Muse Unexpected

by V. C. Birlidis

  “All you have to do is grasp the mirror with both hands, making sure to touch the red stone at the center. It’s that simple. Make sure to touch the red stone and wish me out of the mirror.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes,” the woman said, nodding her head.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe I should ask my mother,” Sophie said. She wondered if the woman was imprisoned in the mirror by mistake, remembering that part of her job as a Muse was to put people back on the right path.

  Wasn’t letting this poor woman free part of that? Maybe this was a test. Maybe Mom wanted me to find this poor woman and set her free; showing her I really did know what was expected of her. That had to be it.

  The woman in the mirror became frantic. “Please,” the woman begged. “Once you’ve picked me up, we only have moments to undo this horrible spell. If time elapses, I’ll be stuck in here forever. If you won’t do it for me and my suffering, then think of my poor baby girl growing up without her mother to love her, to read her bedtime stories and kiss her good night. Please, do it for my baby girl, for little Izzie!”

  Sophie’s hesitation melted away with each of the woman’s pleas and she nodded her head. She thought she saw the woman’s eyes briefly flash red, but dismissed it as her own eyes playing tricks on her due to the dim light. She put both hands on the handle, making sure to touch the stone.

  “I wish you to be…” Sophie wondered what the woman’s name was. “What is your name?” she whispered.

  “Martha. My name is Martha,” the woman replied.

  “I wish you to be free, Martha,” Sophie said with authority, her hands producing a burst of energy that shoved Martha out of the mirror.

  For a second, Martha twinkled a bit. She was tiny, only about five feet tall, but as cute as a doll. The twinkling lights faded, and as they melted away so did Martha’s beauty. Before Sophie could react, Martha had changed from a beautiful blond woman in a flowing gown into a horrific slimy troll with sharp teeth and long nails.

  “You are just the sweetest thing,” the troll said. “I bet you taste like sugar and spice.” It leapt at Sophie, taking her by surprise.

  Aletheria appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the hand mirror. Using it as a weapon, she stabbed its handle straight into the troll’s eye with a disgusting squish. The creature’s eye ruptured and blood poured out of its socket.

  “You vile creature. How dare you even think of harming this child,” Aletheria shouted. Ink rushed from Aletheria’s hands and wrapped around the troll, who screeched as the ink’s tendrils tightly closed around her and shoved her towards the mirror’s surface. The mirror glowed brightly again and Aletheria slammed it on top of the troll’s head. A blinding light shot forth from the mirror, devouring the troll who was once again sucked into the mirror. The creature screamed profanities at Aletheria and the Oracle deposited the mirror back on the shelf. Out of breath, Callie rushed in around the corner.

  “What could have possessed you to make this journey without at least two people to watch such a young Muse? Are you mad?” Aletheria shouted at Callie. She picked up the mirror again, showing the troll to Callie and Sophie. “I should have let old Martha take a bite or two out of you both.”

  “She said she had a husband,” Sophie said.

  “She did,” Aletheria replied.

  “And a child,” Sophie added.

  “Yes, Isabel. She ate them. Bashed the little troll’s head in and roasted it on an open pit and slashed her husband’s throat for not being aggressive enough with his night pilfering activities. He was baked into a pie.”

  “She lied to me,” Sophie said.

  “Well, what a surprise,” Callie said. “It’s hard to imagine a troll like poor Martha, who not only killed her own husband and baby, but also was responsible for the drowning deaths of at least six hundred children and was sentenced to spend an eternity in a cursed mirror would actually lie to you. I’m sure she feels horrible about it and will most probably send you a small gift and a greeting card with an apology.”

  “Mom, why are you being this way?” Sophie asked. “You’re acting like Georgia. Okay, I made a mistake. I get it.”

  “Let me explain why I am acting like this,” Callie said, her voice shaking with fury.

  Aletheria took a few steps back.

  “This isn’t a game. What you just encountered, your simple mistake could have killed you and me both, had it not been for Aletheria. Georgia and I are only looking out for your welfare and although you think that I, or Georgia or Aletheria, will be around to save you—”

  “Technically, I will always be around, as part of my agreement with—” the Oracle offered, but then took a few more steps back when Callie glared at her.

  “So,” Callie continued. “You will forgive us if we get a little bit upset when you don't listen."

  Sophie burst into tears as Martha howled, causing the other mirrors to scream filthy curses at the three women.

  “These prisoners are part of the trap. Weren’t you listening to me? They are damned for the rest of their lives for the horrible crimes they have committed. Unfortunately, killing them isn’t an option because their evil souls would be recycled over and over again. So it’s better to leave them alive in these mirrors than to deal with the next version of them. Even if they get loose, they wouldn’t have gone far, but not before they took care of anyone they encountered. Aletheria, please join us for the rest of this journey by walking behind Sophie.” Callie shouted, attempting to talk over the voices. She reached over and gave Martha one final look before smacking the looking glass down with such force it cracked.

  “With a cracked mirror, there is no way Martha would ever be roasting any children or tricking another young Muse, ever again,” Callie said.

  They continued through the maze of mirrors. Sophie kept her eyes straight ahead and didn’t say a word. She was seething from her mother’s lecture. She knew her mom was right, and the longer she thought about her recent encounter with Martha the more scared she became.

  This isn’t a game. I know she told me this, but everything poses a threat. I can’t even trust the mirrors.

  “I’m sorry,” Sophie said.

  “I know,” Callie replied, not turning around. “We’re here.”

  In the deep recesses of the warehouse was a dark corner where a large mirror stood, its reflective surface faded and discolored. There was a small tiny crack in the right corner of the glassy surface. The walnut frame was black with age and chipped in several places. It was large enough for all three women to easily step into it at the same time.

  “Is it supposed to look like that?” Sophie asked. “It doesn’t look safe.”

  “Someone has tried to get access to the portal. Something very powerful. Powerful enough to crack the surface. But the crack doesn’t scare me as much as this does,” Callie said, holding out her hand as it lit up with a bright light in its center. Written on the surface of the mirror was the word, ‘Nothos’.

  “How dare they!” Aletheria said. “Those foul…”

  Callie held out her hand. “I don’t know how they did it—” A burst of energy shot from her hand and struck the surface of the mirror. The crack on the mirror’s face fused and disappeared, but the word remained.

  “Ignore it and hold my hand,” Callie said to Sophie.

  They stepped into the mirror and entered a large room lacking any furniture. An ornate mosaic tiled floor depicting Olympus took up the center of the space. Several crumbling Grecian columns made a perfect circle around the rectangular perimeter of the room. The ceiling to the room was made of arched glass.

  “It’s a temple,” Sophie said.

  “No,” said Aletheria. “It’s more than that. It’s one of the Nine Portals keeping Olympus torn from this world.”

  “This is what is stopping the Olympians from taking over the world? This ruin?” Sophie walked forward and Callie stepped in front of her.

  “Wait. You can’t just start walkin
g around this gate like a tourist at the Parthenon.”

  “It’s the Olympians,” Aletheria said. “They are growing stronger and as their strength grows, this portal feels the impact, hence the crumbling.”

  “How does it work?”

  “It’s rather complex,” Callie said. “I’m only privy to so much, but these stones and the stones in the other Vasilikós are taken from an ancient temple destroyed during the Olympus wars. There were many Olympians who were killed during that battle.”

  “Wait, I thought they were all immortal,” Sophie said.

  “Well, yes and no,” Callie said. “An immortal is only immortal on Mount Olympus. Put them on the mortal plane and it’s a different story. Granted, they are extremely hard to kill, but they can be wounded and if wounded by another supernatural critically they can die. In the case of the Olympus wars, it was gods killing gods on mortal soil. So, when an Olympian dies their power has to go somewhere. For whatever reason, and we suspect divine intervention, those powers were sent into the stones you see here and they are what this and the other eight gateways are made from. They act radioactive. If the Olympians get anywhere near them they start to feel sick and their powers are drained. And if they touch them or attempt to destroy them, it’s like a sun being sucked into a black hole. They die. That’s the bedtime story version.”

  “So why doesn’t it affect us? Aren’t we part Olympian?”

  “I don’t know,” Callie said, turning to the Oracle. “Aletheria?

  Aletheria stepped forward and touched one of the stones. “It’s not impossible for these stones to be intelligently designed to know the difference between a Demigod and an Olympian. But, I think the point of this trip is not to discuss how the stones work. This knowledge is given to the Leader of each Vasilikós and passed on to the incoming Leader. Your mother is introducing you to one of the many responsibilities you will have as a Muse. Each Muse has pledged, or, in your case will pledge, to defend this Portal until their last breath. As a Muse, you serve your Vasilikós, you serve your Leader and you serve this gateway. It requires a dedication starting the moment you become a Muse until the day you die. To serve this Vasilikós is to serve Humanity. It’s to serve the Divine.” A cloud of ink engulfed the Oracle and she was gone.

  Sophie reached out and touched the stone nearest to her. It hummed under her fingertips. A small piece of marble fell from one of the columns and Sophie wished she was far away from the portal. She picked up the fallen piece of marble and placed it back to where it fell. The broken piece fused back in place. “Did you see that, mom?”

  “See what, honey?”

  Sophie shrugged. “Never mind, it was nothing. Do we have to go back through the mirror room?” she asked, groaning.

  “No, it’s a lot easier to leave this room.” Callie grabbed Sophie and with a rush of energy they were gone.

  Chapter 26

  The next few weeks were a whirlwind of planning and activities, all driven by a crazed Georgia. Due to the urgency of the situation, Georgia had called a videoconference with the other Vasilikós to discuss the newly adjusted timeline. Much to everyone’s surprise, they all agreed the best way to deal with the crisis was to combine the events and make the best of it.

  As part of the planning, the Muses from the Greek and Italian Vasilikós, who weren’t on assignment, were called back from their remote locations to help with preparations. The Vasilikós, which had previously been deserted, was full to the brim with Muses and they all were excited to meet Sophie.

  “It’s like I’ve been plopped right in the middle of a sorority movie from hell,” Sophie admitted to Angela. Her room was no longer a place for privacy because each time Sophie lay down on her bed for a moment of silence there was another knock at her door and yet another Muse who “just had to stop by to introduce herself to Georgia’s granddaughter.” To get some rest, Sophie ended up spending more time in Angela’s room.

  Sophie thought Angela’s room was beautiful. It was done in a creamy white, with accents of yellow, red and black throughout. Her bed was a huge four-poster and there were several beautifully made quilts on the bed and stacked in piles throughout the room. The quilts were gifts from her full-blooded Gorgon mother, who was famous for her sewing. Some of the more intricate pieces were displayed on her suite of room’s walls.

  “How many quilts do you own?” Sophie asked as she jumped onto Angela’s bed and sunk deep into its feathery comfort.

  “Well, do you want me to count the quilts in storage, the quilts on display throughout the Vasilikós and the quilts currently touring Europe in an exhibit under the guise of American Folk art?”

  Sophie laughed and threw a pillow at the other girl. “Why yes, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “About four hundred and twenty-nine.”

  “You know, I’m planning on having them redo my room. I think I’m ready to move on from my childhood bedroom.”

  “Really?” Angela said, getting up from the bed and rummaging through a big cedar chest. “This was given to me by Winnie. No matter how much I throw into it, it never seems to fill up. You have to love the purity of Hob magic. It would take quite a feat of magic for me to create the exact trick.”

  “What are you looking for?” Sophie asked, rolling over to look at the ceiling. Her hand touched the gauzy material of Angela’s bed curtains. She considered whether or not she would like something along those lines and then decided against it.

  “A gift,” Angela said, walking towards the closet to her right and flinging it open. “Damn. Wrong closet.”

  Laughter burst from Sophie as macramé plant holders, doilies and little southern belle toilet paper doll covers fell out in the hundreds.

  “Damn it! I’ll never get them all back into the closet.”

  “What the heck is this stuff?” Sophie said, getting off the bed and standing in front of the huge pile.

  Angela grabbed a toilet paper doll and threw it at Sophie. “I didn’t mention my mother has a sister and she likes to make—”

  “Church bazaar crap?” Sophie said, laughing as she gathered a plant holder done in the shape of an owl and a toilet paper doll. “I think I’m set for gifts right now.”

  “No, stop laughing. She means well. I don’t have the heart to throw this stuff out. I have a whole chamber in the catacombs dedicated to storing gifts from her. She was never the same after Medusa was killed. Kind of made her a few ingredients short of a potion. She loved her sister.”

  “Well, I think it’s sweet that she makes this stuff for you.”

  “You’re making fun,” Angela said. Palms facing front, Angela made a forward sweeping motion, magically shoveling some of the items back into her closet.

  “No, I’m serious.”

  Angela stepped out of the pile, walked over to the other closet and opened the door. “I love the smell of cedar,” Angela said as she took a deep breath. She sorted through a tall stack of quilts and found the one she was looking for.

  “I think this will look great in your room,” Angela said and shook the quilt open. The quilt depicted the four seasons, with a tree as the main focal point in each of its four squares.

  Sophie was touched, and for reasons she didn’t understand, she began to cry.

  “Well, it wasn’t supposed to make you cry,” Angela said sitting on the edge of her bed.

  “No, it’s beautiful and so sweet. You are so kind…and generous… I…I…I think it must be the stress of the whole situation. I mean, I’m only sixteen for God’s sake. I’m sixteen and somehow I’m responsible for saving the world. What the heck is that? How is that right? I have these powers and I don’t know how to control them. I came close to killing myself and my mother by releasing some ugly troll named Martha. Have you ever seen a troll? They’re disgusting and they eat human flesh…and have really bad skin…and smell. Dear lord did she smell. I should have better control of my powers so I can protect people—”

  “But,” Angela interrupted. “
You’re not supposed to, at least not yet. It’s only been a few months. It takes time.”

  “And what the heck does a Muse do? No one has told me how I am supposed to ‘inspire’ anyone. How does that work? How do you know who the heck to inspire? And then all of these people are coming to gawk at me. What if I disappoint them? What if I’m nothing more than an awkward girl from Ohio?” Sophie said, hiding her face in her hands. “Name a sixteen year old who had such responsibilities.”

  “Well, history is filled with people who have been asked to make great sacrifice. Joan of Arc was much younger than you.”

  “And it worked out so well for her,” Sophie said.

  “Good point, but I bet that was some good barbecue.”

  Sophie knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

  “Sophie, let me give you some advice my Nanny gave me. She said, ‘Listen to me little girl…’ Whenever she got serious, she called me little girl. She said, ‘Listen to me little girl. At the end of the day, no matter what happened, no matter who did what to whom, you have to laugh because, next to love, laughter is the most powerful magic.'"

  “Laugh? Her advice was to laugh?”

  “Yes, laugh, because laughter will always overcome the mistakes of the day. Laughter always resets your mind for another day. Laughter feeds your soul and allows you to let it all go. Without laughter—”

  “I’d be Georgia,” Sophie said

  “Little girl,” Angela said. “You do realize that under all of the complex layers is a woman who loves you?”

  “Yeah, right. She gushes love out of her black heart.”

  “She knew you’d need a friend. She knew I needed a home because although they’re good at quilts and plant holders, Gorgons are kind of awkward mothers. She put the two of us together.”

  For a second, Sophie chewed on what Angela said. “You know, I was going to ask you how you came to this Vasilikós.”

  “Georgia, that’s how. Now, don’t get me wrong. With Georgia, there's always a motive behind her generosity. Whether she brought me here because she was sorry for me, or she was in a generous mood, or she knew her granddaughter needed a friend, or even if she knew having a powerful witch with Gorgon abilities would be a big plus for the battle to come, who knows. But I’m here. Think of it this way. Thanks to Georgia, you’ve a whole household of powerful entities available to you. And if anything goes wrong, you’ll have eight other Vasilikós to stand behind you. Compared to Joan of Arc, I think you’re in pretty good shape.”