The Gatekeeper's Promise: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Six (The Gatekeeper's Saga 6) (12 page)

“Why haven’t you told Poseidon?” Therese screeched in Scylla’s voice.

“My mother said Atlas would chop me up and eat me if I said a word.”

Therese felt a tremendous pressure on her entire form, pressing from all directions. She was helpless to do anything
about it. Certain Polyphemus had attacked her with some unknown magic, she screamed in Scylla’s monstrous roar, closed all four eyes, and flailed frantically with her claws.

Moments after, she was startled when her screams began to sound like her own voice—a delusion of the magic, no doubt. She opened her eyes to see Pol
yphemus blinking dumbly at her.

The shock of b
eing in her own body had no time to wear off before the cannibal had found his club and had raised it over his head.

“Why, you!” He swung the club.

She flew up to the ceiling, his wooden club grazing her foot. “I’m on your side!”

He swung at her again, like she was a baseball pitched too high.

“I’m on your father’s side!” she said again. “I’m trying to help him!”

“Why should I believe you?” the Cyclops demanded.

Than appeared beside her and took her hand. “Let’s go.”

Together
, they god traveled away from the island and headed back to Mount Olympus.

When they arrived outside
the gates, Than asked, “You’re okay? And the babies, too?”

She nodded
, as tears of relief poured down her cheeks. She pressed her hands against her abdomen and felt Hestia and Hermes do the same. The sensation of their tiny baby hands held up to hers overwhelmed her with emotion. “The twins are fine.”

She noticed him let out a big breath and close his eyes.

She clutched the lockets around her neck, thankful that they hadn’t disappeared in the transformation.

“What
a relief,” he said.

In a hurry to share what they learned with the other gods,
Therese gave the request to the Seasons to be allowed inside; but, before she broached the gates, Than tugged at her hand and pulled her back into him. “Wait.”

She used her thumbs to wipe a few tears from his cheeks. “What is it, honey? I’m okay. The babies are fine.”

“
I know we have to go in there and tell everyone what we’ve learned about Atlas, but for just one minute, let me hold my family.”

The
rese gladly nestled her face against his neck and drank in his smell. She enjoyed the feel of his hands along her body and in her hair. She took in the pleasure of running her hands through his thick, dark hair and tried not to think about the fact that once the twins were born, they’d never be a family again.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“The pleasure’s always mine.” He took her hand and led her through the courtyard.

As they ascended the rainbow steps, she asked
, “Have you been in contact with Hip? Have you thanked him for me?”

“No. But look. There’s Hermes. Maybe he has some news.”

***

Jen set the crown on her bedside table and climbed beneath the bedcovers. Based on tonight’s announcement, her mother and Mr. Stern were going to be married and live happily ever after. Pete was going to marry Tizzie and have his happily ever after, too—sort of. Yet never had Jen felt a bigger void inside her heart. Why couldn’t she be grateful?

For the hundredth time, she wished she hadn’t destroyed the dream
globe. If only she could see Hip’s face one more time. Maybe that would be enough. She closed her eyes but fought the urge to pray to him. He had moved on. He didn’t want her anymore.

Sometime later, she was running through an empty field, like the one across from her house by the lake, but bigger, vaster, never-ending. She had to get to the end of it, so she ran on. She wasn’t sure why she was running, or what it was she was running toward, but nevertheless she ran at her top speed.

Suddenly a giant body of water stretched out in front of her, dark and mysterious, but she had to keep going, so she did the only thing she could do and dived in. The taste of salt reminded her that this was not the lake in front of her house but a giant ocean of possibilities.

That’s when he appeared before her.

“Why is it always the sea?” he asked. “I’m a land lover.” He took her hand. “Shall we?”

Now they were in the woods behind her house hiking up the mountain along the stream. Hip led the way, her hand in his. He smiled back at her.

“Figment,” she said.

She didn’t want to give the command. She didn’t care if he was a figment. She wanted to enjoy the dream.

He brought her to a clearing beside the stream, and they lay beside one another on a bed of warm leaves.

“I’ve missed you,” he said.

She said nothing as he covered her mouth with his, and she was swept away, tears streaming down her cheeks, the void in her heart overwhelmed with love, the longing and tugging and bearing down of weight and cold and sorrow lifted up, high above them into the clouds.

She rejoiced and kissed him again and again and said, “Stay with me, oh please. Even if you are a figment. Stay with me.
”

He pulled her clo
ser against him and whispered into her ear, “I’m no figment, Jen. It’s me. Really me. And I love you and want to be with you for as long as you live.”

Now the fear of deception ripped a hole where the void had been filled
, and, like the air in a deflating balloon, the hopes and dreams and happiness flew out and away. As much as she relished the feel of him in her arms, kissing her, whispering his sweet nothings, she knew at some point she would have to wake up and know the truth. Might as well face it. Hell and damn. She grit her teeth, steeled herself for the hard slap of reality.

“Figment, I command you to show yourself.”

He smiled back at her. “Believe me now?”

Her eyes and mouth widened. Could this be real? “Is this a dream from the gates of ivory or horn?” she murmured.

“Horn,” he said. “It’s a true dream, and I really do love you.”

“What about Pa
shit
ea?”

He laughed, and when she frowned he apologized. “I’m laughing at your name for her, not at you. I was shot by the arrow of Eros. Zeu
s’s command. Long story, darling, but it’s you I want…”

She didn’t wait for the rest of his explanation. She buried him with her kisses
, praying to him to let this be the longest dream of her life.

***

Hypnos caressed Jen’s soft hair—soft even in the world
of dreams—and whispered against her ear, “I love you. I will always love you.”

As he pressed
his lips to hers, a burning pain, like a fire searing his flesh, shot through his skin. The fire travelled from his mouth to the ends of his fingertips and toes. He gasped and writhed in pain, and, when he opened his eyes, he saw Circe looking back at him, her head on his pillow, and her face inches from his, wearing a wry grin.

When the pain had at last subsided
, Hip asked, “What just happened?”

She reached over and brushed his hair from his eyes and then planted a kiss on his cheek. Hip found it impossible to move away from her.

“I’ve restored your brother’s wife and her twins as promised,” Circe said gently.

Hip closed his eyes, sighed, and opened them again. “Thank you.”

“I want to tell you something.” She stroked his hair and looked intently into his eyes, as though he and Circe were lovers. “There are two kinds of men who visit me—and they’re always men, never women. Sometimes travelers, sometimes explorers, sometimes wretched people who need something from me, and sometimes they’re simply curious about me. Nevertheless, they all fall into two categories: swine or men.”

Hip blinked at her, wondering what she was getting at.

“If they’re swine, I turn them into their true form and keep them in my pigsty until I’ve fattened them up for slaughter. If they’re men, I bring them to my bed and keep them until I grow weary of them.”

“What do
you mean you ‘keep them’?”

“It’s the only time I can sleep. When I have a warm body beside me.”

Hip narrowed his eyes.

“And last night was the best sleep of all, thanks to you.”

“Circe, I can come and give you nights like that as often as you’d like.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Hip sat up in the bed and swung his feet to the floor, but when he tried to stand, he found he couldn’t. An invisible force kept him on the bed. He turned and glared at the witch.

“What have you done?”

“Don’t be cross.” She gave him a playful smile.

***

Thanatos followed Therese up the rainbow steps and into the great hall of Mount Olympus. Hermes met them near the entrance with a grave look on his face.

“Where’s Hip?” Than asked.

“Circe managed to get a spell past me,” the messenger god replied.

“What?” Therese asked.

“I left the island to find
you
,” Hermes said.

“But why?” Therese asked.

“To make sure the witch kept her word. To make sure she changed you back.”

“Hermes, what spell?” Than asked. “What did Circe do to my brother?”

“She’s trapped him in her bed.”

Than disintegrated and god-travelled to Circe’s Island, where he was about to multiply into the hundreds and converge upon the witch’s house when Hermes grabbed him by the arm back on Mount Olympus.

“We need a plan,” Hermes warned. “Don’t just go in there willy nilly.”

Than
cocked his head to one side. “You and Hip had a plan.”

“Therese!” Aphrodite cried from across the hall. “Look! Therese is back to her lovely self!”

Aphrodite and her Graces rushed to embrace Therese. Persephone, Hecate, and Demeter were right behind them. Pasithea avoided Than’s eyes as she, too, welcomed Therese. Unlike the others, she wore a frown, which made Than feel sorry for her.

“Thank goodness!” Persephone said.

“Thank Hypnos,” Than corrected.

Therese lifted her chin.
“And now he needs our help.”

“We know,” Zeus called from his throne on the other side of the room. “Come in. We were just discussing what to do.”

Athena, Metis, and Rhea stood near Zeus and Hera’s double throne. Hephaestus was working in his forge, Hestia was busy preparing a meal, and both Poseidon and Hades were at their respective kingdoms. Ares, Apollo, and Artemis were not at home. They’d been sent to question gods and goddesses and other beings around the world.

“So why Cyclopes Island?” Hermes asked as they crossed into the great hall together.

“Therese had a hunch,” Than said.

“Polyphemus knew who stole his sheep,” Therese said.

The room grew deathly silent. Than gave Therese a reassuring wink. She squeezed his hand.

You’re amazing
, Than prayed to her.

You’re
amazing
, she argued back.

“The Cyclops named the thief?” Zeus stood from his throne, and the women with whom he’d been consulting turned to face Therese, Than, and Hermes as they took the center of the room.

“He said his mother took them,” Therese said.

“Thoosa?” Athena asked. “But why?”

“She’s working for Atlas,” Therese said. “Ares freed him, remember?”

“Hermes,” Zeus began. “Ask Poseidon and Hades to come at once.”

Hermes disappeared.

“What about my brother?” Than asked.

Metis and Athena exchanged worried looks.

“I’m sorry Thanatos.” Rhea was the one who spoke. “You understand that getting back the trident must be our top priority, don’t you?”

“We can split up,” Than said.

“Not until we know more about Circe’s involvement with Atlas and Thoosa,” Zeus said. “Be patient, Thanatos.”

Than told his father about Hip through prayer, expressing their urgent need to rescue him.

At that moment Poseidon e
ntered the court dragging behind his golden net. The net contained a prisoner, who was curled in a ball like a giant fish. It was the merwoman called Thoosa, also known as the mother of Polyphemus.

Chapter Ten: Prisoners
and Thieves

“Introducing my spy!” Poseidon shouted to the gods and goddesses surrounding his prisoner, just as Hades and Hermes entered the court.

Therese stepp
ed closer to the golden net. Memories of being held prisoner in it flooded her. That’s how she had come to Mount Olympus for the very first time. She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sympathy for the mermaid.

Thoosa was as beautiful as Keto and Echidna, if not mor
e so. She shared their deep turquoise eyes and raven hair. It was hard to believe she and Poseidon had produced the giant, one-eyed cannibal known as Polyphemus. This proof that children don’t always look like their parents made Therese clutch her belly.