by Kieran Scott
“No, no, no. You have to take the fight to them,” Ares said vehemently. “Go on the offensive. Surprise them. Hunt them down and take them out.”
“What a shock. The God of War wants to start a war,” Hephaestus chided, causing my father’s lips to curl.
“How dare you condescend to me?” my father spat. “I could smite you where you sit.”
“Boys, if you’d like to engage in a pissing match, I’d rather you do it outside,” my mother said wearily, rubbing her forehead with one hand. “You’ve already given me a headache with your mere presence.”
Hephaestus’s nostrils flared, but he kept his calm. Barely, if the fingernail marks on his armrests were any indication. “Is Zeus still willing to stick to the bargain he made with Eros?”
My father spoke through his teeth. “Yes. He fully intends to restore Orion’s memory and return you both to Mount Olympus if and when you are successful,” he said, bracing one hand against the side of the refrigerator. “If anything, Hera sending Artemis and Apollo after you has only heightened his resolve. There’s nothing those two like better than a battle of wills. She may wish to distract you and see you engaged in battle, but he wants you to succeed, and he’ll do everything in his power to make sure that you do. Then he gets to gloat.”
“The king does love to gloat,” my mother said under her breath before taking another swig. “Congratulations, my daughter, you’ve just won the role of pawn.”
“Well, it’s a relief, at least, to know the king is on my side,” I said, absently pushing at the puffy spots under my eyes. “But still. Maybe Ares is right. Maybe I should fight the twins and get it over with. If I can best them, then perhaps I can sleep again.”
“What?” Hephaestus said. “True, you know how psychotic the twins can be. And there are two of them and one of you. I will fight the best I can, but without my powers or the use of my legs—”
“But I have my powers and they don’t,” I replied, glancing at my father for confirmation. I was still unsure of why my powers were returning to me, but I was glad they were.
“We don’t know that for sure,” he admitted. “Just because they haven’t found you doesn’t mean they don’t have their strength, their telekinesis.”
“Plus, as your mother mentioned, they must be righteously pissed off,” Hephaestus reminded me. “It’s bad enough she knows you rescued him when she couldn’t for all those years, but if she has any clue that the two of you are in love . . .”
“Were in love. He doesn’t currently have any clue who I am, remember?” I said bitterly.
“Is that really what you want to focus on right now?” Ares demanded.
“Of course she does! Orion is the love of her existence!” my mother said. “Or have you forgotten what love means to those of us who can actually feel it?”
“Don’t get on me about that right now, woman! I’m just—”
“Enough!”
I stood up, knocking my chair back against the wall. My chest heaved as I fought for breath. I was already so tense I could scarcely see straight. I didn’t need to listen to their bickering on top of everything else. My mother and father stared at me, surprised. It wasn’t often I stood up to them on their own, let alone both of them at once. My fists clenched at my sides as I fought to control my emotions and thoughts. I had to focus.
“Hephaestus is right. If I can make one more love match, this will be over. As far as I’m concerned, I still have a mission to complete.”
I strode past them, out the kitchen door and toward the stairs.
“Where are you going?” my mother asked.
“To work,” I told her. “I’m supposed to be there in half an hour.”
Her jaw dropped, and she set her coffee mug aside. “How can you even consider going out there with the twins on the loose? Powers or no powers, Artemis can still set a trap. She can still stage a sneak attack.”
“She’s right, you know,” my father said from the kitchen. “You must be prepared for anything.”
“What would you have me do?” I asked, throwing up my hands. “Hide here for the foreseeable future? Wait to see what happens if the sand timer runs out and I’ve yet to complete my mission?” My mother and I stared into each other’s eyes, both wishing the other had the answers. “Don’t you want to go home?” I asked quietly, appealing to her most precious desire. My mother hated it here. She had resented me every moment since our arrival for being the one who got us banished to Earth.
“Of course I do. But not at the expense of your life,” she said, reaching out to tuck my hair behind my ear.
I smiled, tears shimmering in my eyes. It was rare that Aphrodite had a maternal moment, and I relished it. Hephaestus wheeled up behind her.
“I’ll go with her,” he offered. “Keep an eye on things.”
“Thank you,” I said, then lifted my chin as I gazed as confidently as possible at my mother. “If we want to go home, I have to complete my mission. One more couple. How hard could it be?”
I jogged up the steps with her on my heels and went to my room. My father decided to follow as well. I could hear his heavy footsteps straining the ancient stairs. I pretended neither of them were there and went to my closet. When I whipped open the door, it gave off a soothing sort of breeze. My eye went directly to a red cotton dress, and I yanked it off the hanger, grabbing a black-leather laser-cut belt that was carved to look like a string of flowers. Couldn’t hurt to dress the part.
“And what will you do if Artemis and Apollo storm your little cupcake bakery?” my mother asked, coming up behind me.
The thought sent a chill right through me. If there was one thing I knew about Artemis and Apollo, it was that they gave little value to human life when it stood in the way of something they wanted. I reached back into the closet and tugged a black duffel bag off the bottom shelf.
“This should do,” I said, unzipping it.
I tossed the dress and belt onto the bed, lifted up my bow and a few arrows, and stuffed them inside. I’d simply have to tell my boss that it was full of workout gear for after my shift. The very thought of having a bow and arrows nearby considerably lightened my mood. There wasn’t much in the heavens or on Earth that could best me when I was armed with my most trusted weapon. I glanced over my shoulder at Aphrodite and my father behind her, giving them a wry smirk.
“Better safe than sorry.”
My father grinned from ear to ear. “That’s my girl.”
CHAPTER TWO
Orion
I hate waking up and not knowing where the hell I am. Not that it happens to me often. Actually, no. That’s a lie. It does happen to me a lot. Sometimes even when I’m in my own room. I wake up and everything feels wrong, like I don’t belong there. Which is weird, because it’s my room. Then a second later it passes and everything is fine.
But this morning I wasn’t in my room. And what was really disturbing was, I was staring at a pair of feet. Guys’ feet, with a big toe half sticking out of a hole in a ratty white sock.
“Greg! Gregory Howell, did you pass out playing video games again?”
I sat up straight. A door creaked open and then footsteps pounded down the stairs. My buddy Greg groaned and scratched his armpit. We had both sacked out on top of wool sleeping bags in his basement and yes, in fact, the Call of Duty home screen was up on his TV.
“I knew it.”
Greg’s father, a youngish dad with shaggy black hair and a serious jones for plaid flannel, stood with one foot on the floor and one on the third stair. The man was tall, like six foot four, but was still an inch shorter than Greg. He ran Howell’s Farm, the huge stretch of land that Greg lived on, and took it beyond seriously. Right then he had a stern look on his face.
“Morning, Orion,” he said to me.
“Hey, Mr. Howell.” I got up, found my kicks, and shoved my feet into t
hem.
“Dad?” Greg was still coming to. One eye was squinted as the other one looked around, confused.
“Greg, I need you to wake up and get your butt over to Goddess Cupcakes,” his dad said. “They have the guest booth at the market today, and their van broke down. I need you to help them load up the truck and bring back whoever’s gonna be working the stand. Got it?”
While Greg’s dad was giving this speech, Greg had already gotten up, pulled a sweatshirt on over his wrinkled T-shirt, and started lacing up his work boots. Meanwhile, I felt weirdly alert. Goddess Cupcakes. That was where True Olympia worked.
“Got it,” Greg said.
When the door slammed, I sat down next to Greg on the old, itchy couch where we’d spent three hours playing video games last night.
“Dude, I’m so coming with you.” I reached for my varsity football jacket. It was still pretty new, since I’d just moved to Lake Carmody a couple of weeks ago, and the sleeves squeaked when I put it on. I couldn’t wait until it was broken in, soft and stained. Then I’d really feel like part of the team.
“What’re you so excited about?” Greg asked, grabbing a hat and pulling it low over his dark hair.
“Cupcakes for breakfast?” I semi-lied. “Are you kidding?”
We stepped over empty bags of chips and soda cans on our way toward the stairs, Greg shaking his head.
“I think you’re the first person I’ve ever met who eats more than I do,” he said.
I raised my palms. “Football players need carbs.”
Greg laughed and I couldn’t stop smiling, but not because of my joke. I was just psyched, hoping True might be there. I mean, I had a girlfriend. An awesome girlfriend. But True was fun to flirt with. There was something about her that just intrigued me.
Maybe it was the fact that the first time I’d ever laid eyes on her, she’d already laid her lips on me. It was a case of mistaken identity in the end, but a kiss from her wasn’t the worst way to start my first day at my new school.
Greg grabbed a set of keys off the hook near the door. His mom was in the kitchen, with a huge breakfast of pancakes, sausage, eggs, and hash browns laid out. Greg’s little brother, Billy, and a couple of the guys who worked the farm were sitting there, chowing down. My stomach grumbled.
“You kids want anything before you go?” Greg’s mom asked with a smile. She was always smiling. Which was one of the reasons I liked hanging out at Greg’s. Most of my friends were on the football team, and they lived in these big houses closer to town with parents who were either never around—like mine—or always seemed stressed out. I’d met Greg when I joined yearbook as a writer, and we’d gotten to talking and sort of hit it off. I liked that his family was old-school and his house was like something out of a black-and-white movie. There was something about it that was comforting and familiar. Which made no sense, since my house was totally modern.
“Maybe a couple for the road,” Greg said, kissing his mother’s cheek.
He snagged some pancakes and tossed me one, then took a few sausages as well.
“Heathen,” his mom joked. “At least take some napkins.”
“Thanks, Mrs. H!” I said, reaching over Billy’s back for the napkin holder.
“See you later, Orion! Tell your mother I said hi!”
I gave her a wave and we headed outside. After I shoved the whole pancake in my mouth, I checked my phone. There were ten new texts from Darla Shayne, my girlfriend, starting late last night. I must not have heard the alerts, because we’d jacked up the volume on the game. We’d won our football game yesterday afternoon, and afterward I’d asked her to homecoming. (She said yes.) Then last night she’d wanted me to come over and hang out, but I’d already told Greg I’d hang with him. Darla had been really disappointed, so I already felt guilty for ditching her, and now I felt even guiltier for ignoring her.
CAN’T WAIT FOR HOMECOMING!
DID YOU GET A TUX YET?
WHERE ARE YOU? CALLING UR HOUSE.
UR MOM SAYS YOU’RE STILL AT GREG’S. CALLING UR CELL.
Yep, sure enough, there was a missed call.
GOING TO BED. WHERE R U??? CALL ME IN THE AM.
Apparently, being an attentive boyfriend was not one of my special talents. I hit the call-back button as Greg led me over to a big blue pickup and got in. I put the phone against my shoulder and reached for the handle on the other door. It squealed like a pig when I opened it.
“Guess I should oil that one,” Greg said with a laugh.
“Orion!” Darla answered the phone as I slid onto the old vinyl bench seat of the truck. “I thought you were dead.”
I laughed. Darla was dramatic like that. It was one of the things I liked about her. Everything was a huge deal with her. It made life exciting.
“Sorry. I didn’t hear my phone,” I told her. “What are you doing today?”
“Working! I have a shift at ten.”
She sounded excited about it. Which she probably was. She loved helping people pick out clothes at the shop where she worked downtown. She also loved to get out of her house. She lived alone with her mom, this high-powered motivational speaker who was always traveling to give speeches to companies. Most people would love having that big house to themselves, with a housekeeper the only adult around, but Darla hated being alone.
“We’re headed into town to go to Goddess. Do you want to meet me and grab coffee or something?”
I slammed the door, and the engine rumbled to life.
“Sure!” she said. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Cool.”
I ended the call and sat back for the seriously bouncy ride in Greg’s dad’s truck, taking a bite of my sausage link. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, the leaves were turning all kinds of awesome colors, and I was on my way to maybe see True and then meet my gorgeous girl and have cupcakes for breakfast.
Sometimes it was almost unreal how good it was to be me.
CHAPTER THREE
Darla
“I’m so excited. You must be so excited!”
I held my phone to my ear as I maneuvered my white BMW convertible into a space near the center of town. I know, totally illegal, but sometimes you can’t just hang up the phone, and this was one of those times. We were talking about homecoming court. I mean, come on.
“I know. I can’t wait. Do you really think I have a chance?”
Mariah Gatewood’s sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line almost startled me into rear-ending the car in front of mine. I hit the brakes, closed my eyes, and silently counted to ten.
“Of course you have a chance!” Mariah gushed. “Who else could it be?”
I put the car in park. “Well, we know Veronica’s gonna get it.”
“Of course.”
“Of course.”
Veronica Vine was my best friend and the most popular girl in the junior class, if not in the whole school. She had been on homecoming court every year, and this was not the year there would be some random snafu that would leave her out. She and Josh Moskowitz were practically married, which did nothing but skyrocket her stock, and she’d gone up an entire cup size but down an entire dress size over the summer. Any boy with a pulse would vote for her.
I got out of the car, making sure to plant my stiletto boots firmly before standing, because I’d already splatted on my face in these shoes once, and I was pretty sure I’d die of embarrassment if it happened again.
“But there’s only one other spot for a junior, and there are tons of girls who could get it,” I told Mariah. “You could get it!”
“Um, please. No,” Mariah said. “But you’re Veronica’s BFF. And now that you’ve got Orion you’re, like, a lock.”
Okay. That stung. Because clearly she thought that without Orion I wouldn’t have a chance. Which was true, but s
he didn’t have to say it.
Still, I took a deep breath and let it go. My mother always said it was better to let the little things go, and she made a seriously awesome living giving inspirational speeches from coast to coast, so this was a mantra I tried to live by. I mean, I knew Mariah was right, so why bother snapping at her about it? There were certain things a person needed to do to be considered popular. I knew this better than anyone. And ever since the first time Trevor McKay had called me Darbot the Geek back in seventh grade when I still had my back brace and retainer and glasses, I had been working my butt off to get where I was.
It was the reason I had learned to put in contacts, even though the very idea of touching my eye skeeved me out. It was the reason I had spent my entire eighth-grade year solidifying myself as Veronica’s publicly declared BFF and not just the girl who sometimes helped her out with her homework. It was the reason I had walked around my house for hours in these stupid heels until I could actually do it without looking like a deranged T. rex with a drug problem. And it was the reason I had locked down Orion on his first day at school before he could even look at anyone else. For years I’d been watching the popular kids, taking note of what it took to be noticed, to not be invisible. And now I wasn’t invisible anymore. And if I could make it onto homecoming court, then everyone would know who I was. I’d be important. Finally, important.
“Thanks, Mariah.”
I walked around the back of my car, and my heel got caught in the seam between the brick lining of the sidewalk and the actual sidewalk. I steadied myself on the parking meter and looked around, but luckily, there weren’t that many people out. It was still kind of early for a Sunday.
“No problem. You’re so lucky he moved here.”
I swallowed back a bitter taste in my mouth just as my phone beeped. Call waiting. I looked at the screen.