Goddess of War

by Waverly Scott

  “Cara! Time for breakfast!” Mom called.

  “I’ll be right there!” I tucked my notebook into my backpack and ran to the stairs. Mom hated it, but I slid down the banister.

  “Stop sliding down that banister young lady! You’re going to hurt yourself.”

  “Sure mom.”

  “Sit,” she commanded.

  “Yes, ma’am.” I jokingly saluted her while pulling out my chair.

  Instead of my usual plate of eggs and toast I found three small folders with a picture of a plane. Inside the mini folders were tickets and boarding passes needed to get through Pittsburgh International Airport.

  Destination: Greece.

  I stared at them for a few minutes not entirely sure they were real, or that I was awake.

  Turning everything over and examining every little detail, I could hardly believe what looked up at me. They were really real.

  “Okay, so these are tickets to Greece,” I reasoned.

  “Yes,” Mom said, trying to hide a smile.

  “And there are three of them.” I looked at dad.

  “Yes,” he assured.

  “Does that mean…” my voice trailed off afraid I hallucinated the tickets like everything else.

  “Yes it does.” Mom’s smile escaped.

  Excitement spread over my face. I couldn’t hide it. I squealed with joy, jumped up to hug my parents then ran to my room to call Brandy. She would never believe it. I was holding the tickets and I couldn’t believe it. I flopped onto the bed and grabbed my cell phone.

  “Guess what just happened,” I said breathlessly into the receiver.

  “Um, you finally got a new car?”

  “No, I did…what’s wrong with my car?” I pushed the aging, blue curtains to the side, and peered down at the driveway. My little Jetta sat there, shining from the bath I gave it a few days ago.

  The aging car did what it had to do. It got me from point A to point B. No rust or scratches, sure a few bumps here and there, but I liked it.

  “Oh, um, nothing. I love your car.” She laughed.

  “You love the fact that I take you everywhere when you’re p.o.s doesn’t work.” I laughed back.

  “I’ll eventually get a car that works all the time.”

  “Yeah, when hell freezes over maybe.” I could hear her long sigh on the other end. “I wish that the parents would either let me get a job while I’m in school or get me a new car.”

  “You are an adult, Brandy. Just get a car.”

  “They always do the ‘if you work we won’t pay your tuition’ shit. I don’t want those bills. Have you seen how much it costs to go to college?”

  “That’s why I got scholarships. Anyway, my parents bought plane tickets to Greece,” I told her, ignoring her sarcasm.

  “No way!”

  “Yes way!”

  “When do you guys leave?” she asked.

  “Three days.”

  “Wow, that’s short notice.”

  “I know. Want to go shopping after classes?” I asked.

  “Of course! When don’t I want to go shopping?”

  We hung up, and I lay there for a few long moments with my heart racing. My excitement overtook me and I ran back downstairs, this time there were eggs, and toast on my plate. Dad sipped his coffee and Mom read the paper. Grabbing my plate and fork, I shoveled the food in my mouth faster than I could swallow it.

  “Cara, where did your manners go?” Mother asked.

  “Excited?” Dad asked nonchalantly.

  “Well yeah. I mean we’re going to Greece. That’s super cool, and none of my friends have ever been there before,” I said between chews.

  “We’re glad you’re excited, sweetheart,” Mom said casually. “But do you think you can chew your food?”

  “So what happened with work? I thought you were super busy?” I asked Dad.

  “I had a few weeks of vacation saved up, and I just finished a big project so Mr. Landers had no problems with me taking a few weeks off to recharge.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “Yeah, it seemed like the perfect timing.” His face went solemn as he looked at me.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. You better hurry, it’s getting late.”

  I crammed my toast in my mouth and ran to the front door. The clock ticked toward seven and I still had to pick up Brandy. Luckily she only lived ten minutes away from my house. I pulled up her driveway and honked. She came bounding out of the large house, and jumped in the car.

  “So, how excited are you?”

  I yelled and jumped in my seat.

  “That excited huh?” She laughed.

  Chapter Six

  I didn’t think three days was nearly enough. I had to get all the homework I’d miss from my professors for the following two weeks, go shopping, and get packed. By the morning we were due at the airport and stressed. We rushed around at six a.m. trying to get everything into the car and still be on time. I, of course, slept in way too late. When I did finally look at the clock I kicked off my blankets and ran to the bathroom. It felt like that scene from Home Alone, only later. I took a record breaking shower. Only ten minutes. I double checked my bags when mom started yelling.

  “Let’s go, Cara! We’re going to miss our flight!”

  “Alright! I’m coming!” I yelled back.

  I shoved my iPod and charger into my shoulder bag and ran out the door to their car.

  The eleven hour flight from Pittsburgh International to Athens would be long and boring, especially since I wasn’t sitting with my parents, so thank God for my laptop. Then my face dropped when I saw who my seat buddy was. A rather large man sat on the aisle. I could hear him wheezing and smell him in the first row.

  “Mom, switch me seats,” I whispered.

  “I’m sitting with your father.”

  “Please, Mom!” I begged.

  She looked at my row and snickered. “You’ll be fine.”

  I grumbled and excused myself as I attempted to step over his enormous gut. He grunted, groaned, and I think sucked in his belly. I’m not sure because his uncomfortable noises did nothing to better the situation. I stared at him in disbelief and wondered how on God’s green earth he even fit into the seat. The rolls of skin spilled over the armrest and into my seat. He was damn lucky I wasn’t obese otherwise we’d have a problem.

  I then got a horrific thought, what if he was stuck in the seat? What if that was why he didn’t do the normal, decent human being thing by getting up so I could sit down in my seat?

  I tried to push it from my mind. I just pulled out my iPod, and let my head hit the window. Eleven hours of hell.

  To my disgust, my seatmate insisted on eating a never ending supply of Cheetos. I wondered where he kept pulling the bags from. If that wasn’t bad enough he sucked each finger after each cheesy, sticky bite. I became familiar with the window as he crushed me against it and covered my clothes in cheese dust. Not my idea of a good flight. When we did finally reach our destination it was already two in the afternoon. Jet lag and the time difference killed my body. I felt exhausted stepping off the plane.

  Eleftherios Venizelos Airport was even bigger than Pittsburgh International. I stared in awe as we walked through the massive building. People rushed past me as though I were invisible. One man ran right into me, knocking me on my butt. He must have been in such a hurry he forgot to apologize.

  “Excuse you,” I shouted at him.

  He just turned his head and glared at me. I felt so insignificant. We finally made our way outside and I leaned against the building waiting for my dad to flag down a taxi. That took him a good twenty minutes. I really looked forward to collapsing on the bed in our hotel room. I watched as my dad and the Greek cabbie loaded the luggage into the taxi’s trunk. All the while mom stood there doing what she does best, hover and bark out instructions.

  “You’re doing it wrong,” she said snidely.

  “It’s fine, Calista.”

  �
��It could have been done already if you would’ve listened to me.”

  “You know…”

  I knew a fight would be the end result. I didn’t feel like listening to them, so I put my earphones in and tried to drown them out as much as I could. I just looked at Dad’s face. He was so miserable already. The cabbie was lucky he didn’t speak English. He didn’t have to listen to them. Dad flipped through his English-Greek translation book while Mom talked to the man in fluent Greek. I wanted to enjoy this trip, fighting free.

  I must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew someone shook my shoulder.

  “Cara? Cara? Hey wake up, sweetheart. We’re here.”

  “What? Here?” I asked, stretching.

  “Yeah, at the hotel. In Athens.”

  “Oh yeah!” I realized where we were and quickly scurried out of the cab.

  I stood in front of the building, staring in awe. It was gorgeous. The twenty minutes I had been in Athens didn’t disappoint. I grabbed the handle to my suitcase, and wheeled it in, picking up the rear like usual. I scanned the lobby trying to get a feel for the other guests that were staying there while waiting for the concierge to get our keys.

  That was when I saw him. I thought he was a figment of my imagination. No man could be that good looking. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a GQ magazine and casually leaned against a wall looking through a book. His flawless tanned skin had a hint of pink on the cheeks, and his hair was a tousled black mess. I couldn’t stop staring at him. In all nineteen years of life, I’d never seen another man quite like him.

  Chapter Seven

  He stood out like a sore thumb. A gorgeous, sore thumb. He resembled a living statue of Adonis more than a human. Humiliation plastered my face when he caught me staring. His blue eyes looked up from his book and locked onto my own, refusing to let me turn my head. A smile played at his lips and made my heart skip a few beats. He broke the stare before I could. My cheeks burned, and I knew I turned a lovely shade of crimson. I’d never been caught staring at someone. I was really slick about it. Not this time though. The embarrassment was horrible. The hot air in the hotel made me feel dizzy. My knees began to buckle and my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

  I didn’t want to faint again.

  I felt my body fall, and waited for my head to hit the hard floor. Thankfully the darkness of unconsciousness had already claimed me before my skull bounced off the marble.

  Come on, Cara! Don't do this, not now! Move! I screamed through the darkness in my mind.

  I scanned the darkness looking for a light, something that could lead me back to consciousness. I tried to scream. I wanted to be heard. My voice faded. I couldn’t hear it anymore.

  I don’t know how long I was out, but when my eyes fluttered open his face was the first I saw.

  Oh God, I’m dead!

  “You’re awake.” His voice was like soft velvet on my ears.

  “Yeah. Who are you?”

  “I’m Adrian.”

  “Adrian?”

  “Yes, I take it you are okay to sit up.” he propped me up in his arms.

  “Um, yeah, I think so. What happened?”

  “You fainted, sweetheart.” I turned to see my mom’s pale face glued to my own.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah I’m fine, Dad.”

  I sat supported in my godly savior’s arms. I lay on a lavish couch in a small den. It smelled of rose and apple trees. I looked around the small room and noticed the walls were a mural of the temple of Athena Parthenos and olive trees.

  Definitely a room dedicated to Athena.

  My gaze eventually landed back on my own personal statue. His lovely tanned skin all but shone under the incandescent lights. He had to be the only person on the face of the planet who looked good under incandescent lights. His eyes were full of concern and his black hair fell into his face.

  “Adrian, would you join us for dinner?” Mom asked the man.

  “Yes, that would be lovely, Mrs. Grey.”

  “Wonderful. Meet us on the third floor at six.”

  “We have dinner reservations already?”

  “I made them last week,” Dad said, patting my hair.

  “Oh, okay.”

  “I’m staying here on the third floor too so that will be no problem. I’ll see you tonight, Cara?” Adrian asked as he kissed the back of my hand.

  “Uh huh.”

  “Very well then, Cara. Until tonight, farewell.” He waved, leaving us sitting in the den.

  “Now he is such a sweet boy,” Mom said, smiling at me.

  “Don’t think about it, Calista.”

  “Don’t think about what, William?” Mom asked curtly.

  “Let Cara be. She’s only nineteen. Stop trying to marry her off already.”

  “I’m not. I just thought Adrian seemed like a very nice boy and he’s Greek.”

  “We just met him,” Dad snapped.

  “I am an excellent judge of character,” Mom snapped right back.

  “Yes, how can we forget about your awesome judgment,” Dad said, rolling his eyes.

  Of course they would have another argument, this time about me getting married to a complete stranger at the tender age of nineteen, but that didn’t matter to Mom. He seemed nice and was Greek. The fights were coming closer together and about the most ridiculous things. I wish they’d just stop.

  “Let’s get to our room. I want to lie down before dinner,” I interrupted.

  Mom scowled at Dad, turned on her heels, and headed to the elevators. Dad put his arm around my shoulders, and we followed behind like puppies with our tails between our legs. The woman was impossible sometimes. She was stubborn, and resistant to everything. It was obvious I got my personality from Dad. Laid back and relaxed. Our room was on the third floor at the end of the hallway. As we were stepping off the elevator, I wasn’t paying attention to where I walked and ran right into Adrian.

  “You’re on this end of the floor?” My mouth dropped open.

  “Yes, I’m at the end of the hallway on the right.” He laughed.

  “Funny, we’re at the end on the left.”

  A coincidence right?

  He smiled, waved, and continued to the elevator. I watched as the doors slid closed, he flashed a toothy grin, and winked at me. His smile intoxicated my senses. I stumbled the rest of the way to our room. While closing our door, I heard the one across the hall open. I thought I had gone crazy. Adrian, or someone who looked like him, left the room. I flung open our door and stared.

  “Can I help you?” the man asked clearly startled.

  “Adrian?”

  “Nope, that’s my brother.”

  “Twins?”

  “Yeah, I’m Adronis.”

  “Cara,” I said, extending my hand to shake his.

  He grasped my fingers and bent his head to kiss the top of it. His lips were as soft and wonderful as his brothers. Butterflies took off in my stomach and a shudder of lust ran up my spine.

  Oh my God.

  “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Cara.”

  “Yeah, me, too. I um, have to go but your brother is joining us for dinner, would you like to as well?”

  “I would enjoy that.”

  “Great just meet us here, I guess, around six.” I could feel my cheeks getting hot again.

  “I’ll see you then.” He flashed the same perfect, toothy grin as Adrian.

  “Yeah, bye.”

  I watched as his immaculate, sculpted body walked down the hallway.

  So I have two Greek gods to choose from while on vacation. I smiled to myself and slipped inside the room.

  All I could do was gawk in amazement at the immense space of the room. There were two enormous beds along one of the blue walls. High, white ceilings made everything appear even bigger. I walked to the balcony and I couldn’t believe the scenery. I had never seen a more spectacular view. The blue water outlined the Athenian acropolis and perched high above was th
e Parthenon. The one building I wanted to see the most. I was on cloud nine.

  “It’s an amazing view isn't it?” Mom asked, hugging me.

  “It is,” I said, my voice sounding distant.

  “Are you alright, sweetheart?”

  “Yeah it’s just that I feel like I’ve been here before, even though I know I haven't.”

  “You have been reading a lot of books on it. Maybe it was one of those,” she suggested.

  “Maybe.” I knew it wasn’t because of a book.

  While staring across the water, a small light began to throb from the center of the Parthenon. I blinked. and tried to concentrate a little more.

  “Do you see that?”

  “See what?”

  I was about to answer when a brilliant flash of light erupted from the same spot. I looked around me, but I wasn’t on the balcony anymore. It was as though the light sucked me in, some sort of freakish vortex. I could suddenly see the main sanctuary of the temple, in the center was an enormous statue of the goddess Athena. There were smaller chambers behind it. The columns surrounding the room towered above me. The whole thing shocked me to my core. The temple wasn’t in ruins, in fact it looked brand new. People were surrounding the main statue of Athena worshipping her. I, however, walked around it. I watched them bow and whisper to themselves.

  Why are they praying?

  I kept watching the people. Nobody looked at me. Nobody acknowledged me. I walked to the front of the temple and stood on the marble stairs putting my hand onto one of the smooth columns. A soft breeze blew past me and my clothes fluttered around my legs. I looked down and I was wearing brilliant blue robes with a golden sash around my waist with golden sandals.

  “Goddess? Goddess?”

  I turned to the voice and saw a young woman bowing to me.

  “Goddess Cara, please accept this offering for your mother on behalf of my family.”

  I reached out and took it from her trying to mask my confusion.