by D. S. Murphy
“Welcome to the Asclepion,” a woman said. She had the same features as the others, but looked older. Crow’s feet appeared around her eyes when she smiled. She the other girls were wearing light blue robes, hers were scarlet.
“Who are you?” I asked, “What do you want from me?”
“We do not want,” the woman said. “We serve. We are daughters of Triton, descendants of Poiseidon. Have you come to be healed?”
Two of them were still in the pool, treading water behind me. I couldn’t see their legs, but something colorful was swishing below them.
“I was fine before one of you pushed me off the cliff and almost drowned me,” I said, checking the scrapes on my arms. I was glad I’d been wearing jeans, even though now they stuck to me like a second skin.
“Not all wounds are physical,” the woman said.
“I’m not here for Asclepius,” I snapped. “If I’d wanted healing I would have stayed with his daughter in Nevah. I’m looking for the Fates.”
There were murmurs around me. Many of the girls made circles with their mouths and eyes.
“Nobody sees the Fates,” the woman said.
“But they’re here?” I pushed hopefully.
“They have been seen,” she said. “But not in our lifetime. We heal. We comfort. People may spend the night in the temple. They are visited by the gods in dreams. It has been this way for thousands of years. This we can offer you.”
I stood up and peeled off my gloves, showing the dark band that wrapped around my wrist. This time there were audible gasps from the girls around me.
“I’ve had this all my life,” I said. “And it led me here. People keep trying to kill me, or control me, because apparently I’m the only person who can wield the golden shears—a legendary weapon I’m not even sure really exists. All I want to do is protect myself and keep my friends safe, so if you know where the Fates might be, I’d be grateful if you’d share that info. But if you can’t help me, let me go and I’ll keep looking on my own.”
“So you’re a champion,” the woman smiled, her eyes sizzling with energy. “There is magic here, but we cannot wield it. If you get the weapon you seek, what will you do with it?”
Good question.
I knew what Able wanted me to do with the shears. End the war. But I still wasn’t sure I wanted to kill Zeus. Even though he kept sending hunters after me. Even though, without him, Madeline and everyone else like her would be safe. And we wouldn’t have to keep running or hiding. Living in fear. I didn’t condone Zeus’s war against magic, but it wasn’t exactly my problem. Or at least it hadn’t been, until recently. I couldn’t get Puriel’s nickname for me out of my head. Godkiller. Is that what I wanted to become?
“I will protect magic,” I said finally. “And find a way to stop Zeus, so he can’t keep hurting innocents.”
“That’s a nice speech, though it lacks conviction. It would impress more if you believed it. But we will show you the way. Anyone against Zeus is an ally of the daughters of Triton. Before you can see the Fates, however, you must pass the tests.”
“Tests?” I asked.
“They’re usually fatal,” she said. Her lip twisted into a grin, revealing pointed teeth, and for the first time I was afraid of her.
“I need to discuss this with my friends first. They’re probably worried about me. Is there another way out?” I craned my head, looking down the hallway. I didn’t want to be dragged through that tunnel again. It was harrowing enough the first time.
The woman nodded to three girls and they jumped up, offering me their hands and leading me through towards a tunnel lit up by oil lamps. The other girls shrank back, clearing a way for us.
“If you are serious about your request, come back at sunset. Meet us by the entrance of the abbey. We will show you the path beneath. But first, you must be cleansed. Return with your friends tonight, and we will prepare you.”
We passed through a dozen passageaways. Some were lit only by the sputtering flames of a homemade candle. Then we begin to cross through larger rooms. One of them was filled with gold and silver statues, and long rectangular slabs that had been hewn out of the stone floor. Some had been engraved, like sarcophagi.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“One of the healing chambers,” said one of the girls. I was pretty sure she was the one I’d seen at the market. “Supplicants would come from all over Europe, offering treasures to Asclepius in order to be healed.”
“And he healed them?” I asked.
“Magic healed them, though he was an expert in channeling it. But there are many factors. The kykeon, the stillness, the darkness. The body heals itself, given enough time and energy. After several days with no light, the brain thinks it has died. Many who visit us leave reborn, in more ways than one.”
There was something chilling about her beauty, a hardness that jarred with her youthful complexion. These daughters of Triton were dangerous. The entire island was inhospitable. If the Fates were here, they’d chosen a good place to hide.
The cavern opened up and I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. We walked up hundreds of steps, and finally emerged onto a small lip of land on the back side of the island. There was a clearing and a few wooden tables. The rock towered above us. I couldn’t even see the ruins from down here.
“Follow the path along the cliff face, then use the stairs,” the girl said. “You’ll find your friends there.”
“Wait, what’s your name?” I asked.
“Eumelia,” she said, with a sparkle in her eye.
I found Jessie first. As I rounded the last corner of the narrow path and stepped up on the edge of the plateau, I could hear her shouting my name. Her face was full of panic, and she looked relieved when she saw me. She pulled me into a tight hug, before pulling away and making a face.
“Why are you all wet?” she asked.
“I went swimming after all,” I said. “And I made some new friends.”
“You made friends?” she asked, her eyes narrowing. “We’ve been going crazy looking for you. Sitri came back alone saying you disappeared. I thought Puriel was going to deck him. We took the minokawa back here and have been looking for you for an hour.”
“I couldn’t have been gone that long,” I said, “and it wasn’t exactly voluntary. I’m sorry you were worried. Where is everyone else?”
We walked around the outside of the fallen church, climbing over the rubble of more ancient layers of construction. This place was an architectural graveyard.
The others came running when they saw me. Sarah gave me a squeeze.
“What happened?” Sitri asked, grasping my shoulders. “You were there one second, then you vanished. I thought hunters had taken you.”
“You didn’t see the blond girl? She pushed me off the cliff.”
“Pushed you off—” Sitri’s face drained of blood as he glanced towards the edge. Max walked near towards the cliff and whistled when he saw the drop.
“Oh my god, Kai, that’s like two hundred feet, are you sure you’re okay?”
There was a gust of wind and I shivered. I didn’t like being surrounded and there was too much to explain with everyone asking me questions. I noticed a pile of stones near us that seemed to move. Then I saw the yellow eye—it was the minokawa, blending in. I walked over to them and put my hand out, fumbling until I found my bag. I’d left it tied to the saddle earlier.
“I met the daughters of Triton,” I said over my shoulder. “Mermaids I think, but they guard the island. They said the Fates might be here, or at least they can show me the way. They want to do some kind of ceremony. A purifying ritual. They’ll meet us here at sunset.”
“A party. Sounds fun,” Sitri gave a tight smile.
“I’m going to put on some dry clothes,” I said. “Should I be worried about tourists with cameras?”
“The last ferry of the day left the island already,” Madeline said. “There’s no way on or off. It’s just us.”
&
nbsp; It felt like a lifetime since I left Nevah, but surprisingly I still had one clean set of clothes. After I changed, we walked to the front of the church. The sun was setting on the other side of the ruins, which cast long shadow across the flat surface of the giant rock. Rays of light filtered through the ruins, illuminating patches of wildflowers growing up through the wreckage. The front wall was completely gone. Fragments of colorful pink and blue glass clung to the edges of what must have been a stained glass window centuries ago. Now they seemed like teeth of a gigantic beast, ready to snap us up.
Eumelia appeared the second the sun disappeared over the horizon, trailed by a line of her lookalikes. They were wearing white robes with light blue tunics over them, and crowns made of branches. The candles they carried lit up their faces, drawing attention to their similar features. I was getting better at distinguishing them, but the resemblance was still spooky. I would have guessed they were all sisters except for the sheer number of them, and the age differences—some girls looked like they were Sarah’s age or younger. They formed a circle around us, in front of the remains of the church, before Eumelia stepped forward.
“Are you ready? Follow me.” We formed an uneasy line towards the edge of the cliff. I heard Jessie gasp as Eumelia disappeared down the path I’d been on earlier—it was so narrow it looked like Eumelia walked straight off the edge.
“Careful,” I said, following after her. We walked in silence over the treachous part of the path. It was so steep, I had to walk sideways with my hands clinging to the wall in support. I breathed a sigh of relief when we’d all made it down to where the path got wider.
“I don’t like this,” Puriel said. “How do you know it’s safe? That you can trust them?”
“If they’d wanted to kill me, they could have done it already,” I said. “Plus we’re already here.”
The clearing looked different than it had earlier. Tables with white linens spread out under the trees, covered with silver trays of grapes and fruit. One of them even had a whole roasted pig with an apple in its mouth. There were also barrels of wine, cheese wrapped in grape leaves and soaked in olive oil, and a desert made of almonds and honey, cut into diamond shapes. Several girls were lighting a bonfire in the center of the clearing.
“Your friends can relax here,” Eumelia said, taking my gloved hand. “While we prepare you.”
Puriel put a hand on his sword, but before he could draw it out, two of the girls were holding curved blades under his chin.
“There will be no need for that.” The older woman I’d met earlier called from the mouth of the cave. “I am Amaratha, and we will do you no harm here.”
Eumelia gestured for me to follow, and she led me towards the cave. Sarah trailed after me with wide eyes.
“You want to come too?” Eumelia said in a teasing voice.
“Can she?” I asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Eumelia said. She and the other girls led me into the cave and down a narrow passage to a side room. Natural spring water bubbled up into a wide pool, and the rocky floor was carpeted by rose petals. They lifted off my top and were preparing to scrub my skin with a mixture of milk and honey when Sarah stopped them.
“No,” she said suddenly, stepping in front of them. “You can’t touch her skin. Leave the sponge, we’ll do it ourselves.”
I smiled at Sarah’s protectiveness.
“We are aware of her gift,” Eumelia said, frowning slightly. “None of us cares about learning the moment of our death, as long as with our lives we have served a purpose.”
“It’s not about you,” Sarah said. “It’s about Kaidance. What she sees. She doesn’t like it.”
“Then we will use these,” Eumelia said, holding up a pair of long white gloves. They were made of a shiny fabric like satin, but thinner. She passed a pair to Sarah and to the other girls and I watched them pull them on. It was strange, watching everyone else don gloves in order to touch me, like I was radioactive. I was usually the one who had to wear gloves.
When they were done I rinsed off in the pool, and they dried me off with a large towel. I lifted my arms as they dressed me in a thin white gown. They wrapped the fabric around me like a toga and tied it loosely with a golden rope around my waist. Then they braided my hair, and wrapped a wreath around my head with leaves and purple flowers.
“Laurel leaves, sacred to Apollo,” Eumelia said.
“Why do I feel like I’m being offered up as a sacrifice?” I asked.
She shrugged. “If you make yourself appealing, it is more likely for the gods to favor you and acquiesce to your wishes. It is not uncommon for women to be blessed by a god’s attention.”
“I hope that’s not a euphemism,” I said. “I’m not letting any gods near me.”
I was presented to Amaratha, who nodded once and then handed me another pair of the white gloves.
“The ones you’ve been wearing are filthy,” she said. “We’ll wash them for you, and your clothes, and you can claim them tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I said, bowing lamely. Amaratha was wearing a dark purple gown and a crown of golden leaves. She looked like a goddess in her own right, and I remembered how powerfully beautiful Stephanie had been when she revealed her true self to me. I wondered how much power Amaratha had, and hoped I’d never be on the opposing side of it.
Finally they led me back out of the cave, with two maidens on either side carrying large white candles. Behind us, Amaratha carried a large silver chalice. I felt self-conscious in my getup, it felt like I was at a weird costume party. It made me think of Halloween—when all of this started. When Puriel first saw me, I was wearing a raven mask and a black dress. Now I was all in white, with a crown of flowers. I caught his eye and smiled. He nodded to me, but his expression was indecipherable.
Sitri was easier to read. His eyes roamed my body as I stepped forward. The fabric was so light I was afraid he could see through it. It made my skin flush.
“You look amazing,” he said, leaning forward and whispering into my ear.
“Did they give you a pedicure too?” Madeline asked. “Damn, next time I want to be the one who descends into the jaws of the earth seeking the immortal goddesses.”
“Sure,” I said. “Next time it’s all you. I feel like a doll. I don’t know why any of this is even necessary.”
“Something feels wrong about this,” Puriel said quietly. “Did they tell you what’s actually going to happen? Where you’re going?”
I shook my head. They’d given me an idea, but I didn’t want to worry anyone needlessly.
“I’m supposed to be here. This is what I came for, right?”
“Just be safe,” Jessie said. “Don’t do anything risky. Go down, find the Fates, get the shears, and come back as soon as you can.”
“Sure,” I said. “I’ll even pick up some Skittles, if I see any down there. No problem.” I smiled at her, then looked around for Amaratha. She was waiting by the fire. I nodded to let her know I was ready.
“First, drink the kykeon,” she said, holding the chalice up above her head. “Purge your fears, your desires, yourself, what you once were. Forget. Go deeper. Look beneath.”
She lifted the chalice to my lips and I tilted my head to sip from it. The drink so tasted terrible I almost spit it back into the cup. It was bitter, almost rotten. Amaratha passed the cup around the circle, and I watched my friend’s faces contort as they ingested the sour liquid.
“Is there alcohol in this?” Jessie asked.
“Not exactly,” Amaratha said with a sly smile. She passed the cup to Max, Madeline, Sitri and Puriel, then set it down on the table. She didn’t offer any to Sarah.
“Have some wine,” Amaratha said. “Eat if you wish. We will come get you when we are ready.”
My shoulders fell. More waiting? I felt like I’d been waiting all day and I was getting antsy. Why couldn’t they just let me in? Why all this ritual and ceremony?
Some of the girls started playing music wit
h flutes and some kind of string instrument. Two of the younger ones grabbed Sarah and they spun around the fire, dancing to the rhythm. Then Max asked Jessie to dance, but he was corny about it, attempting to do some kind of mock-tango that ended up getting them both tangled up together. Jessie laughed and then pushed him away and started dancing with Sarah instead.
I felt the muscles in my neck and shoulders relax, and tension I’d been holding for weeks begin to melt away. Seeing Jessie and Sarah smile filled me with a glowing happiness. This was what I wanted. Friends. Peace. To be hanging around at a party having fun, without feeling responsible for the weight of the world.
Sitri brought me a glass of wine and stood beside me. He was so close I could feel the warmth of his body next to mine, but he was careful not to make contact. I’d always tried to accept the fact that I was different, special. Having Sitri so close to me and yet so far away, made the reality of my situation almost unbearable. If we defeated Zeus, Jessie and Max could have a life together. Sarah would grow up and meet someone who cared for her. But I would always be alone.
I thought of the kiss I’d shared with Puriel in Florence, and looked up to find him watching me. Kissing him hadn’t been so bad. At least I hadn’t seen any violent deaths in his future. Maybe that was the answer—I just had to find someone who didn’t die, who couldn’t die… or at least not for a long time. But was Puriel really who I wanted to be with? Or was I settling just because I knew he could touch me?
“What is it with him, moping all the time?” Sitri asked, noticing the extended gaze I shared with Puriel.
“I think he’s just being careful,” I said. “Protecting me.”
“I can protect you,” Sitri said gruffly. He put his cup down hard and red wine soaked into the white tablecloth.
“If I find the shears, maybe I’ll be the one protecting the two of you.” I smiled, looking up at him through my eyelashes. He lifted his eyebrows and smiled back at me.
“You know, I can actually picture that. You, a badass warrior princess, taking out twenty hunters by yourself.”