Gilded Ruins

by Chantal Gadoury

  “Girl,” they replied with a chuckle. “Are you just hiding up here?”

  “I wouldn’t call it hiding,” I replied. “I don’t think anyone can hide on this yacht.”

  “It’s not the Titanic,” Aphrodite said as they shrugged, brushing strands of hair over their shoulder as a light wind whipped it around their face. “Eros mentioned that you were wandering around, so I took a guess. I couldn’t imagine you’d be having breakfast with Zeus, Poseidon and Ares considering. . .”

  “I was looking for Morpheus,” I replied quickly.

  Aphrodite pushed a silver pair of shimmering sunglasses over their nose and smiled. Even that was bedazzled too.

  “He’s with Athena this morning. I saw them on the bow of the boat.”

  “Athena?” I asked, wrinkling my nose. That’s right. I remembered the way they greeted each other. It was apparent there was some sort of history between them, but I hadn’t bothered to ask.

  Aphrodite laughed with a nod. “Oh, yes! Girl. You didn’t know this tea? Athena and Morpheus have a thing for each other. They have for a long time.”

  A long time? It was strange, but a small twinge of jealousy flared to life in my gut. I couldn’t explain why I felt the way I did. Images of the night before, with Morpheus coming to my room, holding me, comforting me; I couldn’t imagine him being that way with anyone else.

  Of course he should, I thought to myself. Morpheus deserved love, and we both knew he would not find that sort of love by me. I clicked my tongue, doing what I could to avoid the odd emotion.

  “It’s been going on for years. I think Athena likes him more than he likes her to be honest. We all knew he had a thing for—I mean…” They paused, glancing in my direction.

  “It’s alright,” I replied with a nod. “I already know. He told me himself.”

  They pressed a hand to their chest as they parted their lips in shock. “Morpheus told you?” I nodded silently.

  They stared at me in disbelief for a moment before letting out a short awkward laugh and replying. “Wow…I never would have expected that from Mr. Enigmatic himself.”

  “We’re friends,” I said, as though that should have been enough explanation. “And Athena is beautiful.”

  Aphrodite peered at me from the corner of their eye. “Of course, honey. But you’re certainly in the running of beautiful women, too. Don’t you dare say you’re not! I hate it when girls deny the fact that they’re pretty. Or even seem surprised by the compliment. You’ve been staring at that reflection for the past few years, you know how beautiful you are. Own it.”

  The way they spoke—it completely took me off guard. I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, feeling slightly sheepish.

  Aphrodite continued, “Morpheus sees you. All the men here do.”

  All the men? My cheeks began to warm. Did they really mean Heaton? Ares? Eros?

  “I’m not really interested in all the men,” I replied quickly, avoiding that conversation.

  Aphrodite laughed loudly. “Ha! Neither am I. Can’t say I blame you. Some of them are just a bore.”

  Maybe Aphrodite was trying to make me feel better. Maybe I should have at least tried to laugh. But even the action felt taxing.

  “I know you’re feeling a lot. And rightly so,” they continued, “just remember—yesterday was for tears. Today is about you. Today is about taking back your life. Darce isn’t here to help you anymore. This is your show. You make the calls.”

  “It’s clear that I don’t.”

  “Is that an excuse? Do you really want to become one of those girls who makes up excuses to explain away their problems?”

  “I’m not—”

  Aphrodite didn’t stop; passion was etched on their features. They believed every word that came from their lips. “You are a strong woman, Summer. Strong. Beautiful. Willful. You are your father’s daughter. And I don’t mean the bully downstairs.”

  I shifted my gaze back out over the ocean and chewed at my bottom lip as I contemplated her words. They believed I still stood a chance against Zeus—that was apparent. Not all was lost. Eventually, after a brief moment of silence, I turned my gaze back to Aphrodite.

  “Were you there for the ceremony? The one where they. . .took her soul?”

  Aphrodite sucked in a breath as they turned their attention to me. “Persephone?”

  “Yes,” I replied with a nod.

  I saw their expression fall flat as guilt took over their confidence. “You have to understand that not many of us had a choice in the matter, Summer.”

  “So that’s a yes,” I said, releasing a breath of air. “So you helped.”

  “I didn’t say I helped. I was just there. I saw what happened to her. When Zeus commands us, we all must obey. Whether we like it or not,” Aphrodite explained. “It was one of the worst punishments I’ve ever endured. To want to do right, and yet forced to do the opposite.”

  “I want to get her powers back,” I confessed softly. “I want to gain back everything that was lost to her. Her powers. Her immortality.”

  “I handle love, girl. Not. . .immortality.”

  “But you were there. You know how he took those powers from her. There has to be a way to reverse what was done. There has to be a way for me to. . .take it back, right?”

  Aphrodite nodded slowly, seemingly pondering my words.

  “There should be…” They seemed to hesitate before going on, “but you have to remember it wasn’t just him.”

  “If I have to play their game, if I have to win them over with innocent smiles and clever come-backs, then I’ll do it. I’ll do it if it means I get closer to Darce—to return to him and to right the wrong that’s been done to Persephone.”

  “What about Morpheus, hmm?” They raised a brow and shrugged thoughtfully. “What if, after you spend some time away from his Lord. . .what if you desire someone else’s attention?”

  The question seemed so odd. I hadn’t ever imagined anyone else other than Darce. My thoughts drifted to the night before—the way Morpheus had come to my rescue; filled my empty room with someone—something. He had taken care of me, just as he had promised he would in the Underworld. A babysitter.

  “Darce is all that I want,” I replied. While it was all I could say, it was the truth. Aphrodite didn’t reply. Instead, they raised their brow and pursed their lips.

  “Hmm,” they muttered. “Well, look. I’ll do what I can to help you. You have to remember that you’re a one-woman show now. You’re more vulnerable now that Hades isn’t here. I’m sure he warned you—”

  “He did,” I said, nodding.

  “Good, so take today to collect yourself. But tomorrow you had better come forward in a kick-ass outfit and own the ground you walk on. Do not let any one of those bullies downstairs dictate who you are. Not even Demeter. You are a grown-ass woman now.”

  I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Why don’t you join me and Eros on the water today? You know how men love their toys,” they said with a chuckle as they winked. “They like them big and expensive. Zeus was just telling me all about them. And it’ll get you out and about.”

  “Water toys?”

  “Oh, honey,” Aphrodite laughed. “Come with me. Let’s go have some fun.”

  Chapter 16

  The water felt nice and warm on my skin as I sat on the edge of the yacht. Aphrodite was already in the water, floating on a large inflatable clam shell. I found it ironic considering the famous portrait of “The Birth of Venus.” They wore a bright yellow one-piece bathing suit, exposing all of the tattoo work on their arms and chest. I was amazed by just how beautiful they really were. On their head, they wore a long brim sun hat, while their hair fell just onto their shoulders. I never wished so much for a camera, than in this moment.

  “Aren’t you coming in?” They asked, slipping a hand into the water. “It’s really nice.”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted, shrugging. Getting into the water where anything could be
under my feet, didn’t thrill me. But I had come prepared nonetheless—wearing the black mesh bathing suit Arae had packed for me, underneath a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

  The sound of a large splash of water startled me, and I yelped from the cold droplets that fell back on me. As the form rose to the surface of the ocean, I realized the culprit of the cannonball was none-other than Eros. His back was bare as his wings were gone again—appearing just as he had the very first time I met him.

  “You scared me to death!” I shouted, splashing him with a kick of my leg.

  “Sorry,” he smirked, not appearing to be very apologetic at all. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Eros wiped his eyes as he flashed me a smile. “Aren’t you coming in?”

  “I’m just going to ease in slowly.”

  “Not all at once?”

  I shook my head. “I’d rather get used to the water first.”

  “Just jump in. It’s like taking a band-aid off. You don’t do it slowly. You just rip.”

  “Have you ever taken a band-aid off before?” I asked, calling his bluff.

  Eros shrugged lazily. “I’ve had one or two on me for a drama. Right here,” he tapped his chin. “And of course, the female lead gently presses it on my skin and blows soothing cool air on my wound.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “And once the scene has been shot, I tear it off,” Eros continued, mimicking the effort of peeling something from his chin. “Easy peasy.”

  “You exaggerate so much,” Hermes said from behind me. I tilted my head back as he approached from the deck’s edge. Behind him stood Ares, Heaton, Apollo and Dionysus. All of whom were dressed for the water. Between bare chests, tattoos, and body piercings, I only felt a little self-conscious.

  “Well look who it is,” Aphrodite said with a laugh, tipping their hat to the small gathering. “Come on, love. The water is fabulous.”

  Heaton winked at them before jumping into the water. His brown skin shimmered in the sunlight as he slipped beneath the waves. His form swam towards Aphrodite who was laughing at the sight. Apollo, with his long blonde curls and black swimming trunks, came to sit beside me.

  “Glad to see you out and about today,” he murmured. “It’s too beautiful a day to stay indoors.”

  I didn’t know what to say, other than give him a polite nod. In the short time I had been on the yacht, I hadn’t had much time to speak with all of the members of Zeus’ court.

  “It must be overwhelming, the lot of us,” he continued.

  “A little,” I admitted softly. “I’m trying.”

  “That’s all we can ask for,” Apollo said with a smile. He turned his attention to a small bottle of sunscreen and began to squirt a good amount of lotion onto his hand. When he realized I was watching him, he raised a brow with a laugh.

  “What? Have to protect my skin from UV rays, you know. Sunlight can be quite taxing for the skin.”

  “I know,” I replied, doing my best to suppress my laughter. The whole situation was ironic to me, him being the Sun God and all.

  “Do you want some?” He asked, offering the bottle to me. It was such an innocent gesture—a simple question. I looked at the bottle before taking it from him. I supposed the least I could do was put some on my nose. Though, as soon as I covered my cheeks and forehead, I decided to give in and peel away my shirt too. If I was going to be out here for the afternoon, I could always try for a tan.

  “I want the slide out,” Hermes announced. “I’ll go find a crew member.”

  “A slide?” I asked, glancing around the deck. They actually have one of those?

  “It’s his favorite,” Apollo said, rolling his eyes.

  My attention was suddenly caught by Ares, who dove into the water silently. He appeared as though he had been built for the water. His movements were slick, sharp, and quiet. As Heaton was distracted by Aphrodite, hovering on the side of their raft, he hadn’t seen or heard Ares coming from behind.

  With a sharp tug, Heaton was pulled back down beneath the waves by Ares. A moment later, the both of them surfaced with a splash. Off to the side, a ripple of a large inflatable slide appeared from one of the upper decks. As I shifted my gaze, I saw a crew member shoving the rest of the slide over the railing and securing it. In just under ten minutes, the slide was full of air, and Hermes was sliding down into the water like a child.

  I was almost certain the group of them were no better than a bunch of teenagers. Their wealth and power had made them lazy and childish. Dionysus had found himself an innertube, and was lounging with a sparkling glass of wine. I didn’t even know how he had managed to bring that out with him. Aphrodite was sunbathing, while the others were horsing around in the water.

  Even Apollo was laying back on the deck, his nose deep in a book. A book!

  I felt like pinching myself. Was this actually real? Was I really surrounded by the infamous Greek Gods, who were actually more human-like than godly? Leaning back, I tilted my chin towards the sun and closed my eyes. Darce. I should have been trying to find a way back to Darce. Regret stung my heart, and I tried to push the pain away. I couldn’t find my way back to Darce by fighting—I’d have to earn their trust. I’d have to show that I was capable of being just like them. Whatever that really meant. A pair of hands jolted me from my thoughts, as they pushed me towards the deck’s edge. With a scream, I plunged into the deep, blue sea water. The salt water stung my lungs as I gasped, trying to find the surface. As I emerged from the depths, I coughed, reaching blindly for something—anything.

  It was Ares who rescued me and held me up beneath my arms. I clung to him, tightening my grip around his muscled arms as I turned my gaze towards the boat. Eros stood at the deck’s edge, laughing. I never wanted to punch someone so much, until that very moment.

  “Why did you do that?” I asked, as my voice broke. I was so angry, I was nearly in tears.

  “You looked like you needed help getting in!” He called back.

  “That wasn’t very nice of you,” Aphrodite chided as they adjusted their large sun-hat. Eros snorted in response.

  “I was only trying to help.”

  “You best be careful,” Ares said sternly as he kept his arm around me. “Don’t do it again.”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it!” Eros replied, throwing his hands up in defense.

  “I’m sure you didn’t…” Morpheus said as he appeared and sauntered around him. By the gleam in his eye, I knew he was up to no good. With one arm, he shoved Eros into the water. I pressed my hand to my lips, stifling a laugh. Thanks to my God of Dreams, I was avenged.

  “Are you alright now, Summer?” Ares asked, sliding a hand through his hair. Shimmers of sun glimmered through his blonde hair.

  “Yes, thank you,” I murmured. “You can let me go. I can swim.”

  Slowly, Ares’ arm slid away. My cheeks were warm, and I quickly began to swim towards the boat. I ignored the offered tanned hand of Apollo and pulled myself up onto the ladder. A breeze of cool air enveloped me as I emerged from the water, and I desperately eyed the deck for a dry towel.

  As I lifted my gaze to Morpheus, I saw him standing there, holding out a towel for me; his dark eyes soft and welcoming as I approached him. Even though he wasn’t dressed to swim, he was wearing more casual attire; a white button-down shirt and a pair of grey pants. It was much different from the outfits he’d been wearing since we got here.

  “I was wondering where you were,” I said softly.

  “Were you?” He asked softly; the corner of his lips curled with a small, curious smile. “I wasn’t far.” His eyes were soft and filled with warm concern.

  “I know. I just…” I shrugged and gestured to the sea, “Aphrodite asked me to join them.”

  “I’m glad to see that you did,” he whispered softly. I took the towel and wrapped myself in it.

  “It’s nice to have a distraction, however brief it might be.”

  I wondered if it was shallow of me to admit that this was wha
t I had wanted all summer? When the summer had begun, it had only been my goal to spend time with my friends at the pool and drink slushies, watch the history channel with my dad, listen to pop-music on the radio and enjoy the AC in the movie theater. I had just wanted something normal. And while I was on a luxury yacht, this was about as close as I could get to my “old norm.”

  “Lo’ there!”

  Splashing and chatting stopped with an abrupt halt. We all looked up to one of the upper decks, shielding our eyes with our hands to see clearer. Above, Zeus clapped his hands together, and puffed on a cigar nestled between his parted lips. I didn’t hide my disgust for him or the smoke that lingered in the air.

  “All of you seem to be having a marvelous time,” he said with a smile, pulling the cigar from his mouth with a flourish. “I’m so glad.”

  His gaze shifted below—to mine—holding it for an extended moment before he continued.

  “We’ll be leaving tonight for the sea-side village of Plaka. I hope for us to be docked there by mid-morning, and back to Mount Olympus before the sun descends.”

  “All you have to do is talk to Apollo,” Eros said with a chuckle as he lifted himself out of the water. “He’ll take care of the sun part.”

  Zeus gave him a sort of half smile and nodded in his direction—as though he only tolerated Eros’ god-awful jokes because he had to.

  “Upon our arrival, I would like to hold a great feast there,” Zeus continued. “In celebration of welcoming our new guest to Mount Olympus. I trust that all of you will do your best to make sure she feels at home.”

  “Of course,” Hermes replied with a bow. “It would be our honor to do so, my Lord.”

  “Morpheus,” Zeus continued, glancing down in his direction. “You and Summer will join Demeter and me for dinner tonight.”

  “Dinner?” I asked softly, turning my gaze to Morpheus. I definitely hadn’t planned on dining with Zeus or Demeter—and I certainly didn’t want to. He clenched his jaw and gave a tight, firm nod.

  “Yes, my Lord,” he replied in turn.