“Because I defend my champions,” Athena said. “She can call it a draw all she likes. The winner is clear.”
“Then why not press the victory?” Euryale said, this time with spite. “Isn’t that what you wanted out of this, bragging rights?”
“No, I wanted to know if the man I picked could be the champion I wanted,” Athena said. She reached behind the gorgon and took the scepter from Jessica before putting a gentle hand on Euryale’s shoulder. “I’ll take you home and get this to Hades. I suppose that’s the least I can do, seeing how I promised Alex something special should he persevere.”
“Wait!” Jessica said, nearly lunging at Athena. “He’s not dead though, right? I mean, he’s in the underworld somewhere. We can see him again? Take him out?”
Athena shook her head. “He gave up his immortality,” she said. “He’ll go to the asphodel fields where every other mortal goes…”
The goddess’s voice trailed, remorse lingering in the words. Though she didn’t finish the rest, Jessica didn’t need her to. “And forget everything he’s ever done, and everyone he’s ever met, and become a witless shade.”
“Unless you make him a hero,” Euryale said as she kept her gaze away from Jessica. “Then he goes to Elysium.”
“That’s up to Minos,” she said after a moment’s thought. “Zeus gave him the sole honor of bestowing the title of hero some time ago, but he hasn’t granted that title in a long, long time.”
“Surely there’s something you can do,” Jessica said. “Alex deserves more than to end up a shadow.”
“I can give him a chance,” she said. “But the final decision will not be mine.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
I see you got a new skiff,” Alex said with a sheepish grin. “Looks roomier than the one you had before.”
Kharon, still sporting his red tunic and conical hat, continued to lean on his staff as he narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he outstretched an open palm. “One—nay two—obols, if you wish to cross.”
Alex playfully patted himself down. “Left my wallet above ground. Let me through and I’ll get you twenty.”
“Step aside.”
Alex didn’t.
Kharon whipped his staff around and brought it to a halt at Alex’s neck. “Everyone pays. No exceptions. Since you can’t pay, from here on out you can spend the rest of eternity wandering the banks.”
“Apparently, you haven’t heard about what I’ve done since we met,” Alex said, pushing the staff away. “I’m married to Euryale, daughter of Phorcys. I’ve beaten the descendant of the Nemian lion, wrestled a wheel of fire, and brought Ares to his knees.”
Kharon jabbed his staff into Alex’s chest, and he went flying back as if Zeus himself had driven a lightning-charged fist into his sternum. “Every mortal pays. No exceptions.”
Alex grimaced as he took to his feet, several yards away from where he had been standing. His chest ached, and he cursed again as Kharon tended to the line of deceased that was still waiting. After a few minutes of watching several more unfortunate souls get turned away, Alex felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Time to leave,” Hermes said, handing Alex a pair of winged slippers. “Your presence is requested in Olympus.”
“No!” Kharon protested. “The dead stay here.”
“He’s not quite dead, yet,” Hermes said.
Kharon went to object again, but before he’d spit out his first word, Hermes led Alex away. Off the two flew, cutting through the fog that enshrouded the bank before eventually breaking into fresh air and daylight. Alex relished the smell of freedom the outside brought, but he couldn’t enjoy it. Hermes kept running up, up, up, high into the clouds, and Alex had to give it his all to keep up.
They shot through the Gates of Olympus and down the city’s many streets and stopped only when they reached the steps that led to the Great Hall. There Alex found Athena and Euryale waiting for him.
Before he could get a word out, Euryale pounced on him and nearly bowled him over. She assaulted his face with kisses, and her vipers did the same. Somewhere in the midst of that flurry, she managed three little words. “I hate you.”
Alex pulled back. His brow furrowed as his hands gently framed her face. “Come again? Did you say you hate me?”
She laughed, tears in her eyes. “Yes, for what you made me do to you.”
“I only did it because of what you were about to do.”
“For what it’s worth, I didn’t kill her, and Athena had Hermes take her home.” Euryale’s head dropped, and she looked away in shame. “I told you I was a monster.”
“You’re my monster,” he replied, turning her face toward him.
“Even after what I did? What I can still do?”
Alex nodded. “We can work through it, if you’re willing.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Love is a choice.”
Athena cleared her throat, and Alex looked over his wife’s shoulder to see what the goddess wanted. “If you two love birds are done,” Athena said, “you’ve got one last fight.”
Alex groaned and muttered a slew of curses. Being killed twice, it seems, wasn’t enough for The Fates. “I should’ve guessed. What sort of fight?”
“Nothing too terrible,” she said. “You only need to make a convincing case that you’re worthy of the title hero. Do that and you can live on Elysium. Otherwise, it’s off to the asphodel fields for you, where you’ll continue on as a witless shade.”
“Wonderful,” Alex said. “Any pointers?”
“I can’t tell you anything you don’t already know,” she said. “But I’d start by giving these back to Hades and Hephaestus. Neither will side with you if you don’t.”
Alex took the scepter and net that she gave him and steeled himself for what was about to come. “Alright, let’s go.”
In the group went, through the gargantuan doors and into the Great Hall. Inside was a whirlwind of divine activity. All the gods stood in the hall, arguing between themselves. All, that is, except for Zeus and Hera, who sat upon their respective thrones (but still argued).
“This is obscene. The only reason he’s here is because Athena knows Minos will never make him a hero,” Aphrodite said, looking at Zeus but pointing an accusing finger at Alex. “Our time is better spent elsewhere.”
“Minos judges mortals,” Athena countered. Her tone was even, as if she were a teacher working with a troublesome student, something Alex was certain she’d done intentionally to dig under Aphrodite’s skin.
“Alex gave up his immortality!”
“Technicality at best.”
“Enough! Both of you!” Zeus bellowed as he came out of his seat. “The matter is before us now.” The two goddesses exchanged glares but said no more. Once they went to their respective thrones, Zeus addressed Alex directly. “Alex, there are some here who think you should be declared a hero and given full honors due to one. Do you think you’re worthy of such a title?”
Alex felt his throat tighten. He placed his hands behind his back and sucked in a breath to steady himself, knowing this first impression was more paramount than any other he’d ever made. “All of you here have seen what great men and women are capable of,” he said. “I don’t know how I measure up with them, but I believe I did all that was expected of me and proved I would always love my wife. I hope everyone here agrees, especially her father.”
“Her father does,” Phorcys replied. “He is not the son-in-law I expected, but he has shown he navigates treacherous seas with the skill of a seasoned admiral. I am proud to have him wed to my daughter.”
“Then we shall make this quick.” Zeus paused long enough to hold up a staying hand when both Aphrodite and Athena looked to jump in on the matter. When they settled, he continued. “If more of us declare you fit than not, you’ll have your place on Elysium.”
Alex counted the number of deities in the hall. Twelve. To his dismay, he thought he only had
three at best in his corner, maybe four. Could he swing three more? What if he could only swing two? Thus, he asked the obvious question. “What if it’s a tie?”
“Then you’ll join the rest of the mortals in the fields of asphodel,” Zeus said. “I believe you have items to return first, however.”
Alex nodded. With purpose, he stepped up to Hades and handed him back his scepter. “Your help was nothing short of immensely gracious, and I pray you look well upon how I wielded your army of the dead. Moreover, I pray the extra time you had with your wife, Persephone, went well and will always be well.”
The God of the Underworld dipped his head slightly, but the hardness to his face foreshadowed the god’s vote. “A hero would not have lost my scepter, even if the loss was temporary. I vote nay.”
Alex felt his gut drop. He bowed and moved on, knowing there was nothing he could do. Next he came to Hephaestus. Alex handed back the net to the God of Smiths. “You will always have my eternal gratitude, and I hope I’ve wielded the tools you’ve given me in a manner worthy of your name so that we can enjoy each other’s company as frequently as The Fates will allow.”
Hephaestus smiled. “You have my vote and my confidence. A true hero, both in action and in word.”
Emboldened that he had a vote, Alex managed to relax. That momentary relief disappeared when Zeus decided to drive everything to a finish.
“Hermes, what say you?”
“Abstaining,” Hermes replied. “Just a messenger.”
Zeus nodded. “Dionysus?”
“Abstaining.”
Zeus raised an eyebrow. “Demeter?”
Alex perked. The goddess looked calm in her teal chiton, which Alex thought was a good sign. Furthermore, although he’d only spoken to her briefly at the wedding, he felt their encounter was pleasant and he’d left a good impression on her. Last, and certainly not least, her daughter Persephone would have undoubtedly had a few good words to say about him as well.
“Against,” the goddess replied with an unsettling tone. She turned her icy-blue eyes to Alex and elaborated. “A hero does not prolong the separation of a mother and her daughter.”
“But she—” Alex caught himself before he finished his objection. Arguing, he realized, would only make things worse.
Zeus, thankfully, kept things moving. “Phorcys?”
“Do you even need to ask?” the Old Man replied. “Yes.”
“Poseidon?”
The Lord of the Sea grumbled to himself as he eyed both Athena and Aphrodite. “There’s a strong case either way,” he finally said. “Since I don’t know his exploits enough, I’ll leave it to others to decide. I abstain.”
“So be it,” Zeus said. “Apollo?”
Apollo smiled brightly at Alex which helped bolster his hope. “I’ve seen everything that man has done under the sun. No mere mortal could have accomplished a tenth of what he has, and certainly The Fates would not have entertained someone who is not a champion’s champion. I vote yes.”
Zeus turned to his left and spoke to his wife. “Hera?”
The goddess didn’t hesitate in sinking Alex’s heart. “I’d vote no twice if I could. A husband shouldn’t have even the hint of infidelity.”
Again, Alex went to argue since Aphrodite had put a spell on Jessica, but Zeus moved on. At least Phorcys seemed unfazed by the accusation, and Alex guessed he understood the circumstances.
“Marriages are not so black and white,” Zeus said. “Alex has performed dutifully and then some. A yes from me.”
“Thank goodness,” Alex whispered. Alex double checked the math. That left him with four votes saying yes, and only three saying no. His heart leapt for joy, but plummeted into a bottomless pit of despair when he saw that the only ones who had yet to vote were Athena, Aphrodite and Ares. Even with Athena’s vote, the best he could hope for was a tie.
His wife’s hand found his, and she gave it a squeeze. “It’ll be okay.”
“Yeah,” he said as Aphrodite gave him a wicked grin. “Though I can’t possibly see how.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Athena?” Zeus said, grabbing his daughter’s attention.
“Alex is a hero as much as any other,” she said, nodding toward him. “Granted, a stubborn man in the beginning, and one that had to learn his place before he could fulfil his potential, but he’s persisted. Even the famed Odysseus and Heracles see him as one of them, and I hear both are eager to tackle the monsters of Elysium with Alex once he returns.”
“Too bad he’ll never get the chance,” Aphrodite said. “I vote no. And with Ares doing the same, it’s a tie.”
Zeus looked around the Great Hall and made a quick, soft count to himself. “That it does.”
“Wait!” Alex jumped forward with the desperation of a dead man walking. “He still has to cast his vote. She can’t speak for him.”
Zeus shrugged and let out a sigh filled with sympathy. “He’s right, Ares,” he said. “Let’s make it official.”
“And do you want to be known as the god who was beaten by a man?” Alex tossed in before Ares had a chance to answer.
Every deity, save Athena and Aphrodite, sucked in a collective breath. Athena chuckled softly, and Alex was sure he caught a subtle, acknowledging nod directed his way. Aphrodite, on the other hand, turned statuesque as her fair skin turned red.
Ares set his jaw and spent the next few seconds looking back and forth from Alex to Aphrodite. With a growl and a reluctant voice, he finally cast his vote. “I will not bestow such an honor on a recent enemy,” he said. He paused and grumbled to himself while Aphrodite straightened and smiled. “But nor will I admit I am so weak that a mere man can compete with me. I abstain.”
“You can’t abstain!” Aphrodite shouted. “If you do, I’ll—” The goddess stopped as the rest of the Olympians watched with interest how the triangle between her, Ares, and Hephaestus would play out. She backed away from her threat, adjusted her chiton, and stormed out.
“By my count, that’s five in favor and four against,” Zeus said. He clapped a hand on Alex’s shoulder that sent tiny bolts of lightning into the air. “It is my pleasure and honor to be the first to call you, Alexander Weiss, the first hero of the new age. May Elysium forever provide you with the challenge and life you deserve.”
Epilogue
Alex sat at the end of a wooden pier, feet dangling in the water and Euryale’s head resting on his shoulder. For the past year they’d spent the end of each day this way, and as far as he was concerned, they could spend the end of the next thousand the same.
“What do you want to do tomorrow?” she asked.
“Odysseus wants to try and get that new hydra,” he replied. “I think I’ll pass, though. Thought we could slip out and see your dad. It’s been a bit.”
“He’d like that.” Euryale snuggled into him further. “I would, too.”
“Still have some jerky for Cerberus? We’ll need to bribe him as usual.”
Euryale laughed. She put a hand over her mouth and tried to stop, but was unsuccessful.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Alex turned to his wife. “What? C’mon, tell me.”
“Heroes can leave whenever they want,” she said. “It’s just sort of a joke played on the newcomers, see how long it takes them to figure it out.”
“No…”
“Yes.”
“But Heracles, Achilles, Perseus—”
“Are never always around when you go looking for them, are they?” Euryale interjected with a smile.
“Well, it’s a big island…” Alex shook his head before he laughed and hit the pier with the bottom of his fist. “Son of a bitch. We can really go whenever we like?”
“Pretty much, as long as we keep things lowkey.”
“Well, I’m really, really glad to hear that,” said a familiar voice from behind.
Alex twisted in place to see Jessica standing
a few paces away. Her hair, pulled back in a ponytail, looked like it hadn’t been washed in a week. Dirt clung to portions of her skin, and a few bruises showed as well. Her tank top, khaki shorts and hiking boots had all seen better days, too. Despite all this, Alex leapt to his feet and ran over to her. “Jessica! It’s so great to see you! How have you been?”
“Never better,” she said. “Got home last year and became rich and famous with all those pictures I’d taken. People are still trying to wrap their heads around the gods showing up, but getting in on the action from the start has been lucrative, to say the least. A wee bit dangerous, too, I might add.”
Alex’s shoulders fell, and he cursed. “Oh damn. You’re dead, aren’t you?”
“No,” she said, laughing. “I’m not quite dead, yet. Got a little spell of protection from all things gorgon cast on me courtesy of The Old Man. That said, I need help from the both of you—if you’re up to it.”
Alex glanced back at his smiling wife who gave an encouraging nod. “I hope this doesn’t involve us going to war with Ares.”
“Nope. But by the time this is over, you might wish we were.”
Acknowledgements
Strange as it may sound, I’d like to first thank those who read a very early draft of Gorgon Bride and destroyed it completely, for without getting that proverbial kick in the teeth—writing ego wise—the story would never have been completely changed into something I totally love.
I can’t thank enough all of the other readers down the line as well that helped shape the text and read constant revisions so that what started out as merely an opening idea for a scene—a poor guy stuck on the banks of Acheron—into this fun epic tale.
My wonderful editor, Crystal Watanabe, once again helped put the much-needed finishing touches…
And most of all, I have to thank my wife, Mary Beth, who is dying for the sequel to come out now.
About the Author
The Gorgon Bride Page 29
