by C. Gockel
‘You know I love you, Skye Sawyer.’
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. ‘And that’s why I have to do this. I’d better go and get ready. The sooner these two tasks are completed, the sooner we can be together.’
Coop watched her go, pain and pride warring inside him and his fingertips absently brushing his lips where the taste of her still lingered.
Behind him, Apollo cleared his throat. ‘You don’t deserve her, you know.’
Refusing to rise to the challenge, Coop gave the Sun God a half smile. ‘I know.’
‘I thought that you’d be more of a man, Cupid. She’s out there, risking her life to complete your mother’s tasks while you top up your tan.’
‘Maybe being a man means not treating her as if she’s made of glass,’ Coop remarked, turning to face his one-time adversary. ‘If I could stop her from doing this I would, but she’s her own person and I have to respect that.’
Apollo snorted. ‘I wonder if you’ll still be singing the same tune when she comes back to you in a body bag.’
‘She won’t,’ he answered quietly. ‘She won’t fail.’
‘You don’t know that.’
‘She told me she won’t fail. I trust her.’
‘How do you know she’s decided she just doesn’t want to be with you, eh? Maybe this is her escape route. Maybe even death is better than being with you.’
Coop lifted up his chin, a fathomless expression flitting across his face. ‘I’m sorry.’ He sounded as if he meant it.
Apollo blinked. ‘For what?’
‘For the way I acted towards you before. It was stupid and I see that now. And I’m sorry that you only briefly understood what it means to experience true love. It changes everything. I hope one day you’ll feel it for yourself. Otherwise what’s the point in living?’
The sincerity in his voice was genuine. Apollo, however, glared at him with distrust.
‘Be happy, Apollo,’ said Coop. He gave him a smile and followed everyone else out, leaving the Sun God gaping after him.
Standing yet again outside the imposing gates of Olympus, Skye wondered whether she had made the biggest mistake of her life. She’d been given a way out and she’d refused to take it. The assembly of gods might have approved of her actions; she had definitely seen respect in many of their eyes, even those of Apollo. But if she failed the remaining two tasks, that respect would be worthless.
Hermes appeared by her side. ‘Here,’ he said, handing her a chunky black box covered in velvet.
Skye, momentarily surprised by its weight, turned it over in her hands. ‘What is it?’
‘A container,’ he answered, looking troubled. ‘It’s made of crystal so you’ll have to be careful not to drop it.’
‘Thank you.’
‘You don’t know what you have to do with it yet,’ he replied grimly. ‘The tasks were set before you began, so even if Aphrodite wanted to make them easier, she couldn’t.’
Skye gazed at him. ‘Do you think I made the wrong decision?’ she asked softly.
‘You mean continuing?’
She nodded.
Hermes shrugged. ‘I can see why you did it. Coop shouldn’t have said what he did about giving up his immortality and status. It doesn’t work like that. He was being dramatic.’
Skye gave a small smile. ‘He certainly achieved that. It wasn’t the reason why I said I didn’t want to give up, though. It just gave me a little nudge, that’s all.’
‘So why then?’
‘I’m not a quitter. I promised to see this through so that’s what I’ll do.’ Skye hoped the tremor running down her spine wasn’t evident in her voice. ‘But more than that, I would never be accepted if I just gave up.’
‘Accepted by the gods? Most of them were on your side to begin with.’
‘By the gods. But by Aphrodite, in particular. The breach between her and Coop is obvious to see.’
Hermes eyed her. ‘They’d make it up sooner or later.’
Skye shook her head. ‘I don’t think they would. Especially if she never truly likes or respects me. It means little to me what she thinks, but it means a hell of a lot to Coop.’
‘It’s true that he would never forgive her if she didn’t fully accept you. If you do this, she’ll not just say she respects you, she’ll actually believe it.’
‘Exactly. And Coop won’t have to spend the rest of his life hating her.’
‘He’s immortal,’ Hermes reminded her gently.
A tiny frown crossed Skye’s forehead. ‘Yes,’ she sighed. ‘He is.’
She no longer had any lingering doubts as to Coop’s real feelings for her. Whether those feelings would remain the same when she was an old woman while Coop remained eternally young would be a different matter. She couldn’t worry about that now. There were far more pressing matters at hand.
‘You know if you fail, he’ll still hate her.’
She shook her head. ‘No. I’m the one who stepped up when I had the chance to back off. He’ll see that.’ She gave Hermes a pointed look. ‘You’d better make sure of that.’
‘I will,’ he agreed solemnly. ‘But I’m not sure it’ll do much good. You’ll just have to succeed.’
‘I’ll do my damned hardest.’ Skye straightened her back. ‘Well, come on then. What’s the task?’
Hermes bobbed his head towards the box she was still holding. ‘You need to fill the crystal container with water.’
She gave him an arch look. ‘It’s not going to be as simple as that, now is it?’
His mouth twisted. ‘No. It needs to be water from the source of the river Styx.’
‘Oh,’ she said faintly. ‘The river Styx. Isn’t that…?’
‘Yeah. You don’t actually have to go to the Underworld though.’ Hermes gave a short laugh. ‘That would be crazy. The source is located behind Angel Falls in Venezuela.’
‘Angel Falls?’ There was a hint of irony in her tone.
‘Hey, we didn’t name it. That’s entirely down to you humans.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Whatever you say. Is Styx a river god too? I mean, like Asterion?’
‘Oh, they all are. Styx, Acheron, Phlegethon, Lethe…’
‘Lethe?’
Hermes grinned. ‘Oh yes. Word is she and Styx had a huge falling out. They’re barely on speaking terms.’ At Skye’s glance, he held up his hands. ‘Hey, so we gods like to gossip sometimes. It doesn’t make us bad people.’
No,’ she said slowly, ‘it does make you very helpful though.’ She raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Do you perhaps have a kitchen I could use before we leave?’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hermes left Skye at the edge of the vast river next to Camaina camp, a rustic collection of tourist accommodation on the fringes of lush jungle. He wrapped her in a tight hug before he vanished, leaving her in no doubt how much he hoped she would succeed. She carefully shouldered her bag, the constricting weight of the crystal container in its box shifting as she did so. Skye had packed the contents very carefully, doing everything she could to keep them from harm.
The jungle sounds were louder than she had expected. There was a continuous hum of wildlife, from the chirrup of insects to the calls of exotic birds. It wasn’t as hot and steamy as she’d expected but the humidity was still a shock after the winter chill of Greece. The verdant, emerald green blanketing the hills and mountains took her breath away. She couldn’t quite see the Angel Falls from where she currently stood; she had to admit that, despite the very odd circumstances, she was excited to visit them.
Spotting a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye, Skye turned to see an athletic-looking woman piling up several bright orange lifejackets.
‘Hey!’ she called out. ‘When’s the next trip to the Falls?’
The woman straightened up, surprised, and looked her over. ‘You’re one of the new tourists?’ she asked, in heavily accented English. ‘You arrived on the bus last night?’
Skye
nodded, hoping her cheeks wouldn’t betray her. She could hardly explain she’d just been magically transported here by a Greek god.
‘I, um, wasn’t feeling well before,’ she said. Perhaps that would curtail further questioning on the woman’s part. Skye needn’t have worried, however, as the woman obviously had little interest in who she was and how she’d got there.
‘The boats are leaving now.’
Skye blinked. ‘What? Where are they?’
The woman pointed at a path leading away from the huts. ‘That way. Next to the restaurant. You’ll miss them if you don’t hurry. There’s not another trip until tomorrow.’
Alarmed at the thought that she might have to hang around and twiddle her thumbs for twenty-four hours, Skye immediately took off, speeding down the path. Her heavy bag slammed rhythmically against her back and she cursed, reaching back to attempt to steady it. When she caught sight of a long canoe up ahead, pushing away from the shore, and other boats already moving away down the river, she sprinted harder and yelled, ‘Wait!’
No-one seemed to hear her above the jungle cacophony and the roar of the water. Skye forced her legs to continue pumping and tried to ignore the lingering pain in her calf then, when she finally reached the shore, she sprang forward. Water splashed in all directions as her body slammed into the large canoe and it rocked dramatically. Finally hands were pulling her into the vessel, gripping her limbs and yanking her into place.
Skye twisted round, attempting to avoid squashing the precious contents of her backpack, and sat upright. There were three tourists staring at her open mouthed while a man in the front, whom she presumed was the guide, was giving her a disapproving look.
‘What did you think you were doing?’ he snapped. ‘The river is dangerous. It’s easy to be pulled under by the current, even when it’s not deep.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she gasped. ‘I didn’t want to miss the boat.’
He muttered something inaudible under his breath and threw a spare lifejacket onto her lap.
‘Thanks.’
‘Are you staying at the cabins?’ asked one of the men behind her, suspiciously.
‘Er, sure,’ she dissembled, turning to give him what she hoped was a dazzling smile.
‘I’ve not seen you.’
‘I hurt my leg,’ Skye said, as if that answered everything.
A woman leaned forward and punched him on the arm. ‘Scott, don’t be so rude!’
‘We’ve paid a lot of money for this trip,’ he grumbled. ‘The last thing we need is any freeloaders.’
Skye forced a laugh. She didn’t have a single cent on her. The last thing she needed was to be dumped off the boat into the dangerous current because she’d not paid her dues.
‘Ignore him,’ the woman said, with the obvious twang of an Australian accent. ‘He’s just in a bad mood.’
The third man, seated at the very rear of the canoe, didn’t say anything. He was paying Skye scant attention, his eyes focused on the other couple. ‘Yeah, give it a break, Scott,’ he drawled. Then he flicked his gaze quickly to the woman, as if seeking her approval. She didn’t notice.
Unsure how to respond, Skye smiled at them all then focused on the scenery. She wondered idly whether Coop took requests. It seemed apparent that grumpy Scott and the woman were an item – and that the other man wished things were different. Then she scolded herself for even considering the idea. She was starting to realise why Coop had become so cynical about his day job. It was far too easy to manipulate people into falling in love. And far too easy to make snap judgments about people based on fleeting conversations. This sudden flicker of understanding about his feelings made her feel closer to him, despite them being thousands of miles apart.
The long canoe wended its way down the river, with the guide expertly manoeuvring it through rocks and rapids. There were three other boats ahead, filled with people chattering excitedly and pointing out flora and fauna. The closer they got to the roaring Angel Falls, however, the more nervous dread trickled through Skye’s veins. She was fairly certain her plan would work – but she’d been fairly certain it would be easy to gather an armful of shining golden fleece. The last thing she needed was to be overconfident.
The valley walls on either side of the river were getting steeper and higher. Even though it was a sunny day, the further the canoe travelled, the darker the surroundings seemed to get. The forest became increasingly impenetrable, except for the luminous flashes of colour afforded by the occasional flap of tropical birds’ wings.
Just as Skye was thinking about the brooding desolation of the jungle, and feeling like she was travelling into the South American version of the heart of darkness, the canoe twisted round a river bend and the waterfall came into view, thundering its way down the cliff. Clouds of spray caught in the sunlight and hues of orange and red formed at the base of the towering force of nature. Skye’s eyes travelled upwards; she was awestruck at what she was seeing. It seemed that everyone around her was feeling the same. The Angel Falls stretched up towards the heavens as if they were a mile high.
‘By Olympus,’ she whispered to herself, her words swallowed up in the deafening tumble of water. The waterfall next to Olympus had been pretty, but it was nothing compared to the scale of these falls. She curled her fingers tightly into her palms. If only Coop were here with her now so they could experience this together.
She glanced back at her temporary companions. The woman was reaching forward, her hands on her boyfriend’s shoulders while he was extending his own arms backwards for her. Despite her previous – and possibly very wrong – judgment about their relationship, Skye shot them a happy smile before turning back.
Using his paddle, the guide pushed the boat towards the shore where the ground was scuffed and bare from hundreds of other recent tourists. The other canoes were already emptying, people pulling out cameras and phones to take pictures which would never do justice to the imposing waterfall. Skye closed her eyes momentarily, enjoying the cool spray on her skin, then she carefully stepped back onto dry land.
The guide secured the canoe and gestured them forward to a well-beaten path leading through the jungle and up closer to the base of the falls. Skye allowed the others to go ahead of her then fell in behind them. She’d have to hope that she could sneak off unnoticed as soon as possible.
Her chance came sooner than she’d expected. Once the group came out into another clearing closer to the water’s edge, they all began stripping off to their swimwear, keen to take a dip in the cool waters in such a magnificent setting. The four guides clustered together, sharing food and chatting. Fortunately, none of them had decided to quiz her about her sudden appearance. Skye figured that the last thing they were expecting was for her to abruptly vanish into thin air.
Giving one last glance to double check they weren’t watching her, she swung her backpack onto her shoulders and took off, her slight figure almost immediately swallowed up by the jungle. This time there was no path, so she simply had to hope she was heading in the right direction. Clearly, finding the bloody source of the Styx was going to be the most challenging part of this quest. Skye could imagine herself getting lost in the thick undergrowth and heading deep into the jungle instead of towards the wall of water. She paused several times to listen for the direction where the water was loudest to make sure she was moving towards the right place.
Soon she was dripping in sweat. Her skin itched painfully where she’d been bitten. She had no idea how the insects managed to crawl so quickly underneath her clothes to find the choicest bits of flesh to nibble on.
Finally the trees began to thin out and the cliff wall next to Angel Falls became visible. Thanks to the continuous spray, the ground underfoot was slimy and slippery. Skye reached out, palms flat against the smooth rock surface, and began to sidle along carefully. The closer she got to the waterfall, the more nervous she felt. The force of the water was getting stronger and even though all she was feeling was residue spray, it stung her skin
. At least there was enough of it to conceal her should anyone below decide to look up.
Once or twice she almost lost her footing and only just managed to cling on against the side of the rock wall. Despite the large pool at the base of the falls where the tourists were frolicking, Skye had no doubt that were she to fall, she would hit the jutting rocks long before she hit the water.
Spotting a suitable foothold, she carefully raised up one leg and forced her toe into the space. Then she reached upwards, her fingers seeking purchase in the cracks along the cliff’s surface. She didn’t have enough upper body strength to hang on this way for long; she had to find the entrance and find it quickly. Pulling her body upwards, she raised up her other leg, moving her foot around to find another crack. As soon as she did so, however, she shifted her weight slightly and almost lost her balance, one arm flailing around in mid-air.
With her fingers already losing their grip, she pushed all thought out of her mind and swung back towards the cliff face, finally managing to grip tightly with both hands and both feet. She remained there for a heartbeat, gratefully acknowledging the fact she was still alive, and then tried to reach higher up.
‘“Faeries, come take me out of this dull world,’’’ she gasped, as her fingers scrabbled against the wet rock. ‘“For I would ride with you upon the wind, run on to the top of the dishevelled tide, and dance upon the mountains like a flame.’’’
Her heart pounding, she found a space big enough to squeeze in her right hand and grip on. The trouble was, it was at least a foot above her head and in order to grasp it properly, she had to jump upwards.
‘Come on then, faeries,’ she muttered to herself. ‘Where are you when I need you?’
Her arms were already aching and, between the spray from the falls and the sweat that kept sliding off her brow and into her stinging eyes, it was difficult to see. Gritting her teeth, she heaved her body to the right and tried to feel upwards with her fingertips on her left. She waved them around in the air but somehow, no matter how far forward against the cliff wall she leaned, she couldn’t connect her hand with its surface. Skye frowned and tried a bit lower down. And that was when she felt the ledge. Her fingers curled over its edge and her eyes widened. Praise the gods. With one heave, she stretched herself up, managing to pull her elbow over the lip of the ledge so she was more secure. Then she used the toe of her trainers to bounce off the sheer cliff and launch herself upwards, finally yanking her body over the edge and rolling away from the dangerous abyss below her, her breath coming in short, heavy bursts.
