“The others sure are taking their time,” Justin said as he sat back on the van beside me. It was like he wasn’t angry at me for yelling at him or dumping all of my feelings on his plate.
“Tell me something true,” Justin asked suddenly.
“You really want to hear more of what I’ve got to say?” I asked.
“We’ve got some time to kill,” he said. “I don’t see an Oracle anywhere. The others aren’t back. Come on.”
After unleashing my pent-up anger on him, I felt guilty enough to oblige.
“Well, what do you want to know?” I asked.
“How does a totally badass goddess, uberbuff, doesn’t-need-anything-from-anybody, wind up getting married?” Justin asked.
I tensed. “That’s a personal question.”
But when he didn’t say anything, I relented. Stupid guilt. “It just . . . happened.”
“What? You just woke up married one day?” Justin replied.
“There were . . . certain pressures,” I admitted carefully. “A long time ago, after humanity first arose, there was . . . a shift in power. In who was in charge. It was the end of a terrible time and the beginning of a new era of free will. But that freedom needed to be protected, so it could never be taken away again. It just . . . made sense for the most powerful to take over.”
“You and Zeus,” Justin guessed.
“Yes,” I said. “Zeus and I were perfect equals. We could’ve fought it out then and there to see which one of us would rule, but the devastation would’ve been . . . incomprehensible. And there’d been so much suffering and destruction already. So we decided to rule together.”
“I see,” Justin replied. Which was what someone said when they really didn’t see at all.
“There were other reasons.” I lost myself briefly to my most ancient memories. “You know, there was a time when Zeus thought I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on. And I thought he’d love me forever . . .”
Justin said nothing. I realized, with a surge of annoyance, that he wasn’t even paying attention anymore.
“Justin!” I snapped. No response. “Justin!”
He blinked, but he didn’t look at me. He kept staring across the street. “Is that creepy little girl watching us?”
I followed his gaze. Then I looked all around. “What are you talking about? What girl?”
“The little girl.” He pointed. At nothing. “With the lemonade stand. Her eyes . . .”
“There’s no one there,” I informed him.
“Yes, there is! She’s right there!” Justin insisted. “I swear. She’s right there!”
My eyes narrowed. “You’re absolutely sure?”
“I’m positive,” he swore vehemently. His brown eyes were deeply troubled.
“I believe you,” I told him. “Take me to her.”
Justin swallowed nervously, but he led me across the street and stopped in front of an empty spot on the sidewalk.
“She’s right here?” I asked.
Justin just nodded. His eyes were still locked on that space. It was like he couldn’t tear himself away.
“It’s over. He sees you,” I said. “Show yourself, Oracle. I command you as Queen of Gods!”
There was a strange wavering in the air like a mirage in the desert. And then she was there. The Oracle.
She looked like an eight-year-old girl with long blonde hair and a cherubic face. But there was no mistaking her eyes. Ancient eyes. A hard, fathomless blue that saw right through me, right through time and space itself.
“We need your help,” I told her.
“I know,” she replied.
When she spoke, it was a river of voices, some young, some old, some probably not even human.
“We’re looking for the Fates. A hidden enemy has taken them,” I said.
“Your enemy is not hidden,” she replied. Her eyes never left Justin, even when she spoke to me. They were boring into his soul. I briefly considered stepping between them, but I didn’t want to risk offending the Oracle. Not when we needed her so badly.
“What can you tell us?” I demanded.
She smiled. “First my price. Then your answer.”
“Fine. Name your price,” I replied.
“Something was taken from me a long time ago. Something precious. I want it back,” the Oracle answered.
“Fine,” I told her. “We’ll get it for you.”
Her smile widened. “Perhaps,” she replied. “What you seek is a necklace, an artifact of great power crafted by a being long since dead whose name cannot be spoken.”
“Fancy,” I said. I refused to be impressed or intimidated by anything that looked like a little girl. Especially one that seemed fixated on Justin instead of me. “Where can we find this necklace of yours?”
“The Dreamlands,” the Oracle replied. “But it will be dangerous. Very dangerous. It is well-guarded.”
I didn’t flinch. We’d come to the mortal world with a mission, and we’d accomplish it, danger or not.
“When you’re ready, go back to the Garden,” the Oracle said. “Drink from the fountain, and it will transport you to the Dreamlands. The nymphs will protect your bodies while you’re gone.”
Before I could say anything else, the Oracle smiled, raising goosebumps along my arms. Then she wavered and slowly faded away.
“What are you two staring at?” Hermes asked from behind me, staring at the empty sidewalk.
I jumped.
“We found the Oracle,” I informed him, trying to steady my voice. I could see the others were only a few steps behind him. Hermes must’ve run ahead.
“Actually, Justin found her,” I clarified. “She was invisible to me.”
“I wonder why,” Artemis said as she caught up to us. She leveled a penetrating gaze at Justin. He shifted uncomfortably.
“Not many mortals looking for Oracles these days,” Demeter suggested.
“Or she wanted him to see her,” Apollo said.
“We can figure that out later,” I replied. “The Oracle gave us a new mission. In return for her help, she asked us to find a necklace.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard,” Zeus said.
“Because we’ve been so good at finding things lately,” Justin said.
Zeus glared at him. Justin didn’t flinch. I continued before Zeus could really vent his temper at Justin. He’d suffered through enough divine outbursts for one day. “The necklace was somehow taken to the Dreamlands.”
“The Dreamlands?” Justin echoed.
“The world where the souls of mortals go when they sleep,” I told Justin. “Another reality. Like the Heavens.”
Justin shrugged. He was ready to believe anything at this point. After everything he’d been through, he had to be.
“That’s all I know,” I finished. “But I have a feeling that if we don’t find the necklace, we won’t find the Oracle again.”
“Then let’s go,” Zeus said.
We began our walk back to the van.
“So, how do we get to the Dreamlands?” Hermes asked. “Slumber party? Sleeping pills?”
“The fountain in the garden,” I replied. “The Oracle said the nymphs will keep us safe while we’re gone.”
“Sounds like a trap,” Zeus said darkly.
“We don’t have much choice,” I said. “But, just in case, Artemis and Apollo will stay behind to guard us.”
“And we’re just going to take the necklace from a dream and bring it back to the real world?” Justin asked.
“It’s a different world,” I replied, “but it’s still a reality. If the Oracle is sending us there to get it, there must be a way to bring it back.”
“Won’t be easy,” Artemis cautioned bleakly. “The Dreamlands are vast and always changing.”
I wanted to say something reassuring. I knew everyone wanted me to. But I couldn’t. Artemis was right. The Dreamlands were treacherous. They weren’t just the home of dreams. They were also the home
of nightmares.
“We’ll be fine,” Zeus insisted confidently, looking at me.
But we both knew it was a lie.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The garden didn’t attack us on our way back to the fountain, and the nymphs were waiting for us.
“You know why we’re here,” I said. “So you’ll protect us while we’re in the Dreamlands?”
“We always obey the Oracle,” the nymphs agreed.
“We always obey.”
“Always obey.”
Satisfied, I turned to the others. “So, who wants to go first?” I asked.
No one said anything. I sighed. No surprise there.
I knelt and cupped some of the water in my hand, but before I could drink it, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Justin.
“I’ll go first,” he said.
I cocked my head.
He just smiled slightly. “Don’t wait too long before coming in after me.”
I nodded, and he bent down to the fountain.
“Tastes like strawberries,” he noted.
Then, all of a sudden, Justin’s eyes slid shut. His body relaxed completely and toppled to the ground, but not before I managed to catch him and slow his fall. As I lowered him down, Apollo checked his pulse.
“He’s just asleep,” Apollo assured us.
“Apollo, Artemis, you stay and stand guard,” I said.
Secretly, I wanted Artemis with me. She was my protector, and her tracking skills would be invaluable in the endless expanse of the Dreamlands. But she and Apollo were also the strongest pair to leave behind in case something threatened our bodies while we were gone. We’d just have to find the necklace without her.
I lifted the water to my mouth. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others do the same.
Justin was right. It did taste like strawberries.
The world spun around me, and then there was only darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I awoke to brilliant sunlight shining through a dense, green canopy overhead. Somewhere, a bird trilled, but I didn’t recognize its call. For all I knew, it wasn’t a bird at all. In the Dreamlands, anything was possible and nothing was dependable.
“You all right?” Justin asked. He helped me sit up.
“Is everyone here?” I replied. I looked around as I spoke, my eyes adjusting to the emerald twilight of the rest of the woods.
“All present and accounted for,” he said.
I saw Demeter, distracted by a flower she’d found--or possibly that had found her. Zeus was deep in discussion with Hermes, but when he felt my eyes on him, he straightened and headed over to me. Hermes was right behind him. Zeus brushed past Justin and lifted me to my feet with one hand.
“Any bright ideas on how to find the necklace now that we’re here?” Zeus asked. “Hermes and I have come up with nothing so far.”
“It could be anywhere,” Hermes agreed. He was grinning, like always, but his eyes were everywhere at once, scanning constantly for danger. Hermes was nervous. And that made me nervous.
But there was no sign of any danger, at least not yet. The forest had the unmistakable buzz of life: chittering insects, chirping birds, moving brush. But no predatory snarls or roars. Of course, by the time we heard anything, it’d probably be too late. Comforting.
“There’s more,” Zeus added. “Our powers aren’t working.”
I sighed. “Of course not. That’d be too easy.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. The Dreamlands were beginning to really annoy me, and I’d just gotten here.
“We could go back,” Demeter pointed out, joining the rest of us.
“Not without the necklace,” I insisted.
“But we have no powers,” Zeus reminded me. “What makes you think we’re actually going to be able to get the necklace, even if we stay?”
“I think I might have an idea,” Justin said.
I opened my eyes reluctantly.
“Really?” I asked dubiously.
I’d tried to sound hopeful, but I’d failed. I’d lived too long and seen too much to be an optimist. I couldn’t even fake being one.
“This had better be good,” Zeus rumbled.
“Well, I’ve always had this weird thing with dreams,” Justin said. “Maybe it’s nothing, but when I’m asleep, I can kinda decide what I want to dream about.”
“You’re a Dreamer!” Demeter cried, clapping her hands excitedly.
“Good enough?” I asked Zeus. He glowered at me. “Justin, you’re something we call a Dreamer, which means here in the Dreamlands, you’re incredibly powerful. This world is nothing but dreams. If you can control your dreams, you can do almost anything here.”
“Almost?” Justin echoed.
“Every reality has its own Necessity,” I answered, “but we’ll have to figure it out as we go. Gods don’t visit the Dreamlands. We don’t sleep. This is all new territory for us.”
“Try to do something,” Demeter encouraged.
Furrowing his brow and sighing, Justin half-heartedly waved his hand. Nothing happened.
Zeus snorted. I glared at him.
“When you use your powers, you have to mean it,” I told Justin. “Concentrate. Picture exactly what you want to happen. Believe it is happening. Feel it happening with every fibre of your being.”
Justin gave me a skeptical look.
“That.” I pointed at his face. “That right there will block your powers. You have to believe. No questions. No doubts.”
“A leap of faith,” Justin muttered.
“In the last few weeks, you’ve seen more than you ever imagined was real,” I reminded him. “This is just one more thing. It’s just as true as all the others. Just as real as me.”
“It’s not like you have anyone to impress,” Demeter added, pointedly ignoring Zeus. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Justin still didn’t seem convinced, but he closed his eyes. His body began to shake with effort. Then he opened his eyes.
“No necklace,” he sighed. “Told you.”
“Whoa,” Hermes said. “You gotta slow down. Start small. Everyone has to start somewhere. Hera wasn’t an expert at her powers right away either.”
“Yes, I was,” I replied.
“Okay, bad example,” he admitted. “But you get the idea.”
“Try something smaller,” Demeter suggested. “Something that could help us find the necklace.”
“Like a map?” Justin asked.
“Exactly,” I said.
Zeus rolled his eyes. Usually I was the one giving mortals grief. I didn’t know exactly what his problem was, but I was just about ready to give him a much bigger one. Me.
Justin closed his eyes again. He gritted his teeth. Soon he was shaking again, his breath shallow and rapid.
“Relax,” I said. “Don’t force it. It’ll happen. Trust me.”
Justin took a shuddering breath, held it, and then let it go. It took him several more times before he was as relaxed as he was going to get. He closed his eyes. We waited. Then he opened his hand.
“A compass,” Demeter said.
“How’s a compass going to get us to the necklace?” Zeus demanded. “We don’t know what direction it is.”
“Look.” Hermes pointed. “There’s no north.”
“It’s a picture of a necklace!” Demeter said.
“That’s how it’s going to get us to the necklace,” I said archly. “Good work, Justin. Lead the way.”
Compass in hand, Justin started off into the woods. Hermes was close beside him. As our guide and a Dreamer, Justin was our greatest asset here. He had to be protected. Zeus brought up the rear, making sure nothing surprised us from behind.
We’d only been traveling for a few minutes when the forest around us began to change. It slowly faded away, melting into a vast grassland. Herds of antelope grazed in pockets of tall, waving grass, occasionally bursting into a gallop for no reason we could see. High above us, a lone
ly eagle called.
“What gives?” Zeus demanded.
“It wasn’t me,” Justin said.
“The Dreamlands change all on their own,” Hermes said, “but if we follow the compass, it shouldn’t matter.”
We waded into the knee-high dun grass. Soon, it was up to our waists, then our necks, then over our heads. We had to concentrate just to keep from losing each other.
Suddenly, Hermes froze. “Did you hear that?” he asked quietly.
“I didn’t hear anything,” Zeus answered. His voice was like thunder, even over the whine of the insects around us.
“Shh!” Hermes warned.
But it was too late.
The grass in front of us parted, and what came through was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
It had the body of a lion, but instead of a tail, it had a dozen writhing cobras, hoods spread and tongues flicking. From the neck up, it looked like a reptilian rhinoceros with three large, wicked-looking horns on its snout. In place of paws, it had eight scorpion legs, and instead of two eyes, it had a cluster of spider eyes.
As soon as it saw us, the creature let out a deafening roar that I felt as much as heard. Its breath was rank with decay. My eyes watered from the stench.
Instinctively, Zeus rushed to the front, pushing me behind him.
“You don’t have powers!” I screamed at him. But it was too late.
The creature leaned back, and several of its cobras shot streams of venom at us. Justin flung himself at me with incredible speed. I tumbled backward. The poison missed me, landing where I’d been standing seconds before.
Zeus wasn’t so lucky. The venom hit him square in the face. He bellowed in pain, covering his face with his hands. The sound chilled me. I’d never heard Zeus in pain before. Never.
The creature lunged forward, its huge mouth opening to reveal hundreds of tiny, needle-like teeth. It would tear Zeus apart.
But Hermes was ready this time, and he hurled himself into Zeus, knocking him out of the way. They both fell into the grass and out of sight.
“Justin!” I yelled. “Do something!”
Hera, Queen of Gods (Goddess Unbound) Page 13
