Grace of Gods Boxset: Reincarnated Greek Gods YA/NA Series

by Kyleigh Castronaro

  “Greek Gods?” I frowned, shaking my head. There was only one God, one Father. Not many. I was diligent about my homework, I loved to read and never once had I ever heard about this.

  “Yes. Greek Gods. They call it the Pantheon. It is a collection of different Gods all blessed with the power to control one facility of life: the heavens, motherhood, death, love, home, war, wisdom, fire, sun, and moon...

  Each facility was once an important aspect of the Greek way of life. But these Gods lost their faith – people began to forget them, replace them... They replaced them with your God, in fact. It was easier for people to believe in a solitary all-powerful figure instead of a dozen powerful Gods and dozens of other smaller ones under them. when their faith began to wane Zeus, King of the Gods, asked me to take their souls and put them to sleep in the earth. Then, when the time came and humanity needed them to be restored and return the world to its former glory and rid it of evil, they would be awakened. It’s been over two thousand years and the time has finally come... I released the souls and they went out into the world. They found the vessels that were best suited to host these Gods. Humans who had share experiences with their Gods and Goddesses, mortals who had the wisdom from their human lives that would help their Gods rule in a way that would be different from the last time. You are one of these Gods, Valentina.”

  If I was supposed to keep up with what he was saying he was crazy. My mind was racing, reeling in disbelief at his lies. I wasn’t a God, that was sacrilegious! There was one God, one Father and I certainly was not him.

  “No, I’m sorry. You’re wrong.” I stood up, silently addressing the fact I didn’t want Atlas to stay any longer. He looked sad as he stared up at me but nodded his head, setting a book down on the arm of the couch.

  “I know this is difficult for you. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable, but if you want more answers you can read this. It’ll tell you everything you need to know when you’re ready to learn. If you need me – for anything, leave the apartment and think about me. The mountain will bring you to me.” I frowned at him, what he was saying made no sense. Mountains were not realized in the way humans were, they didn’t have physical abilities to bring someone to another place.

  “Alright,” I said nonetheless, my tone betraying how crazy I thought he was. I had traded one form of captivity for another, one vicious captor for a demented captor. I was grateful he had saved me from my uncle but all this talk of other Gods, magical doings, and all from a man named Atlas... It was too much.

  Atlas nodded his head and left then, excusing himself and leaving me alone. I looked around the empty apartment before going to the door and putting the locks on, all four of them. I felt safer now, that strange man couldn’t come back.

  I lingered by the door for a moment before turning and moving into the kitchen. My stomach was aching I was hungry, my confusion and bewilderment momentarily excusing the aches, but now that I was alone again it was all I could think about.

  When I opened the fridge there was no food inside, hadn’t he said he had provided me with everything I needed? What was the point if there was no food? I closed the door again before checking the freezer, still nothing. I checked the cupboards next, but they were as bare as they day they had been hung. I’d kill for crackers and cheese if only there were even that.

  Reopening the fridge, checking for juice on the door or something I gasped suddenly, staring in horror at the box of crackers and platter of cheese right next to it staring back at me.

  That had not been there 30 seconds ago. I closed the fridge again, trying to figure out how I had missed that. I had only been thinking, specifically, about crackers and cheese. One part of my mind tried to convince me it was magic, but I shook my head, refusing to accept it.

  Magic wasn’t real; magic was satanic.

  I couldn’t help but test the theory, if only to debunk it as I thought about strawberry milk and reopened the fridge. Sure enough, next to the other things, was a carton of strawberry milk.

  “Impossible. It’s not real.” I muttered to myself, leaning in to grab the box of crackers. I expected it to be an illusion but when my hand curled around the physical box I nearly dropped it in further surprise.

  “I’m hallucinating.” I closed the door again quickly, thinking about anything and everything I could. Raspberries, hamburgers, eggs, butter, lettuce, carrots, jam, chocolate, sausages, peppers, radishes... And when I opened the door again it was overflowing with all these things. My breathing grew labored as I struggled to cope with what was happening. Even if I was starving, I was too afraid of this food to eat it.

  What if there was something wrong with it because it wasn’t real? What if it made me sick?

  I set the box down on the counter and backed away, looking around the room again. I wasn’t entirely sure what it was I was looking for but I didn’t find it.

  I ended up on the couch, curled into a ball and staring at the wall. It was too much to wrap my head around; I didn’t even know where to start. Magic, Gods, this place...

  I still wanted to go home, but I didn’t even think that was possible anymore. I had to be quite far from home to be in a place where magic existed. I was scared. I couldn’t trust anything and I didn’t know what was real or what was an illusion anymore.

  I sat there for some time; resisting everything about this place until the pains in my stomach became severe I caved and got the box of crackers again. Unwrapping the first tower of saltines, I examined them carefully with my senses before slowly bringing one up to my lips for a taste. I was expecting something other than what they were. But it was real. It was all real...

  Giving in completely to the hunger, I got some of the strawberry milk from the fridge along with the crackers. I could nearly believe it. But if the food was real though, my mind reasoned, perhaps Atlas wasn’t crazy.

  I found myself sitting on the couch and staring at the book that Atlas had left behind as I made my way through the entire packet of saltines. He had been gone for close to an hour. He wouldn’t be hovering any longer to see if I did open it – if he’d even done that in the first place. There was nothing wrong with taking an academic standpoint with all this, was there?

  No, I resolved, there wasn’t. It didn’t hurt to learn more about my situation, knowledge came from understanding. I reached out, replacing the crackers in my hand for the massive tome Atlas had left behind. It looked ancient, the weathered cover faded in places from use and the pages themselves were yellowed and ink stained. Wherever Atlas had gotten this from it seemed real that much was certain.

  Tentative and unsure I opened the book and started to read through. It taught about the history of these called Gods and the stories that surrounded them. There was nothing factual about them in the book; it was simply a collection of legends that I felt Atlas was putting way too much stock into. But then how did I explain the fridge?

  When I finished reading a few hours later, I wasn’t any more convinced than I had been when I started. If my skepticism had been reduced, it was only by a fraction. I needed more proof from somewhere that wasn’t directly from Atlas. Maybe if I could find something else to back up what he was saying...

  I replaced the half empty box of crackers and refilled my drink before crossing through the apartment back to my bedroom. I set the book down on the desk in there and paused for a moment, staring at the brand-new laptop that was sitting there. I never had one before, but my older brother had let me use his sometimes for schoolwork. I looked around as if checking to see if there was someone else around who could be the owner of the laptop before pulling the chair out and sitting down. With the help of the Internet, I might be able to do a quick search to back up Atlas’ story.

  The more I searched, the more my stomach knotted at the idea that this was all real. He was telling the truth; the book was telling the truth. How was that possible though? My entire life I had been told there was only one God, one singular celestial Father, who had the power to creat
e the world and destroy it. A Father who had given his only son for our sins...

  I felt lightheaded as my thoughts spun around, trying to gather momentum despite still feeling the resistance of a lifetime of learning. I still wanted to cling to all those beliefs I’d known for my entire life. How was I supposed to uproot everything I ever believed in because one man told me I was a God? If I were a God I’d be able to do Godly things, right?

  I closed the laptop, frowning to myself. I didn’t want to admit it, but I had to go and find Atlas, I had a few more questions I needed to ask him before I got too confused about everything.

  First and foremost, I needed to know who my called God was if I was what he said I was.

  Chapter 3

  I was worried about leaving the apartment and not being able to find my way back. But as Atlas had promised I left the apartment and as soon as I was out in the hallway, thinking hard about finding him, a door appeared in front of me. I stared at it in horror before carefully reaching out and grabbing it. My body was tense, expecting something to happen as I took the handle and turned it but instead it opened into an office.

  It reminded me of the Prime Minister’s office in a way, regal and old fashioned. Atlas was sitting at his desk, a massive scroll unrolled in front of him and he was staring intently at the contents. He didn’t even look up at me, or give any indication he knew I entered the room, leaving me a bit more time to take in my surroundings.

  He had more of those tomes he’d given me, piled on the bookshelves around the room. He had a collection of things that looked otherworldly.

  And in the middle of the room there was a massive golden globe.

  It was almost bigger than me and each continent was intricately carved into it with gilded calligraphy written over each one. I expected to see the names of the countries but the writing was in a language I didn’t know and there were symbols all over it that reminded me of satanic practices.

  Coming around the globe I looked down at Atlas’ scroll, he was watching a blue dot on a map. It was moving slowly before his eyes flicked to a second moving dot, this time black, and poised over where England would’ve been on a regular map. He touched it and the dot expanded into a black circle that took up most of the scroll. It slowly faded out and an image appeared in its stead.

  A young man was standing on a street corner, he looked dirty and tired, sick even, as he smoked a cigarette with almost an obsession. His eyes were full of pain, I felt sad for him. A woman came into view and he stepped forward toward her. I thought maybe she was his girlfriend but then, by her reaction I could tell, she had no idea who he was.

  Atlas looked up at me, appearing almost surprised to see me before he closed the screen with a flick of his wrist and quickly rolled the scroll up.

  “What was that?”

  “A map; I’m tracking the others.” “There are more Gods?”

  “Of course, there is an entire pantheon. There are dozens of other Gods.”

  “Why aren’t they here then?”

  “It’s not their time to come yet. They still have things they need to do in their mortal lives before I can bring them here.”

  “Why?”

  Atlas smiled and I worried he could sense that I was coming around to all of this – albeit slowly. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression.

  “Because part of being a specific God is having a shared history with their God, some people still need to experience things as mortals for the celestial union to occur. It’s their destiny.”

  Now destiny was a concept I, finally, understood. “Was... My uncle my destiny?”

  Atlas looked up at me and frowned, torn between giving me the truth and protecting me. It was a look my father had familiarized me with. “Have you read the book then?”

  He changed the subject, leaving me unsure if I should be angry or grateful for that.

  “I did, and I did some research on the computer. I have a few questions.”

  He nodded and stood up, “I’ll be happy to answer them long as I can. Let’s go somewhere more comfortable though.” He waved his hand and suddenly the room around us changed completely. No longer were we in an office, but a comfy waiting room. The seat I had been about to sit on turned into a couch I was more than happy to flop onto while Atlas’ desk disappeared and he was sitting in a lounge chair.

  “Ask away.” He smiled at me in a friendly enough way that momentarily I didn’t feel embarrassed for my belief or disbelief. I wasn’t sure which one made me more uncomfortable.

  “I read about the Greek Gods... And say I believe you, about me being one – which am I supposed to be?”

  “That, unfortunately, I can’t tell you. Part of the experience, part of experiencing things that are important to your Goddess, is that you learn at your own pace which you are. It allows for a strong connection to be made between yourself and your Goddess while also giving you a chance to slowly come to terms with what is happening around you. Some people will develop their awareness, everything seemingly coming at once, while others will take their time and come into their own at a moderate pace.”

  “Oh, okay,” I said with a slight frown. It seemed like a convenient answer that he didn’t know who my Goddess was. “Well, what is this place then?”

  “This is Mount Olympus, restored... Modernized, mostly. I wanted to pay tribute to the great beauty it once was, but I also wanted to make it accessible for your modern vessels to accommodate to coming here. If it were to be completely as it once was you might find it... archaic.”

  “Yes, I think too...” I agreed thoughtfully before looking over at him. “You must be old as well then if you’ve been around since... Well, since the first time there were Greek Gods.” He nodded with a small chuckle, unfazed by being called old.

  “Yes. I am a few millennia old. I have seen many things in my lifetime.”

  “Will you ever die – will I ever die?”

  Atlas nodded his head slowly, “it is possible for me to die but it is difficult and if someone were to do it they would have to be committed to killing me. But it is still possible, no one is entirely immortal.”

  I nodded and then arched an eyebrow, silently probing for the answer to my second question.

  “You can still die as well, as you could when you were mortal. Since you haven’t united with your Goddess yet, for all intents and purposes, you are still mortal. You will be mortal until the whole process is complete I’m afraid. There will be changes you’ll find, such as the ability to heal. Though: you can’t chop off your hand and expect it to grow back. But if you were to get, say, a paper cut, it would heal itself faster than the average human. You will also not get sick anymore. But if someone used magic to hurt you, you would not heal. You can be shot, stabbed, set on fire, drowned, hung, and killed in every other way you can imagine. This would be effective until you have completed your change into your immortal body.”

  “How will I know the change has happened?”

  “That is something you will feel, I cannot explain it to you – of course – because I have never experienced it. But the spell Zeus cast before going to sleep ensured that the process of uniting would be smooth and the vessel would know what was happening.”

  I frowned more and nodded, all of this was much to process. I still didn’t even know if I believed it all or if I was humoring Atlas for answers.

  “Then, what do I do here?”

  “Live. Whatever you desire. You’re free to do as you please. This is not a hostile kidnapping; I hope you understand that. I took you from your Uncle’s and brought you not to a new captivity, but to a new home. You’re welcome to do whatever you’d like, all you need is the ability to imagine it.”

  “Like the fridge?”

  “Yes, everything here is magic and its magic is triggered by the magic inside of you. You need to believe in it, and to imagine it, and it will exist.” “Anything I want?”

  “Anything. If you want an ocean to swim in, the mountain will pro
vide. If you want a shopping center to go crazy in, then be it. think carefully about whatever it is you want, be specific and open a door. The doors in this place can take you wherever you imagine.”

  I smiled, unable to help myself, it sounded wonderful, to be honest. I had no worries here. No siblings who ignored me, no father to appease and no mother to take care of. I had to be Valentina. I didn’t even worry that it might get old fast because I had wanted this sort of freedom all my life.

  “What about my schooling?”

  “You can study as you please here. There is a massive library that, with your help, can bring up any subject you’d like. You have the Internet, and you have other resources. If you would like a proper teacher, I can provide one... But that is entirely at your own discretion.”

  “Can I leave here? Go visit my family?”

  “The one thing I do ask is that you do not leave for the time being. There are dangers outside of the mountain that are waiting for a vessel to slip up and give them the opportunity to usurp the power of the Gods for their own.”

  “Dangers?” I paled, “like what?”

  “I don’t want to worry you.” Atlas smiled mysteriously and I felt that the subject was closed.

  “Can I leave eventually? When I’m ready?” “When my job is complete and everyone here has correctly ascended their place then I will no longer be needed and you will be free to do as you please. If that means going home to visit your family, you may. But I must warn you, time works differently here than it does back in your old life. What seems like a month here could be a week or a year on Earth. When you are free to leave, you might find a significant amount of time has passed and your old life is not how you left it.”

  I felt a shiver run down my back but forced a smile nonetheless. There were many downsides to being a God it would seem. Dangers looking to kill us, giving up our human lives as a replacement for this life... And I got the distinct impression I couldn’t give back my Goddess if I didn’t want it. It was an unbreakable contract I didn’t remember signing.