by C. Gockel
Zeus met Aphrodite’s eyes and a look passed between them. Apollo was staring at Coop, his mouth half open.
‘It does sound as if there’s an easy way out of this,’ Zeus began.
‘No.’ Apollo shook his head fervently. ‘He gave his word. Either she passed the test and they could be together, or she failed and he never saw her again. And she failed. End of story.’
A growl rumbled in Coop’s chest and he pulled his shoulders back. A flicker of agreement crossed Aphrodite’s face. ‘It’s true,’ she admitted. ‘That was the deal.’
‘But…’ Coop began to protest.
Zeus held up a heavy finger in warning. ‘Then my hands are tied. The deal is done.’
‘You’ll get over her,’ Aphrodite said. ‘There are lots of human girls around. And lots of minor goddesses who would be far more suitable for you. Any of them would be thrilled to have you as their consort. Not to mention that you’ll know they have no ulterior motives in wanting to be with you.’
‘I will not get over her,’ Coop forced out. ‘Don’t you get it?’
Apollo’s eyes were lit from within with a malicious gleam. ‘It’s merely an immature infatuation, Cupid. You’ll feel better in a hundred years or so.’
Coop snarled. His mother shook her head. ‘You still have a lot of growing up to do, darling.’
Coop tightened his hands into two hard fists and tried to force down the painful knot that was gathering in his chest.
‘Don’t let me see you two fighting again,’ Zeus ordered. ‘Or the consequences will be dire.’
‘Of course, Father,’ stated Apollo, shooting a nasty sideways look at Coop.
Aphrodite turned and walked back into her rooms, closing the door softly behind her. Zeus raised his eyebrows meaningfully at Coop and strode off, Apollo trotting dutifully at his heels. Coop scowled after the pair of them, doing everything he could to quell the rage and hurt inside him, and forced himself not to run after them and throw himself at them in a suicidal attack. Instead he remained where he was, frozen, barely registering Hermes pad up to stand next to him.
‘So,’ his friend said, ‘neither Zeus nor your mother will listen?’
Coop grunted in response. Hermes looked at him worriedly. ‘You’re not planning on doing anything stupid, are you, Coop?’
A tiny muscle throbbed in Coop’s cheek. ‘No. That’s what they’re expecting. At least that’s what Apollo’s expecting. I could run out of here and find Skye and we could elope together. We could find somewhere to live out the rest of our days. Except I’m immortal and she’s not. And she deserves a better existence than one that means cowering against the retribution of Olympus for the rest of her life. No,’ he repeated, shaking his head. ‘There’s a way out of this where I can get both Zeus and my mother to see past what I was like before and recognise that what Skye and I have is real. A way where they’ll let her in, let us be and see that I’ve changed – as incredible as that may seem.’
Hermes clapped his hands together. ‘Great! What’s the way?’
‘I don’t know,’ Coop responded glumly. ‘I haven’t worked that out yet.’
Chapter Twenty-Two
Skye couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt this cold before. It was as if the wind was piercing through her very skin and attacking her bones. She had a fleeting vision of her bone marrow gradually turning into ice and frozen stalactites hanging off her heart. She wasn’t going to give up though. Not without seeing Coop and trying to explain what she’d done. If she could just talk to him and beg his forgiveness, maybe everything would be alright.
She pushed away the terrifying thoughts of hypothermia and focused instead on imagining Coop’s arms around her, hugging her to his warm body and keeping her safe. Outside the wind continued to howl but the rain that had been hammering down upon her meagre shelter was starting to dissipate. Skye bit her lip. She could stay where she was, and hope the rickety roof and crumbling walls would shelter her until morning, or she could make a break for it. Falling asleep where she was could end up being a bad thing.
She remembered a story she’d heard once about a young woman making her way home from a New Year’s Eve party, who curled up to sleep in a field when she lost her way and never woke up again. Skye was determined that wasn’t going to happen to her. At least if the rain had lessened its onslaught, it would be easier to continue her hike towards Litochoro. Perhaps there she’d be able to find a cheap hostel where she could get a hot shower.
Making a decision, she pulled herself to her feet and grabbed her small bag. She was shivering uncontrollably. She gritted her teeth and forced her stiff and protesting muscles to move out back to the road. She could do this. She had to do this. It couldn’t be much further.
The wind whipped her hair about her face, and her eyes stung. Glancing down the road and seeing nothing ahead other than darkness, she took a deep breath and shouldered her bag. If nothing else, jogging in what she hoped was the right direction would help to keep her warm. With one last quick glance at the shambling ruins of the house, she turned left and made a move.
The truth was that Skye wasn’t as far away from Litochoro as she imagined. Neither was she as alone as she had assumed. Overhead, Zephyr, the God of Wind, was making his way back to Olympus. He’d been amusing himself out on the Pacific Ocean, tweaking the trade winds here and there to cause havoc to the human sailors participating in the Transpacific Yacht Race. He was a bit of a gambler and, with a considerable amount of cash on an Australian team to win, he had decided to help his cause along. It wasn’t that he needed the money or that he really cared who won. He simply enjoyed reminding the humans who was really in charge. He’d have stayed for longer, ensuring his gamble paid off, but the breaking waves on the horizon suggested that Poseidon had caught wind, so to speak, of his antics and was on his way to interfere.
As much as he hated to admit it, Zephyr was fully aware Poseidon’s power was far greater than his own. Poseidon disliked any of the gods interfering with the humans. The pair of them had almost come to blows several years back when Zephyr had attempted to help out a small fishing boat which was in trouble off the coast of Indonesia. The results hadn’t been pretty. Zephyr still had nightmares about that day and Zeus himself had been so livid that he almost stripped both of them of their remaining powers. It was only the fact that no-one else could take on the enormity of working with Mother Nature that had saved them both.
Zephyr snorted to himself. He didn’t understand what Poseidon’s problem was. Just because he’d had that problem back in the nineteenth century, when he tried to help the Mary Celeste and it had all gone pear-shaped, didn’t mean that he should object to ever coming to the aid of humans again. The Sea God had suggested that with the advent of lighthouses, and then satellite navigational equipment, the humans no longer required his services. When Zephyr had brought up the tragedy of the Titanic as a counter-argument, Poseidon had remained markedly unamused. It was probably just as well he omitted any mention of the Bermuda Triangle, he thought ruefully. Poseidon did not enjoy being reminded of his mistakes.
Zephyr was so deep in his ruminations that he almost missed her. In fact he would have, were it not for a sudden flash of lightning which lit up the area and highlighted her figure as she jogged slowly along the road. Wheeling round, he went back for a closer look, blinking in surprise when his second glance confirmed what he thought he’d seen.
It was rare to catch a human out in this weather in this day and age. Mechanised transport meant they were normally safely wrapped inside metal shells. Zephyr occasionally wondered whether they had forgotten there was joy to be had in being outside and enjoying the power of the elements screaming around them. But to see a human woman out on her own and braving this weather reminded him that some humans were more brave – or more foolhardy – than others.
He swooped down. She was a pathetic, bedraggled figure. It seemed curious that she was so close to Olympus and unlikely that it was a coincidence
that she was out here. The inhabitants of Litochoro enjoyed their creature comforts and would do what they could to avoid being outside during such a storm. And it was hardly tourist season.
Zephyr watched her for a moment or two. If he were Poseidon, he’d just sweep past her and leave her to her fate, whatever that may be. But she looked so small and forlorn. Zephyr grinned. This woman, whoever she was, was fortunate indeed that he had come past at this exact moment. Closing his eyes for a heartbeat, he made a few small changes to the howling atmosphere before continuing on his way.
Below him, Skye was almost at the point of collapsing when the wind suddenly did something different. It shrieked around her, practically lifting her off her feet, and then abruptly changed. Where she had been battling against it, feeling as if she were pushing through it, now it was at her back and gusting in the direction she wanted to go. Its force was so strong and so powerful, it felt as if she were flying down the small road. She was moving at twice the speed. Skye had the oddest feeling that if she stopped her legs from moving, the wind would continue to push her forwards and lift her up towards her destination. She found herself sprinting easily along the curving road until, all of a sudden, a cluster of twinkling lights finally signalled that Litochoro was just ahead.
Gasping with relief and praising her good fortune, Skye allowed the wind to carry her forward and down. The town was larger than she’d imagined but, even in the darkness of the evening, the terracotta roofs and whitewashed walls were welcoming. She could just make out the glimmer of the nearby ocean.
As soon as she passed the first buildings on the outskirts of the town, the wind faltered and began to die down. It was still bitterly cold, to the point where she wouldn’t have been surprised if it began to snow, but she had made it. Now all she had to do was find some real shelter for the night before beginning her search for Olympus the following morning.
For the first time in what felt like days, Skye smiled.
Back within the walls of Olympus, Zephyr headed through the marbled hallways. He paused when he caught sight of Coop and Hermes up ahead, debating whether to join the pair of them for a moment. The three gods often swapped stories about the humans they came across, and Zephyr was sure Coop would be interested in hearing about what he’d done that day to piss off Poseidon.
Snippets of their conversation floated over to him about the whereabouts of some girl who was no longer in Coop’s house, nor with her friends or her family. With an irascible edge to his voice, Coop was demanding Hermes work harder to find her. Hermes, in return, was saying it didn’t matter where she was, Coop wasn’t allowed to see her or talk to her. Deciding to leave them to it, a faint grin crossed Zephyr’s face. Coop was ever the ladies’ man; his latest conquest had no doubt realised this and was refusing to see him. Zephyr had heard enough of Coop’s moans on the subject of love not to want to listen to any more right now. He strolled off to seek out more good-humoured entertainment.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The skies were clear and sunny the following morning, as if the storm had been a figment of her imagination. It was still cold, but the air was crisp and clean. Skye checked out of the small pension where she’d found a cheap room and went in search of both breakfast and information.
After purchasing a deliciously flaky pastry from a small bakery, she eyed the man behind the counter thoughtfully. He had a friendly face, she decided, so she swallowed hard and asked him, ‘Um, do you speak English?’
His eyes twinkled at her. ‘Can’t afford not to. Not these days. This is a tourist town, after all.’
A mixture of relief and nervousness squirmed through her. Skye could feel her cheeks warming at the ridiculousness of her next question, but she quashed her embarrassment and took a deep breath. ‘I don’t suppose you could tell me where Olympus is?’
He let out a deep belly laugh, its rumble filling the small warm shop. ‘Step outside and look up! You can’t miss it.’
Skye scratched her head awkwardly. ‘Not the mountain. The, um, palace. With the gods in.’
He suddenly stopped laughing, his face closing up. He half turned away, as if fascinated by rearranging some loaves of bread. ‘You’ve been reading too many fairy stories,’ he grunted.
Skye stared desperately at his back. He obviously knew something but he was unwilling to talk about it. ‘But…’ she began.
He looked over his shoulder. ‘Sorry. Can’t help you.’
Damn it. It was clear he wasn’t going to say anything further. Skye sighed and left. She’d just have to find someone else to help her. This would be a whole lot easier if Coop hadn’t taken her to Olympus using his godly teleportation skills. At least then she’d have a chance of retracing their steps to find it on her own.
The thing was, there were people who knew of the existence of Olympus as the lap of the gods – and who knew how to get there. Coop had told her that worshippers and supplicants who still followed the old ways sometimes gathered at the mountain. Emma had found it remarkably easy to believe in the sudden revelation of the gods’ existence; even though most of the world lived in total ignorance of the fact that the ancient Greek myths weren’t actually just myths, it wasn’t a complete secret either. All Skye had to do was find someone to point her in the right direction.
Casting around, she spotted an elderly woman on the other side of the street, carrying a bag of heavy shopping.
Skye jogged over. ‘Can I help you with that?’
The woman turned and smiled at her, answering with a stream of incomprehensible Greek. Clearly, even if she knew about Olympus and where it was, Skye wouldn’t be able to understand her. It served her right for not spending more time learning the language. Once she sorted out this mess with Coop, she promised herself she’d make more of an effort. If she sorted out the mess with Coop, she amended.
Gesturing towards the woman’s bag, she mimed the action of helping to carry it. The woman grinned more broadly and held the bag out towards her. Skye took it, hoping they didn’t have far to walk. Resting one hand on Skye’s free arm, the old woman began speaking again in Greek. Skye smiled in return and shrugged to indicate she didn’t understand. The woman laughed and continued to chatter. At least with the sun finally shining again, it was a pleasant stroll.
They made their way down the street, eventually turning into a cobbled road. The woman pointed ahead of her, seeming to indicate her house was just up ahead. Skye returned her shopping bag and cocked her head, not holding out much hope but figuring it was worth a try anyway.
‘Olympus?’ she asked, her eyes scanning the woman’s face.
The woman threw back her head and laughed, patting Skye on the arm and turning away. Skye’s mouth twisted ruefully. It had been a long shot at best.
The next person she tried was a younger man who she spotted close to the beach. Not only was there a better chance that someone younger would speak English, but perhaps someone closer to her own age would be more sympathetic to her cause. This particular man didn’t look like a tourist although neither did he look like he was in a rush to get anywhere or do anything. Straightening her shoulders, Skye walked up to him and smiled.
‘Excuse me,’ she said, keeping her fingers tightly crossed, ‘but I’m trying to find Olympus.’
He looked at her, dark eyes glittering and grabbed her arm, twisting it almost painfully. His face loomed down towards hers. ‘They won’t help you, you know. They won’t help anyone,’ he hissed, a cloud of stale breath hitting Skye as he spoke.
Alarmed, she tried to wrench her arm away, but he tightened his grip. ‘Let me go,’ she said, sounding considerably calmer than she felt.
‘They don’t care about you,’ he half sang.
‘Sir, please let go of my arm.’
‘They don’t care about me,’ he trilled, ‘or the fish in the sea.’ A half mad expression crossed his eyes. ‘But why bother with the sea when they already have enough water for tea!’ He frowned and shook his head. ‘No, no, no. En
ough water for me. No. Enough water for glee. Gleeee!’
He dropped her arm abruptly and wandered a few steps away from her, still muttering to himself. Skye backed off until she was sure he’d forgotten about her, then walked quickly in the opposite direction, rubbing her arm and grimacing. Perhaps walking round the quiet streets of Litochoro and asking random strangers for help wasn’t the brightest idea she’d ever had.
She sat down on a wall beside the seafront, her shoulders slumping, and gazed up at the mountains encircling the houses. Mount Olympus stood proudly over them all, snow-capped and majestic. Skye could see why the gods chose this area to live in: it was stunning. Between the sapphire sea, the jade green of the surrounding forests and the backdrop of the mountains, the place was picture perfect.
Skye cast her eyes over the entire vista, wishing she’d paid more attention to what was around the palace of Olympus rather than the palace itself. She had a vague memory of some trees and that was about it. But between the town and the mountain were acres of trees. It could be almost anywhere. Chewing her bottom lip, she tried to think. There had to be a way to find it. Unwilling to ask anyone else for help after her last encounter, she was running out of options. Skye scowled. There had to be a map or a sign or something. Anything.
She froze. Maybe there was something. Pulling out her phone, she turned it on and scanned through its contents until she found what she was looking for. She might be able to go one better than a map. The internet connection was weak but eventually the familiar screen of Google Earth popped up. She’d downloaded it months ago, simply out of curiosity. Skye had been particularly amused to see her father had been captured in his scruffiest clothes in front of their house. He’d been crouching down as if inspecting the wheels of his car and was revealing more skin than her mother would have liked. However, silly voyeurism aside, the app did have its uses.
