The Gatekeeper's Promise: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Six (The Gatekeeper's Saga 6) (13 page)

“She refuses to tell me where she’s hidden the trident!”
Poseidon’s eyebrows disappeared beneath his sun-bleached bangs. “Or Amphitrite, for that matter.”

Therese noticed Amphitrite’s abduction was always an afterthought, but she supposed more was at stake with the trident in the wrong hands.

“If you want to avoid our wrath, you’ll speak!” Zeus commanded.

Thoosa flopped to her other side to face the lord of the gods. “I don’t know where they are. I already told Poseidon, I had no idea they were stolen.”

Therese narrowed her eyes, wanting to confront the sea nymph, but she held back.

“Did you or di
d you not give Polyphemus’s sheep to Atlas?” Zeus asked.

“I did,” Thoosa admitted. “But I didn’t know he’d use them to take Amphitrite
and the trident!”

Zeus turned to Hermes. “Bring Apollo home.”

Hermes vanished.

“Make her swear an oath!” Poseidon said.

“I swear on the River Styx!” the mermaid cried. “Atlas wanted me to create a diversion for Poseidon, in case Polyphemus called his father while I was stealing the sheep.” Thoosa covered her face and shook her head. “If only I’d known.”

“What happened next?” Hera asked.

“I gave Amphitrite the idea of getting revenge on my sister, Scylla. Scylla deserved it.”

“So you planted that idea in my wife’s head?” Poseidon clenched his fists.

“I never imagined Atlas would attack my lord and lady. You must believe me!” Thoosa cried.

“Why do you think Atlas wanted those sheep?”
Hades picked at his beard. “Lamb chops?”

“He said he loved me.
” Thoosa covered her face again. “He said he wanted to start a life together. A simple life in the sea. He said after centuries of standing on the earth and holding up the sky, he wanted nothing to do with those realms.”

“Then what reason did he give you for wanting the sheep?” Hermes asked.

“He said he wanted to give them to his daughters, the Hesperides.”

Hera stood from her throne. “Did he say why?”

“As a gift,” Thoosa replied. “He said he hadn’t been able to give them much over the years, and he thought they would enjoy having the wool, for making new clothes and such. It
is
the finest wool, after all.”

“When was the last time you spoke to him?”
Athena asked.

Thoosa shook her
head and shrugged. “Not since the day I gave him the sheep.”

Zeus lifted his fists
in frustration. “Do you have any idea where he might be?”

“I didn’t know your lightning bolts were hidden in tho
se sheep. Please, believe me, Lord Zeus!”

Therese prayed to Than,
This isn’t the first time one of Zeus’s plans backfired on him.

And us
, Than replied with a grim look on his face.

Apollo and Artemis appeared with Hermes, and Apollo began to question the prisoner.

You okay?
Therese put a hand on Than’s shoulder, but dared not speak out loud.

I’m spying on Circe. I want to save Hip. He went there to help you and me.

I know.
Therese frowned.
Please be careful. It won’t do us any good if you get caught, too.

Than squeezed her hand.
I can’t communicate with him, but I can see him. He’s trapped in her bed. He can’t disintegrate.

So
, can he perform his duties?

No.

Then maybe now we can get some help.

Zeus will w
ant mortals to have their sleep
, Than agreed.

After Apollo finished
questioning Thoosa, who was telling the truth, Than stuck his hand in the air and said, “Maybe Circe knows where Atlas is. I move we search her lair and question her.”

The gods seemed to consider this.

“Mortals will not sleep as long as Hypnos is her prisoner,” Hades added.

“Maybe we should
use Thoosa to draw Atlas out,” Poseidon said.

“His daughters are being interrogated by Ares in my garden now,”
Hera pointed out.

“Ares is the one responsible for freeing Atlas,” Therese said again. “Shouldn’t he be questioned?”

Therese noticed Than’s face fall into a frown.

Should I not have said that?
Therese asked Than.

It won’t help us rescue Hip.

“I need volunteers to go to the Hesperides,” Zeus said. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

As Apollo, Artemis, and others stepped forward to volunteer, Than took Therese’s elbow
and led her back to the rainbow steps.

“It looks like we’re on our own for now,” he said.

“What do you have in mind?” Therese asked.

“I want to take my father’s helm.”

“Can’t you just ask to borrow it?”

Than shook his head. “I already did. He won’t allow it. Not right now.”

“But Hip’s his son!”

“
He says Circe is harmless.”

Therese’s mouth dropped open. “How can he say that
after what she did to me? Our twins could have…” She couldn’t finish—couldn’t say it. She shuddered as she gently rubbed her abdomen, hoping the babies weren’t advanced enough to know what had almost happened to them.

“
My father says that she’s taken Hip as her lover, and she treats her lovers well.”

“Her lover?” Therese’s stomach tied in
knots. She hoped Jen would never find out.

“We have no choice but to take the helm,” Than said. “
The witch will sense me otherwise. I’ll have it back before Hades even realizes it’s gone.”

“Why can’t we wait until we have your father’s approval?”

“Circe has a way of brainwashing her victims,” Than explained. “We need to get Hip out of there while he still wants out.”

Therese chewed on her bottom lip. She had to help. She had to. “What’s your plan?”

Than bowed his head. “First, I’m going to kill my brother.”

Therese held her breath a
nd searched her husband’s eyes. Had she heard him right?

“It’
s the only way to break her spell,” he explained.

“So you’re serious? You’re going to kill him?”

Therese knew the only way to separate a god’s body from his soul was to tear the body apart.

Than nodded.

Therese’s throat tightened. “How?”

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

Tears rushed to Therese’s eyes. She was sorry that Hip would have to endure a painful death, and she was even sorrier that her husband would be the one to cause it.

He took her by the hand.
“Come on. Let’s go.”

***

Than
led Therese into his father’s chambers where he knew his father kept the helm. It was heavily warded to prevent theft, but since Hades trusted his sons, Thanatos was immune to the enchantments.

Guilt flooded him as he set the helm on his head. He’
d never taken it before, and—except for the time he broke his oath on the River Styx and made Therese a god—he’d never broken any rules or done anything against his father.

But this time, he felt he had no choice.

He’d heard stories about Circe. She had a way of brainwashing her victims so that even if her spell was broken, her victims wouldn’t leave. Than needed to get his brother out of there while Hip still wanted his freedom.

“I can’t sense you anymore,” Therese said.

Than removed the helm. “You wait here. I’ll make this quick.”

She arched a brow. “No way. I’m not letting you go alone.”

He grabbed her arm and jerked her close. “Do it for the twins, okay?”

Her face softened, and she nodded just before he kissed her.

“Be careful.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Please?”

“I will.”

Than decided not to mention the fact that he couldn’t multiply the helm, because it meant only one of him would be invisible to Circe. Of course, he’d need to disintegrate into two: one to guide his brother’s soul and the other to rescue the body.

That was information Therese was better off not knowing. It would only make her worry.

He returned the helm to his head and flew across the sky to Circe’s Island.

***

Mrs. Holt emerged from the fitting room with the cream-colored
dress Jen had picked out.

No
pe. It was one of those that looked better on the rack.

“I don’t think so,” Jen’s mom said with a grin. “What do you think?”

Jen sat back on the bench and shook her head. “Maybe we should try a different store.”

“Y
eah. I’m too old for this one.”

“Mom.” Jen rolled her eyes. “You are not
old
.”

“
Do you realize I turned fifty this year?”

Jen’s face fell. With Therese’s wedding and Pete’s death, they hadn’t celebrated her mother’s birthday. “I’m sorry we forgot.”

“Hell, I even forgot. Pete had just…”

Jen could tell her mother was trying not to cry.

“Am I doing the right thing, baby doll?”

Jen sat up and lifted her chin, trying to read her mother’s face.
“What do you mean?”

“Getting married again at my age.”

Jen’s mouth fell open. She couldn’t recall her mother ever asking for her advice. With a sinking filling, she realized her mother had always gone to Pete.

“Well, does he make you happy?” Jen looked at her mother sideways.

Mrs. Holt flicked the tears from her cheeks and nodded. “And you gotta know that’s hard right now.”

“And do you love him?”

Again, Jen’s mom nodded. “I really do.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

Mrs. Holt glanced around at the few other customers waiting in the fitting room area. “Will you come in the stall and help me with this zipper?”

Jen shrugged. “Sure.”

Once they were in the tiny fitting room with the door closed, Mrs. Holt turned to Jen and took both of her hands.

“Listen to me, sweet
girl.” Jen’s mom took a deep breath and let it out before she said, “I need to know if you feel comfortable around John.”

“What? Oh…” Jen was so surprised by the question that she didn’t know what to say.

“I should have asked you before I said yes, but…”

“Mom. It’s okay.”

“Seriously, if…”

“Seriously. I mean it. I like Mr. Stern.”

Her mother smiled and searched Jen’s face. “You do?”

“Yes. What’s not to like about him?”

“Well…”

“He helps with the horses, he’s nice to you, and he’s friendly to me and Bobby, and, well, he’s a good guy.”

Mrs. Holt released her hands and raked them through her newly dyed hair. “That’s all true, baby doll.”

“And, to tell you the truth…” Jen hesitated, having second thoughts about what she wanted to say.

“What?”

“I’m actually more comfortable around Mr. Stern than I was around Daddy.”

Mrs. Holt’s face transformed into despair, and it broke Jen’s heart.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Her mother wrapped her arms around Jen and broke into tears. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

Jen fought back tears.
“You didn’t know.”

Her mom held onto Jen for several seconds before she said, “You’re right.
I didn’t know. I should have, but I didn’t. And I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Her mom pulled away to look at her. “No, it’s not okay. I’m your mother. I don’t know how I was so oblivious.” Her face crinkled into a frown. “But what I’m most sorry for is letting him come back…after his therapy.”

Jen closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears that wanted to burst like a broken pipe.

“I really thought he was better. I thought the therapy had helped him.”

Mrs. Holt wrapped her arms around Jen, and Jen wished she could stay like that in her mother’s arms for the rest of the day. How many years had she wished her
mother would come to her rescue? Jen had been too afraid, too afraid of getting in trouble to reach out to her mom. When she was little, she thought what had happened between her and her father was her own fault, because back when she was five and six, before she knew it was wrong, she actually…oh, could she admit it? She actually enjoyed it! It was a fun game and she felt special! She thought she was her daddy’s favorite. That’s what he said, anyway. The tickling and the games and the late-night whisperings were something she looked forward to back then. They’d even sometimes make fun of Bobby or her mom. It was like they were conspiring—partners in crime—and it had been fun.