Just like that I forgot about the obvious conflict between Savannah and Griffin, my hands clapping together so hard in excitement they hurt after a moment.
In the month I had been here I had begun to see this is the life I had always been meant for. My old life - my human life - was just a passing phase I had needed to go through like Atlas had said. This is where I belonged. With these people and all the drama that came with it. Even if my Goddess didn’t want to return, this was my home.
“I’ll be right back Val, if he gets to me… please stall.” I started slightly when Savannah whispered in my ear, turning to look up at her. Why was she leaving now just when her chance to shine was coming? Wasn’t this what she had dressed for? To show everyone here she was the rightful Queen?
“Okay… Savannah, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just please stall.” I wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to do that but I turned back, watching as Atlas, one by one, introduced each Olympian and they made they way up to the throne.
As the chairs began to fill up I felt my stomach knot slowly knowing that if Savannah didn’t come back soon I was going to have to stall and I wasn’t going to be very good at it. I pried my eyes from the chairs and started to look around me, hoping that Savannah was just speaking to someone not far off but of course I couldn’t see her anywhere. My brow knit in confusion and then Atlas spoke again.
“Griffin, known as Hades - God of the Underworld.” No one clapped; I would’ve if I wasn't already worried about Savannah. Not that I thought clapping would help him as I watched him slowly walk up the short steps to his chair. Nicola made a rude show of leaning away from him as he sat down next to her, settling in. The grandness of the throne seemed to swallow him, acting like a display for his unhappiness. I felt an overwhelming urge to rush the stage and hug him, tell him it was going to be okay and I was there for him.
But then Atlas continued: “Savannah, known as Hera - Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth.” I waited for a second, counting under my breath hoping beyond hope that she would return and excuse herself. But nothing came and people started to shift on their feet, looking for her, whispering under their breath. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before steeling myself for the inevitable attention.
I just reminded myself of Jed’s rules and spoke: “she just went to the bathroom, she’ll be right back.” It was the lamest thing I could’ve ever come up with but it was legitimate - I hoped.
“Why would she go right now?” Someone asked loudly, a female, I assumed Charlotte. What was her problem? Let the girl hypothetically pee if she had to.
“She’ll be back in a moment! She just had to do something…” I winced as soon as I changed my excuse, feeling stupid instantly. They were going to see through my lies. My eyes met Griffin’s and he was frowning, not necessarily at me but wondering of what I was doing.
“Why am I not surprised she wouldn’t show up tonight? Do you know she didn’t even come to apologise to me for what she did? I’m sure her not coming is because she knows everyone here hates her.” Charlotte stood up from her throne and walked quickly over to where Savannah was supposed to sit and settled into the throne with ease.
“See, anyone can sit here. It doesn’t need to be her, you don’t want a cowardly Queen do you?” She paused for an unnecessary, dramatic effect. “Well, do you?” No one answered her so she smirked, pleased with herself as she settled into her chair and leaned back, nodding at Atlas like she was commanding him to continue.
I expected him, of anyone, to say something but when he didn’t I steeled myself once more. Everyone was already staring; it didn’t matter.
“That's not your throne Charlotte, crawl back to where you belong on the bottom of the ladder." I turned in surprise to see Griffin speaking. I frowned, unable to understand why he was defending her after her earlier treatment of him.
“If Savannah was here she would come and accept her spot. But she’s not, so it’s mine to take.” I scowled at Charlotte, trying to think of something clever I could say that might get her out of the throne. Atlas carried on, however, clearing his throat, “And finally, the King of the Heavens, God of the Gods – Zeus.” Everyone erupted into clapping and cheering, making Aidan smirk as he bowed in a flourish and waved at the people like they were his adoring masses.
I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes, meeting Griffin’s once again, who had seen my reaction and was laughing to himself. I smiled slightly, proud of him for doing something uncharacteristic of Hades but it didn’t last long.
I was still tense and worried about Savannah... I had let her down. Atlas carried on with his overture but I tuned out, slowly moving through the crowd looking for Savannah. She had seemed distressed when she had told me she would be back, like something was wrong. I was weaving slowly through the crowd and around the room when suddenly someone grabbed my elbow and turned me around to face them.
“Where is Savannah? Did she go with Lincoln, Jailbait?”
I frowned up at Aidan, “my name is Valentina and I don’t know. She said she would be right back and to stall for her. Something was wrong, but I don’t know what. What does Lincoln have to do with this?” Aidan looked around, obviously much taller than me and able to see over the heads of people.
He looked back down at me, “c’mon. Something is wrong... And I have a feeling Cronos is behind this.”
“How do you know that?”
“I can feel it.” My eyebrows raised in surprise as I watched him walk away. After a moment though he turned to look at me again.
“Are you coming Jailbait?”
“Don’t call me that.” I huffed as I followed after him. He led me back to the other side of the room and we found a door that led us into a darkened hallway. I reached out blindly for Aidan, finding his elbow.
“This way...”
“How do you know? Never mind. You can “feel” it.”
“I can.”
“I thought you didn’t love Savannah.” I said softly.
“Did she tell you I didn’t?” I shrugged and then remembered he couldn’t actually see me right now.
“I found her crying today and she said it was because of you. But she didn’t say you didn’t love her. I just think if you loved her you wouldn’t make her heart hurt that much.” Aidan was silent, not offering me any kind of response to my insight. Not that I expected much, my statement had been judgmental. “I’m sorry. It’s not my place to say something like that...”
“No, it’s alright Valentina, you’re right. I’m just a selfish idiot. I’d rather let my own fears and worries guide me than my heart.” I smiled in the darkness and squeezed his arm where I held it.
“I think you’ll find your heart is guiding you right now.”
True as I wanted that statement to be I wasn’t entire sure how he could know where he was going at all right now since we couldn’t see a foot in front of us. Despite that, I couldn’t help but feel a small bubble of excitement in my stomach. Godly life was, apparently, far more exciting when I got out. How could my Goddess not want to be involved in this cloak and dagger plot we were enthralled in right now? This was certainly unlike anything I would get back home. I had simply been trying to make my life here as mundane as it was back home.
“So how long have you known Savannah?”
“About four hours.” I said softly, feeling him stop and no doubt if he could see he would be staring incredulously at me.
“Four hours. And you’re already her B-F-F or whatever you girls call it?”
“She’s very easy to like.”
“And hate.”
“You don’t hate her,” I reminded him softly.
“No, hate is strong. She can just push my buttons unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
“The right girl usually can.”
“You know an awful lot about love for someone who is just out of diapers.” I found his foot in the darkness and stomped down on it.
“Ow!”
“I am not just out of diapers. I just like to read.”
“So you’ve never had a boyfriend?” I felt myself flush and shrugged.
“Never really met a boy my age before.”
“Huh?” He said questioningly, stopping again but this time I felt it was because he was trying to decide to go left or right. “How is that possible? Did you live under a rock?”
“No, on a farm,” I felt him turn right and followed. “200 acres, me and my 12 siblings. I was homeschooled so I could help out.”
“So you never went to the movies or grocery shopping or something?”
“We made our own food, clothes and whatever else at home. If we needed something from a store someone older than me usually went.”
“So this is your first time... out in the world.”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“You’re adapting well.” He remarked.
“Like I said, I read a lot.” As much as it might be away from my home I found the mountain as much like the compound of the farm had been. Everything was enclosed and my needs provided for. There were a bit more people than the 14 I was used to having around but only the big parties like tonight's really overwhelmed me and even then I stuck to people I knew. It made remaining calm easier, although I was a pretty easy going person to begin with.
“And hide a lot.”
I shrugged again, “that’s more my Goddess then me.”
“Who is she?”
“I don’t know yet but Atlas told me she is trying to resist the union by returning to the immortal sleep.”
“Huh, wonder why she would want to do that...”
“If you figure it out can you send me a note?”
“I’ll just come and visit you Jailbait.”
“Don’t call me that.” My tone wasn’t very convincing though as I said it. Annoying as he might be, it was growing on me in the way an endearing, annoying nickname would.
Chapter Nine
It couldn’t be much further, I conceded and hoped. Surely a never-ending hallway was impossible; even in a place like this.
“Where is this place?” I still couldn’t see a foot in front of me as we walked. I felt Aidan’s arm move as he shrugged.
“I don’t know... Where did she say she was going again, Jailbait?”
“I told you, don’t call me that. And she didn’t specify, she just told me to stall for her.” I was starting to resent repeating myself. Aidan seemed to only be processing information he deemed important.
“Well done on that.”
I scowled, “hey, it’s not my fault you didn’t have the... you know... to stand up to Charlotte. You’re just as much to blame as I am." I paused with a frown, "but I feel more guilty than you do.”
Aidan was quiet for a moment, considering what I said before softly whispering, “no, you don’t.” He was quiet for a little while longer before breaking the silence once again. “I do feel guilty, okay? I’m a bad person, I make mistakes and usually I don’t regret them but Savannah is the only mistake I’ve ever made that I regret with every ounce of my being.”
“Do you love her?” I asked plainly, I thought I knew the answer but I suspected Aidan needed someone to ask him. He didn’t seem like the kind of person who spent a lot of time reflecting on his own emotions. But then again, I didn’t know anything about him except for what Savannah had said in the heat of her anger. And Mother had always taught it was important to not judge.
Aidan steered us in another direction, no doubt following some unseen force he could apparently feel. I wanted him to answer my question but I wasn’t holding my breath. Why would he tell me something like that when he obviously had never told her that?
“How much further do you think?”
Before Aidan answered a deep barked followed by a girlish cry of terror answering for him.
Savannah.
“Up ahead!” Aidan said with an unmistaken tone of desperation. He started pulling me after him as he began to run. I released my hold on his arm and tried to follow the sounds of his feet as we ran toward her.
“I’M HERE! I’M HERE, HELP ME. AIDAN! VALENTINA!” The faster we ran the closer Savannah started to sound. But she also sounded terrified and scared for her life. I hoped we weren’t too late, if only for Aidan’s sake. I wasn’t entirely sure how he would take it if something happened to her.
“This way, I think.” Aidan said to my left, I shook my head and ran forward again, still hearing the dogs growling.
“No, this way.” I took off again, still using the echoes as my guide as suddenly I entered a large cavernous room.
“Savannah!” I burst through the threshold and what I had first taken as a group of dogs made me come to a complete halt in surprise. This was taking guard dogs to an entirely different level. “Oh goodness.”
Aidan ran right in behind me, colliding with my back, although he was quick to grab my arms and keep me on my feet.
“Holy…” He breathed out, staring at it. I tore my eyes away from the dog that looked pleased at the idea of having one human per head to see Savannah was gushing blood from her cheek. No wonder the dog was so hungry.
“Savannah, get up slowly…” I held my hand out for her to grab so I could pull her to safety.
“Val, if I could, don’t you think I would have by now…” I felt myself flush; of course there was magic involved. For all my acceptance of my new reality, me wrapping my head around things like three-headed dogs and magically charmed chairs still came reluctantly.
“Aidan, you need to leave. Right now, go back and find someone else. Find lots of people and then bring them back but you can’t be here alone.” Savannah sounded equally as desperate as Aidan had been only moments ago.
“He’s not alone. I’m here. You get Savannah; you have the magic to free her… I’ll… distract the dog.” I looked back at the beast and kept my hands out stretched in front of me as I slowly circled around Savannah’s chair giving her a large berth as I approached the dog. My heart was pounding in my chest, I was an animal person I just had never tested my skills on a three-headed dog before. What was I thinking? I’d never even imagined something like this existed.
Licking my lips, I whistled softly at the dog to take its attention away from its meal. It snarled menacingly and turned to face me, his gigantic faces contorted with hatred and anger. As I felt my body recoil in fear something shifted in the dog, all of the sudden this wave of recognition washed over it. I moved forward toward it but Aidan moved at the same time and the dog reacted - badly.
He snarled and snapped at Aidan, threatening to hurt either him or Savannah, something neither of us wanted.
“You need to get it out of here so I can get to Savannah…”
I nodded and looked back at the dog, “good boy. That’s a good boy...” I stepped closer and closer, sure that my heart was about to leap out of my chest and let my body crumple to the floor in abandonment. Then the dog suddenly sat down softly and began to pant playfully.
I raised my eyebrows, wondering if it was a trap but I couldn’t worry too much about it as I reached his side and pressed my hand against his fur. For a gruesome monster, his fur was so soft. He whined softly and leaned down, all three heads attempting to nuzzle me and bounce me between them all. I couldn’t help but laugh, trying to give each head enough love and attention before stepping back again.
“Good boy…” I led the dog back toward the way we had come, guiding him into the hallway and away from Savannah and Aidan. I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going to take him but he seemed happy to follow.
“You recognise me huh?” I said softly after a while, reaching out and brushing my hand through his fur again. “You know my Goddess? Who is she?” I knew it was stupid to talk to a dog like he could answer me back, but maybe if I could find out who this dog was I could find the connection between us. I sat down on the ground, feeling my body lift up slightly before settling down again as the dog laid down next to me.
&nb
sp; I smiled to myself and reached out, running my hand through his fur.
“Well, I never anticipated they would bring you.” I looked up in the darkness, searching for the source of the voice. “Shame, I was hoping to keep my hands clean.”
“Who's there?”
“No one you need to worry about Princess. My quarrel isn’t with you.”
“Who is that?” He chuckled, sending shivers down my spine and making the dog behind me growl protectively. Silence settled around us again and I curled more against the dog for protection.
I should have tried to go after him, do something, but what was there for me to do? I didn't know who it was talking, neither their mortal nor their God. I also didn't have any magic of my own so what chance did I stand? As cowardly as I felt for it I decided to simply stay put and do as Aidan told me: keep the dog away from them.
As I thought about what the man said, one word replayed itself. Princess? I was a Princess? Or was my Goddess a Princess? How did he know who my Goddess was... I wracked my brain trying to think of who it could be when the dog suddenly licked my cheek, drawing my attention away from my thoughts.
“I think I might keep you.” I conceded with a smile, “would you like that?” He barked in response and licked all the way up my face making me laugh. He was a bit big, but my apartment was magical. It would accommodate him, I was sure.
Reluctantly I stood again and guided the dog to the next door I could find. As I thought about going back to my apartment the door opened to where I needed it to. The trip was quick and I walked him right in, except when we entered the apartment he wasn’t nearly as big as he had looked in the caves.
“Huh.” I said in surprise, the three heads still took some getting used to but he was pleased with his new accommodations and wandered around, sniffing everything.
“Well, you make yourself at home. I’m going to go and get my friends now... I’ll be back soon buddy.” He didn’t even seem to notice me, making me chuckle slightly before I turned back and rethought about Aidan and Savannah.
I could only hope I wasn't going to enter the midst of a battle. I knew I was a liability. When I returned I found them lying on the floor, curling against each other and kissing. I was glad that Aidan had managed to save her without me.
Gods Save the Princess (Grace of Gods Book 2) Page 8
