Of all the names! Minerva! As my Roman name, there's no way to forget it, but still!
I hate the name Minerva, I hope the person who came up with it rots in Tartarus! Who, in their right mind, would enjoy that- that name!
"Minerva? That's a nice name, Roman, right?" I guess he didn't mind.
"Yes, my father deals with the Romans." Half-truth, but it's not that different from saying 'He's the great and powerful Jove! Better known to the Greeks as Zeus, king of the gods.' Right?
"Really, is that were he is now?"
"Kind of." Yeah, he's up on Mount Olympus, trying to sooth his wife's jealous temper. You've heard of her, Hera, goddess of marriage and beauty.
By now I was probably squirming, but I was absolutely not going to tell him I was a goddess capable of ruining his life.
"Have you ever been there? To Rome, I mean."
"Yes, plenty of times."
"Wow, it must be great traveling everywhere!"
"So, where's your village?"
"Huh? I don't know, I don't even know where I am! Wait, I'm not in Rome, am I? Because-"
"No, you're in Greece." I heaved a sigh.
"What's with the sigh? Was it something I did?"
"No, I'm just wondering what we're going to eat for dinner." In truth, I was thinking of ways to get around Father tomorrow morning. I don't want him revealing my secret. Unfortunately, I didn't have to worry.
It's kind of funny you know, how my conscience started playing tricks on me. It started of as just me, and then the stupid imp stepped in. He started off somewhere after I considered locking Cyrus away, so I wouldn't have to explain that I was a goddess.
What's wrong, little goddess? Can't decide which deceitful curse to use? You are a goddess.
No, no.
Can't admit you're a goddess?
Not to him.
Afraid to be treated like a goddess?
What happened to "Pretty Goddess".
Pretty goddess, pretty goddess, what will your father do? What will he do when he finds his baby girl has taken a lover?
He's not my lover!
Will your father believe you? Will your lover live to see another day?
Shut up!
Will you lock him in a cage and turn him into a monkey? Or will you let Zeus strike him down like your dear friend Pallas?
He won't die! I won't let him!
Pretty goddess, pretty goddess, since when did you have a say about life and death?
I do now!
And where has this little goddess's prey gone?
I jerked my head up from my hands and glanced around. Cyrus was gone.
"Cyrus? Cyrus, where are you?"
I frantically searched around the general area, panic setting in. He could be anywhere! Within the forest there are many dangerous creatures, anyone of them could have captured him by now.
"Cyrus! Cyrus!" My hysterical calls gained no answer, and I wondered deeper and deeper into the forest.
It was dark when I finally decided to cease my search. I looked around myself to figure out which way was home. To my utter horror, I was lost! On my own island!
I studied the dank and unfamiliar area in hopes of finding one familiar aspect. You know that squeezing sensation you get in your chest when you start to panic? Times that by a hundred, and you'll get how I felt before I fainted.
I woke up, once again, to Cyrus leaning over me, and something pricking at my back. There's just, something about those warm eyes that takes ones breath away. And than there's that hunger, that makes him seem like a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, you know?
"Minerva?" He looked down at me in confusion. "Isn't it s bit uncomfortable to take a nap down there?" It was then that I realized what that sharp pain was. I was lying in a bed of rocks.
Trying to regain my composure, I stood. "Not at all, I was just having one of those moments, you know, where something soft, just isn't right." I smiled, I hope, with out showing how shaken I was. " Where were you, by the way?"
"Where? I was taking a nap in your cabin." Whoops, I forgot to check there.
" Um, Cyrus, I need to- uh- respond to natures call." I smiled. Perfect! It would give me time to regain my thoughts, and stop that irritating blush crawling up my neck. "Could you get me a coconut?"
He blushed! Such a cute blush to!
"Sure." He said, "I'll be just around the corner." He left and I began to think about how I was going to get home.
A half hour later, he hadn't returned, and once again I began to worry.
"Cyrus? I'm done." I glanced in the direction he went. It wasn't hard to find him this time; the softly padded ground sported clearly his footprints. There was one point were it looked like he was walking on one foot, and I realized he must have stepped on a rock. I really had to get him some sandals. Then I saw him; he was gazing at something in wonder and in longing. I glanced were he was looking. A beautiful blond stood there, her eyes shamed the sky under delicately arched eyebrows, her cheekbones high and slightly flushed, a nose straight and slightly upturned. Beautiful.
"Ah, my love! I've missed you! The time we have spent away from each other feels like centuries!" I silently snorted at the frivolous words spewing from Cyrus's mouth, but an emotion shot through my heart I dared not identify.
There was something wrong with this woman, though. She was not a nymph that resided on this island, and no mortal women had ever stepped on this island. Who was she?
"Adra! Adra, my dear!" Adra, it meant beauty. It suited her immensely; clad in white, she looked ethereal.
I looked at her feet, to see if they were as perfect as her face. She was floating! Damn it, but she was floating!
A specter, it had to be, and Cyrus stepping closer and closer to her. I looked at he path to see what dangers lay ahead. A trap I'd set up in order to catch dinner. It was deep, with sharp little spikes that would stab right through that delicate human body of his. And quicksand! She was good, have no doubt.
"Cyrus! Stop!" He glanced up at me. I grabbed a near by vine so he wouldn't know I was flying.
"Don't take another step!" He grinned in perception. I nearly sighed in relief.
"You want to come with me? I'll just start and you can catch up!" My heart nearly stopped as he took another step. I quickly changed the direction of my flight so I could swoop him up before that other foot of his landed on my trap. Did I fail to mention that there were spikes at the bottom? I didn't think so.
I swooped him up just as the dirt gave way under his feet. "Idiot! Don't you know a trap when you see one?" He was blinking stupidly, still surprised at the turn of events.
He smiled a beautiful smile as he gazed up at me, "Thanks Minerva! Can we go see my fiancée now?" Right then, I considered banging his brains out with a coconut, then throwing myself off a cliff, in hopes of never running into a fool like him again.
We'd landed by now, not far from Adra's perfect, floating feet. Cyrus got up and ran towards her, arms spread.
"Adra, my diamond of beauty, my rose of love!"
Diamond of beauty? Rose of love? I was going to puke. The specter hugged him back, but her hands turned into menacingly deadly claws.
"Cyrus!" As if he just realized I was there, he looked down at me with puzzled and confused eyes. It was time to act. I dashed towards them, no real plan in mind, and yanked her off of him.
"Cyrus! Get up!" The specter jumped on me, tearing at the top of my aegis( AN type of clothing).
I kicked fiercely at her, trying to get her hand off my beloved aegis. What surprised me was the fact that she suddenly let go, and that Cyrus was standing over her with that coconut I was thinking of using to bash in his head in with.
"What-" He panted, "in Hades-" a sharp gasp "Is that?" He pointed to specter on the ground.
" A specter. They take the shape of a mortal to lead one into death." I told him. Unfortunately, that didn't explain why it attacked me.
Thanks for reading! I know it's a bit rocky in places, but I couldn't think after a while. I think my brother fried my brain for dinner. Anyways, I want to give you a quick "If you didn't know". Pallas is Athena's childhood friend who got in a fight with Athena, so Zeus struck her down, and Athena added her name to her own- Pallas Athene. Also, if it wasn't obvious, the imp is just a figment of Athena's imagination. Thanks again for reading, and especially thanks to those to review!