House of Guardians

by Beatrice Sand

  “Well, it is a bit remarkable, actually. There are many Ancient Greek dialects, and some of them are on the verge of extinction—only spoken by a handful of people. I don’t know what kind of dialect they spoke.”

  Lou takes a long break and silently I beg him to continue.

  “I think your source is well informed and that Sam is indeed a descendant from a very old and—more importantly—powerful family. What I’m going to tell you now, Laurel, is like smoke. You can see it rising, but it’s hazy and you can’t grasp it. It’s more than a little complex, but I’ll try my best to make you understand. I’m not even sure I understand it myself, but with everything you told me combined with my own research, I think we have encountered something that…”

  Lou deflates his cheeks.

  “Tell me, Lou,” I urge him. “Tell me what you fond out.”

  “I’m afraid I’ll endanger you, Laurel.”

  “Whatever it is, if it’s potentially dangerous, then I’m stuck in the middle of it anyway. I need to know. If nothing else, then to protect myself.”

  “First you need to promise me that you’ll keep your distance from Sam Laurens.”

  For a moment I stare into my coffee and then look back up. “I can’t promise you that, Lou.”

  Lou sighs. “Then promise me you won’t ever let him in on the information you possess.”

  I nod. “That I can promise.”

  “All right, then.”

  Calmly, like a professor giving a lecture on Ancient History, Lou begins to tell the story. I desperately want to tell him to stop wasting time and to cut out the long breaks. I don’t want to hear wordy tales about old aristocracy, fun facts about an extinct dialect, or tales about demigods—some sort of beings who are in-between gods and humans. I prefer to just quickly burst the bubble of my safe little world instead of slowly reaching a climax, because it’s clear as day that something is terribly wrong, and every second that I remain in the dark is a second I can’t take. Nevertheless, I keep my cool and try to behave like a good, docile student. I listen to his story, while my teeth are gnarling. Until I can’t take it any longer.

  “Lou, who does Sam descend from?”

  “The Olympians.”

  I had prepared for a shock. “So? Are they Greek kings? Olympic athletes? What?”

  “The Olympians are the inhabitants of Mount Olympus.”

  “You mean mountaineers?”

  “Something like that. They are… gods. The gods of Mount Olympus,” he whispers.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “The individual you know as Sam Laurens descends from the Olympic gods. I suspect he’s a demigod.”

  Lou looks at me with such terror in his eyes that for a moment I am afraid my hair is on fire. Then I snicker from nervousness, silliness… from terror. “Lou, Sam isn’t a demigod. He’s just a flesh and blood human.” Are you sure?

  “Have you ever seen him bleeding?”

  “No, I haven’t. Why?”

  “If he’s really of divine descent then he most likely has a different type of blood running through his veins. They call it ichor, it’s an ethereal liquid.”

  I cover my mouth to suppress a yelp. “I had one of Sam’s friends in my car once. He fell and hurt his head. I was alone with him, and before he lost consciousness he told me not to touch him.” Lou’s eyes widen as I ramble on. “He also told me I couldn’t take him to the hospital, so I took him to Sam’s place. Sam almost went into a frenzy when I told him I tried to perform first aid on his friend. Why, Lou?” I ask, clueless.

  “According to the legend, ichor, the blood of the gods, is lethal to humans.”

  “Are you saying Sam is… immortal?”

  “I really don’t know, child. The demigods, also called heroes, used to be mortal, just like the human race. They could become immortal, but that only happened when they deserved it.”

  “But isn’t that a myth?”

  “You tell me.”

  My thoughts are all over the place, going back to every single time we met, and all of a sudden I see Sam standing in the aisle of the library, where he discouraged me from writing my paper on Greek mythology. Was that on purpose? A long, pressing silence follows, until my brain is capable of forming a new question.

  “And what god would Sam descent from?” Am I seriously asking that question?

  “Laurel, if my presumptions are right, and believe me, I’ve never wanted them to be wrong more, then Sam is a descendant of Apollon, the God of sun and light.”

  “W-why do you think that?” I whisper, while I recall Bastian’s words. We are all sun worshippers.

  “Do you know anything about mythical gods?”

  “Not much more than Zeus and Poseidon.”

  “Zeus is Apollon’s father.”

  “Oh, really?” I ask laconically, like Lou just told me that the baker and the butcher around the corner are brothers-in-law.

  Lou briefly looks around and then starts to whisper. “You told me that he senses events before they even happen and that he knows beforehand what someone will ask. If Sam really is a descendant of Apollon, it’s possible that he’s inherited his forefather’s genes. In that case he has supernatural powers and will most likely be capable of foretelling. And you said he is extremely intelligent. Apollon is also the God of intelligence.”

  With some skepticism, I consider the man in front of me. I am still in a quandary—the situation could go in any direction at this point. “Is he even human?”

  “He’s partly human. He has the senses of a wolf, but he also has human weaknesses.”

  “And what about his friends? They’re a tight bunch, all related.”

  “Think about their personalities, then you can tell whose descendants they are. Sam is most likely not the only one.”

  “That friend of Sam’s that I just told you about… He had been drinking alcohol that night, something I guess he wasn’t supposed to do. Who could he be descended from?”

  “Who else but Dionysos, the God of intoxication. He loves theater and, just like Apollon, music too. But Apollon is a pure God who knows how to contain himself, whereas Dionysos, his brother, is the God of wine drinking and celebrating. At first, the two brothers were hostile toward each other, but they became close friends because of their shared love for music and muses.”

  “Muses?”

  “The goddesses of the arts. Song, dance, theater…”

  “When I just met Sam, he warned me about his second cousin, Adrian. I’m not allowed to go near him. Do you have any idea what that could mean?”

  “Adrian is a Greek boys name. It means something like the dark one. Do you know more about him?”

  “Sam says he’s dangerous.” Lou closes his eyes. “What is it, Lou? Tell me!”

  “If Sam represents the light, then it’s very likely this Adrian represents the darkness. That means he descends from…” Lou speaks so hushed that I have to lean in to even hear him. “… Hades.”

  “Hades?”

  Lou glares at me. “Not so loud!” he says, like Hades is sitting in the booth next to us.

  “Who is Hades?” I whisper.

  “Hades represents the underworld. He’s the opposite of Apollon. Those two represent light and darkness, good and bad, life and death.”

  “The d-devil?”

  “You can compare him with that.”

  And then I feel the shock. “I went on a date with… d-death?” I try to breathe through the shock.

  “You went on a date with this Adrian?”

  I nod. “We went to the movies. Sam found out and abducted me from the movie theater.” It sounds too ridiculous to be real, but Lou turns deathly pale.

  “Oh my, this is going from bad to worse. Listen, before anything existed, there only was chaos. Does that name ring a bell yet? Out of ch
aos came the first gods. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were brothers. They overthrew their father and re-divided the world. Zeus took the skies and earth, Poseidon ruled the oceans, and Hades took care of the realm of the dead. He has always been jealous of his brothers, who were worshipped by the people. If Adrian has any of the characteristics of Hades, he’ll want to have what Sam has. So stay away from him! From all of them, you hear me?”

  “Yes, I hear you.”

  “I’m serious, Laurel. I’m an old man. I can’t protect you. These demigods are dangerous, each and every one of them, and they’re all capable of killing when they’re angry. Sam too, even though he represents the light. His hands might be able to heal, but he also has a lethal hand. And if he owns a bow and arrow… He never misses.”

  I shiver when I think about the ice-cold look in Sam’s eyes when he beat up Julien.

  “Don’t worry, he’s only capable of killing men. His sister can only kill women. At least, that’s the way it was with Apollon and Artemis.”

  “Artemis?”

  “She’s the Goddess of the hunt and Apollon’s twin sister. Does Sam have a sister?”

  “No, he told me he’s only child.” I think about the afternoon of his birthday. “Olivia…”

  “Who’s she?”

  “She’s a cousin of Sam’s. They share the same birthday. She has two noticeable dots on her forehead. Could she be a descendant from this huntress?”

  “Her name refers to the olive tree, a sacred tree in the ancient world. The olive branch was one of Artemis’ attributes. It’s well known that the Goddess has two dots on her forehead. They are most likely a reference to the moon.”

  “She has a moon tattoo on the back of her neck,” I mention.

  “Good heavens,” Lou sputters. “So it is real—Apollon, Artemis, Hades, Dionysos… the whole gang resides here.”

  “You mean Sam, Olivia, Adrian and Bastian?”

  “Yes, yes, of course.”

  “Lou, how can you believe in all of this?”

  Lou shrugs. “It’s actually quite simple. We want scientific proof for everything. If we can’t see, feel, hear, taste or smell it, it doesn’t exist. Science has explained so much already and uses techniques, like electricity, that we can’t observe with our senses. But that doesn’t mean electricity doesn’t exist. We think we know a whole lot, but at the end of the day we hardly know anything.”

  His answer makes the impossible seem possible, and it sends cold shivers down my spine. “What do they want from us?” I ask with a trembling voice, like we’re talking about invasive creatures.

  Lou shrugs again. “Maybe they don’t want anything from us and they’re just here, just like we’re here, and they only want to coexist alongside us.”

  “And if not?”

  “Then there’s another option, one that is less noble.”

  “Which is?”

  “A desire to conquer the world—world domination.”

  “You already knew all of this, didn’t you? When you read that one word?”

  “I think I already knew that evening Sam showed up at the shelter. His appearance, something in his eyes… in a certain way he seemed perfect, wiser.”

  “What does that circled word mean, Lou?”

  “The Keepers are the high priests of the Olympic gods, they stand in direct contact with them.”

  “How do you know?”

  “The notes of my ancestors. I possess their writing, their thoughts and reflections. It was known among the old philosophers that Zeus sometimes grew tired of mankind and that he wanted to interfere. The question was when and how that would happen. I think you and I just found an answer to that question.” Lou’s posture is rigid, and his eyes dart around the room. “You do understand that we can’t talk about this with other people? We’ll endanger our lives.”

  “Would Sam hurt me? Send Olivia to kill me if he finds out that I know about them?”

  “The Olympic gods were protectors. If I hear you say that he saved you from the hands of Ha… Adrian, I think, hope, that he wants to protect you. But don’t forget he’s capable of manslaughter, Laurel! Can you tell me who your source is?”

  “I would, if I knew who he was. It was a man. He called himself Sander. All of a sudden he was sitting at my table warning me to stay away from Sam and his friends. And then he was gone.”

  “He could be a Titan.”

  “A what?”

  “A Titan, from the other branch of the family. If the entire clique of Olympians is hanging out here, then the descendants of the Titans most likely are too. And that’s more bad news”

  “How so?”

  “Because they’re enemies.”

  “So what do we do now, Lou?” I feel guilty over asking him this question, like he has to solve this mess we’re in.

  “The only thing we can do: nothing! The only difference between now and before is that we know the truth, and we will try very hard to forget all about it. This is much bigger than us, child. We let it go and we continue our lives like we never found out about any of this. That’s our only chance of surviving it. You have to promise me to be careful around Sam Laurens. He sees right through you, and he can read your face. He’s a predictor, but most of all he’s a warrior—they’re all warriors, and we have no clue what they’re doing here. End your friendship before it’s too late. Think of a reason, any reason, but never, ever, the truth. You hear me?” Lou turns in his chair and looks over his shoulder. “For all we know, someone’s watching us. We can’t be careful enough.”

  “Calm down, Lou. They’re not here.” I wonder how I became so cool and collected all of a sudden, but calming Lou down makes me feel stronger.

  “Oh yeah, they’re in the mountains, you mentioned that. It’s summertime, that can’t be a coincidence. Athletic competitions are being held in honor of Zeus.” His eyes pierce right through me. “We can never discuss this topic with each other ever again.”

  “Okay, Lou. We won’t talk about it anymore.”

  “Good, then this old wanderer can at least sleep safe and sound, if that’s ever possible again. The Olympians and maybe even a Titan… right in our own backyard.” He shakes his head in disbelief. “I’m not sure if I should celebrate this discovery or if I should find myself some kind of a safe haven.”

  I smile weakly.

  I flee to my bedroom and fire up my laptop, before running back and locking the door. I need more proof than what Lou just told me. As fast as I can, I type Apollon and Olympic God. The search engine results leave my head spinning; the resemblance with Sam is shocking and unnerving. My eyes fly over the information on my screen, but I can’t read the words fast enough.

  Apollon was one of the most important Olympic deities in ancient Greek. He was the God of the sun, music, archery, and prophecy. He is the counterpart of Dionysos, the God of wine, pleasure and ecstasy. Apollon is depicted as a handsome, tall, wise, and forever young God. He has always been very competitive and always thought of himself as being the best at everything. He is the healer among the gods, but with his bow and arrow, he also brings death. The young God had many liaisons with mortal women, who oftentimes became doomed because of them. He pursued Daphne, but she fled from his advances because she was afraid of him and was transformed into a laurel tree.

  For the most part, it’s like I am reading about Sam instead of some ancient mythical creature. With trembling fingers, I type Attributes Apollon. I scroll over the text, and in a hushed voice I read about the attributes and symbols on my screen, “A bow and arrow, dolphin, the lyre… a wolf…” Then I search for immortal gods. “The gods have their own viands.” Relieved, I blow out my bated breath. Sam and his friends eat normal food.

  Finally, I type in Apollon and move the cursor to the header that says pictures. My screen fills with photos of naked sculptures of the God of the sun, who boasts a we
ll-shaped, muscular body and has a lyre in his hand. In some pictures there’s a wolf sitting at his feet and there’s a serpent coiled around a tree trunk.

  I am doing something completely innocent—it could have been something as trivial as an arts assignment for school—but it feels like I am committing sacrilege. Like I am looking at nude pictures of Sam. I quickly close the pictures-tab. I want to know more about Apollon’s love adventures with doomed mortal women.

  Apollon fell in love with the mortal Coronis and slept with her. When he left, she fell in love with another while she was pregnant with Apollon’s child. When Apollon found out she had been unfaithful to him, he became so furious that he asked his sister Artemis to kill Coronis. Apollon saved his unborn son from her womb. When he looked down at the dead body of Coronis he felt remorse for his deed.

  I close my laptop. I don’t want to know anything else. Sam is not Apollon, Olivia is not his sister, and I might be mortal and miraculously have the attention of a demigod, but I for sure have nothing to do with Coronis or Daphne.

  Still wearing my clothes, I crawl under the sheets. The knowledge I possess right now is not only life-threatening—I finally understand Sam’s warnings—it’s also heartbreaking. I laugh through my tears. Am I really trying to convince myself that I have stumbled on some sort of cosmic mystery? And yet, when I think about everything I have heard, read, or seen with my own eyes, then I really can’t deny the facts—Sam is a demigod.

  I shiver under my sheets. I am dealing with a real demigod. His name is Sam Laurens, he is eighteen years old, irresistible, and I’m hopelessly in love with him. And after all stories, questions and drawn conclusions, I am left with exactly one question: what does he want from me?

  27

  sampson

  Names of the victors echo through the hall.

  Athletes proudly accept their wreaths.

  I don’t. I would have preferred not to show up to receive a wreath at all, but it’s what is expected of me, so I patiently wait my turn.

  I was hoping to win myself some elbowroom—to get out of the marriage to Philene—by winning those three combat sports, but all my time, training and preparations have been for nothing. I haven’t even competed for the honor, giving it all up for a mortal. Still, I never want to hear Laurel say the words from my vision out loud. How on earth did Adrian manage to get her into a state where she would say something like that, even consider something like that? I know I didn’t have any other choice than to yield. If I hadn’t done so, Adrian would take Laurel and drag her with him into the darkness. The vision was short but clear: Adrian is going after her, and now I can only hope that I was able to influence the vision and Adrian’s threat by throwing the games.