The Girl Games (Goddess Girls)

by Joan Holub

  “At the end of the Games, every girl will get to keep one of the animals,” she announced. “In fact, you can each choose your favorite now, instead of waiting till tomorrow, since you helped unpack.”

  At this, there were more squeals of delight. Artemis could hardly believe it when Penthe kissed the silver-gray horse, then pretended to make it trot across her lap.

  While the girls finished sorting the animals—there were ten in each box, making two hundred altogether—they talked about their cultures. Artemis was fascinated to learn that the Amazons had a queen, not a king.

  “Why would we need a king?” Penthe said scornfully. “Boys are considered dorks in our culture. We’re way better at sports and smarter than they are. It’s better that we make the rules.”

  Artemis liked that Amazonian culture valued girls. But if she thought some boys were annoying, she didn’t think they were dorks. Well, not all of them, anyway.

  And if Penthe really felt that way, then why had she made goo-goo eyes at Actaeon yesterday morning? Her stomach churned just remembering. Luckily, her gloomy thoughts were interrupted when Athena burst into the room.

  “Thank godness I found you!” she exclaimed, looking at Artemis. She was breathing hard, like she’d been running. And she seemed upset.

  “What’s wrong?” Artemis asked, jumping up. Had Zeus told Athena he was canceling the Games?

  “I’ll explain later, but can you come with me? Now?” Athena asked, not even glancing toward the other four girls. She obviously didn’t want to say what was bothering her in front of them.

  “Want us to stay and unpack the rest of these boxes?” Satet asked.

  “That’s okay,” Artemis told her. “I’ll finish later.” If there was a later where the Games were concerned! Anyway, Zeus was trusting her with the gym key and she needed to lock up behind them.

  After everyone was finally out of the gym and Artemis and Athena were alone, words poured from Athena. “You know that boy, Bellerophon?”

  “Yeah, I saw him flying on Pegasus earlier,” Artemis said, shutting the loading dock doors and fishing out her key. What did Bellerophon have to do with the Games getting canceled? she wondered.

  “Really? Which way?” asked Athena, scanning the sky.

  “East.”

  Athena glanced hopefully in that direction, but then her shoulders slumped. “He’s disappeared. With Pegasus! They’ve been gone an hour now, and my dad is going to throw a thunderbolt fit of epic proportions when he finds out!”

  “Well, that’s Bellerophon’s problem, isn’t it?” Artemis said. “I mean, he shouldn’t have—”

  “No! You don’t understand. I have to find him! Can you help me?” Athena looked like she was about to cry. “I tried to get help from Aphrodite and Persephone. But they weren’t in the dorm or out on the field. Skadi told me she’d seen you head here. I’m so sorry to bother you. I know you have a lot going on,” she added all in a rush.

  “Are you kidding? I’m glad to help.” Secretly, Artemis was big-time relieved that this was the problem Athena wanted help with. She hadn’t come to say that Zeus had canceled the Games after all! Still, she didn’t see why Athena was so worried about Bellerophon and Pegasus. Bellerophon seemed like a natural rider, so what trouble could he really get into? But if Athena needed help, she would help her!

  “C’mon,” she said, setting off across the sports fields for the Academy. “You’ll need some support when you tell your dad they’re late.”

  “No!” Athena grabbed her arm, paling.

  Artemis froze as she suddenly guessed something. “You mean Principal Zeus didn’t give his permission?”

  “Right. And I sort of helped Bellerophon take Pegasus,” Athena admitted.

  Now it was Artemis’s turn to go pale. Had Zeus already heard about this? Is that why he’d mentioned maybe canceling the Games? She felt a flash of anger toward Athena. This was all her fault! But maybe there was still a way to set things right.

  Without another word, she stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled. At her summons, her four milk-white deer with golden horns came leaping to her side, pulling a chariot behind them. “Let’s go find them,” she told Athena.

  Piling into the chariot, they took off. As they flew over Mount Olympus, Athena explained about her and Bellerophon’s dream. And about how she’d helped make it come true. As Artemis listened, her anger toward her friend softened. Shared dreams were something to be taken seriously. But Zeus, of course, didn’t know about the dream.

  Sailing upward, they searched the skies for the missing horse and rider. But all they saw was endless, empty blue stretching in every direction.

  Athena groaned. “If we don’t find Pegasus before my dad does, I’m dead.”

  No, the Games were dead, thought Artemis. To punish them, Zeus would probably cancel tomorrow’s Games for sure—dream or no dream! She gritted her teeth. That just couldn’t happen. They’d find Pegasus and set things right. They had to. The Girl Games must go on!

  14

  Persephone

  Friday afternoon.

  WHOA!” HADES CALLED TO HIS FOUR BLACK stallions as they arrived in the Underworld. After a half hour of travel from MOA, his chariot had come to a halt in a field of asphodel. The star-shaped white flowers, which stood atop tall stalks, grew abundantly down here. They were the favorite food of the Dead.

  Persephone inhaled the flowers’ sweet fragrance as Hades lifted her down from his chariot. She clutched the woven bag with Adonis inside, keeping him safe until she stood on the ground. Not far away, she could hear the Titans griping and yelling.

  “Thanks for coming, Perseph,” Hades told her. “I know your presence will calm those Titans and make them easier for me to handle. After I deal with them and the damage they caused on their rampage, I’ll be back. Oh, and the long-jump practice pit is over there.” Just before he dashed off, he pointed to a place a short distance away where the field had been mowed.

  Persephone smiled, watching him go. Some boys were cute, she thought, but Hades was darkly handsome. If he acted more serious than other boys, it was only because he had so much responsibility down here in the Underworld. But she liked that about him.

  Adonis started to wriggle, so she lifted him from the bag, holding him carefully with his feet tucked up under him. In the next asphodel field over, she spotted some shades. Their wispy humanlike figures moved slowly, harvesting the blossoms. If they didn’t seem exactly happy, they didn’t seem unhappy, either. She supposed that made sense. During their mortal lives, they’d done equal amounts of good and evil.

  When Adonis squirmed to get down, Persephone lowered him to the ground. After sniffing at the flowers, he scampered off through the field. She kept pace with him, laughing.

  Eventually the kitten tired, and she gave him some water dipped from a clear stream. Then she set him on the pillow inside the woven bag. He immediately curled up for a nap. Leaving the top of the bag open, she carried it over to the long-jump pit the shades had built. She set the bag to one side, where she could keep an eye on it while she practiced.

  As she did her jumps, she started to worry a little. Not about Hades. She didn’t doubt that he could handle the Titans—he was godboy of the Underworld, after all. And he had lots of help, including his three-headed dog, Cerberus, who made sure that no one who belonged in the Underworld ever escaped.

  No, it was Aphrodite she was worried about. What would she think if she arrived back at the dorm before Persephone and Adonis returned? Too late, Persephone wished she’d left a note. Unfortunately, the magic breezes that delivered messages didn’t come to the Underworld, so there was no way to contact her now.

  A half hour later the cloth petals on the floppy yellow poppy began to flutter. Adonis had woken from his catnap. As Persephone went to check on him, the bag tipped over and he scooted out. Picking one of the asphodel flowers, she held it by its long stem and dangled the flower part so he could play bat-the-blossom.

&
nbsp; All at once she heard a loud honk and the sound of wings flapping overhead. Looking up, she was astonished to see Aphrodite and her swan cart. Uh-oh. The swans glided smoothly, their long necks stretched out in front of them. They landed in the field not more than ten yards away.

  Persephone scooped up Adonis as Aphrodite stepped from her cart. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the cart shrank into a figurine again. She picked it up, then slipped it into her pocket.

  Spotting Persephone holding Adonis, Aphrodite frowned and stomped toward them. Persephone cuddled the kitten close. She knew Aphrodite was not going to be happy she’d brought the kitten down here. “How did you find me?” she asked.

  “Pheme saw you from a window.”

  “Oh!” Persephone said. So that’s who’d been watching her and Hades as they were leaving MOA.

  “I came to get my kitten,” Aphrodite announced. But before she could even try to snatch Adonis away, he leaped from Persephone’s arms. Ignoring both girls, he romped merrily off among the asphodel stalks. Pausing a short distance away, he began to lick his paw.

  They both went after him but then stopped to argue. “Did you think you could hide him from me here? Then maybe smuggle him to your mom’s? Were you going to pretend he got lost and then keep him for yourself?” Aphrodite demanded.

  Persephone stiffened. “What? Are you accusing me of kitten-napping Adonis?”

  “Well, I don’t recall giving you permission to bring him here,” said Aphrodite.

  “Hades needed me to come help him. It was an emergency,” Persephone informed her. “You weren’t back yet. I couldn’t very well take Adonis to you at the track, or leave him alone in your room. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Leave a note?”

  Persephone threw her arms wide. “I forgot! So sue me in the courts of Athens! Don’t try to push the blame on me. I was just trying to take care of Adonis. Someone had to!”

  Eyes flashing, Aphrodite poked a pink-polished fingertip to her own chest. “I can take care of him!”

  “I never said you couldn’t,” Persephone protested. Though, now that she thought about it, she’d certainly spent more time caring for the kitten than Aphrodite had. If Adonis were able to choose between them, she was sure he’d pick her!

  “He’s mine,” Aphrodite said, as if reading Persephone’s mind.

  Persephone crossed her arms. “Tell Adonis that!” she shot back. “Maybe he’d rather belong to me!”

  “I knew it! You were trying to steal him!” Aphrodite shouted. In a huff, she turned to get Adonis. But he wasn’t there anymore. “Here kitty, kitty,” she called to him. He didn’t come.

  “Oh, no!” Persephone exclaimed. She began to look around and call to him too. But to no avail. The girls had been arguing so hard that neither of them had kept an eye on the kitten. Now he had wandered off and was lost!

  Fields of asphodel were perfectly harmless, but other parts of the Underworld could prove dangerous to a sweet, unsuspecting kitten. What if Adonis fell into a river of lava!

  Persephone wrung her hands, wishing she’d never let Hades talk her into coming here. If Adonis got hurt, it would be all her fault!

  15

  Aphrodite

  Friday afternoon.

  FURIOUS WITH PERSEPHONE, APHRODITE SET her swan figurine on the ground and recited the chant to make it come to life. “I’ll see if I can spot Adonis from overhead,” she said, her voice tight.

  “Let me help! Four eyes are better than two,” Persephone pleaded.

  Aphrodite hesitated. Part of her wanted to refuse Persephone’s help and stay mad. But another part knew she should forgive her. After all, Persephone was just as worried about the kitten as she was. “Okay. Thanks.” Truth was, she was grateful for the help.

  As the swans’ wings unfurled and began to flap, the two goddessgirls leaped into the cart. Soon they were soaring over the snowy-white fields of asphodel. Once, they thought they saw the kitten sitting near some shades who were hoeing a field. But when they dipped lower, they saw it was only a black rock.

  Widening their search, they swept along the banks of the River Lethe. “What if Adonis was thirsty?” Aphrodite said, hearing the fear in her own voice. Those who drank from this river forgot everyone and everything they’d ever known. She wouldn’t mind if the kitten forgot Persephone. But she wanted him to remember her!

  “I gave him a drink earlier,” said Persephone, sounding hopeful that he hadn’t gone to the river. When they didn’t see him there, they flew onward. Soon they were over the deep gloomy pit that was Tartarus. “There’s Hades,” Persephone murmured. “And those giants with him must be the Titans who tried to escape.”

  Hades appeared to be scolding them, shaking a finger in front of their faces. He was so into his lecture that he didn’t even look up as the girls sped by overhead.

  Next, the girls flew past a man chained to a rock in the middle of a pool. A tree loaded with perfect pears hung just over his head. But when he reached out hungrily to grab one, the branches of the tree lifted higher, so they were always beyond his grasp.

  Persephone motioned to Aphrodite to fly on by. As the man scowled after them, Persephone explained. “He must have done something really bad. Those tempting, out-of-reach pears are his punishment.”

  “Oh. I see,” said Aphrodite. Whatever he’d done must have been truly terrible, she thought, because those pears looked tantalizingly delicious! “I hope Adonis isn’t out there somewhere, hungry too. Because he doesn’t deserve to be punished!”

  “I know. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have brought him here,” said Persephone. “I know it doesn’t help, but I’m so sorry.”

  Aphrodite didn’t answer. She’d wanted Persephone to admit she’d been wrong. But now that she had, Aphrodite didn’t feel quite ready to forgive her. And that made her feel guilty, too. Which was ridonkulous! She’d done nothing wrong!

  As the search dragged on, she began to despair. “What if we never find him,” she wailed. Persephone grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. She could always count on Persephone to try to make her feel better. Aphrodite’s heart melted toward her just a teeny bit, even though she was still mad at her!

  Leaving Tartarus, they sailed back over the asphodel fields again. As they neared the marsh at the entrance to the Underworld, they heard several dogs growling and snapping. Or maybe just one dog, Aphrodite decided. One three-headed dog that belonged to Hades.

  The girls looked at each other in alarm. “Cerberus!” they exclaimed at the same time.

  They zoomed toward the growly sounds. Aphrodite was sure that she and Persephone were both picturing the same thing: Adonis being gobbled to bits. Never a dog fan to begin with, Aphrodite shuddered as she imagined Cerberus’s slobbering jaws and sharp fangs. Suddenly the growling stopped.

  “Oh, no!” she whispered, freaking out. The terrible, empty silence was even scarier than the growling had been!

  “What if . . .?” Persephone began, but she couldn’t finish. Tears filled her eyes. This time it was Aphrodite who gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

  If only Adonis was okay, she’d try to be a nicer person, Aphrodite silently promised herself. She’d stop being mad at Persephone. She’d . . . she’d do anything! If only the kitten was okay.

  Spotting the dog below on the bank of the River Styx, she zoomed the swan cart in for a landing. The second it touched ground, she dashed off, not even waiting for the cart to shrink back into a figurine. Fortunately, Persephone stayed behind long enough to pocket it.

  The swampy ground sucked at Aphrodite’s sandals as she rushed toward the dastardly three-headed dog, who’d found a dry spot of ground to rest upon. “What did you do with him?” she shouted. All three of Cerberus’s heads swung her way. They growled in unison.

  “Shh, Cerberus,” Persephone called from somewhere behind her. “It’s me, boy.” Recognizing her voice, the dog wagged his long tail.

  Just then Aphrodite spied a much s
maller, cuter black tail poking up from between the dog’s two enormous paws. She pointed at it, thinking the worst. “No-ooo. Adonis’s tail!” she wailed. Cerberus shifted uncertainly, upset by her shouts.

  All at once a kitten’s head popped up from between the dog’s paws. Green eyes blinked at them as if to say, What’s all the fuss?

  Aphrodite pointed, shouting, “Look! Adonis! He’s okay!”

  “Thank godness!” Persephone said, relief in her voice.

  Unharmed, he was snuggled between Cerebus’s paws. As they watched, Adonis wriggled around until he lay upside down, showing his white belly. All four of his precious little paws stretched up into the air.

  One of the dog’s heads bent down. It moved closer . . . and closer to the kitten. His mouth opened.

  “No!” shrieked Aphrodite. “Don’t you dare eat him!”

  Ignoring her, Cerberus flicked out his big pink tongue . . . and gave the kitten a gentle lick. Adonis batted playfully at him with his paws. Then he leaped up. Nimbly, he scampered up the long nose of one dog head and down its long neck. Then he ran across the huge dog’s back to the tip of its tail. Cerberus wriggled as if being tickled.

  Rushing forward, Aphrodite scooped Adonis up. “Oh, you little cutie-pie! I was so worried about you!” she exclaimed, cuddling the kitten to her chest.

  Persephone reached over to scratch Cerberus’s back. “What a good dog you are for taking care of Adonis!” she told him.

  In keeping with her silent promise, Aphrodite decided to stop blaming Persephone for what had happened. Yes, she shouldn’t have taken the kitten to the Underworld. But they were both at fault for not keeping a better eye on him. Still, she didn’t want to talk about that right now. She was too busy being thrilled over the fact that Adonis was okay!

  As she cooed over him and stroked his sweet fur, she thought of another promise—the one she’d made to Athena to talk to Principal Zeus about keeping the kitten.

  Well, she hadn’t said when she’d talk to him. And it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Because what if he told her Adonis had to go? No . . . she wouldn’t think like that. Zeus just had to let her keep him!