by S. E. Babin
I wished, not for the first time, that something, anything at all would go according to plan. Maybe in a few moments I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. Spending a few hundred years as the Fates’ plaything was looking better than what I might come home to if Hermes were serious. Which it appeared he was. Very serious. My feelings were conflicted. Of course he would be the easier choice, but when did I ever go for easy?
Here I was all dressed up, surrounded by friends, staring at a man who obviously cared about me, and in a few moments all of it might be for nothing. I cursed Zeus silently. I might be somewhat of a screw-up, but there was never a time my mistakes equaled the magnitude of this one. What would happen if I threw the gauntlet down and told Zeus to fix his own problem?
No matter which way I went, it could end badly. And that was enough of a pity party for today. I had a job to do. No matter what happened, no one could say I wasn’t ballsy for trying. I reinforced my stance, tried to visualize the stress rolling away from my body and gave a quick nod to Keto.
“I’m ready,” I said.
Artie gave me a reassuring smile, although I caught the sheen of tears in her eyes. I offered her a thumbs up. “You. Me. Many bottles of wine when I return. Just think, Artie. Us, a comfortable couch, no drama, and Sam and Dean on the TV.”
She gave me a wobbly smile and lifted her hand in farewell. “You got it, hussy. I get Sam.”
“We’ll fight about it later. But expect to lose.” I raised my hand and felt the tingle of Keto’s magic surround my body. I tried to prepare myself for travel, but the pain set in before I drew a single breath. I bent over, agony twisting me. I tried to steady my breathing, to think about anything other than what was happening.
Every atom in my body felt like it was on fire and there was nothing I could do but wait it out. I gritted my teeth in an effort to keep from screaming. The last thing I wanted to do was land in the Fates’ den showing weakness. I might as well cut open a vein and swim in the ocean.
After what seemed to be an eternity, I came to rest on my knees on a cold stone floor. I didn’t want to look up for fear of what I might see so I took a few breaths and spread my hands on the floor in an effort to get up somewhat gracefully. I managed to stand on wobbly legs and swayed a few times until the nausea settled. I looked around the cavern, but the Fates were nowhere to be seen.
I frowned, surprised they weren’t standing front row in order to gloat over my discomfort. For the first time I noticed a deep chill in the air. I folded my arms across my chest and examined my surroundings. Not much had changed since the last time I had been here. The sound of a steady drip of water told me their caverns were still underground. The only light came from torches lining the entrance of the cave. It was a melancholy place and I felt a touch of pity for the three women who called this their home.
“No need to pity us, little one.” A strong, ancient voice echoed throughout the cavern, startling me. I spun toward the sound, but couldn’t place where the voice came from.
“We see your world. We see every world, Aphrodite, and we prefer the cool damp mists here rather than the lies hidden by pretty smiles where you come from.”
I wasn’t sure if she were talking about earth or Olympus, so I stayed silent. Both places hid deception rather well. Deep, amused laughter rang out. “Intelligent observation. Sometimes I wonder if people know how much they underestimate you.”
“I prefer it that way,” I finally said, then cringed. Good way to start out, Abby. I wanted to smack myself in the forehead.
“Of course you do. Beauty and brains are a rare combination.” A whoosh of air blew around my feet and a woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties materialized in front of me.
Appearances, at least concerning the Fates, were deceiving and I’d do well to remember that. She favored the Greeks, with a strong aquiline nose and a delicate jawline. Wild honey blonde hair spun around her shoulders and landed well past her hips. She was beautiful, yet fearsome. Although she looked human from a distance, standing this close to her I could see the storm brewing in her eyes. They were the most alien thing about her. Gray one moment, a vivid purple the next, but if I stared deep enough, pictures became clear. They swirled inside of her eyes: faces, animals, violent battles, and loving moments. The prophecies played on a track every day of Clotho’s life, a fate worse than anything I could imagine.
I bowed deeply, having been caught up in the moment. “Clotho,” I said, rising and meeting her eyes. “I come to you in supplication.”
She turned away from me and laughed, an engaging sound, yet I knew how deceptive she could be. “You can’t lie to me. You don’t come in supplication, you come by force. I know exactly what you’ve been up to and what you’re up against.”
Of course she did. You couldn’t BS the Fates, no matter how smart you thought you were. I sighed. “So you are aware of Zeus’… predicament?” It was the most appropriate word I could come up with on the fly. It was best not to remind anyone of exactly what was at stake here.
Clotho slowly walked toward a darker area in the cavern and beckoned me with one hand. “Come child, follow me to my sisters. We know what’s going on. Rest assured we have no interest in power. We tend to amuse ourselves with your follies from a distance.”
Did she just make a joke? I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.
I trailed behind her, noting the sway of her hips and the swish of her floor length gown as it slid across the floor. We walked in silence and after a few moments, the air inside the caverns turned warmer and less humid. I couldn’t help the sigh of relief that slipped out as I unfolded my arms from my chest.
Clotho looked back, a self-satisfied smile on her face. “It wouldn’t do to make people too comfortable when they first arrive. We want them out of here as soon as possible.”
So why was she suddenly so accommodating toward me? I frowned and tried to keep my thoughts blank. Turning the corner, the caverns opened into a massive room. Warm orangish light spilled through it, highlighting a surprisingly modern room. A massive entertainment center stood toward the far end of the room and the television inside blared an episode of the Kardashians. Lachesis and Atropos lounged on a large couch, barefoot and sharing a large bowl of popcorn.
I was agape. Had I stumbled into some alternate dimension?
Both sisters glanced up at our approach. Neither made a move to get up. Lachesis idly waved and Atropos nodded at me. It was like some kind of weird slumber party and I had forgotten my pillow. Clotho pulled a chair from the large dining table and set it close to the two sisters, who had stopped paying attention to me and were reabsorbed in the antics of reality television.
“Sit,” she ordered. I obeyed, still taking in my surroundings and wondering if they were letting me see this because I wasn’t going to make it out alive.
“Hush, child,” Clotho whispered to me. “Your thoughts are loud. No matter what you think of us, we are not murderesses.”
Says them, I tried not to think, but the shuttered look on Clotho’s face told me she had heard the thought and didn’t approve.
She walked over to her sisters, pulled the popcorn away from Lachesis, and reached down for the remote control. Outraged protests rang through the room, but she quelled them with a glance. Seemed like Clotho might be the brains behind this operation.
I tried not to think about the warmth of the locket nestled in between my breasts. I took a couple of deep breaths and pushed a slight bit of blocking magic through the air in an extra effort to shield my thoughts. The effort was painful and for naught. The magic swirled around me in a golden shower and fizzled out quickly. Unfortunately I was now the subject of the gazes of the Fates. They studied me much like a juicy worm to birds of prey.
A look of thinly veiled annoyance appeared on Clotho’s face, but Atropos, the thread of life cutter, spoke first. The soft voice belied her power, and I was helpless to resist. “Magic? You dare use magic as a guest in our home?” She stood, looking a
little out of place in her purple pajamas, but she still cut a fearsome figure. Atropos looked nothing like her sisters. Her olive skin and black hair were reminiscent of the Italians. Deep brown eyes glinted with anger. She was beautiful.
And then she smiled.
It would live forever in my nightmares, rearing its head when I thought the memories of that day were forever suppressed. Sharp teeth lined her mouth. Predator’s teeth resting in the face of an artist’s dream. Too many, too sharp. I inhaled in fear, sweat oozing from my pores.
Atropos had darkness within her. I knew the Fates were not to be trifled with, but I believed Atropos teetered on the edge of gray morals and her sisters were the only thing keeping her from tumbling into the abyss of evil. Being the thread cutter meant Atropos was the grim reaper of Olympus society. Forced to know when people would live and die, she was the only one who cut the threads. Clotho and Lachesis also lived with the knowledge, but Atropos was the scissor holder, the one who ended life.
“I apologize, Atropos.” I bowed deeply and immediately cursed my decision. The locket tumbled out from my chiton and glinted in the light. I rose slowly. Clotho’s face paled.
She stumbled toward me. “Where – where did you get that?”
She reached a hand out for the locket and I tucked it back into my dress before she could touch it. Anger sparked in her eyes. Lachesis stood and walked over toward us. “Looks like your darling little Bird Man gave you a bargaining chip, peach.” Her slow Southern drawl surprised me.
I swallowed, my eyes darting back and forth between the sisters. I feared all of them. Lachesis appeared to be the youngest of the sisters, but if knowledge served correctly, they were all around the same age – ageless, that is. She stood next to Atropos, one hand resting on her sister’s arm. She smiled, and I thanked my lucky stars she possessed a pair of pearly whites. I didn’t think I could handle another pair of sharp teeth competing with beauty queen looks.
I went for honesty. “I came here seeking assistance. I know you are all aware of the theft and the precarious position Zeus has been left in. Eris has the apples and we need to get them back as soon as possible.”
Clotho still stared at the length of golden chain around my neck. Her gaze made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Atropos’ shark smile played around the edge of her mouth. Lachesis was the only one right now who wasn’t seriously creeping me out.
“You haven’t told us anything we didn’t already know,” she said. “Why do you need our help? You are three gods strong. You honestly don’t believe you, Hermes, Artemis, and Aniketos can’t solve this problem on your own?”
I never thought about it like that. We did have the strength of three gods, but it was possible they didn’t know about my magic difficulties. I cleared my throat. “It is true that we appear to be a strong force against one god,” I said. “But all three of us have been under a spell by Eris and it has affected our magic. Hermes suffered a grievous injury. And my magic hasn’t worked properly for months now.”
Curiosity crossed Lachesis’ face. Aha. She hadn’t known. Looks like some things failed to cross even the path of the Fates. “Your magic, Aphrodite? And why are you just now seeking assistance for it?”
“Fear,” I said. I hated to admit it, but it was true. Being powerless in a society of immortals was not something I had ever wanted to consider. “I haven’t used my powers often on earth and I suspected that might have had something to do with the malfunction.” But Atropos dismissed that theory with a shake of her head.
“You are a goddess, first and foremost. I can’t understand why you choose to live in that place, but not using your powers did not affect your magic use.” She closed her eyes and raised her hands in front of her. A small funnel cloud formed in her hands and slowly begin to churn into a moving picture. Her eyes opened, the pupils completely clouded by glowing silver.
“Watch, goddess,” she intoned and we all fell silent, fascinated by the moving picture in front of us.
Eris came into view. I could see her moving about her rooms, a slight figure. Someone that petite should not be allowed to be that evil. She walked in front of one of the many mirrors in her room and stopped. A watchful look appeared on her face as a scene in the mirror opened up and a person appeared inside.
It was me. My mind played back to the scene and I realized it had been the day I had gone to the Kiss concert – the day this nightmare had begun. I watched myself and cringed as I toyed with my hair, picked up my purse, and headed out on that fateful night.
16
Chapter Sixteen
It seemed like a lifetime ago. I drank in the sight of my face, worry-free and happy, having no idea that in less than twenty-four hours my life would be in chaos. I remembered my actions that night – the care I had taken with my appearance even though I could have used magic. It was unfathomable to have experienced so much in such a short amount of time, but here I stood in the Fates’ den, watching myself through Atropos’ eyes.
On my way out the door I had noticed Keto sprawled on the couch, mindlessly munching potato chips. He raised a hand in farewell as I grabbed my suede coat from the foyer. An amused smile found its way onto my face. I bent down to reach for my purse, shouted out my goodbyes, and left for the concert. So far I hadn’t seen anything to help me with our problem. The frustration I was feeling must have shown on my face because Lachesis told me to keep watching.
I watched myself walk toward the elevator. I remembered that night I had felt like someone was watching me, but I chalked it up to Olympus paranoia. I stood in front of the double doors, impatiently pushing the down button. Through one of the mirrors on the wall behind me I now noticed a shadowy figure watching me. My heart leapt in my chest and my startled eyes met Clotho’s grim ones.
The elevator doors opened. I got inside, having no idea about the spiral of events I was about to step into. The shadowy figure stood there for a second and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke once the doors started to close.
“Eris,” I whispered.
“Yes,” all three of the Fates concurred, sending icy fingers down the back of my neck.
“Keep watching,” Atropos intoned.
My mind raced with the implications. What had she been doing in my apartment building and why had she been watching me? The other me dug around in her purse for her car keys, and I cringed knowing I was doing everything possible against all safety rules. Good thing I was a goddess and couldn’t be taken down with a little thing like mugging – although I had just presented the perfect opportunity to get clubbed over the head.
“Note to self,” I muttered, “Get your shit together before you go into a New York parking garage.” Lachesis chuckled but sobered when she saw the glare on Clotho’s face. I continued watching, seeing nothing out of the ordinary until I opened my car door. There was a spot in the back of my Mercedes that looked darker than it should. My mouth went dry.
Gods. Had I actually given that monster a ride around town? I had been oblivious to her presence which told me I had become way too comfortable on earth. There was a reason the gods and goddesses were so bloodthirsty and paranoid. Opportunity lurked around every corner. I wasn’t even close to royalty and not even particularly close to Zeus or anyone else who was. What I couldn’t put together was why Eris had chosen to wrap me up in this scheme. I was the catalyst to this somehow, but the reason eluded me.
Nothing happened during the drive to the concert venue and it all started to feel a little anticlimactic. As I gathered my purse and coat, a small wisp of black smoke erupted from the back seat and entered through my nose. I sneezed and rubbed my nose.
I froze. I remembered that moment and brushed it off as a mere annoyance. I watched in horror as I walked into the concert, went to one of the drink stands, slipped a large vial from my purse and dosed my drink with a clear liquid I didn’t remember having. A sickening thought scrambled to the forefront of my brain. Eris had tricked me into dosing myself with ambrosia, one of
the few things that enhanced the effects of alcohol on the gods! Ambrosia was common enough in Olympus, but only a few drops were needed to quench our thirst. Any more than that and ambrosia became an intoxicant. Using more than normal was popular enough among Dionysus and his followers, but the amount I just took in was enough to render an elephant useless for a few hours. No wonder I woke up with the world’s worst hangover and some fuzzy memories. Atropos’ hands began to shake violently and the vision dropped. We were left, the Fates and me, staring at each other in horror.
Atropos broke the silence with her fearsome voice. “A piece of her lives inside you, Abby.”
I bowed my head, “So this is how she knows every step we’ve taken.” It was both a relief and a curse. Thoughts of Ares skittered to the forefront of my brain. Maybe he hadn’t betrayed me after all. But was it worse to be betrayed by a friend or to be the one unwittingly responsible for his pain?
A warm, strong hand tilted my chin up. “I’m afraid so.” Lachesis’ eyes were filled with sympathy, an emotion I never knew she had. Why were they so less fearsome now than before? I hadn’t done anything except screw everything up for the past few weeks.
“You haven’t screwed up anything. There may have been some missteps, Abby, but you couldn’t have imagined what you were getting into when everything began. Zeus is using you as a chess piece, as we all know he is wont to do.” Lachesis released my chin and strode into the living area. She sat down heavily and motioned for the rest of us to do the same.
Atropos gave me a sympathetic glance, surprising for her, but I was glad she didn’t top it off with a smile. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Anyone want tea?”
We all nodded assent. I was grateful I had come today. There was still a strange feeling of falling down the rabbit hole, but for now I could share in the feeling of camaraderie these women inspired in me. I knew more now than when I had started this mess but I knew there was still a vital piece of the puzzle missing. And I had to do something about the Eris parasite. I shuddered, thinking about part of her being inside me, knowing and feeling everything I did. She knew exactly how to get to me and was using it to her advantage.