The Gatekeeper's Secret: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Five (The Gatekeeper's Saga) (3 page)

“Even after Demeter’s ritual, she could have been captured—was captured, in fact…”

“She told me about the Amazonian pit and that Norwegian dude…”

“What Norwegian dude?”

Jen clamped her mouth shut. Hip didn’t know about the Norwegian dude? “Never mind.” Why was he so angry? “Hip, what’s going on?”

The moon appeared from behind the gray clouds, and she could see the worry on his face.

“I know what you’re getting at,” he said. “I don’t want you to go there.”

She took a step back. “You don’t think I can do it? You don’t think I’m as strong as Therese? Oh.
Em. Gee! I’m a million times stronger than her—at least I was before she became a goddess.”

Hip laughed, which made her angrier.

“It’s not that,” he said.

“Then what?”
As soon as she had asked, she regretted it. What if his answer was that he didn’t want to be with her forever? Her stomach balled into a knot. He hadn’t even said he loved her, and she was already planning eternity with him. She looked away. “I want to wake up now. I have things to do.”

***

“What a lucky break,” Than whispered merrily to himself as he tucked Therese’s flute, still in its case, beneath his arm and headed to his father’s chariot. He flew to Mount Olympus with a tune on his lips, and after being admitted by the Seasons, found Apollo’s lyre just where the god of healing had said it would be.

Zeus saw Than as he was about to leave Apollo’s rooms.

“Well, now,
Thanatos. What brings you to Mount Olympus? You’re two days early for your engagement party.”

Than had hoped to avoid the lord of the gods, though he knew it would be unlikely. He forced a smile and said, “Apollo asked me to get his lyre. He and Therese want to play together.”

“And I wasn’t invited?” Hermes asked, appearing from the dining room.

“Don’t be offended, cousin. I’m sure they would have asked you had they known you were interested.” Than wished it
was another time when there was no tension between them, and he could invite his cousin with ease to join the concert playing.

“They can’t know of it if they don’t ask,” Hermes said with a frown.

“There, there,” Zeus intervened. “You’ll have your chance to play with them at the party, Hermes. Right now, I have work for you to do.”

“Sorry, Hermes,” Than said, inwardly relieved.
“I’ll see you both soon.”

Aphrodite entered the hall just as
Than was leaving. Her face flushed when she saw him, and his wasn’t long in doing the same.

“Aphrodite, I…” Than began, but struggled to find the right words. He missed his favorite aunt and hated how she ignored him.

“Good day, Thanatos.” She had no smile for him. She gathered her skirts and shuffled past him, a few of her Graces following.

At least she had acknowledged him, which was more than she’d done lately.

As Than drove his father’s chariot from Mount Olympus to the Aegean Sea, he prayed to Aphrodite, as he had done countless times.
Why do you still snub me, after all I’ve told you?

He received no reply.

He tried to recall a time when there was perfect harmony among the gods, and he supposed there never was one, but rarely had their conflicts involved him. Although for centuries he’d been rebuked by the Olympians, he’d come to enjoy their respect and friendship in recent years. Therese had pulled him into their fold. He had become especially close to Hermes and to Aphrodite. For centuries the goddess of love had snubbed him, but only lately did it sting.

Swift and Sure dived into the sea, and soon he was greeted by a menagerie of
merfolk and led to Poseidon’s chambers. As he entered, he was glad to hear laughter. This was a good sign.

Than was surprised to find Amphitrite among them. The few times he had visited Poseidon’s palace, she had not been at home, preferring to spend her time among the creatures of the sea. But here she was beside her husband with a goblet of wine in her hand and a smile on her beautiful face. She looked younger than Poseidon, though he knew her to be much older. Her long, sun-bleached hair was twisted up in an elaborate style, fastened with a golden net and a headband made of crab pincers. The pincers met and held one another at the center of her forehead, just above her turquoise eyes, which were the same shade as Poseidon’s eyes.

“Welcome, Thanatos,” Amphitrite said as Than entered. “As much as I’ve enjoyed hearing about my husband’s good old days with Apollo, I’m eager for our concert to begin.”

With a boulder in the crook of his arm, Than crossed the room to give the flute case and lyre to Therese and Apollo, who
sat in ornate chairs close to and facing their hosts with a golden tray between them full of food and wine. Therese had a lovely glint in her eyes that made Than want to kiss her and that made him jealous of what he’d been missing.

“Why don’t you stay, as long as you’re here?” Poseidon offered.

Than hoped his face didn’t betray his shock. Never had the god of the sea invited him to stay. A seat appeared beside Therese.

“Thank you,” Than said, still unused to being accepted and welcomed by the Olympians. Having Therese in his life had made everything better.

Therese gave Than a smile as she assembled her flute.
We still haven’t asked him anything about Athena.

These things take time
, he replied silently.

“You begin,” Apollo said to Therese. “Play whatever you want, and I’ll follow.”

Than watched as Therese put her flute to her lips, closed her eyes, and played the first song she had ever played for him. He was whisked away by the music to those first days he was in her company, when she had unwittingly begged him to kiss her. The corners of his mouth shot up and he fought not to laugh.

I’m surprised this works underwater
, she prayed to him.

Than winked.
Water is a better conductor of sound waves than air.

“Oh, I love Handel,” Apollo said with a feminine wiggle. “And this particular sonata is one of my favorites.” He took up his lyre and harmonized with Therese’s flute.

Than could not deny the beauty of the music reverberating through the room. If it were possible to weep underwater, he would. Poseidon and Amphitrite appeared equally moved. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.

***

Hypnos stood at a loss, unsure whether he should go, as Jen had asked, or force her to tell him what was wrong. It hurt him to see her so upset. He realized only recently how much of his happiness had come to depend on hers.

“I’ll go, but not like this,” he said to her back. He reached out and twirled her ponytail before dropping his hand to his side. “I hate to see the girl I love looking so sad.”

She turned to face him. “You love me?”

The surprise on her face alarmed him. Hadn’t he already made that clear? He supposed mortals needed to be told directly. “I thought you knew that.”

“Then why don’t you want me to be like you?” Tears filled her eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

He stepped closer and brushed her tears with his thumbs as he held her face. “You’re safer as a mortal, Jen. I can take better care of you.”

“But gods can’t die,” she said.

“There are worse things than death.” The memory of the birds eating out his liver made him shudder.

“But I’ll grow old, and you won’t. I know that sounds vain and ridiculous. But think about it. How will you still love me when I’m a wrinkled old woman and you’re still young and beautiful?”

He had wondered the same thing, but, if he was honest with himself, he was less worried about
her
getting old as a mortal than he was about their
love
getting old as gods. Hadn’t he ardently loved Pasithea, only to find his love grow cold in a matter of months? As much as he loved Jen right now, he was afraid he didn’t have it in him to love one person forever. He hoped he was wrong.

“Hip? Are you listening to me?”

“Yes. And I’m thinking about what you’re saying. You think about it too. We don’t have to decide anything right now. It’s not like lightning will strike us down if we don’t decide your fate today.”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Jen said, as she dried her eyes. “I’ve been so wrapped up in
myself, I forgot to tell you something important.”

“I’m listening.” He was relieved she was no longer cross. He put his arms around her waist.

“Pete’s been trying to get Therese to come home on account of something my dad’s ghost told him.”

“I know.”

“Well, yesterday Pete told me he prayed to Zeus about it.”

“What?” Hip asked. Getting Zeus involved was not the best idea.

“Zeus asked Pete to give him the message, promising to pass it on to Therese.”

“And so did Pete do it?”

“Not at first. He told Zeus the same thing he’s told all of us. He wanted to tell her himself. But then a thunderstorm came over our house, and lightning struck a tree by our barn. Pete didn’t make the connection right away. Anyway, Pete said then a god named Hermes appeared and demanded to know what my dad’s ghost had said.”

“Did Pete tell him?” Please say no, Hip thought.

Jen nodded.

“And what was it?”

“Pete refused to tell me, but he said it ain’t good.”

***

Chapter Three: The Engagement Party

Just as the music from Apollo and Therese came to an end, an urgent message from Hip made Than forget to applaud.

Come home as soon as possible,
Hip prayed.
We need to talk.

Apparently, Apollo and Therese heard the same prayer, for they exchanged worried looks in spite of the praises from Poseidon and his wife.

“Is something amiss?” Poseidon asked.

“My brother has asked us to come home,” Than replied.

“He calls Apollo, too?” Amphitrite asked with surprise. “Why would Hypnos need the god of truth?”

“I do not know,” Apollo said, since Hip had revealed nothing in his prayer. “But perhaps we should go and find out.”

“It was a nice visit while it lasted,” Poseidon said. “Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for having us,” Therese said meekly.

Still seated in his chair, Apollo asked, “Before we leave, I have a sensitive question for you, uncle.”

Than’s
body tensed. He wondered what Apollo would ask.

“Ah,” Poseidon said with a stiff smile.
“The true reason for your visit.”

“One of many,” Apollo said. “I did enjoy our trip down memory lane. That is not a lie.”

“As did I,” Poseidon said.

“But I also came to ask you about your feelings for Athena. Do you blame her for what happened a few months ago?”

“Blame her? I don’t blame her for wishing to reunite with her mother, but I do blame her for threatening our king.” Poseidon’s face turned red.

“If there were a way to release Metis from Zeus’s body without harming him, would you oppose it?”

Than held his breath.

“What of his wisdom?” Poseidon asked. “Some believe Metis is the source of it.”

How can Poseidon speak of Zeus’s wisdom after that failed attack last fall?
Therese prayed to Than.

“If that’s true,” Apollo said, “Don’t the rest of us gods have wisdom enough to counsel him when needed?”

“He’s the mightiest of the gods,” Poseidon said. “I don’t think it’s good for the mightiest to be the least wise.”

“Not the least,”
Thanatos said. “But maybe not the most, either.”

“The rest of us can balance out his might,” Apollo said. “If it were ever necessary to do so, I mean to say.”

“I can’t imagine how such a scheme—of freeing Metis—could play out without there being dire consequences for those involved,” Poseidon said.

“You can’t imagine it because it offends you?” Apollo asked.

Than sat very still. No one could lie before Apollo.

“Metis is my sister,” Amphitrite said. “I would like to see her freed.”

“I have an open mind,” Poseidon finally said.

Hypnos’s urgent prayer came once more.

“We better take our leave.” Than stood. “My brother calls.”

***

Therese had not been in the Underworld long when she left with Hip in his father’s chariot for Colorado to learn what Pete had told Hermes. When Hades had warned them against god-travel,
Than had wanted to drive with her, but Hip had convinced his brother to let him go instead. He worried Than’s close proximity to the Holts would put their mortal lives in danger. Therese had agreed.