by C. Gockel
‘Right in front of you. Can’t you see me? See me! See! Get it?’ The voice’s owner laughed.
Skye frowned and took a step towards the river.
‘There you go.’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘You’re the river?’
‘The river is the river.’
What on earth was that supposed to mean? ‘And the sky is the sky,’ she responded. ‘Except when Skye is me.’
‘You’re a sky god?’
‘No,’ she answered slowly, ‘but you’re a river god?’ She tried and failed to keep the question out of her voice.
‘Well done! My name is Asterion.’
‘Hi.’
‘We’ve already done this part,’ Asterion said solemnly.
‘I suppose we have. So?’
‘So what?’
‘Are you going to tell me what my task is?’
‘Oh, that. You need to collect the wool from the sheep in the field up ahead. There’s only one. You’ll know the wool when you see it.’
‘That’s it?’
‘That’s it,’ he replied breezily.
‘How much am I supposed to get?’
‘An armful will do.’
That was remarkably vague, Skye thought to herself. Then she remembered what Hermes had said. ‘Is there anything else I should be aware of?’
‘Ah! This one’s no fool,’ laughed Asterion.
Getting impatient, Skye folded her arms. ‘Well?’
‘I’m a river god, not a well god. They’re dank and smelly. Surely even a human can tell the difference?’
Asterion brought new meaning to the phrase ‘babbling brook’. Skye sighed inwardly. ‘Of course I can,’ she said, trying a different tack. ‘You’re fresh and fast. I truly admire your stunning crystal swell. And even in winter, the song of spring is evident in your river shallows.’
‘Why, thank you,’ Asterion said.
Thank you John Keats for writing so many poems which featured rivers in them, Skye thought.
‘You’re welcome.’ She leaned down towards the water and lowered her voice. ‘Can you tell me what I need to watch out for?’
‘Sadly no. I am forbidden from revealing anything about this task by command of Zeus himself.’
Skye rolled her eyes. Typical.
‘But I can tell you my sister Lethe has a very sweet tooth.’
‘Eh?’
‘E, I, O, U.’
Skye blinked. This was getting too weird. ‘Alright,’ she said finally. ‘Thank you for your help, Asterion.’ Such as it was.
‘My pleasure, fair lady.’
Skye smiled overly brightly in the vague direction of the river, then bent down and took off her socks and shoes, rolled her jeans up to her knees and started wading across. The water was icy cold and made her gasp aloud while the stones on the river bed were slippery. More than once, she had to pause to regain her balance. But it was nothing more than a river.
Hermes had said not everything was what it seemed. Had he meant that in relation to Asterion? Skye shook her head: she really had no idea. And considering she’d just held a conversation with a river, she was probably the crazy one.
Pulling herself out, she shook her legs and rubbed them down to dry them off as best she could, then padded to the edge of the field, carefully scanning every inch of it while she put her socks and shoes back on. She couldn’t see a sheep anywhere. There seemed to be plenty of cows, placidly chewing the grass and ignoring her, but she couldn’t see anything else. Skye walked down the length of the fence, searching the entire expanse.
A flicker of movement caught her peripheral vision and she turned to glance at it, before being forced to shield her eyes suddenly as whatever it was glinted brightly in the morning sun. Skye squinted towards the glare, trying to work out what it was. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment: it was indeed a sheep. Sort of. It was the same size as a sheep and to all intents and purposes it was the same shape as a sheep. This animal, however, wasn’t covered in a white fleece; its coat was a rich, burnished gold. The glare from the sun bouncing off it made it painful to look at. Then the sheep trotted back behind the tree it had been hiding behind and Skye’s vision returned to normal.
‘A golden sheep,’ she murmured to herself. ‘Unbelievable.’
No wonder she’d been tasked with collecting its wool; a cardigan made of that material would be a sight to behold. She smirked at the thought of Coop’s glamorous mother with a pair of knitting needles. Perhaps not.
Without pausing further, Skye carefully pushed down the barbed wire fence so she could clamber over it. Sheep were hardly vicious creatures – but then sheep didn’t usually have such valuable fleeces so it was entirely possible this was some kind of man-eater. She could just make out the gleaming edge of its coat from behind the oak so she made a beeline straight for it, her eyes searching the ground for something to coax it into submission long enough for her to pull off what she needed. The least Aphrodite could have done was to supply her with some shears, she thought ruefully. She didn’t want to hurt the animal.
A thought occurred to her. Her skin was scratching where a few grains were trapped in her clothes. Surely a sheep, even a golden one, would appreciate some wheat and oats. Grinning to herself, Skye paused and began to shake out her jeans and t-shirt. Several grains fell onto the grass under her feet. She reached under her t-shirt to grab the flakes of oat which were still trapped in the fabric of her bra, taking a quick glance around in case anyone happened to be watching. Then she bent down to scoop up her meagre findings.
Suddenly, there was a tremendous bellow. Skye looked up, her insides transforming into jelly as she realised where the sound was coming from. The cows, which had been contentedly chewing away while she was safely on the other side of the fence, were bearing down upon her. She had just enough time to spot gleaming white fangs protruding from the beasts’ large, cavernous mouths before she dropped everything, turned and ran.
Her heart was hammering against her ribcage as she pumped her legs as fast as she could. She covered the distance back to the fence in a time which any sprinter would have been proud of but, when she was barely an arm’s reach away, her toe connected with a stone and she went flying flat on her face. Skye had only just registered what had happened when a sharp pain, worse than anything she’d ever felt before, tore into her. One of the smaller cows, which was clearly faster than the others, had sunk its jaws into her calf.
Skye shrieked, desperately trying to get back to her feet and safety beyond the fence. The beast’s teeth tore through her flesh while the remainder of the herd thundered towards her. With an inarticulate yell, she yanked hard, freed herself from the cow’s jaws and vaulted over the barbed wire. The denim of her jeans caught on the wire and ripped and Skye fell forward. She turned quickly to make sure the fence would hold the monstrous cows. As one they had stopped, frozen like statues, and watched her with huge limpid brown eyes. Then they turned and slowly trotted away.
Breathing hard, Skye stared at her leg and the stream of blood. She gingerly pulled away the torn fragments of denim but, when she saw the wound reaching through her flesh and exposing the bone, she fainted dead away.
Skye had no idea how long she’d been unconscious. The sun was high in the sky when she opened her eyes. She tried to sit up but her stomach roiled with nausea and she felt so dizzy she was sure she was about to pass out again. Gritting her teeth, she took several quick shallow breaths. The pain in her calf was intense. Not even jellyfish stings could come close to a cow’s bite. She chided herself for not considering the animals might be a threat. Her success at the barn had caused her to become far too complacent; she’d almost paid for that complacency with her life.
Aphrodite didn’t just want her to fail, she thought dully. The goddess wanted her dead. For some reason, that strengthened her resolve rather than weakened it. Skye shrugged out of her coat and carefully peeled off her t-shirt, wincing in pain. Before she could faint again, she bound the co
tton material tightly around the wound to staunch the bleeding. Then she forced herself back into her coat and staggered to her feet.
‘I will not fail!’ she shouted. ‘Do you hear me? I will not fail!’
Nobody answered. Feeling hopelessly alone, Skye staggered to the fence. Even if those bloody cows ripped her to shreds, she was not going to give up. She would never give up.
Despite the fact that her vision was blurry round the edges, she managed to spot the section of ripped denim clinging to the barbed wire. Skye reached out and touched it with her fingertips. Then she laughed aloud.
‘You see?’ she yelled again. ‘I can do this!’
Moving carefully from fence post to fence post and doing everything she could to keep the weight off her wounded leg, she hopped round the field. The terrible cows seemed to ignore her presence but she was fairly certain they were aware of where she was. Regardless, she continued until she found what she was looking for. At various points around the field, golden curls were caught on the barbed wire. The sheep had obviously brushed against the fence at different times and sections of its fleece had been pulled away. In one corner there was a bush where she gathered several gleaming handfuls. Although she was moving slowly, it wasn’t long before she had an armful.
A wave of agonising pain hit her and she collapsed backwards, still clutching the soft fleece. ‘Told you so,’ she murmured, before she closed her eyes and blackness took over once again.
Moments later, freed from the golden chains of Olympus, Coop was by her side. His hands were shaking with rage as he gently smoothed back Skye’s sweat-soaked hair and brushed the blood soaking through the makeshift bandage on her leg.
‘How could you let this happen, Mother?’ His voice was soft, but the steel lacing his tone left no doubt as to his true feelings.
Aphrodite’s face was pale. ‘I didn’t want her to get hurt.’
‘No,’ he snarled, ‘you just wanted to keep us apart. So much for being dedicated to the course of true love.’
‘Coop,’ she began.
‘Fuck off.’
He rearranged Skye’s limbs and lifted her carefully up in his arms, holding her warm body against his broad chest. He gazed tenderly down at her, before sending his mother a look of absolute loathing. Then his wings unfurled and he flew up into the air, taking Skye with him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Skye wasn’t quite sure where she was but she felt very warm and very safe and very comfortable. There was a slight throbbing in her leg but it was little more than an irritant. Of far greater importance was the hard body pressed against the length of her back and the arm curled round her waist.
She sighed happily. ‘Coop.’
‘I’m here,’ he murmured in her ear, pulling her even closer against him.
Skye yelped in surprise and she sat up, twisting round to stare at the tanned contours of his face as he smiled up at her.
‘It’s over,’ he said softly.
‘I don’t understand.’
He pulled himself up to her level and gazed into her eyes. ‘Just know that everything’s going to be alright from now on.’
He planted a long, lingering kiss on her lips. Skye moaned. This was almost too good to be true.
She suddenly withdrew. ‘I’m not dreaming, am I?’
Coop laughed. ‘No, you’re not dreaming.’
‘The fleece?’
‘You got it. You collected an armful. You showed all of them, Skye. I’m so sorry my stupid actions put you through all that. I won’t let anything happen to you ever again.’
She frowned. ‘But there are still two more tasks.’
He caressed her cheek. ‘You don’t need to worry about them. You’ve proven your worth. My mother has agreed to let you off.’
‘But…’
‘Shhhh,’ he said. ‘Everything is fixed. We have an audience with Zeus in an hour and then you’re free. We’re free.’ He smiled. ‘So come on, get your lazy arse out of bed. We’ll have plenty of time for that later.’
Skye’s cheeks warmed. Coop laughed again, happy lights dancing deep in his eyes. He slapped her playfully on the thigh.
‘We’d better not keep the King of the Heavens waiting.’
Barely forty-five minutes later, the pair of them were standing in Zeus’s magnificent throne room, their fingers intertwined. Despite being next to Coop, Skye was still hopelessly intimidated. The large room was packed with people of all shapes, sizes and forms. Some, such as Hermes, were openly happy to see her; others appeared merely curious. And there were, admittedly, one or two who appeared hostile. Apollo, in particular, was standing up near the dais and glowering at them. There was a hint of mockery on his face as he watched them.
Coop squeezed her fingers. ‘It’ll be fine,’ he whispered. ‘Just don’t forget to breathe.’
Skye swallowed. Her legs were shaking. She’d rather face the carnivorous cows again than stand here in this vast marbled room with so many eyes fixed upon her.
Aphrodite, draped in a long, elegant gown, glided over to them and inclined her head. ‘Ms Sawyer,’ she said stiffly, ‘I apologise for any physical hurt you sustained during the course of your tasks.’
Skye tightened her grip on Coop’s hand, aware he was on the verge of saying something he’d later regret. He answered with a reassuring caress, his thumb stroking her palm.
Skye lifted her head and looked Aphrodite in the eyes. ‘That’s okay,’ she said softly.
Something flitted across the goddess’s face, then she pasted on a smile. Skye watched her carefully, suddenly understanding why the abrupt volte-face. If Aphrodite continued forcing Skye to complete the tasks, she’d have lost Coop forever, regardless of the outcome. In order to keep her son, Aphrodite had yielded. It had nothing to do with Skye proving herself as brave or resourceful or worthy of Coop’s love.
Aphrodite opened her mouth to say something else and Skye tensed. But a sudden fanfare sounded, indicating Zeus’s arrival, and the goddess fell back. A trickle of self-doubt ran down Skye’s spine.
‘What’s wrong?’ Coop whispered.
She shook her head, not trusting herself to answer and turned instead to watch Zeus approach. He strode forward looking every inch the king, and towering over the assembled crowd, who knelt as he swept past in an odd mimicry of a Mexican wave. When he reached Coop and Skye, she dropped into a curtsey, feeling both foolish and clumsy. She inwardly cursed as, yet again, she began to blush.
Zeus ascended the steps in front and turned to face them. His blue eyes were looking upon her kindly but Skye still felt terribly awkward.
‘So,’ his voice boomed, cracking through the room like the lightning he purportedly carried, ‘today we meet to smooth out the matter of the human, Skye Sawyer. What say you, Cupid?’
Coop cleared his throat and stepped forward, although his fingers still clung to Skye’s. ‘Skye was given four tasks to complete to prove her worth. She has successfully finished two. I petition Your Majesty to set aside the remainder of the tasks and allow us to live out our lives together. To this end, I relinquish my immortality and position.’
An audible gasp filled the room and a shiver of horror ran through Skye. Coop hadn’t told her that was what he was planning. She glanced at Aphrodite and saw misery etched all over her beautiful face. Oh gods.
Zeus folded his arms. ‘You can’t just give up being a god.’
‘Why not?’
Zeus shook his head and tutted. ‘Aphrodite. The tasks were yours to set. Are you prepared to drop the matter?’
She took a step forward, but before she could speak, Skye pulled her hand away from Coop’s. ‘Zeus,’ she said, rather more loudly than she’d intended. ‘I mean, uh, Your Majesty.’
He frowned and looked down at her.
‘What are you doing?’ Coop hissed.
‘I don’t agree,’ Skye said.
Clearly taken aback, the King of the Heavens blinked at her. ‘Excuse me?’
Sk
ye moved forward. ‘I said I don’t agree. I was given four tasks to complete. I will complete those tasks. I will not leave a job unfinished.’
Coop looked stricken. Skye glanced around from Aphrodite to Apollo and then back to Coop. She smiled at him reassuringly. ‘I love you,’ she said simply. ‘More than I ever thought I could love anyone. You’re my heart. My life.’
‘So why the hell are you doing this?’ The agony in his voice was evident.
‘Because otherwise I’ll never be truly accepted as worthy of you. I promised to finish every task and that’s what I’ll do. I will not have you give up everything for me.’
‘I’m giving up nothing, Skye. Don’t you see that? If it means I can be with you then I’m giving up nothing.’ His eyes pleaded with her.
‘You are aware, Ms Sawyer,’ interrupted Zeus, ‘that if you go ahead with the tasks and fail, the terms state you will never see Cupid again?’
She looked at him steadily. ‘I am aware of that. But you have to see that I won’t fail. I can’t fail. I will honour my promise and see the remaining tasks through. It was doubt that caused the problems between Coop and me to begin with. I won’t allow there to be any lingering doubt.’
‘I rather think it is us as gods who have proved ourselves unworthy of you, Ms Sawyer,’ said Zeus quietly. ‘Very well. You will receive the details of the third task this afternoon. Whether you succeed or fail, know that you have our admiration.’
Without saying another word, Zeus strode down the stairs. When he reached her, he stood for a moment in front of Skye and bowed his head. Then he moved past, and walked out of the room.
‘I’ve never spoken in front of so many people before,’ Skye said shakily.
Coop grabbed her shoulders. ‘What in hell have you done?’
‘What was right.’
The others in the room began to walk out silently. Skye looked up in time to see a flicker of approval in Aphrodite’s eyes before she also turned and left.
‘Skye, if you fail…’
She smiled at him, raising her hand to touch his cheek. ‘But I told you. I won’t fail.’ She tried to ignore the twist in her stomach which suggested otherwise.
