The Gatekeeper's Promise: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Six (The Gatekeeper's Saga 6) (10 page)

“Will you come with us to Circe’s lair?” Than asked the goddesses.

“First Therese mus
t spy on Phorcys,” Ares objected.

“There may be no time,” Than said.

Poseidon lifted a finger into the air. “Recovering the trident must be our priority.”

“But our twins are destined to restore faith to humanity,” Than argued. “They should be a priority, too.”

“And they will be,” Poseidon assured him. “But we need the trident first, or there might not be a Mount Olympus in which to restore people’s faith.”

All eyes turned to Therese. Than
’s heart filled with dread.

“Since I don’t feel any pressure yet, I’ll do it,” Therese said. “But all of you
must swear on the River Styx that you’ll help me when I return.”

Everyone swore, including Than, though he felt too sick to utter it aloud.

***

Following the instructions from Ares and Poseidon, Therese swam down into the depths of the Ionian Sea toward the most ancient castle in existence. The monstrous body was awkward to maneuver through the water. Therese tried all the strokes she knew, but none of them worked well, so she ended up paddling like a dog with her claws and shaking her tentacles in something like a dolphin kick. It didn’t help that she was nervous and trembling. The six long necks slowed her down until she figured out how to hold them together in front of her. The dogs at her waist yapped with a will of their own and continued to feel like involuntary muscles that twitched of their own accord.

When she reached the door to the castle, she prayed to Than,
Do I knock or just walk inside?

Than didn’t answer. Then s
he remembered that she was without the ability to communicate through prayer in this monstrous body. Her heart—if this body had one—seemed to skip a beat.

Whenever she went to visit her aunt and uncle, she always knocked and walked inside, without waiting for anyone to answer. She decided to use this same approach at the castle door.

She knocked. “It’s Scylla.” Then she entered.

There were two huge crawfish standing guard in the foyer, but they made no move to prevent her passing.

Phorcys and Keto sat opposite one another at
the ends of a long banquet table. Echidna sat in the middle. Although the table was long and they were far apart, this gave their tails ample room. Phorcys and Keto’s fish tails were covered with iridescent scales. Echidna’s serpent tail had a snake head at the end. Echidna’s face, like Keto’s, was beautiful, but the darting tongues from both ends of her body were creepy-looking.

Of course, who am I to call someone creepy-looking? Therese thought.

From another room, the Chimera, entered, sending a shiver down all six of Therese’s necks.  “Hello, Scylla.”

“Hello.” Therese maneuvered to the table
, where platters of oysters were spread from end to end, and she sat beside the three-headed Chimera.

The Chimera’s front head and body looked like a lioness
, but in place of a tail, there was the head of a fire-breathing snake. From the lion’s back sprang a goat’s head.

“What evil work did Circe make you do
for her today?” Chimera spoke from the head of the goat as the lion’s head slurped up the flesh from the oyster shell.

As Therese struggled to come up with an answer, it was apparent to her
at this close proximity that Scylla had, by far, the worst body of them all. “She had me distract the gods who came to pay you a visit.”

“Why?” Phorcys asked.
In addition to a tail, two crawfish pinchers grew from his waist, which clicked and clacked as he spoke.

Therese shivered. “I don’t know. I guess she didn’t want them snooping around your castle walls.”

“But she knows they won’t find anything here,” Keto said. “That makes no sense.”

The monsters’ eyes turned on Therese. She fought the panic threatening
to tighten all six throats. “Maybe she thought they might try another attack.”

“Those Olympians should know we aren’t stupid enough to keep Amphitrite here,” Phorcys said.

“They care more about the trident,” Keto said.

“I ca
n’t wait until it’s mine.” Phorcys laughed haughtily. “It’s the only reason I’m putting up with this whole business.”

“Do you think the Olympians will figure out where the trident and Amphitrite have been hidden?” Therese asked.

“Never!” the Chimera screeched. “No one would ever guess.”

“As long as everyone in this family remains loyal to the Titans, the Olympians will fall,” Phorcys said.

“That’s the catch, isn’t it?” Echidna said. “And our weakest link is sitting on the trident.”

“What do you mean?” Therese asked.

“Don’t be an idiot,” the Chimera said to Therese. “You know what Echidna says is true. We all know it.”

“Ask Charbydis to come tomorrow,” Phorcys said to Therese. “I have something I need to say to her.”

“Aren’t you going to feed
?” Echidna asked her.

“I’m not hungry,” Therese said.

“There’s a first.” The Chimera laughed. “Are you ill?”

“You certainly are acting strange today, Scylla,” Keto commented. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

“No!” Therese shrieked, ready to run.

“Circe had no message for me?” Phorcys asked.

“None,” Therese replied.

“If you aren’t go
ing to eat with us, then why did you come?” Keto asked.

Without
a word, Therese swam from the castle doors as fast as she could manage.

***

Hypnos sighed with relief when they had all returned safely to Mount Olympus where they conveyed to the other gods what had transpired.

Zeus struck his fist into a palm
and said, “Attacking Circe will get us nowhere.”

Hip glanced at his brother, whose face had gone pale.

“But these gods swore to help us,” Than said.

“We swore an oath,” Hip clarified.

“And so you shall help, Hypnos,” Zeus said.

“What do you have in mind?” Hades suddenly appeared. “I’ve been tied up below, but I get the gist of things. Theres
e needs Circe to transform her, and all the gods swore to help.” Then, to Therese’s dog-heads, he added, “Down boys.”

“We need to interrogate Cerberus,” Poseidon said.

“And also Orthrus, Ladon, Charbydis, the Hydra, and the other children of Keto,” Artemis put in.

“Before you upset
Cerberus, find the spy in your own house,” Hades said to Poseidon.

Than stood at their center and spun in a circle, eyeing each one of the gods.
“You all swore to help Therese as soon as she returned from the ancient castle.”

“
Hypnos is our best bet of winning Circe’s favor,” Zeus said. “We could overtake her, but she can’t be forced to act against her will. She loves no one; not even herself.”

“Wha
t can I do?” Hip was eager to help his brother and Therese.

“Make her fall in love with you,” Zeus said. “Once she loves you, she will do anything for you.”

Hip rubbed his chin, a gesture he picked up from his father, and it made him feel foolish because he had no beard.

Zeus continued, “You are the only god among us whose heart yet belongs to no one.”

Whether they were loyal or not, all of the other gods had a wife except for Apollo and Hermes. Everyone knew Apollo’s heart had been claimed in recent years by a mortal, but what of Hermes? Hypnos studied him and was suddenly aware by the look in Hermes’s eyes as they gazed across the room at Hecate, and also by the look she returned him, that his heart belonged to someone, too.

Hip’s heart belonged to someone, but no one here, except for his brother and Therese, cared one bit about it. Than and Therese were his very best friends, and if this is what it took to help them, he would do it.

“I’ll go,” Hip said.

Chapter Eight: Circe’s Lair

Hypnos
had been both surprised and relieved when his cousin Hermes had volunteered to go with him to Circe’s Island. He was grateful to have him by his side as they flew across the Ionian Sea. Unaware of their mission, Circe’s father and his cup dipped far in the west, spreading golden hues across the surface of the sea. Hip hoped to reach the witch’s house before nightfall, because that’s when she was known to scream.

“Follow me,” Hermes said, once they had landed on the rocky shore.

They headed toward the center of the island on foot, because to god travel would make them vulnerable to dark magic, and because they needed to find a certain herb before reaching the witch’s lair. They soon became consumed by a thick forest, which blocked most of the light left from Helios; but, being gods, they could see in the dark, and so they trod on.

Hermes led them up a steep hill where they were once again bathed with the
light of the setting sun. From this point, they could see the entire island. At its center, transparent smoke ascended in puffs, like the steam from an engine. Hypnos had never seen smoke so clear before.

“That’
s strange,” he said to Hermes.

“Her potions and herbs,” Hermes explained. “Wretched stuff. Try not to breathe it
in.”

That sounded easy, considering the fact that he had no power to choose the air he breathed.

Hermes set about searching the top of the hill for the plant they needed to serve as an antidote to Circe’s brew, the one she used on Odysseus and his men, and countless others before and since.

“What does this plant look like?”
Hip asked, wishing he weren’t utterly useless.

“Ah, here it is.” Hermes plucked a white flower from the ground. “Moly.”

From its black roots, clumps of dirt clung.

“It
’s a powerful herb and doesn’t come up easily,” Hermes added. “Only gods can pluck it. See how the dirt refuses to release it?”

“Hmm
.” Everything about this place was freaky.

Hermes
used his fingers to carefully clean the black root of dirt. Then Hypnos followed his cousin down the hill toward the center of the island and the poisonous puffs of smoke.

Despite his fear over meeting with the witch, the hike through the woods invigorated Hip. His job rarely afforded him opportunities like this. As they trod on, he began to fantasize about hiking with Jen through the woods behind her house, about finding a cool spot near the stream and lying down on the soft dirt, and…

Soon they reached a clearing, and Circe’s house came into view. It was made of cut stone, polished to a sheen, which, even in the fading light, sparkled. It was angular, like a modern city complex, capturing the light and reflecting it back in all directions. From a triangular chimney, the clear smoke ascended in clouds much larger than they had appeared from a distance. Surrounding the house were six wolves and six mountain lions. Three of them slept, but the rest paced nervously, like caged animals, though no fence penned them in.

“Don’t worry,” Hermes whispered. “The animals are friendly.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“Circe has used her magic to turn them into pets.”

“What is her deal?” Hypnos asked. “Why does she live as a witch using black magic when she’s a goddess?”

“She’s a Titaness,” Hermes explained.

“So? I know several, and they aren’t witches. Hecate, for example.”

Hypnos realized immediately by Hermes’s expression that
he had hit a sensitive cord.

“
She’s your mother’s slave,” Hermes muttered.

“Not slave. Companion.” Hypnos felt offended on his mother’s behalf. “My mom’s not like that.”

Hermes gave no reply.

Hypnos didn’t like this change in subject. “So
, back to Circe.”

“Her father dropped her on this island when she was very young and left her here to fend for herself. Her mother didn’t want her, either. So
, this is what she came up with.”

“The life of a lonely witch,” Hip muttered. “Do you think she’s the one who stole the trident and abducted Amphitrite?”

“That’s for her to know and for you to find out, cousin.”

***

Than stroked one of Therese’s six necks as she bathed in Poseidon’s enormous spa on Mount Olympus. He was grateful the Olympians had allowed her to stay here in the
strongest fortress on earth, where many gods could be at hand if the pressure to lay the eggs containing their twins became too great. But he was worried about his brother.

“Poor Hip,” she said, as if reading his mind.

He gave her a weak smile. “He’ll be fine.”

“Don’t look at me
,” Therese said again, covering her four eyes with her claws. “Look at the wall or the floor. I can’t stand for you to see me like this.”