Goddess of War

by Waverly Scott

“Thank you,” she said.

  Why did she call me goddess?

  I turned and continued to look around the acropolis. People bustled about the city. There were so many more buildings and temples than I’d thought I would see.

  “My daughter, it’s almost time. Are you ready to come home? I’ve missed you so much.”

  I felt a hand on my arm. I turned my head to the left and stared into a familiar face. I wanted to say something to her, but someone snapped me out of the daydream. My vision began to refocus on the room as mom pulled me away from the balcony. The woman’s smiling face faded, the building shrank away, and I stared into my mom’s green eyes.

  “Come on, Cara. Lay down for a bit, get some rest before dinner.”

  “Okay,” I said dreamily, and let her lead me to my bed.

  I sat on the edge of it, the dream quickly fading, I lay down and closed my eyes trying to remember the remarkable woman. Her face faded so fast. I tried so hard to remember. I focused on the face I saw; the strange grey eyes, the pouting lips, the porcelain skin, and her chocolate colored hair. I let my eyes slide closed. I didn’t want to forget. Her face was so unforgettable, so why couldn’t I remember? Those visions of mine were getting more and more ridiculous.

  Chapter Eight

  I woke up from a restless nap just a few short hours later. My head and shoulders ached. I looked around the darkened room and noticed my parents were still sleeping in the bed across from mine. I sat there trying to remember. I wracked my brain for what I dreamed about. The woman’s face faded long ago. I rubbed my eyes and closed my eyes tight hoping something would come back to me. It killed me to be so close to the acropolis but not be there. Something deep inside urged me to go there. I got up and tiptoed to the bathroom. I sat in the tub letting the small Jacuzzi jets pound at my body loosening the knots in my back and neck.

  The large, fluffy towel hanging on the towel rack looked like it could wrap around me at least three times. I twisted my hair around and secured it with a few pins when mom started knocking on the door.

  “Let’s go, Cara! I need to shower and get ready.”

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” I called, pulling the little black dress over my head.

  I examined my reflection in the mirror for some time. My skin looked paler against the dark fabric. My favorite thing about it had to be the beaded waist. I’d bought it just because of that.

  “All yours.”

  “It’s about time, and you look beautiful.” Mom smiled.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Dad stopped as he was walking into the bathroom and narrowed his eyes at me. Cocking his head to the side he looked me up and down and circled me.

  “What, Dad?”

  “That’s not a new dress is it?” He asked.

  “No. It’s the Christmas dress I wore to your company party.”

  “I don’t remember it. Has it always been so short?”

  “Dad. Don’t start.”

  “William, she’s an adult.”

  “She’s still our daughter.”

  “She’s on vacation.”

  “With us,” he said.

  “Dad!”

  “Fine. I can tell when I’m being ganged up on.”

  He vanished into the bathroom without another word about the dress he already knew I owned. At ten till six we were all standing near the elevator waiting for Adrian and Adronis. They came out of their room walking side by side, I couldn’t tell them apart.

  “There are two of them?” Dad asked, astonished.

  “Yes, Dad, it’s called twins. I invited Adronis when I saw him earlier.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Is that alright?” I turned my pleading eyes to him.

  Smiling, all he could do was laugh and nod. I waved to them. They had the same grin and same sparkling blue eyes.

  “Are you gentlemen ready for dinner?” Mom asked.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “We have reservations at the Tudor on the seventh floor,” Dad said as we went into the elevator.

  “They have a wonderful view of the acropolis,” Adronis informed us.

  “The acropolis? Isn’t that where the temple of Athena is?” Mom asked.

  “Yes. There used to be an entire city there in ancient days. Now it’s all in ruins. Reduced to nothing more than a tourist attraction.”

  “There were other temples there as well. Weren’t there?” I asked, still thinking about all the other temples I had seen earlier.

  “Yes, there are three other temples. The entrance to the acropolis was an enormous monumental gateway called the Propylaea. Once you crossed the threshold, to the south was the temple of Athena Nike. In the center is the well-known temple of Athena Parthenos or the Parthenon. To the east of that is a temple called Erechtheum. You can also see the remains of the old outdoor theater, Theater of Dionysus, and the partially reconstructed Theater of Herodes Atticus.”

  “You sure do know a lot about the acropolis,” Dad said, watching Adronis closely.

  “I’ve lived in Greece for most of my life. The goddess Athena is one of my favorites.”

  “Do you still live here?” Mom inquired.

  “Yes, we moved further north to Thessaly. We come to Athens a few times a year to visit the acropolis and family.”

  “That’s really cool,” I said, smiling like an idiot.

  “Yeah, I suppose it is.” Adronis smiled down at me.

  The elevator lurched to a stop and we stepped off into the gorgeous restaurant. The Tudor Hall was extraordinary. The high ceilings, white walls, and columns glowed in candle light. Luckily our seats were on the veranda. The view left me astounded. I couldn’t believe how beautiful Athens was. We sat at our table in the corner eating amazing food, drinking incredible wine, and chatting the night away. I didn’t want the night to end. I never thought I’ be sitting with two absurdly gorgeous men. It must have been around ten when we finally got up to leave.

  “Cara, would you like to join me for a short walk?” Adrian asked.

  “Um, Mom, can I?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s late.”

  “I’ll be careful, and I do know self-defense.”

  She sat there eyeing Adrian, then me. “Just don’t go too far.”

  “We won’t, Mrs. Grey. We’ll be going right over to the square. It’s quite a sight at night. I thought perhaps Cara would like it.”

  “Be careful,” she reiterated.

  “I’ll see you in the room, Adronis.”

  We stayed on the elevator as everyone else vacated to their rooms. The ride to the lobby went too quickly. Adrian stood on one side while I on the other. You could have cut the tension with a knife. It had to have been the most awkward and silent sixty seconds of my life.

  “Are you ready?” he asked, extending his arm for me to take.

  “I am,” I replied, taking it.

  “What brought you to Greece?” he asked.

  “A family vacation.”

  “Oh.”

  “My mom is originally from Greece, I’ve never been here, so they thought it would be good for me to know where half of my genes came from.” I smiled.

  We strolled through the streets just chatting about life and the differences between living in Greece and America. He had an amazing knowledge of the ancient times, and was more than happy to answer all of my questions. We continued walking until we were in Syntagma Square. We sat on the edge of the fountain and watched as people walked past us. I wasn’t used to so much life at eleven at night. It could have passed for noon back home, if it weren’t so dark. The lights that lit up the area were beautiful, and the atmosphere had a twinge of romance with tons of excitement about it. I felt Adrian’s hand on top of mine. I glanced into the deep pools of blue that were his eyes. A smile played at his lips as he looked back at me. He reached up and brushed a few stray hairs off of my face. My heart fluttered as his warm fingers brushed against my forehead. His hand slid down the side of my face to my n
eck. The warmth of his hand felt so good against my cool skin. He cradled the base of my skull while he twisted my hair in his fingers. I’d never had a guy make my entire body tingle the way he did. My breathing sped up, and my heart pounded wildly in my chest.

  He slowly pulled me in closer to his body. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. He smelled sweet. It was such an intense scent. I leaned in further, letting my lips lightly touch his soft neck. I could feel his pulse quicken. I smiled as I placed a kiss under his ear lobe. I heard a gasp escape his throat, so I gave him another. He wrapped his hands around my waist, squeezing, and slowly moving them to my back. He pulled my body in closer till we were touching. He lifted my chin so we were eye to eye. He lowered his head, and his soft, smooth lips were on mine. My heart felt like it could leap from my chest at any moment. I knotted my fingers in his tousled mess of hair, pulling him into me. I didn’t want the kiss to end. I had never experienced such an amazing thing. My head began to swim. My body felt as though it were floating. Adrian pulled himself away from me, holding onto my shoulders, not letting me go.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. It’s just, your kiss is intoxicating.” He laughed.

  I turned an even deeper crimson, and looked down at the water in the fountain. He cocked his head to the side smiling, and lifted my chin, pulling me in for a quick peck.

  “We should get back to the hotel,” he breathed into my ear.

  I nodded in agreement. The short walk to King George Palace didn’t last nearly long enough. Within a few minutes we were standing in front of our respective doors. Mom must have heard the elevator ding, or she stood at the door staring out the peephole since we left because the door flew open and there she was in all her glory.

  “Cara, you better get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow.”

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, hurry up,” she said curtly.

  I just stared at her, the woman was too much.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” Adrian asked not paying her any attention.

  “We’re going to Crete.”

  “We didn’t really have plans for the day, but if you’d like free tour guides I would be more than happy to go.” He smiled, kissing my hand.

  I giggled and nodded. I hoped I’d run into him. I hoped for a lot of things. Some things I probably shouldn’t have been thinking about a man I had just met.

  I went into the room, and danced to the bathroom. My mind was still in the square. I did my usual nightly ritual and turned in for the night more than prepared to have wonderful dreams of him.

  Chapter Nine

  I woke up the following morning to the sun flooding my bed with its wondrous rays. The walls were splashed with sunshine and seemed to make everything glow. I rose to go to the balcony and watched as people filed into the streets below about to start their days. I heard a knock at the door and went to answer it. There was a tall man, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, standing there in an immaculate, white coat and hat with a cart.

  “Ms. Grey?” the tall man asked.

  “Um, yes?”

  “Would you like your breakfast on the veranda?”

  “Oh, yeah, that’s great.” I moved to the side so he could wheel the cart to the table.

  I knocked on the bathroom door and told Mom. Dad sat up and stretched as the silver cart rolled past his bed.

  “Breakfast is here!” He smiled.

  The breeze blew through the balcony bringing the smell of roses and apple trees with it. The curtains rustled a bit. I felt like I was in heaven.

  ****

  The taxi waited out front for us. The ride to the ferry dock didn’t last long thankfully, which meant we wouldn’t have to wait three more hours before we left. As soon as I saw it I ran down the dock, trying not to bump into anyone. I leapt out of the cab. Luckily it already stopped. I should have been walking, or at least paying attention to the other people around me. If I had been looking, I would’ve seen the woman stick her leg out to trip me. I felt my foot catch under her ankle. My flip flop slid off and I tumbled into the water. The coldness took my breath away as I sank toward the bottom of the sea fast. No, I wasn’t, sinking; something pulled me down into the black abyss. I opened my mouth to scream, but water flooded my lungs. My chest burned and air quickly escaped me. I tried to kick my legs, but the right one had a slimy hand wrapped around it. I clawed at the water above me until I felt mass. Somebody’s arm reached for me. Someone tried to save me. I looked up into the face of Adrian. Or maybe it was Adronis. He grabbed my fingers and pulled. He had my hand then my arms. The hand loosened on my ankle. He pulled himself down my body till he had my feet. I tried to see what he was doing, but the churning water blocked my view. Before I knew it whatever pulled me down released my leg. He turned, grabbed me around the waist, and we were both kicking up desperately searching for the surface. My lungs felt like they were on fire. I didn’t know if I’d be able to make it.

  When I did break at the top I gulped down the precious air. My lungs still burned and my chest felt like it had been squeezed by Poseidon himself. I lifted my hands, searching for the dock.

  I looked and saw my dad, and the other twin reaching for me. I kicked my legs harder until I could reach them.

  “Cara!”

  “Momma.” I clung to her crying. My wet hair clung to my face, and my sundress was soaked. Dad reached back down, and helped Adrian, or Adronis, onto the dock.

  “What happened?” Dad asked, pushing my wet hair behind my ear.

  “I don’t know. I was tripped.”

  “By who?” Adrian asked, getting to his feet.

  “I’m not sure. Where did you come from?”

  “Adronis and I were waiting for the ferry to go to the acropolis.”

  “Honey, let’s go back to the hotel,” Mom said, helping me stand.

  “No, I really want to go to the temple. I’m fine.” I lied.

  I had no intention of telling them about the hand pulling me down to the sea floor. I looked at Adrian and he stared at my leg. I glanced down and saw a hand shaped bruise on my right ankle. I quickly diverted my gaze, hoping neither of my parents noticed it.

  Terror gripped my stomach. What was that thing? What is living in the waters surrounding Athens?

  “I’d rather take you back,” Mom insisted.

  “Sweetheart, your mother is right. The temple will be there tomorrow.”

  “No, I want to go today. I’m fine, really,” I said.

  “Are you sure?” Dad asked.

  “I don’t care; I want to take her back to the hotel.”

  “Calista, if she says she’s fine why make her stay in the hotel? Let her enjoy her trip.”

  “She almost drowned! She needs to rest.”

  “Will you two stop fighting? I’m fine. Let’s go.” I turned, and walked toward the end of the dock ignoring the stares from other people, and before mom could argue anymore. I stood there with Adrian on one side of me, and Adronis on the other.

  “What was that?” I whispered.

  “I don’t know,” Adrian said, avoiding my eyes.

  “You knew something had my ankle.” I stole a look up at him.

  “Yes.” He still didn’t look at me.

  “What was it, Adrian?”

  “I don’t know.” He was obviously hiding something from me.

  “Liar.” I kept my gaze on the choppy blue water.

  “It was a water nymph,” Adronis said, putting his arm on my shoulder.

  “A what?”

  “A water nymph. Daughters of the river gods.”

  “Right.” I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily.

  “That’s why I didn’t tell her, Adronis. She doesn’t believe,” Adrian said as he walked to the docking ferry.

  “What is a water nymph?” I asked as he stepped onto the boat.

  He paused and looked back at me. He motioned with his head and I followed. He led Adronis and me to the back of the boat where there were a f
ew seats placed.

  “Sit,” he commanded.

  “Okay.”

  I sat there staring into his face. His tanned forehead wrinkled and he bit his lower lip. Sighing heavily and running a hand through his hair, Adrian stared me in the eyes while Adronis put a hand on my knee.

  “You are so serious, almost like it's the end of the world.”

  They just looked at each other.

  “Cara, what grabbed you was a water nymph. A daughter of the water gods. I know you don’t believe in this but, it’s true. In ancient days the world was ruled by the Olympians.”

  “The Olympians? You mean the Greek gods?” I asked skeptically.

  “Yes, and don’t use that tone. I’m being very serious.”

  “Sorry.”

  He said nothing, just sat there staring past me to the crystal blue waters. Adronis squeezed my knee.

  “So, Greek mythology isn’t really myths then?” I asked, trying to believe what he told me.

  “Yes. They never went away. They faded from everyone’s thoughts. Their stories became nothing more than fairy tales in the end,” Adrian told me.

  “I’ve been having dreams about this place,” I whispered, looking around the surrounding area.

  “What? What kind of dreams?”

  “They are these weird, vivid dreams about the Parthenon, and they started a few months ago. After that I started reading books about Greece and drawing the temple. It became an obsession really. My parents decided now would be a good time to go on our vacation.”

  “That’s interesting,” Adrian said.

  “Do you know what could be causing them?” I asked.

  “No.”

  For some reason I didn’t believe him. He knew more than he let on. We spent the rest of the boat ride staring at the water. The closer we got to the acropolis the darker the clouds got. I watched as storm clouds gathered more over our destination when we docked. I wasn’t a weather expert but, I did find that to be a bit odd.

  My stomach turned as I stepped onto solid ground. Something just didn’t feel right. Thunder clapped over-head and a bolt of lightning streamed across the sky. I jumped back.

  “Calm down, Cara it is just thunder,” Dad said, clapping me on the back.