LYSSANDRA

  200 years later.

  I took care of Myrto’s legs when we finally rested in the forest after the wending. Her eyes were still black and drenched with tears.

  I washed her feet with the cold water from the river and then applied wax made of herbs to her wounds. Poor girl, she ran all the way barefoot to her future. Her gaze was trembling when she was facing Adamantious with panic, and she crawled like a wet dog closer to me.

  ‘’He won’t hurt you.’’I let out a whisper and kept treating her wounds.

  ‘’How do you know that?’’She asked.

  I faced the giant man who was following me, who was snoring next to his sister. He had the strength to stop any of us with one grip of his hand on one of our throats. But I remembered that this man was crying all over when he accidentally killed a rat back at Ares' temple.

  ‘’I just know’’I whispered and moved to her hair, trying to fix them from all the twigs her curls took from the hunting.

  ‘’Can I really stay with you?’’Her voice shook like a leaf.

  She cannot go anywhere else, can she? A face like hers will make every man interested in her in any way possible. Hunted like an animal again.

  ‘’If you want…’’I mumbled and kept brushing her hair.

  The girl let out a hum. ‘’You are very kind…’’

  And her face turned to me. Her face…what was her face looking like? Why can’t I see it?

  ‘’But your kindness was a lie too, wasn’t it?’’Her voice growled with everything becoming darker and colder.

  I woke up screaming in the dark of my room. Cold sweat dripped all over my face, even in both of my eyes.

  ‘’I am sorry’’I mumbled between my breath, thinking of the last words I said to the girl.

  ‘’I am so sorry’’ I said, my knees remembering that I couldn’t remember her face.

  And another voice spoke right behind my ear.

  ‘’Oh, you're finally shedding tears’’ the voice belonged to Paris.

  ‘’The guilt of your own actions.’’His fingers dug deep into my skin, and I wished it could stop.

  ‘’Good, you deserve to suffer.’’

  ‘’You are not real, you are-’’

  ‘’Am I what? Trapped?’’The god laughed, and I walked away from my bed, letting Pup now follow me.

  And so did Paris' voice. ‘’You know, when I first met you, I wanted to make you suffer, beg me for forgiveness’’He sighed, and his lips moved on my neck.

  ‘’And now, oh, I wish that I could see how well my job was done.’’

  ‘’Stop’’ I whispered. It was not real. Paris was not there, my dreams were simple dreams. Or I was actually moving toward madness. How many centuries have I been in that room?

  ‘’Look at me Oracle’’He growled. ‘’Look at the god whom you pushed to an internal punishment.’’

  ‘’Stop, blaming me, it’s not my fault.’’

  ‘’Please, Oracle’’His voice softened. ‘’I just want to look at you.’’

  The beginning of his charm made me move back and see what it was expected to be: Paris.

  But none were there. For a second, the hope I had that he might be here actually vanished. And I just knew that I was slowly losing my mind.

  The sun rose, and I started reading the scrolls again. There was the story of a god falling for a forbidden goddess. He fell in love so deeply that he broke the ground to force her into his arms.

  Pup moved closer to me and tried to read with me. When he seemed to finish reading, he let his tongue out.

  ‘’I couldn’t agree with you more’’I said and petted his golden head.

  ‘’Enjoy your reading?’’ Hermes’ voice whispered in my nape. Always the surprising entrances for me to gasp from his appearance. But I already knew that he would have done that.

  ‘’Not really,’’I admitted and moved the scroll out of my way.

  ‘’You didn’t like the story that I gave to you?’’

  The story of a god lusting after a goddess so much that he takes her by force. Maybe he wanted me to see another picture, but I suppose I could not.

  That made Hermes frown.

  ‘’The seasons will get colder from today’’He announced and rested his head on my bed.

  The pup jumped closer to me, and I began petting him again.

  And Hermes pouted. ‘’Come with me down there today’’

  My heart leaped from those words, and I tried to restrain my smile.

  ‘’What for?’’I tried to act formal, but it seemed that God was pleased with my expressions.

  ‘’I have an errand to attend to’’He stood up and with a snap of his fingers, his once golden clothes turned mourning black with a golden symbol at the top of his shoulder where the fabric was being held tight. And I noticed that the necklace he was always wearing was nowhere to be found. I suppose that in the end, it was nothing special, and I was just imagining a hope that never existed.

  ‘’Year by year, it get so boring’’He pouted and leaned closer to me.’’So, will you keep me company?’’

  Was this what he wanted? To accompany him on an errand? Or was it something more? It didn’t matter, as if I were outside Olympus, I would have a better chance of escaping him.

  I just nodded in agreement, and the god laughed.

  +++

  ‘’How do I look?’’Asked the god as he was fixing his hair.

  ‘’Charming as usual,’’ I spoke dry. Other times, he would find that compliment enticing, but now he looked disappointed. And so was I when we faced the destination.

  I was expecting the god to visit a palace or a rich kingdom. But instead, we were both standing in front of a peculiar hut in the middle of a forest. Surrounded by women, it looked as if the people were preparing for a celebration. All young and beautiful with bright, colorful complexions, the girls were growing trees and putting the grown fruits into baskets. Others were coming from deep in the forest, bringing gifts like boars and flasks with alcohol. There were even two goddesses with bright emerald skin who were trying to light a fire, but they were slowly failing.

  I tried to ask Hermes about the place that we were in, but he tried to point me at the entrance of the hut again.

  Two beautiful women with green skin and sharp ears faced us with anticipation and bowed to our existence. Well, they both bowed to Hermes, but it seemed that both of them eyed me with mistrust.

  By Hermes’ directions, I was forced to wear a black dress and a dark cloak to cover my face. As if no one wanted to notice that I was with him.

  ‘’ You are very early, Herald’’One of the goddesses spoke.

  The god did not reply and turned his gaze at me as if I was supposed to do something.

  Anticipating, the god now sighed. ‘’Here is a maiden girl to prepare the Queen’’

  The Queen? I looked once again at the hut and noticed that all around the area, beautiful flowers were blooming.

  Maybe there was truly a queen, or perhaps another goddess who was living inside, hiding from the man. It seemed that way at least, by the way the women were facing him with disgust. And then, one of them looked at me with pity.

  ‘’Let her in’’The voice inside the hut ordered.

  With a victory smile, Hermes took the first step closer to the entrance of the hut.

  ‘’Not you. Her’’The cold voice of the woman ordered, and I felt a strange air conquering my body.

  I turned to Hermes, whose face was turning darker, with the sun dropping down slowly and making the sun threads weak, unbearable to touch his harsh silver skin.

  Taking a deep breath, I reached for his thin fingers and tried to embrace them softly as I looked above him.

  ‘’I will be back soon’’I said, smiling and wishing I were dropping dead.

  Both of the goddesses took a glance at each other and then at me. After that, they finally moved away and walked closer to Hermes as if they were trying to stall him with their now happy smiles.

  The hut had a warm tone with beautiful fabrics down to the ground. Near the bed, a hen was resting in the heat of the house with a strange, sad expression in her eyes.

  I tried to take a closer look at it, but a chilling voice interrupted me.

  ‘’You must be the maiden’’

  I turned my gaze back to see a beautiful, tall woman with an outstanding rose complexion. She moved her plump body around, trying to search for any sight of someone who shouldn’t be here.

  ‘’He is out’’I admitted and tried to comfort her.

  The goddess had a calm expression as she was forcing her ruby eyes to look far away from me. But then, she looked back at me with a warm smile.

  ‘’You must be famished’’She giggled and snapped her fingers, making a golden plate appear at the nearest table, filled with figs and honey.

  I wasn’t even hungry at first, but seeing the honey dripping onto the ripe fruit made me salivate. I grabbed one of the biggest figs and munched it right up, feeling all the sweetness on my teeth and tongue.

  Realizing what I did, my eyes looked slowly at the goddess who was still smiling.

  ‘’Thank you, goddess’’I said, trying to wipe out the honey from my face.

  ‘’He told me so much about you’’She approached with a sudden embrace, and I tried to back away as I swallowed the last bite of the fruit.

  ‘’Oh, you must have mistaken me for someone else’’I tried to avoid the thought that Hermes talked of what I have done and am.

  ‘’He told me that you are an expert in cosmetics,’’ She explained.

  I blinked.

  ‘’My women were always radiant and great with their work, but now…’’Her eyes closed. And in the moment she was about to lose her smile, she winced and cheered herself up.

  ‘’So, show me your work.’’

  With a snap of her fingers, a box appeared with powder and bright color jars. I was about to speak again, but the woman sat down on her bed and began petting the hen.

  Was this what he wanted me to do? Prepare the goddess?

  No matter, I took the box and faced the radiant woman in front of me. She had a round face with her cheeks moving close to her eyes like flower petals.

  She seemed to know how to follow orders as she let me move her bright emerald locks behind her colorful feather for ears…

  ‘’Feathers?’’I spoke to you aloud, and the goddess pouted. ‘’Something the matter?’’

  I shook my head and began putting white powder on her face.

  Honestly, I only used cosmetics a few times, but I enjoyed every moment of it. If there were an expert who would have been Myrto-

  ‘’Are you alright, maiden?’’ The goddess spoke as I showed her my emotions.

  ‘’I am sorry’’I sniffed my nose.’’So, who are you preparing for?’’I let the powder away and took the jar with red liquid and began putting it in her cheeks.

  ‘’Oh, it is time to visit my husband again.’’

  ‘’Again?’’ I asked with a giggle, and my gaze looked down at her dark dress and the necklace she was wearing around her bright neck. There was a symbol carved in such detail, trying to show a golden pomegranate.

  And everything that Hermes told me, the myths that I knew of, and what I saw earlier, finally hit my tired mind.

  I gulped and tried to face away.

  ‘’I didn’t-’’

  ‘’It’s fine, Lyssandra’’

  I tried to hold my breath, but I knew that this might not be what she wanted from me.

  Why did I care what she was thinking? When did I start to care like that?

  ‘’Hermes told you who I am’’I whispered to the Queen of the Underworld and began brushing her cold lips with red color.

  ‘’He didn’t have to say anything.’’ She reassured me. ‘’ And do not worry, that you are safe with me.’’

  I finished her face, and I decided to walk right behind her and fix her hair.

  The goddess was calm and elegant, unlike the hut she was leaving. Outside, I could listen to the rest of the goddesses start playing music. I was expecting the melody to be cheerful, but the tone of the sound could only belong to a mournful tone.

  ‘’Is it always like this?’’I asked Persephone.

  She nodded. ‘’I am leaving the world of the living; it is only natural for people to cry.’’

  I tried to brush her hair as I heard those words. Only natural.

  ‘’How does it…’’I tried to think of the right words. ‘’How does it feel?’’

  The woman laughed.

  ‘’Just like the first time I saw him. In the valley where I was picking flowers, I could always see animals losing their lives by old age or from the circle of life. I could only stand there and weep with the still living friends and parents of that animal. Thinking that I was always the lucky one. The one that I would never pass on the road.

  That’s what my mother always said. That no matter what, I would be safe with her.

  However, one day, with the sun still bright, the ground echoed with pain and suffering. Flowers began decaying around me, and animals fled while I was standing there speechless. I couldn’t run. I did not understand why I couldn’t run or fight from his cold grasp. But at the end. It was time for me to cross the path, too.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  I cried for my mother’s help, and I begged to be let go until I ended up at the palace of the god who took me away. A cold place where only suffering was awaiting me. And then, I took a look at the god. The cold, lonely god. I had never seen someone surrounded by eternal pain so close. And he never saw someone like me.

  Even with tears in my eyes, he kept his distance at first. He wished for me to see the world he ruled. That cold and painful world. But when I did, I could see that each pain was showing a path. Each is a different path to the same destination of eternal ending.

  It took me a while to understand that this world was no different from mine. That life was also filled with pain and suffering. And at the end, you might meet the peace that you deserve. But I never would have thought that the god who took me away wanted to feel the way mortals did. To find in all the suffering, the happiness, and the hope.

  And that I might want to feel and see the world with him. To follow the same path as mortals do.

  Finally, I touched his cold cheek that was made from harsh obsidian. But within the dark of the world, I could see his skin turning lighter, almost in the shade of purple. While I could feel myself gaining an instrument in my chest, beating like a drum.

  I suppose immortality changes things.

  One day, while I was standing in one of the rivers of his world, a god who once wanted to be my husband appeared with his golden staff, guiding him to the endless night. He told me that my mother missed me. And I could only cry at those words. As much as I grew loving this world, I missed my life up there, I missed my mother’s embrace and love.

  But when I looked at the king of that world, his face was grim. He went on his knees, begging me not to go away from him. But what should I even do? When I was about to leave, the god walked closer to me and gave me six beautiful red seeds. He told me that if I ever wanted to see him again, just eat those seeds.

  I simply nodded and thought about it. What I saw down there, what I felt, could never vanish. All those years made me see the world differently. See myself differently. That I couldn’t escape the fate the mortals had. And that I wished to be closer to it.

  When I ate the seeds, my mother was furious. I could never blame her. I understood the consequences of my action soon enough when Hermes appeared at me again.

  Each time, her farewell became more difficult. Just like each farewell of his.

  But I could only cross paths like this because I made it my choice. Because I was envious of…’’

  Persephone’s words stopped as her skin took a deep shade of bronze and her hair darkened.

  I nodded and finally stopped braiding her hair.

  ‘’It’s done’’I said with a wide smile.

  ‘’How did you do that?’’ Persephone’s voice trembled, and I walked around the now cold hut.

  ‘’Oh, a friend of mine taught it to me’’I said, forcing the memories of Myrto to appear again.

  ‘’No, I mean the’’She faced me, confused, and then looked away.

  We both remained silent, and I tried to think about the words she used.

  Immortality changes things.

  She fell in love with a god who took her away. Because they were both having the one thing that they couldn’t have.

  Immortality changes things.

  ‘’Did Hermes tell you to speak to me?’’I asked the goddess. And she replied with a smile.

  Of course he did. She also mentioned that he was one of the suitors. Honestly, I couldn’t blame him for wanting a joyful and gorgeous goddess like her. And I couldn’t blame her for rejecting him. He probably would promise her a golden cage for her to stay while he would be visiting his other possessions.

  ‘’I like you’’Persephone finally giggled, and her warm fingertips caressed my cheek.

  ‘’And I know the love the Olympians possess for mortals.’’

  ‘’Love?’’ I scoffed and backed away.’’If this is what love means to you…’’

  ‘’Then what does love mean to you?’’Persephone asked with a grin.

  And for once, I kept my mouth shut. The goddess now let the hen go away from her grasp, and she chipped at the door of the hut. And stayed as if she was waiting for someone to come.

  ‘’Hermes and I shared the same path. But I grew. And he did not’’ Persephone sighed, and I noticed that her hair was turning even darker.

  ‘’He doesn’t resent you’’ She spoke with her eyes avoiding mine.

  This time, she was not speaking about Hermes.

  ’’He doesn’t blame you, even with the pain and suffering he has faced in the past centuries.’’

  My gaze opened sharply as I heard those words. ‘’You can..’’ My voice broke.

  ‘’He wishes that you were dead.’’ She interrupted me. An arrow in my chest.

  ‘’That you are at peace and not suffering anymore.’’ She continued. ‘’He wishes that he could have done something different.’’

  And she finally looked at me. ‘’What are you wishing for, Lyssandra?’’

  When we got out. I could see the roasted meat being ready to be gobbled up, with everyone in a circle near the fire. The angle of my eye found Hermes all drunk, resting on a blushing nymph's lap.

  I was breathing with relief that he was occupied, but when he noticed me, he appeared right in front of me and Persephone.

  ‘’My, Queen of the Underworld.’’The god bowed, speaking in a formal tone. I never expected to see something like this coming from him.

  ‘’Thank you for taking this maiden as yours for tonight.

  A smile formed softly on Persephone’s face as she now looked to the nymphs dancing around the music.

  ‘’Is it time yet?’’She asked gently.

  ‘’Not, yet’’Hermes kept looking down at the cold grass.

  ‘’Then, I suppose that you and your maiden can enjoy the festivities for a while.’’

  I turned to the goddess with a pout, but the god offered me his hand slowly.

  What was this?

  I looked up to see the wings of his, trying to cover his full face with the fire blazing behind.

  ‘’Shall we dance?’’He asked, and the music behind turned to a loud, terrifying melody. As if a war were about to begin.

  I wanted to say no and go eat the delicious-looking sheep. All those years, the stupid god I had right in front of me gave me only fruits and cheese. And I could see a bunch of nymphs awaiting his return, so they would enjoy him.

  However, Persephone caressed my shoulder and whispered.

  ‘’Please take him away from them’’Her face grimaced, and I faced the nymphs again.

  Reasonable pleading. I, too, wouldn’t like to return six moons later and see all of my friends having their bellies full.

  So I took his hand, and he put me in the center of the fire. I looked around to see the nymph’s moves. They were all in pairs, but all far away from each other, moving arms and legs as if they were sparing.

  ‘’I don’t know how to dance’’I replied.

  ‘‘But you know how to pretend, don’t you?’’

  And then, I tried to mimic the nymph’s movements. If they wanted a fight, then so be it. I moved my limbs closer to him, trying to attack him. But he was the defender, so he was dodging my attacks.

  We were both dancing now in circles with everyone staring at us, and I could feel humiliation rising on my skin.

  ‘’What is your plan with this?’’I asked him, and Hermes lowered his gaze with a smile showing his white fangs.

  ‘’Just wanted to see you dance.’’

  I rolled my eyes and turned to see the goddess facing us both with a disappointing smile.

  And looking back, even with the blindfold, I could notice that Hermes wasn’t looking at me.

  I grew. He did not.

  ‘’Why did you bring me here?’’I asked and backed away from the dance. Now it was Hermes’ turn to be the attacker. His defense was fast, but his attacks were really slow.

  ‘’The Queen of the underworld needed a maiden.’’ He explained with his hand moving close to my neck. I turned myself back, and his fingers almost reached for my hair. And this time, our hands moved close to each other.

  You could have brought any other girl.

  ‘’You speak very formally.’’I noticed. Calm and stoic. I never thought that he would be something like this.

  ‘’I will guide her to the underworld and back.’’He explained. ‘’In the darkness, she is one of my rulers.’’

  Maybe I would find a weakness in him.

  ‘’So, you like her?’’ I made a round of myself and I moved my upper leg closer to him. He dodged it and replied with his elbow.

  ‘’I respect her’’He spat, and his other hand tried to reach for my head. And I backed away once again as I could notice that his movements became rough.

  ‘’But you wanted her once, didn’t you?’’ I asked with a smile on my face. ‘’And you can only now help her cross the path to her-’’

  Hermes grabbed me by the waist and pulled me closer to him. A furious, angry face was drawn upon his once calm demeanor. He leaned so close, I thought that he would kiss me, but instead, his lips moved on my ear.

  ‘’At least, I can still see someone that I love. You can only see them in your nightmares, screaming.’’

  The music changed to a more peaceful melody, and we both knew that we should stop. He let me go, and I walked far from the fire.

  ‘’Where are you-’’

  ‘’I will be back’’I said with tears in my eyes.

  I didn’t want anyone to see me panicking. To see that he got under my skin. He knew. Of course, he knew about my dreams. I couldn’t even escape from him in my sleep.

  All the panic grew upon me, and my knees fell to the grass.

  ‘’What’s wrong with me?’’I cried. Why was I so weak? Why was I feeling so much? Everything was simply beyond my power. Every god wanted me to follow their orders, and I simply wanted to run away.

  The music from afar shifted again and turned to a funeral orchestra. Suddenly, footsteps began approaching me, and looking around, I was ready to fight the person who was about to approach me. I was expecting a beast, a monster, a lost warrior lusting for battle, or even Hermes.

  Instead, there was an old crone with dark clothes all over her body and face.

  ‘’I am sorry’’I said, relaxing.

  The woman remained silent and walked closer to an open path. Deciding to follow her, I noticed how cold the air was getting.

  The path was filled with bright torches, nymphs weeping, and Persphone holding Hermes’ hand.

  Me and the crone, seemed to watch from afar so none could see us, but I could sense that this woman wanted to be seen. She wanted to run off to her daughter before leaving.

  ‘’How do you stop it?’’’ I asked Demeter. ‘’Of feeling that pain?’’

  The woman kept watching as she spoke to me.

  ‘’ You can’t.

  It might be easier for mortals. To keep walking after you lose someone you love. Even with peace or violence. And if they don’t, in a few decades, they will pass away and reunite with each other.

  But for gods?

  When I first lost my daughter, I couldn’t bear it; I wanted to take the entire world into the depths of Tartarus. I begged all three of my brothers. The eldest one ignored me, the second tried to give me hope of another child, and the last, who was the one to permit the kidnapping, finally spoke. And there she was. She was finally again with me, her warm skin on mine. I could remember when she was a babe and took her first steps. That I never wanted her out of my sight.

  But then, she told me what happened. I understood. Of course, I understood. But how could I not feel sad when my child is getting away from me? When I could only watch her fade away and wish she would not stay one more day in the darkness? And when she returns, how am I sure that this is a girl that I gave birth to and not someone else? What if I ever forget her face?’’

  The goddess began weeping and falling to the ground, with snow falling now from the sky.

  And I just kept watching.

  ‘’I cannot forget that every year he is guiding her with his staff to the underworld. I cannot forget the memories that I have with her, and she might still resent me.’’

  What did she say about the staff?

  No, it’s not about you now.

  ‘’You will see her again’’I said to the goddess, and she laughed.

  ‘’You don’t know that, you don’t understand.’’

  ‘’I understand’’I spoke again and felt a rough pain in my chest, a memory that I wished to bury deep. ‘’That daughter will never stop loving her mother. No matter the pain and years.’’

  And then, I watched her daughter of hers stopping and face both of us. The chanting stopped the goddess’s hand from moving away from Hermes’s grasp.

  ‘’What are you doing?’’He asked and showed his staff, but Persephone began running to her mother’s embrace.

  ‘’Mama, please’’ She said while tears fell from her eyes, making irises grow in the cold grass.

  ‘’Kore?’’ The broken Demeter spoke and saw the woman facing even closer.

  The daughter jumped right into the mother’s arms, making them both fall to the ground.

  ‘’Mama, mama’’She cried, and suddenly her once dark hair took on a warmer tone.

  ‘’Mama’’She wept again, and the mother finally moved her arms around her waist. A mother pampering her baby from a nightmare.

  ‘’I don’t want to leave you again, mama’’She cried.

  ‘’It’s going to be fine, Kore.’’

  The mother hushed her daughter while I tried to stare from afar. For a moment, I wondered if my mother would have been like this. Raising me with love and flowers on my hair and teaching me everything that I needed to know. Maybe if I ever got married, she would hug me tight and tell me that everything would be alright.

  And I wondered about these two if they knew they were in the luckiest of the worst situations.

  ‘’I knew it was your doing’’Hermes whispered right behind me.

  I turned back and noticed that he was holding his staff even roughly, as if he was trying to protect it.

  ‘’Can’t you just wait for a few minutes?’’I asked him softly.

  ‘’It’s my job to guide her’’He reminded me.

  ‘’She is saying goodbye to her mother, you know how it is, don’t you?’’

  Silence dropped from the god and tried to look away.

  When they finally stopped weeping, the beautiful goddess turned to Hermes and took his hand, and walked away.

  Now, Demeter faced each other.

  ‘’I enjoyed talking to you’’She said with a warm smile. ‘’And I hope that you will end up finding the peace and love that you deserve.’’

  I nodded and tried to thank her, but the goddess’s warm hand grabbed my cheek.

  ‘’The god who owns you has many tricks, such as his staff that he tries to protect. He can put people to dreams with his desires on it.’’

  The goddess made a small pause. ‘’And also a bright compass to the darkness of the world of the dead.’’

  Those words gave me the realization of what God was doing all those nights. And finally, what I could do.

  ‘’Thank-’’ I tried to say, but the goddess was all gone, and snow finally landed perfectly on the once cold grass.

  Persephone seemed to have finally rested in her husband’s arms.

  ‘’Here you go,’’Hermes spoke right behind me and dropped a heavy dark fur on my arms, keeping myself warm.

  ‘’A gift from the Underworld, one of Hades’ favorites.’’ He said with a charming smile and moved the warm coat close to my face.

  ‘’Won’t he miss it?’’ I asked.

  ‘’Relax, in a few centuries he will probably notice it.’’

  So it wasn’t his favorite. Then again, all those centuries, sometimes years, felt like days to me.

  ‘’So, did you like it?’’Hermes lowered his head to face my expressions.

  ‘’I wanted to eat a sheep thigh,’’ I admitted, and remembered how glazing the fat of it was.

  ‘’That’s it?’’Disappointed, Hermes tried to look around.

  ‘’I think that I saw a few hares too roasting too’’I said with roll escaping my lips.

  That made Hermes look terrified. ‘’Seriously? I did all this job, I showed you to a goddess’’

  He said that as if I were a dog.

  ‘’And you saw one of the important ceremonies, and you are talking about food?’’

  I faced close to the forest. Strange that he didn’t mention the dance where he gave poison to my ears.

  ‘’ Oh, I wanted wine too.’’

  His brow twitched. ‘’You are impossible to please.’’

  Honestly, I quite enjoyed the night outside of the four walls and the ceremony, but I wouldn’t bring him the satisfaction.

  There was the thought of the goddess of Spring and the goddess of Harvest again. Both united by love and separated because of it. Both of them would love each other no matter the time. And I still wondered….

  ‘’Keep that thought I whispered to myself, but Hermes noticed it.

  ‘’She would have loved you.’’He spoke calmly.

  Why should I think about it in that moment? Why would I care if the woman who left me actually loved me? Why should I care about what any mortal or god was saying to me?

  I am so tired of all of this. It was time for me to wake up from this slumber and find a way out.

  And now, we began walking to the cold snow with the god making his staff disappear.

  All the lines landed on it. Everything that could help me get out of this mess was his staff, which I had to steal from the god of thieves.

  No big deal.

  My gaze fixated near us, where the path of the underworld was fading slowly, and I found a woman drenched in blood, her hair wet and free, with her hands and sword painted red. She was not moving. She was not trying to get to the path. She was simply there, watching me. And her eyes were simply facing at me with her lips muttering one word. It was one word that stuck.

  Oracle. Oracle. Oracle. Oracle Oracle. Oracle.

  ‘’What are you thinking?’’He asked with a smile as I was facing the horror of the woman whom I could not remember if I ever met.

  Focus Lyssandra. For once in your life, focus.

  I squeezed my eye and took a deep breath. All those nightmares, my emotions, my memories needed to be cast away. All those things...

  Myrto, Adamantious, Thais, Leon, Alexious, Apo-

  A wall, blocking my way to my goal.

  I had to escape. Escape from ending up being a god's toy, a bird waiting for its master.

  If I had to make a plan for it, I had to stall for time, I had to gain all the strength that I once lost, and I had to become a great pretender once again.

  And so, my fingers began moving closer to his knuckles, caressing them softly.

  His lips parted from surprise. With such intrigue, the god held my hand tight, trying to move closer with me.

  Let him think that I changed my mind because of Persephone’s words. I got tired of resisting him. That he might be a new part in my life.

  Until I got what I wanted, then I could toss him aside and run away. He would have nothing against me. He wouldn’t haunt me in sleep, I had none that he could hurt. I would be free.