Muse Unexpected

by V. C. Birlidis

  “Oh,” was all Penny could say. She was embarrassed to witness the King of the Underworld reduced to a hen-pecked husband.

  “What do you want, Penny?” Hades said. “You are interrupting one of the few moments of leisure time I get, and knowing how difficult it was for you to get here I know you want something.”

  “Revenge.” She sighed. “If you must know, I want revenge against the Muses.”

  Hades poked the fire with a stick once more before throwing it into the fire. He waved his hands over the fire, putting it out. Stalactites twinkled like stars above, creating a false sense of sky and a realistic painted moon glowed down on them.

  Penny guessed the moon was the work of Persephone. She certainly is talented.

  “Go home, Penny,” Hades said, getting up and walking towards the house. “I am no longer in the business of revenge or whatever your plan is. I am in the business of souls. That’s it. It is my job to send them on their final journey and I do my job very well. What you are talking about is war and I have no patience for it.”

  She watched as Hades walked toward the porch of the house. The door opened and out rushed Persephone with a Pottery Farm catalog.

  “Oh, Haddie,” she called. “I think these outdoor tables would be perfect for alfresco dining.” Her nose was buried in the catalog as she flipped to several dog-eared pages. “And look at these paper lanterns. They are so adorable. We could string them along the walkway and above the table. Did you see this wonderful beverage holder? It’s like one of those old aluminum washing tubs, but it’s painted the loveliest shade of blue.” She looked up at Hades and smiled. Hades smiled back. She then noticed Penny and gasped.

  “Penny? Oh. Dear, dear, Penny.” The girl threw her catalogs down and rushed towards the elderly woman. Her hair was cut in a cute pixie cut and she wore shorts, a tank top and sunglasses perched on her head. The sunglasses tumbled off and clattered onto the steps of the house.

  Like her mother, Persephone was a beautiful woman. She had an almost ethereal figure. She was in complete opposition to her husband Hades who was robust with his mop of unruly dirty-blonde hair. Penny thought he would fit in at any ivy-league school. The kind of person who liked to visit the Hamptons during the summer and loved both recreational and professional rowing and sailing.

  “Persephone.” Penny cried out, surprising herself at how happy she was to see the woman. They embraced.

  “Darling Penny, you’ve let yourself go. Why do you look so—”

  “Old?” Penny said, laughing at Persephone’s grasp of the obvious. She had forgotten how vapid Persephone was. “I have lived in the mortal world for a long time. It tends to take its toll on a goddess, even if they have retained their immortality.”

  “Oh, Penny,” Persephone responded. “Come on in and let’s have some iced tea. I just brewed it. Haddie, I am sure, will be a dear and find something to throw on the grill, so you’ll have to stay for lunch.”

  Penny turned her head to see Hades standing there, watching her. He shook his head from side to side, and she knew she would have to be very careful.

  The two women sat in a great room with slip-covered furniture, a large braided rug, and a stucco and brick fireplace. The walls were a stylish mix of natural-colored stucco and bluish-gray knotty pine. Persephone turned-on several lamps throughout the room, including one near Penny’s elbow. It was made of hand-blown glass and had the shell of a large crab inside it. To Penny’s disgust, the crab had a miniature mustache and a tiny sombrero.

  “Isn’t he darling? I call him Senior Chi-Chi," said Persephone, before leaving the room and returning with a tray arranged with two tall glasses, a pitcher of iced tea, a saucer of sliced lemons and a painted bowl full of sugar cubes. “Help yourself to sugar,” Persephone said, kicking off her flip-flops and tucking her feet underneath her. She greedily sipped her iced tea, which now contained five sugar cubes.

  “What the heck are you doing here, Pen?” Persephone asked. “Haddie and I rarely get guests. I mean, with the guardians and the ferryman, and all of Haddie’s little traps, we’ve grown accustomed to our exclusive little cul-de-sac.”

  Penny took a sip of her tea. It was delicious.

  Delicious considering the ton of alcohol in it. Oh dear, dear Persephone, under the veneer of fancy-free beach life, I’m so glad you are the same old lush I knew from years past.

  “Well, Persephone.”

  “Pen, please call me Saphie.”

  “Well, Saphie, it’s a long story and I wouldn’t want to bore you,” she said, setting down her drink. She was exhausted from the journey and the drink was going straight to her head.

  “Oh, come on. Who are you planning on killing, or is it straight torture you’re thinking of?” Saphie said, running her fingers through her hair.

  Penny knew she had been right. This bird may be in a gilded Pottery Farm, Malibu Barbie cage, but she is no songbird. She’s a predator, struggling to escape its prison.

  “Well,” Penny said. “Since you insist.”

  She revealed her plan and Persephone listened intently. As she talked, Penny found it almost comical that the pretty little goddess was so interested in the potential death and carnage she was planning.

  “It does sound like you have a somewhat aggressive timeline, Pen. But I wouldn’t be a friend unless I pointed out some obvious flaws in your plan. You were always good at figuring out high-level strategic items like who you want to maim or kill, but to achieve your goal you need someone who is more detailed oriented for the day-to-day plotting.”

  Penny knew Persephone had made up her mind to offer help, as long as she was willing to ask for it. That was the unwritten code between gods. Ask and you shall receive, but there always was an extensive price to pay. Almost giddy at the thought, she knew all she needed to do was reel in the fish and, much to her delight, Persephone cut to the chase.

  “You know Pen, I consider you to be a sister, with similar taste for, shall we say, eccentric hobbies.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Penny said, taking a gulp of her iced tea.

  “And all you would need to do is ask for my help,” Persephone said as she fluttered her eyelashes.

  Penny smiled. “Well, Saphie, you would be the very first goddess I would come to for help, but, what’s your price? We all know nothing is for free in our world.”

  “Well, maybe we should start our negotiations with what I bring to the table," Have you seen my artist's studio? You’ll love it.”

  Chapter 22

  Tears ran down Sophie’s cheeks, as sobs escaped her lips. She sat at her desk, staring down at her shaking hands. She didn’t bother to look up when she heard Angela enter her room.

  “Please, Angela,” Sophie said, “I need a second to be alone. For one second, I just want everyone to leave me alone.”

  “I can’t. Friends don’t leave when they are needed the most.”

  Sophie lifted up her hands and held her head between them. She heard the click of her bedroom door and before she could think she was alone, Angela’s hand was touching her hair, as she brushed it.

  “You might not think so, but you are incredibly lucky,” Angela said.

  “I’m a lot of things, but lucky isn’t one of them. I’m an Ohioan. I’m an American. I’m a teenager. Hmmm, what else am I? Oh, yes, I’m a freak. I’m a Muse and now I’m some sort of savior. Now that I think about it, you’re right. I’m so lucky.”

  “That’s one way to look at it.”

  “Let me guess, you’re going to begin listing all of the amazing things I should feel grateful for. It should only take you a few seconds.”

  “You have a mother who loves you very much. From everything I’ve heard about your father, he adored you. You could do no wrong in his eyes. Compared to my childhood, I’d say you have a lot to be thankful for.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

  “You also have a grandmother who also cares a lot for you, in spite of her horrible way of sh
owing it.”

  “Is this where I’m supposed to realize my life isn’t so bad?” Sophie said, slumping into her chair.

  “Then there is Bennett—”

  “Who runs in the opposite direction whenever I enter the room.”

  “I don’t recall him running when he held you a few hours ago and I’m taking a bit of a leap here, but I think his running says more about how much he may be feeling for you. Not that he has said anything to me, but you would have to be blind not to see that he is feeling something.”

  “Well, clearly I must be blind because I don’t see—”

  “And then you have me, although I will admit your current attitude is making it pretty hard to admit how much your friendship means to me. It’s pathetic for me to say this, but…here goes… you are the closest thing to a friend I’ve ever had. Go ahead and laugh, but it’s true. I’m not saying this to make you feel sorry for me. I’m simply stating the facts. Growing up, my father considered things like friendship as a waste of time and completely unnecessary. I was created for a single purpose.”

  “You make it sound like you were nothing more than a project to your Dad. I’m sure he loved you.”

  “In his own way, I think he did, but the love he felt for me paled in comparison to his love for power and he never lost sight of the fact that I was expected to bring him the glory he believed he deserved. He was a powerful witch, but like many, there was always a growing and constant desire for more power. It was an unfortunate situation because the more I tried to make him proud, the more I pushed him away. The harder I practiced my spells, the more I achieved, the greater his jealously grew. I wish I could say that it is painful for me to admit this, but my father was a selfish ass. I did everything he wanted me to do and more, thinking it would make him happy. I was a fool to think if I could master one more difficult spell or create three more difficult potions, he would finally turn to me and—”

  “And tell you he loved you,” Sophie said.

  “I don’t ever remember my father ever saying those words to me. Can you say the same? Remember to not forget the many blessings you have in your life, no matter how hard the road in front of you becomes.” Angela put the brush down and exited the room.

  Sophie sat there for a few seconds, not really sure how to react.

  What the heck? Why is it, every time I turn around, I’m feeling like a complete ass? Everything I do is wrong. Everything I say is wrong and I’m supposed to save the world? Lead the battle? Be everyone’s champion?

  “I couldn’t even save my father.”

  She realized she was being selfish, had always been selfish. She never had made things easier for her parents and now with her father was gone; she would never be able to make it up to him. He was lost.

  But, I still have my mother and whatever relationship I have with Georgia. And Angela is my friend. She’s my only friend, except for Bennett.

  She began to feel a little bit better, until a sinking feeling hit her.

  My dad would have liked them…my dad was murdered. He loved me and they killed him. They’ll always be there, waiting for the right moment to strike. They will always hunt down what I love, until they destroy any happiness in my life. They need to learn that just because you have these super powers, doesn’t mean you can kill whoever stands in your way. I want them to pay. I am lucky and it’s about time I find out what a little luck can get me.

  Sophie left her room and before she knew it, she was standing at the door of her mother’s private rooms. She knocked and waited a few moments. She didn’t hear anything except for the muffled sounds of the sea and knew her mother must be on her terrace. She tried the doorknob and found it unlocked. Her mother lay on a chaise lounge, asleep.

  “Mom?”

  Callie opened her eyes and smiled at her daughter. “Sweetie. I’m sorry, I was sitting here thinking and I must have fallen asleep.”

  “You know why I’m here. I have to go see them.”

  Her mother bit her bottom lip. “Look,” Callie began. “You don’t just go and visit the most powerful beings on this earth as if you were going to visit some kindly old aunts.”

  “I know, Mom.”

  “No you don’t. We need to tread very carefully here. Once you start down that road, there isn’t a way to turn back. It won’t be like me. You won’t ever have a chance for normal.”

  “Mom, normal doesn’t exist for me anymore. It’s not an option. Look, I know I don’t understand everything one hundred percent, but what I do know is that I have my path and I’ve accepted it, or maybe I’ve decided not to fight Fate. I still have moments where I seriously can’t believe I’m tossing around words like Fate, Gorgon and gods and goddesses, but I have to accept that this is my reality. So this world has all sorts of crazy creatures and danger lurks around every corner. It is what it is, but even here I know I won’t let my father’s sacrifice go unpunished. These Fallen Ones want a fight? Well, I’m going to give them one.”

  “You’re talking like a child. Talk of revenge is childish. These are creatures who eat revenge like an appetizer and their main course is mortal suffering. Your fight with them isn’t about your father.” Callie stood up and grabbed Sophie, shoving her to the edge of the balcony. The energy around Sophie was tingling and sparking and with a loud crack Sophie’s world went black.

  Every part of Sophie’s body tingled and her head spun. Wind came from all directions, cooling Sophie’s skin and drying the perspiration on the back of her neck. She shuddered a little and opened her eyes, watching as they passed through rock, pipes and wood. She realized they weren’t traveling outside the Vasilikós, but through it. Materializing on the roof, Sophie fell to the ground, her legs like rubber from her first Shimmering experience.

  Callie reached down and forced her to stand. “Get up, Sophie. For once, you foolish girl, you must truly understand what all of this means. Do you see down there, in the village and beyond, into the mountains and beyond that? Look over here and see the sea, and see the lands beyond the sea, and the land and seas beyond even that. Do you see the millions upon millions upon millions of people going about their daily lives without a clue as to what is happening here? It is for those lives, for those souls you would be doing this. Those lives are in your hands. Each birth will be due to your successes and each unplanned death to your failures. So don’t talk to me about revenge, as if that is even important. It pains me to say, but thoughts of your father are just a waste of your time.”

  Sophie winced at her mother’s abrupt words.

  How could she be so cruel about daddy?

  She looked beyond the Vasilikós and begrudgingly understood what her mother was saying.

  “And it isn’t just one Fallen One. It’s hundreds, but no one knows what was locked away in Olympus and what has managed to hide. That doesn’t even take into consideration the Olympians who have escaped from their realm. All of them have one mission and that is to destroy or possess you. They don’t care which, because it’s all the same to them. Now do you understand?”

  Sophie stood silently and continued to look beyond the seas. She imagined all of the other countries full of cities that were full of towns and full of souls. She imagined everyone she knew back in Ohio then doubled, tripled and quadrupled them in her mind. She then multiplied the group by infinity and saw an unending sea of people she was now responsible for, and the reality of her situation struck her like a double shot of adrenaline. Her heart began to beat in her chest faster and faster, and she thought of her father, as she closed her eyes, her head swimming.

  “Come on, kid,” said her father’s voice. “Stop your bellyaching and jump in.” His voice was so clear, as if he was standing right next to her. When faced with what she thought was impossible, her father always say the same thing.

  “I’m counting on you. You’ll do what’s right,” he said. The double-barrel shotgun of her father’s words hit her, along with the boost in confidence it always gave her, and the darkness melted
away.

  He always believed in me, even when I didn’t give him any real reason to do so.

  She opened her eyes and looked at her mother.

  She felt different. She knew now was the time to put childish things away, because she wasn’t a child anymore.

  “And so, the veil has been removed,” Callie said. “You see our world as it truly is and I am saddened to see your childhood vanish.”

  “I’ll still play with dolls if it makes you happy,” Sophie said. “Tell me about the Fates and what I should expect.”

  Callie smiled and nodded. “In a moment, sweetie, let’s enjoy the quiet for a few seconds more.”

  Two hours passed and the sun set. She lay there with her mother on the rooftop of the Vasilikós and watched the millions of stars appear. They held hands and talked about nothing important.

  Chapter 23

  A week later, Sophie and Angela stood in front of the small stone cottage that hid the Vasilikós from the mortal world, waiting for Aletheria, who pulled up in a red, clearly vintage convertible.

  “This is a beautiful car,” Angela said, opening the door and stepping into the tiny back seat. Aletheria reminded the girls to tie their scarves around their heads to keep their hair from getting messed up, but when the girls couldn’t quite get the scarves right Aletheria grew frustrated and sketched two scarves onto them. She laughed and proclaimed that they were perfect examples of 1950’s chic in their summer dresses.

  “Only answer what they ask and do not ask for anything,” Aletheria explained. “They never give anything away for free, but are more than willing to offer everything they know for a price.”

  The roads twisted and turned along a valley and sloped up a mountain, then gradually descended into another valley. Below them they saw a long winding road connected to theirs, which led them to a picturesque villa. A tall faded pink stucco wall surrounded the grounds, making it into a compound of sorts. At a brick and stone archway with an imposing gate, Aletheria brought the car to an abrupt stop.