to embarrass you. I just wanted to hear what the tree was saying.”
She came to an abrupt halt, and the look in her eyes was deadly. There was something there I’d never seen before, something that I recognized as fear, and it confused me. “Never say that again, Avery Zosime Montgomery.”
She just had to use my full name. “Mom, let go of me.” I planted my feet firmly on the ground. “I was just joking.”
Noticing how many people’s investigative stares were now glued to us, she folded her arms over her striped white-and-blue sweater.
“There you are, Avery.” My dad handed me a piece of paper and a folded map. “That’s the password for the suite’s keypad and the emergency code. Save it on your phone just in case. And that’s a map. You’re going to need it if you don’t want to get lost.”
He exchanged a quick look with my mom, and for the briefest moment, it felt more loaded than their usual mind communication. Something was off and I couldn’t figure out what it was. All I knew was that they were way too stressed out about me being at Court. Like if they let me out of their sight I might burn the place down or find the secret stairway to the Underworld or something.
With Mom and Dad leading the way, I entered the Hyped and suddenly understood how it had earned its nickname. I had expected the lobby to be ornate, but it was pretty sparse, more geometrical than classical. The floor was tiled in fine marble, making every step echo and reminding me that it was a privilege for a Regular like me to be allowed to stay here for the Gathering. The light hitting the chandelier made rainbows dance across the floor, while Hellenicus lounged on luxuriant silk couches scattered around the room. There were stunning floral arrangements in the queen’s signature shade of pink complementing the rest of the interior design.
But it was the massive mural on the far wall that made my jaw drop. It must’ve been two stories high and just as wide, and it depicted the origin of the Hellenicus, when our ancestors had stormed Mount Olympus on the Day of Prideful Folly, with Zeus revealing his plan to his fellow Olympians, then the grisly bit—the hideous creatures being split in half—and finally, the soul mates being reunited. I blushed at the rather detailed depiction of this steamy piece of our history. Our schoolbooks had not been so . . . visual.
As I moved toward the elevators, a prickling feeling of someone staring at me caught me off guard. Three stern-looking women sitting behind the Hyped’s mahogany desk had their eyes transfixed on the papers on their desk. Were they the ones who had been staring at me? After another minute of observing them and deciding that they weren’t anything out of the ordinary, I quickly fled to the set of elevators where my mom was waiting, no doubt ready to give me a piece of her mind.
Surprisingly, by the time we arrived at our unit—two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a simply furnished living room, and a kitchen—there was no lecture. My mom told me to go to my room and get ready, saying that she and Dad needed to discuss something in the living room. I, being all too happy not to get another scolding, dashed to my bedroom with my suitcase in hand.
Chapter Four
The Gathering was officially starting in an hour and I had to appear somewhat presentable, but my hair was nothing but a bird’s nest. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I cursed under my breath. A halo of auburn frizz framed my face, and after spending the last twenty minutes trying to tame it, I had failed miserably. I was neither a stylist nor a miracle worker, and I was racing against the clock.
In a decisive moment, I pulled my hair back into a loose, high bun, figuring this was as good as it would get, and moved on to brushing my teeth. At least here at the Hyped I didn’t have to share a bathroom with my parents.
Back in my bedroom, I threw on the floor-length cerulean dress my mom had insisted I wear tonight. The queen would be present, so I had to do formal. I moved to the dark-purple velvet couch, leaning against the arm and stretching my legs out in front of me. I had a few moments to myself before the insanity began and I was going to cherish them.
I had never even been to a hotel before, and I couldn’t believe how quiet it was in my room, especially when I knew there were Hellenicus all around me, hustling to get ready for the queen’s speech, which marked the official start of the Gathering. I was used to the quiet and to be being alone. At home, my parents were always working, and they were strict about letting me go out. It was quite lonely. Before Bryan, I used to wish for an annoying little brother or a bossy big sister because it sucked to be in the house all by myself, and now that he was gone, some of that loneliness had returned. I was thankful that I still had Kris, though. She had been my very first friend, my sister. After losing Bryan, I wouldn’t have been able to pull myself back up on my feet ag
ain without her.
What am I doing here?
The closer I got to potentially being linked to a soul mate, the more nervous I felt. Doubts crawled out from their hiding place and clouded my mind.
What if it wasn’t Carlo? What if I couldn’t escape next year because I met my soul mate this year? What if it was someone who didn’t have any of the same interests as me? Or, even worse, what if they were one of those Royals who looked down on Regulars? Then what? How would I live my life being tied down to a person like that—to have that sort of person reading my every thought and having to suffer reading theirs? Was I making the wrong decision being here?
My phone buzzed. Kris. I swiped to answer.
“Ave! I’m so nervous about this whole thing!” Her hair sparkled in the sunset coming through the window behind her, but she looked so worried. She pulled her phone away to show me her outfit—an elegant but kind of boring dress in green, her family’s signature color. “Do you think I should wear this or the orange one? You know, the dress with the spaghetti straps?”
“Orange! It’s your favorite dress and you look amazing in it.”
“You’re right. If my other half is at the party tonight, I want to make a good first impression—and look like myself, not like every other Ambrosia in the room.”
Sometimes I forgot how insecure Kris was. Sure, her platinum-blond hair and hourglass figure always drew stares, and she’d been scouted by modeling agencies, which she always turned down, not wanting to risk exposing our race to the Nescient. But, just like everyone else on the planet, she had her self-doubts. And with something as important as the Gathering, I could see those fears had multiplied.
“Kris, you’re beautiful. Inside and out. No matter what you wear, they will love you. Your soul mate will be the luckiest person on earth.”
“Thanks, Ave. You have no idea how glad I am that you’re here. I know this isn’t your thing, but it really means a lot to me.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m glad I’m here.” I hadn’t realized how true it was until I’d said it.
Kris told me she was going to change and would meet me in the lobby in five minutes. As I hung up the phone, my mom yelled for me to hurry up from the other side of the door, and I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself.
Kris and I met in the lobby, ready to join the ceremony. She had changed into her orange dress and had fastened the family crest that all Royals and Pure Royals had to wear on the left side of her chest.
We took the short trip to the Hyped’s Royal Hall. Kris’s nervous energy buzzed as she walked alongside me, and I linked my arm through hers as a gesture of my support.
“Wow, there are so many people,” Kris whispered as we entered the Royal Hall. She was not wrong. The immense space was crowded with Hellenicus from all over the world. The ceiling soared high above us, and its artwork was even more impressive than the mural in the Hyped lobby. Hand-painted mountains and skies encircled the room, with the Big Three (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) watching over us all, while the rest of the Olympians were dotted around the room—Hera, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Hestia, and Dionysus. Vases of blooming flowers gave off a cloying scent as we made our way past them, and my nose twitched as I held back a sneeze.
Those of us who were to be inducted as Awakened tonight were corralled to one side of the hall, and I was happy to ditch my mother and her fussing over every detail of my appearance. She needed to chill. No one would be looking at a Regular like me. No one except for Carlo, who’d join later for the after-party since he had already gone through all of this four years ago. Those who had already experienced their first Gathering could come anytime during the month of December, unlike us first timers, who had to spend the full month participating in all the Court-organized activities. The only escape was a click—then we’d be exempt from everything.
We gathered at the foot of the golden staircase that twisted upward in a perfect spiral. Royal Guards made a not-so-subtle semicircle around it, discouraging anyone from getting too close. A stressed-looking official noticed that Kris and I were standing together, and without saying a word, sternly pointed at me and motioned for me to stand at the back. Of course—it was Pure Royals, then Royals, then Regulars. Kris gave me an apologetic half smile in sympathy, and I shrugged. Typical Hellenicus baloney.
At the back of the group I couldn’t see a thing over the heads of everyone else—short people problems—so I hiked up the skirt of my dress and climbed onto the base of the massive statue beside me. On my perch tucked behind the sculpture, there was no way my judgmental parents would be able to spot me. It was perfect.
The sound of a harp filled the hall. The excited murmuring quieted as all eyes were drawn to the top of the golden staircase. The awestruck crowd gasped as the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my entire life appeared at the top of the stairs. Queen Rhea Christoulakis. With perfectly symmetrical features and piercing blue eyes, her looks transcended time. I could hardly believe she was even a real person and not a goddess standing before us. But more than her classically beautiful looks, it was the grace of her presence that made me forget to breathe. She carried herself with such poise.
I watched, mesmerized, as she descended the staircase. The way the bottom of her sparkly silver dress moved as she took each step made it appear as if she was floating. Once she reached the last step, to my surprise, she looked right at me with her icy-blue Christoulakis eyes—or so it seemed, at least. As she came to stand at the podium, she said, “You may rise.” Only then did I realize that everyone else had bowed before her, and on her command, were now respectfully standing. I blushed and mouthed, Sorry, and I swear I saw a hint of a smile on Queen Rhea’s face before she turned her attention to the huddle.
“Welcome, everyone—those who have been in the Court before and those of you for whom today is your first time.
“We, the Hellenicus, are graced by the gods, as we have been since time immemorial. And we welcome the newest among us to find their true wholeness, their one body with their soul mate, in this most sacred of Hellenicus traditions.”
The queen explained how important it was for us to keep our tradition and to always remind ourselves that we were still bound by the rules of the gods—subject to their favor and their wrath. She called upon her steward to bring forth a chalice and explained how the ceremony would proceed.
The Golden Chalice was one of our most cherished relics. It was created by Hebe, the goddess of youth, prime of life, and forgiveness, and then blessed by Eros, the god of love, eroticism, and sensual desires. Engraved with the Fountain of Youth for Hebe and wings for Eros, the chalice was used in the ritual awakening of the Hellenicus. Only after a Hellenicus drank wine from the chalice would their clairaudient ability be activated.
The ceremony unfolded as the Pure Royals were invited to be the first to drink the nectar of the gods and be awakened. The Royals followed after them. And then lastly, the Regulars.
I hopped down from my perch to find my place in the line that had formed. One of the organizers hurriedly asked me my name before ushering me to stand behind a girl I’d never met before. We slowly moved closer to the front of the line as each of the Awakened accepted the chalice from the cupbearer, took a sip, and bowed to the queen, who looked on attentively. I realized it was simply another way to segregate Regulars from Royals, as rank determined the order in which we went up for the nectar of the gods. Each caste received a different type of nectar, and apparently, Regulars couldn’t drink the Royals’ nectar (or vice versa) without getting sick. Please. It was probably everyone’s backwash that made people sick! As if a Royal’s backwash was any less disgusting than a Regular’s.
Finally, the girl ahead of me went up. This was it. I was next—no turning back. If my soul mate was eighteen or older, and they were also on the sacred grounds of the Court, I would be able to read th
eir mind, and they would be able to read mine. Once I drank from that cup, I would be fully Awakened. My hands trembled and my heart pounded, telling me to run, but my stubborn head told me that I was not a coward—that I had made my decision and I should stick to it.
The girl in front of me drank from the cup and stepped aside. It was finally my turn. I looked over one shoulder to see Kris beaming at me. The cupbearer, a guy only a few years older than me, refilled the chalice and brought it forward, ready to hand it to me so I could take a sip. Bracing myself, I reached for the cup and brought it to my lips. I shut my eyes as I drank, letting the rich, sweet, fermented grapes mix with a slight bitterness as the liquid rolled over my tongue and down my throat. Almost as soon as I swallowed it, I started coughing.
The cupbearer looked at me with an odd expression on his face, as if it was the first time he’d witnessed someone choke. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, but my throat felt weird. In the end, I could only give him a regretful nod, and walked to the line of those who had had their share, standing behind the girl who’d drunk right before me.
After everyone had finished drinking and the Golden Chalice was safely stashed away, the queen bid her farewell, wishing all the best for us, and ascended the stairs just as gracefully as she descended them earlier. The organizers informed us about the after-party. I wanted to go back to my room to change and continue reading my Agatha Christie book. I was dying to find out the resolution of And Then There Were None, and I didn’t want to be worried about tripping and breaking my neck while walking in this dress anymore.
Over the crowded space, my eyes found Kris. I knew how excited she was and that she wanted me to stay. Seeing the glint in her jade-green eyes and the smile forming on her beautiful heart-shaped face, I realized my wishes would have to wait.
