The Gatekeeper's Secret: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Five (The Gatekeeper's Saga) (17 page)

“So what am I supposed to do?”

The eagerness in her voice brought a chuckle to his throat. How brave his darling was. It made him proud.

“Persephone thinks you should ask Aphrodite to be your matron of honor and her Graces to be your bridesmaids. That will allow you to spend time with her on Mount Olympus as they help you prepare for the wedding.”

Therese frowned.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “I thought you would like the idea.”

“I do, but what about Jen?”

“What
about
her?” Than had no idea how Jen was even relevant to the discussion.

“I asked her to be my maid of honor.”

A sharp pain pressed against Than’s temple, but he willed it away. “Oh no. Will she understand if you ask her to step down?”

Therese’s entire body deflated and folded in on itself. He felt it happen in his arms. He lifted her chin and waited for her to meet his gaze. “Have the both of them. You can have them both, can’t you?”

“Will Aphrodite be offended, sharing the position of honor?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“On second thought…” Therese pulled away from him and crossed her arms as she paced the room. “Maybe it would be better for Jen if she wasn’t at the wedding at all.”

Chapter Twelve: A Week at Mount Olympus

It felt good to be on Stormy’s back with Clifford at her side as they answered the prayers of humans and their animal companions. As Therese spent the next few days diligently at work, she thought of how she would approach the goddess of love.

She planned to wait to go to Mount Olympus on the first day of spring when both Persephone and Demeter returned to their double throne among the other Olympians. Persephone had already sent Hecate to secure Poseidon’s permission for the use of his spa in his chambers on Mount Olympus. They hoped for an opportunity to spend time with Aphrodite away from Zeus’s watchful eyes.

Therese was reminded of the night before she faced McAdams in the ring around the gods. Most of the gods and goddesses had felt sorry for her, like they had expected her to lose, and they had showered her with gifts. Even Zeus had invited her to take a ride on Pegasus. She had been amazed by the clamshell tub in Poseidon’s Olympian chambers—she hadn’t yet seen his palace, or she would have better understood then why he spent the majority of his time under the sea.

When the first day of spring arrived, she sat with
Cubie, Galin, and Hecate in the backseat of the golden chariot waiting for Persephone and Hades. She and Than had already said their goodbyes, but the king and queen of the Underworld needed more time.

Therese could hear them in the corridor just outside the garage.

“You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but I never am,” Hades murmured.

“Neither am I, my love,” Persephone whispered. “Come visit as often as you can.”

“We’ll see each other at the wedding if not before,” Hades promised.

Then
came the sounds of tears and of kissing. At last they both emerged and took their places behind Swift and Sure.

The ride was quiet and solemn. Persephone’s entire body shook with each sob. Therese hadn’t realized before now how hard Persephone’s move to Mount Olympus was on her and Hades each spring.

When they reached the gates and the Seasons, Hades gave Persephone one more embrace before climbing back into the chariot. Though the goddesses and Hecate’s familiars watched him drive away, the lord of the Underworld did not look back. Therese felt sure it wasn’t callousness that kept him from glancing at them for one final farewell; rather, he did not wish them to see the tears that were likely rolling down his cheeks.

In addition to the sadness of having to witness these two lovers part, Therese was overcome with apprehension. So many things could go wrong during her visit to Mount Olympus. She
had been invited by Persephone to stay a week so that they could meet with Aphrodite and her Graces to plan the wedding. She’d been told that Algaea (Hephaestus’s secret wife) was the goddess of adornment and grace. Euphrosyne was responsible for good cheer, merriment, joy, and mirth. Thalia crafted festive celebrations and luxurious banquets. And the youngest Grace, Pasithea, Hip’s old fiancée, kept everyone calm and relaxed. Although Therese was glad to have their help, she still did not know whether or not she could trust them. She would have to watch her every word.

On the other hand, if Aphrodite’s plea for help was sincere, which was what Therese most believed—or wanted to believe—she needed to find out why. What if the goddess of beauty was in danger?

As soon as the goddesses entered the great hall, Zeus and Hera greeted them from their double throne. Demeter had already arrived, and she now rushed to embrace her daughter.

“At last,” Demeter said. “It was the longest winter yet.”

Persephone’s smile seemed forced but not without warmth as she followed her mother across the court to her place between Artemis and Hestia. Artemis sat restringing her bow. Hestia and two of her maidens were working with Athena on quilt squares. Ares, Hermes, and Poseidon were not present, but Apollo played his lyre in the company of four singing Muses, and Hephaestus sharpened an elegant sword.

Aphrodite sat across from Hephaestus with her four Graces. With her bags in tow, Therese crossed the hall to them and curtseyed.

“Hello, Aphrodite.” Therese smiled and nodded at each of the Graces, though she only recognized Pasithea and Algaea. She wasn’t sure yet which was Thalia and which was Euphrosyne.

Aphrodite glanced toward her father before returning her gaze to Therese. “Hello. Welcome to Mount Olympus.”

“Thank you,” Therese replied. “I’m glad to be here.”

Therese then followed Hecate behind Demeter and Persephone’s double throne into the rooms where she would be staying for the next week.

“Not too shabby, eh?” Cubie said as they entered the large and brightly lit room.

“Oh, wow,” Therese said, looking all around her.

So unlike the Underworld, this first room opened up to the brilliant sky, and the light poured in and reflected on the golden walls trimmed with white molding. The furniture was upholstered in sky blue damask and cream silk pillows. A round table made of glass and gold was in the center and topped with a round crystal vase filled with cream-colored roses.

“It’s so good to be home!”
Galin exclaimed as she made herself comfortable in a ball on one of the chairs.

So
Galin considered Mount Olympus her home and the Underworld her prison and not the other way around, Therese thought.

“Your room is through here.” Hecate crossed the plush cream rug and white marble floor to a golden hallway that led to several other rooms.

Therese hadn’t realized she would have her own private room, or that it would be as lavish as the main one. The golden walls and white moldings matched those of the first chamber, as did the sky blue duvet and cream silk pillows on the bed. A gold and glass vanity and matching wardrobe were situated on the back wall beside a door leading to a private bath. It was just as luxurious.

“This is amazing,” Therese said as she put down her bags.

Hecate winked. “You might not want to go back.”

***

Hip was filled with agony as he watched Jen gaze into the dream globe and call his name. How had he managed to make her life worse than it had been before she had met him? He wished he had the power to turn back
time and omit the information he had shared with Pete about seers and their powers. Why hadn’t he realized the temptation to play god would be too great for any mortal?

“Hip?” Jen’s sweet voice called.

As he disintegrated and raced through the Dreamworld in a thousand different directions, he tried to shut out her desperate voice that stood out above all others praying to him that night. Gods and mortals lived different lives. They were too unlike one another to live happily together. No relationship between a god and a mortal had ever ended well. Why should this one be any different? He balled his fists and clenched his teeth and willed himself to forget Jen Holt. She was better off without him.

“Hip, where are you?” she called again.

The god of sleep held back his tears and ignored her.

***

Than had never liked the spring. His mother always left, leaving his father in a perpetual bad mood. As much as his mother loved his grandmother, he knew Persephone was unhappy being away from home for half the year. Plus, the Underworld was quiet without Hecate and her familiars. But this spring day was worse than any other because Therese had left for a week, giving him a small taste of his father’s heartache.

He sat on the new sofa with Clifford curled beside him and stared at the blazing fire beneath the mantle.

So far so good?
he prayed to Therese. He tried not to let her know how badly he missed her. It wouldn’t help her mission.

Yes,
she replied.
I’ve unpacked my things and am eating with Aphrodite and her Graces.

Have you asked her yet?

No. I’m waiting for the right moment. Aphrodite still hasn’t been exactly warm toward me.

Where’s my mother?

She’s with Hecate and Demeter in the great hall visiting with Zeus and Hera and the others.

Ah. They’re the diversion.

Exactly.

He should let her get on with her work, so he stopped himself from saying anything more to her. She would let him know when she had something to report.

I miss you
, she said, and his heart leapt.

***

Therese lifted the golden goblet and took another sip of wine. As awkward as she felt sitting among these other goddesses who may or may not like her or be trustworthy, she had to ask them. She cleared her throat.

“Aphrodite, there’s something important I need to ask you.”

Aphrodite’s brows shot up with surprise and she gave Therese a look of warning. “Of course,” she said, uneasily. “You may ask me anything, for we are fortunate enough to always have the strength of Zeus with us, everywhere we go.”

Therese felt blood rush to her face. Aphrodite was warning her to be careful. Zeus was listening, and perhaps even watching them. It could be an attempt to win Therese’s trust. Maybe Aphrodite was a spy pretending to be sympathetic, but that was too hard for Therese to believe.

“I was hoping you and your Graces would honor me by being in my wedding party, as my matron of honor and bridesmaids.”

Tears sprang to Aphrodite’s eyes. She stood from the table and embraced Therese. “I don’t deserve it,” she muttered, “but I am happy to do it.”

Cinny’s
blue eyes crinkled with her wide smile, and she clapped her hands. Despite her high-pitched, child-like voice, she was one of the older Graces, about Algaea’s age, though by human standards she seemed no more than thirty. “This will be the best wedding ever!”

“I will be sure to make it so,”
Thalia added. “First, I need to know your favorite kind of flower. Then, I need to know what colors you like. Oh, this will be beautiful!”

Thalia
looked young, like Pasithea—barley twenty, but her matter-of-fact, take-charge voice made her seem older.

“I can’t wait!”
Cinny chimed in, clapping her hands once more.

As Aphrodite returned to her seat,
Algaea asked, “Perhaps while you’re here, I can show you a few different arrangements for your hair.”

Aphrodite squeezed
Algaea’s hand. “She has a talent with hair.”

“I’d love that,” Therese said.

She liked Algaea best of the Graces, though Thalia was a close second. Euphrosyne, whom everyone called Cinny for short, was sweet but a bit too bubbly for Therese’s taste. Maybe it was Therese’s nervous anxiety over whom she could and could not trust that made Cinny’s extreme cheerfulness rub her the wrong way. Under different circumstances, Cinny might seem less annoying. And although Pasithea was the opposite of Cinny in that she remained placid at every turn, it was a bit unnerving to Therese. She had a feeling Pasithea didn’t like her and suspected it had something to do with Jen’s relationship with Hip.

“Persephone suggested we have a spa day together in Poseidon’s beautiful tub,” Therese said. “Hecate got his permission.”

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to bathe in his tub!” Cinny exclaimed. “I’ve heard that the salt water is particularly good for one’s complexion.”

“It has calming properties,”
Pasithea said. “That’s what I’ve heard, anyway.”

“I think you’re right,” Therese said. “It helped me a few years ago, that’s for sure.”