An awkward silence fell over them until Andrew cleared this throat. "That ring of yours…you didn't steal it, did you?"
She stared at the ground, contemplated for a moment, and then shook her head.
"Who did?"
Could she tell him? She looked at his face, into his blue eyes, and wondered if he was trustworthy. But in the end, she concluded the truth would be harmless. "Zeus gave it to me." Gazing at the ring on her finger, she twisted it affectionately. "While I was on the run."
"Gave it to you?" His eyes sparked with interest. "How? Did he materialize in front of you?"
"No," She smiled. "I prayed to him one night, for a way to defend myself against the monsters. The next day, I found it perched on a nearby bark."
He looked puzzled. "How did you know to pray to him?"
Uh oh. She couldn't tell him it was because he was her creator. "Um…well, I didn't exactly. He was just the one I chose, because all the Greek myths I've read portrayed him as being the 'top dog' of the gods."
Andrew held back a grin. "'Top dog'?"
"You know what I mean: the leader. They portrayed him as being the leader or rather, the god of gods."
"Hm. Perhaps you're a child of Zeus then, if he responds to your prayers."
"Perhaps,"
A silence broke out again, and Eirene didn't know if she could take anymore of this. Andrew leaned back, giving her a curious look. She felt her face burn under his stare, because she was frighten that he'd think she was lying. Even she had thought her tale was a little silly.
"It's strange, you know? You're on the run for so long, and the few times you have to stop at a café or computer lab you go and research Greek mythology."
She stiffened. What was he getting at? "Is that weird?"
"You didn't think to contact help or look for a shelter?"
She frowned. "I did. But the shelters were either always full or the children were really mean." She lied. She didn't want to say she'd never looked for a shelter, but instead had constantly researched Greek mythology, because by his words that was a 'weird' thing to do. And she didn't want to come across any weirder.
He scanned her eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "You lie a lot."
Damn. "You do too." She retorted.
He laughed, and she found that the sound of it send a shock through her veins. "Yes, but my lies are petty, personal things. Too important to be shared," He shrugged, and she heard the self-importance sneaking back into his tone. "I have a feeling your lies play into a grander scheme: Like they control life or death."
Eirene swallowed, suddenly very nervous. "Why…why would you think that?"
He shrugged. "You're…sort of an enigma. I don't think your set of powers match any of the gods. But it's clear that you're some sort of demigod, or else monsters wouldn't be coming after you." He scooted closer to her, giving her a shrewd look. "You know what I think? I think you know what you are. But you won't tell anyone."
Her body was stiff, her expression cold and empty when she returned his eyes, and watched his smile melt away. She'd hoped he wouldn't go this far, or figure out this much. But his words had frightened and angered her, and she was going to end this conversation and his speculation right now.
"It would be best if it stayed that way, Andrew. If I reminded that enigma,"
"But why?" He didn't just want to know, he felt like he had a right to all knowledge as a child of Athena.
She snapped at him, now upset. "You ask too many questions and don't answer nearly as many. Why don't you like sweets? Why are you so opposed to making friends? Where did that scar on your cheek come from? Why are you such a skilled fighter but seem not to be used to injury?" He shot at him, causing him to consciously touch his face. "And why do you want to swim in the Styx River?" She whispered the last part, incase Connor awoke. Andrew blinked at her, silent. He was unwilling to answer any.
Eirene sighed, willing herself to calm down. She didn't mean to badger him, but his inquiries worried her. "When you asked to accompany me on this quest, you said it was because you wanted me to help you find the river." To save someone you loved, she added silently. "I agreed, and I didn't press you on the issue." She scooted, away from him and stood to sit on the bed. "And I expect the same respect."
He was looking at her differently now, an expression mixed with surprise and regret. Like he was looking at someone he'd never seen before. He smirked as he stood, towering over her. But she didn't break his gaze, showing him that she was serious.
He crossed his arms, gazing down at her. "As you wish."
As she crawled into the covers and dozed to sleep, Eirene kept hearing one question echo in her mind: Who is the person he loves?
That night, Eirene found herself having one of her first vivid dreams. It was of the two gorgon sisters, and they were huddled in a corner, speaking in hushed voices.
"I told you not to let them go! It was stupid! It was a stupid idea!" Stheno was ruffling her snake-filled head, yelling insults at her sister. "How are we going to face them? We can't run!"
Euryale was trying to calm her sister down, but fear was clear in her own eyes. "We'll figure it out. We'll talk to them, make them see reason."
"See reason? Tell them that you've got this silly idea in your head that we can reclaim our place in Olympus? They'll laugh at us. All the gods will be laughing at us!"
"No…" Euryale was shaking her head. "You weren't there when the boy spoke. He… he said the gods always reward those who help them."
"He thought you were going to kill him! Of course he said anything to secure his safety." Now, Stheno looked like she was on the verge of tears. "You've killed us both. They'll send us back to tartarus." Her expression suddenly hardened. "We've got to run."
Euryale kept rubbing her hands, looking unsure of herself. "Run?"
Her sister grabbed her arm and yanked her. "Yes. We have to run. Run for the rest of our lives, maybe. But anything is better than returning there."
Suddenly, there was a shrieking cackle, followed by the room shaking uncontrollably. Some of the ceiling fell around the sisters, and Stheno cried as realization set in her eyes. They were here. They had come for them.
"Run away, you say? Run away from us?" A figure appeared from the shadows, adorned in a white and black silk dress that touched the floor. Her skin was a rich, dark colour, resembling the brown staff she was holding. Her hair was long and brandished a single braid through it. She was as striking in appearance as she was in aura, Eirene new instantly: This was Kratos, the goddess of power.
She pointed her staff at the two sisters, and laughed once more. "How cute; don't you think their hope is cute, Zelus?"
Another sister emerged from the shadows, this time with pale skin resembling marble and black hair cropped around her chin. Her clothing was the same as her sister, though the silk formed pants and she carried no staff. "Cute? I'd call it pathetic; pitiful, and downright disrespectful." She approached the gorgon sisters, sneering at them. "Disobey an order from us and then think you can just run away? What ingrates."
"And what's this talk I hear about regaining your place on Olympus?" Kratos inquired. Another booming laugh sounded, and once again Eirene was greeted by the sight of another one of her sisters: Nike. Her hair was black and looped around her head in braids, adorned with golden laurels. Her lips painted blood red. She was olive-skinned, donning the same colour garment as her sisters. Her features, most like her sisters, were striking.
Eirene watched in awe and horror as she saw all three of her 'sisters' before her, standing with regal elegance and frightening power. They all bore the same trait: green eyes, filled with energy from the river. And black hair filled with, what Eirene assumed, hate.
"You all disgraced yourself long ago with…your food business." Nike wrinkled her nose, swatting away the bad memory. "Any hope of redemption is futile."
"Especially now," Zelus hummed, smiling as she saw the gorgons squirming on the floor, crawling away in fear. She flicked her finger and they went flying against the wall. "Since you've disgraced us,"
"I don't understand!" Euryale cried. "Why couldn't you go after her yourselves if she's so important? Why send us?"
Kratos lifted her staff, causing Euryale's mind to fill with terrible visions. She cried and writhed over the pain, and Eirene cringed and looked away. This was cruel. This was disgusting. How much longer must she witness this?
"It would do you well to remember that I am the goddess of power, Euryale; Power over the mind, soul, and body. I can fill your brain with terrible things." She narrowed her eyes at Euryale, and the girl screamed louder. Stheno rushed to her sister's side.
"Stop it! Stop it PLEASE!" Tears filled her eyes
Kratos lowered her staff, eyes alit with malice. Eirene wanted to charge at her, to fight her and force her to stop. But she knew that they couldn't see her, and she couldn't touch them. Euryale stopped moving, gasping loudly and wiping the tears off her face.
"We gave you clear, simple instructions. Capture the girl, kill her friends, and bring her back to us." Zelus flipped her hair. "We may have personalized it a bit with the hair change, but surely that wasn't too much for you?"
Stheno sniffled. "It, it wasn't our fault. One of the demigods—"
Nike's eyes flashed. "Are you blaming someone else for your failure? Are you trying, for one second, to say that someone else was the reason for your letdown?"
The gorgons remained silent, and Nike smirked. "But of course. Just like last time, you let a demigod defeat you. A teenager, at that; you let them disgrace you once more."
"And yet you want Olympus to accept you again?"
"We care not for Olympus!" Stheno yelled, her snakes hissing. "We just want our sister back! She's done nothing wrong!"
"I think Athena would object that claim." Kratos laughed; the sound like nails on chalkboard. "Fraternizing with Poseidon in her sacred temple is punishable by death. Athena was merciful."
Eirene doesn't think Stheno could have looked at her three sisters with any more hate. Euryale, who was still clutching her heart, spoke up. "You don't understand! Gaea, Gaea is trying to take over Olympus! If she wins, you'll have no power! You'll be taken over by the giants!"
"Such matters are already being taken care of." Nike raised her chin haughtily. "The gods have always won the war. And we'll win again." She raised her hand, forcing Stheno and Euryale to stand. "But as for you two…you're punishment awaits."
"And where does it await, dear sister?" Kratos crooned, raising her staff slightly.
Nike raised her hands, causing both gorgons to levitate in the air. Kratos brought down her staff, and the ground below them opened, revealing Tartarus.
"No!" The gorgons squirmed. "No! Please, anywhere…anywhere but here!"
"Perhaps next time you'll think twice before disobeying us." Zelus said.
Nike let her hands fall, and the two sisters, clutching to each other for dear life, fell to their nightmare.
Eirene awoke moments later with a gasp.
{Author's Friendly Reminder: If you all have any questions about the story, i'll be happy to answer them via PM! ^ - ^}