by Mary Ting
“Oh, how sweet. You’ve replaced Mason with a dog,” Eris said sarcastically.
I wanted to hit her with Zeus’s staff to shut her up. Sky’s eyes flickered with electricity, and her hands blazed with fire. That’s my girl. Give all your hateful energy to her. But she couldn’t. The invisible wall would cause it to bounce back to her. Hades lifted Sky, cutting her words. No! No! No! Sky, come back.
As Hades took my Sky away, she became smaller and smaller in my cloudy tunnel view. How I hated my limited view. I hated being there. Anger coursed through me, burning through my body, taking me over. I fought with every ounce of will and strength to break the barrier, but it was too much to handle. The trees, the only thing in my view, blurred and blended together. Eris must have sensed my attempt to escape.
“Now, now…I know you’re upset.” She caressed my face. “If you fight your prison, you’ll only hurt yourself. If Sky doesn’t bring me what I want, we’ll be married forever. And I don’t want you hurting yourself. You’re so perfect the way you are.”
I wanted to slap her hand away from my face and give her a huge dose of my lightning. Hell would freeze before I married her. No gods would marry us against my will. There had to be some kind of law. Sky would come back for me. I put all my faith in her and my family. Having Sky within reach broke me. My heart burst out of my chest and left with her. Emptiness swallowed me whole. I lost myself to the darkness, missing Sky.
Skylar
“What happened?” Amanda squealed.
“Eris is…” Nick ran his hand down his face and puffed out air.
“Crazy,” Everett finished for him, pressing his lips into a thin line.
“My love. It’s so good to see you back safe and well.” Persephone ran into Hades’s arms, making me miss Mason even more.
Mom wrapped her arms around me, holding me steady from falling apart. I pressed my head against her shoulder and breathed. Leaving Mason tore out my insides. At least he was alive and well. I had to keep telling myself that.
“So, Eris has Mason?” Zara stood from her seat. “Did you see him?”
“Yes,” Zeus confirmed. He sat down next to Poseidon at the table.
“And Cronus? Did other Titans escape?” Tara’s soft voice came out shaky. Her blue eyes filled with concern.
Hades leaned against the table with folded arms. “Eris wouldn’t tell us anything about him or others. She kept his whereabouts tight. I’m unable to verify if she’s working with him, only that we would meet him later, so she said. Who knows if she’s telling us the truth. She only wanted to meet to get something from us.”
“What does she want?” My father arched his eyebrows.
Poseidon leaned back in his seat. “She wants some gold water from Phoenix River.”
“Why?” Amanda crossed her arms.
“To turn what she wants into gold, just like Midas,” I explained.
“You can’t go there,” the Oracles warned. “Nobody comes back alive. They all turn to gold.”
Mom held me tighter.
Poseidon waved a hand at me. “It’s Skylar’s call. She got us out of our hell, so I think we need to help her get out of hers.”
I took my mom’s hand in mine. “I appreciate everyone wanting to help me, but I can’t ask you to risk your life. I’m going alone.”
“Sorry, hero, but he’s our brother. You don’t get to make that decision,” Nick stated, crossing his arms and leaning back against the white wall.
“I second that,” Everett added, slumped over the table next to Zeus.
“I third that,” Amanda chimed in.
“I go where Amanda goes.” Noah winked at Amanda, making her smile.
Dad swung his chair around. “We’re all going, Skylar. We don’t know what we’ll face. We’re stronger in greater numbers.”
I gazed down at my mom’s belly. “You can’t come, Dad. Mom needs you. She’s pregnant. She shouldn’t face danger herself. And besides, she’s not feeling well. I won’t feel right having you come when she needs you.”
“I’m feeling better,” Mom claimed. “The morning sickness comes in waves, but I’m more than capable.”
Zara’s eyes dropped to my mom’s belly. “Skylar is right. It’s too dangerous for you, and Victor needs to stay behind with you.”
Hades patted my head like I was his pet. “Don’t worry. Skylar will be fine in our hands. Three gods and little people.” He gazed at everyone. “What could go wrong?”
“Little people?” Nick frowned. “Hades, we are not little.”
“Are you not Zeus’s descendant?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are little.” He smirked.
“Are you making fun of my descendants?” Zeus challenged, standing up, his big muscles flexing.
Hades twitched his brows in amusement. “Well, if I had any descendants, then I could call them little people too, but I don’t, do I? So while you were banging every human woman you could get your hands on to procreate, you tossed me to the underworld. You didn’t even visit me. You could’ve at least given me the same chance. Now I have no descendants to pass down my name.”
Zeus’s eyes fired with silvery lights and he stood. “I didn’t toss you to the underworld. You volunteered to go.”
Hades moved with the speed that belonged to gods. He stood inches away from Zeus. “You tricked me, brother. You made me think I was going to be a god of Paradise.” His finger jammed against Zeus’s rock hard chest.
Poseidon pushed the two brothers away. “Enough. I knew this would come out some day. This is old history.”
Hades glared at Poseidon. “Don’t play so innocent. You were in on it with Zeus.”
“You were greedy. You had to be taught a lesson. You still can create as many descendants as you wish, but I don’t think Persephone would like that.”
Hades slowly turned his head to Persephone, whose eyes shot daggers at him. Then she headed for the door.
“Persephone.” Hades ran after her. “I didn’t mean I want to…” His voice trailed off as he stepped out.
Zara sighed and raised an eyebrow. “I see how this is going to go. Good luck, Skylar. When will you leave?”
I glanced at Nick. “We have three days. Zeus needs to get ahold of Hermes. Eris mentioned Hermes might know where the Phoenix River is located. As soon as we get the location, we’ll be on our way.”
Zara, Tara, and Cara gathered in front of me. Zara reached inside her dress. A pocket? She pulled out two small bottles the size of my middle finger. “This may be small, but it’ll be easier to carry. One should be enough, but I’m giving you two, just in case. You can fill it much faster, and when you pour it out, it will be enough for Eris.”
She reached in again and pulled out a clear crystal, same size as the bottle. “This wards off evil spirits. I have no idea what you will encounter at Phoenix River. If you hold it in your hand, it will light up and protect you.”
Zara reached in for the third time and in her hand was a small pouch. “This small pouch holds unbreakable crackers and small crystal marbles. The cracker will fill you up for days, and the crystal marble will quench your thirst for days, too. It will be enough for everyone. I’m sorry I won’t be going. If the gods are going with you, I have to stay behind and keep an eye not only on New Olympus but Olympus as well.”
“Don’t worry about Olympus. Hera is there,” Zeus cut in, dropping to his seat. “She’s well capable of holding the fort there, along with other gods.”
Zara furrowed her brow. “They are still weak from being locked up inside the iron casts. If I know this, then Eris does too. She’s cunning. You have to be a step ahead of her. We don’t know where Cronus is or what he’s planning.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Zeus said in defeat.
“It’s time to call or find Hermes, Zeus, or whatever you do to get his attention.” My father broke me out of my thoughts.
Zeus’s eyes lit before he closed them. When he opened them, l
ightning struck in the middle of the room from the ceiling. Hermes appeared.
“You called, my Zeus?” Hermes flashed a charming smile at me and then shifted his attention to Zeus. The wings on his cap and shoes fluttered. He floated a foot off the ground.
“Do you know where Phoenix River is?” Nick blurted.
Zeus narrowed his eyes at Nick. “He said, ‘you called, my Zeus.’ Are you Zeus?”
Nick raised his hands to surrender and backed away. “Just trying to get answers.”
“Hermes only speaks to me.” He turned to Hermes. “Do you know where Phoenix River is located? I was told by Eris that you might know such a place.”
Hermes landed. His wings tucked inward. He got down on one knee in front of Zeus. “I’ve never seen it, my Zeus, but I’ve heard rumors of its location. I’ve also heard that no one comes back.”
Zeus rubbed his chin. “We’re going to have to change that rumor, won’t we?” His arrogant tone came off somehow charming. And I felt grateful for his commitment and determination.
“Yes, my Zeus.”
“Will you take us there? And where is it that we’re headed?”
“Yes, of course. It’s rumored to be close by the great city of Sardis, a place called Land of Reverse.”
“Land of Reverse?” Poseidon tensed. “Isn’t that—”
Zeus pounded his staff on the ground. “Let’s not scare the little ones. Let’s go. Lead the way, Hermes.” He paused. “Wait. Can someone get Hades? I swear, Persephone will be the death of him.”
“Correction.” Hades entered with Persephone by his side. “She is the reason why I survived all those centuries. She is the one who persuaded me to forgive my brothers.”
“Forgive?” Zeus raised his voice.
Poseidon bolted, appearing in front of Zeus. “Later. We’re wasting time.”
Zara rolled her eyes. “Skylar, if the gods don’t behave, zap them with the crystal light I gave you. You’ll knock them to sleep or give them a good kick in the butt. Be safe, my child.” Then she shifted her attention to everyone else. We’ll re-group when necessary.”
“Be careful,” Mother said.
I hugged my mom and dad, promising them I would return as soon as possible and asked them to take care of the dogs. Though we had hired workers to attend to their needs, I wanted someone I trusted to be there.
We circled around Hermes. Zeus’s power flashed from his staff. Poseidon protectively twirled water around his, and Hades blasted fire on the ground we stood. Then, everything blurred.
Chapter 10
Skylar
Something soft and spongy cushioned my feet. When I took a step, my body lightly bounced. I let out a giggle, but stopped when I realized why the place had been named Land of Reverse. Clouds floated beneath our feet, and never-ending blue sky plunged deep below them. Above us were trees and an endless running stream of water. My shoulders tightened at the thought of the river drowning us if somehow it dropped. I gulped. Strangely, light illuminated the landscape, but no evidence of a sun existed.
I reached for the small pouch Zara had given me, which was tied to the loop on my jeans. Then I shoved my hands inside my pant pockets and felt for the bottle and the crystal. Relieved they stayed in place, I eased a little.
“I get why it’s called Land of Reverse, but what the hell?” Nick spat. “How are we supposed to get the water?” He raked his hair back.
“Can the clouds take us there?” Amanda shrugged. “Or can we bounce off the clouds?”
Noah tried, but he didn’t get far. “I guess not.”
Everett scratched his head. “I don’t sense any danger here.”
Hades leaned closer to Everett. “You might not want to say that out loud.”
Everett twitched.
“What do we do, Hermes?” Zeus asked, scanning the perimeter.
Curiosity got the best of Hermes. He poked his finger through the clouds just as I did.
Zeus coughed. “Hermes.”
“Oh, my Zeus.” Hermes stood straight. “I was just testing—”
“What do we do next? Do you know?” Zeus seemed to have run out of patience.
“We wait,” Hermes said.
“Wait for what?”
“The rumor says we wait for Silenus.”
Hermes sat on the cloud. When Zeus did the same, we followed. The clouds held our weight, but when I placed my hand on it, it went right through. Such an odd place, but as long as we were safe, I had no complaints.
“Who is Silenus?” Hades crossed his legs.
Hermes looked over his shoulder and then back to us. “Silenus is the satyr. He’s also a friend of Dionysus, the god of wine. To make a long story short, Silenus partied with Dionysus. They gathered with friends for a wild, noisy, riotous party. Women of the woods accompanied them. They’d dance and drink wine until the sun came up. After a long night, Silenus stumbled into the palace grounds of Midas, king of Phrygia. According to Dionysus, King Midas took pity on the satyr, who in return gave Midas a wish.”
“The ability to turn anything into gold.” Nick’s eyes widened with revelation. “So that’s the true story of King Midas. There are so many different versions.”
Hermes continued. “But after he accidently turned his daughter into gold, he begged to be put back to the way he was. King Midas had to plunge himself into the river. The gold flowed down the river, where it eventually settled, and the banks and the flowers turned golden. But I’m not sure where Phoenix River is.” He pointed up to the water. “Maybe that’s it.”
“Great, the blind leading the blind.” Amanda rolled her eyes and rested her head on Noah’s shoulder.
“At least we made some progress,” Noah muttered.
My stomach cramped, letting me know it was time to eat. “Is anyone hungry?” I loosened the pouch and took out an unbreakable cracker Zara had given me. None of the crackers had cracked or crumbled as a cracker normally would from my movements. “Wow, they really don’t break.” I passed one to everyone.
“This tastes like crap,” Nick grumbled. His jaw worked as if he was chewing on hard taffy.
Hades chuckled. “You know what crap tastes like?”
“It’s a figure of speech, Hades.” Nick sighed with a hint of annoyance.
“Your figure of speech should be more grateful. You’ll be full for days.” Hades placed his in his mouth. Seconds later, he spit it out. “How does Zara expect us to eat this? She could’ve made it taste like chicken or beef. It tastes like…crap.” He perked his lips, trying to contain his laugh. “I think I’d rather starve. I’m a god. This is ridiculous.”
“I agree. I’m not that hungry.” Poseidon handed his back to me and so did Zeus.
“Wow.” Noah sounded astounded but somewhat sarcastic, too. “The gods finally agree on something.”
I didn’t mind the taste. I only cared about making the hunger pain go away. When I finished it, I felt as satisfied as if I had eaten a banquet. “It didn’t taste bad to me.” I shrugged.
“Long as I don’t feel hunger, I don’t care what I eat.” Amanda took another small bite, grimacing.
“So, how do you like living among the humans?” Noah asked out of the blue.
Zeus arched his eyebrows. “Why do you want to know?”
“I’m just curious.”
Poseidon reached his hand through the clouds and tried to hold it in his hand. When he realized he couldn’t, he frowned. “We’ve only been living with the humans for about a month, part-time. It’s interesting. In some ways we are alike, but in many ways, we aren’t. The humans have a rigid schedule. Kids go to school. Parents go to work. They are very productive. I’m not sure if I can fit in.”
Zeus rolled back his shoulders. “We intended to learn their ways, but I don’t think we have much to learn. Well…” He gave a smirk. “Maybe our manners. Regardless, gods are superior, and we don’t take orders well. I don’t think we can hold a job and be bossed around. I’d probably cut off the pe
rson’s head.” He grinned.
Hades stretched out his legs and planted his arms behind him for support. When his arms went right through, he sat up taller. “I kind of like the human world. But I do agree with Zeus. We’re used to our ways. Having to adapt to their technological advances and their way of thinking, we won’t fit. There is no harmony, only chaos. But I don’t want to be alienated from their world. They don’t pray to the gods anymore, or believe we even exist, but I would like to use that to my advantage and come and go as I please. Since I’ve said a mouthful, I could use a drink. Want to pass out the crystal marbles, Skylar?”
“Sure. I was about to do that next.” One by one, afraid that if dropped it would plunge down to the endless who knew where, I passed them out carefully, as if they were the most precious thing.
The crystal marble felt cool and like hard candy in my mouth. When I crushed it with my teeth, water squirted out. It was only a drop full, but as told, it had been plenty. Knowing I wouldn’t need to drink water for several days, eased my mind, but I prayed we wouldn’t be here that long. Technically, we only had two days now.
Zeus sprawled out, gazing above at rippling water. “Too bad it’s water and not wine.”
“I have to agree with you there.” Poseidon snorted.
“I would give anything for a glass of wine right now,” Hades chimed in and parted his lips. “It would be nice if it would flow down to my mouth as I wished, a drop at a time.”
When Poseidon opened his mouth, I’d thought he had something to say. Instead, tiny bubbles floated out of his mouth and swirled around him. Chuckling, he said. “I’m bored. Just passing the time.” The bubbles gathered to form the shape of a harp, and then it moved, directed by Poseidon’s hand. It became the shape of a star, then a lion, and then it moved again until…
One by one, the tiny bubbles popped, like tiny fireworks. Hades flickered fire from his fingertips. “Why did you do that?” Poseidon growled.