The Gatekeeper's Secret: Gatekeeper's Saga, Book Five (The Gatekeeper's Saga) (7 page)

Hot blood rushed to Therese’s face.

“Maybe you two should go upstairs and talk,” Richard, whose chocolate complexion had also turned red, said to Carol.

“No,” Therese managed to say. “I’m not pregnant. There’s nothing wrong. I just, it’s just that
Than’s family is so big, and I never really wanted a big wedding.”

“A big fat Greek wedding,” Jen said, laughing.

Carol returned to her chair. “Sorry. I…” her voice trailed off.

That was awkward
, Therese prayed to Than.

He looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

Lynn ran across the room with a huge plush toy. It was a brown dog with floppy ears. She hurled it onto Than’s lap and said, “My doggie.”

Clifford looked from his half-chewed dinosaur and gave a little bark that meant, “What am I? Chopped liver?”

What are you doing to that toy?
Therese asked him, glad for the distraction.

He bent down his head and tail, turned his back to her, and then returned to his chewing.

“I like him,” Than said of the big plush toy.

“It’s a girl!” Lynn corrected.

“Oh, I see. What’s her name?” Than asked.

“Terry!”

Therese smiled as tears flooded her eyes. She inwardly laughed at herself. All this talk of mortals coming and putting themselves in danger and of pregnancy, and her tears were brought on, not by those things, but by her little sister naming her toy dog after her. “Aw. You named your doggie after me?”

Lynn nodded her cute little pig-tailed head.

Therese glanced at Than.
If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.

I have an idea
, he replied.

***

Than disintegrated and went to see his grandmother at her winter cabin near the base of Mount Kronos. She called to
him before he had reached her door. In fact, he was still miles away when she spoke to him. He often forgot how powerful she was, but why should he? She was the sister of the greatest Olympian gods. Why wouldn’t she be powerful, too?

“Come inside,
Thanatos,” she said.

He found her seated at her table with her head in her hands. She might be powerful, but just now she appeared totally incapacitated. How could such a supreme being look such a mess? When she lifted her face to meet his eyes, it was red and pinched-looking, her eyes swollen and flooded with tears.

He sat across from her. “Do you weep like this all winter?”

She sighed. “It’s my affliction, but it’s also my friend. I can’t let the sadness go after all these years.”

He’d never felt sorrier for her, had never seen her in such despair. Why did she come to this lonely cabin in the woods when she could be with him and the rest of their family all autumn and winter?

“You should come and live with us in the Underworld. It’s not such a bad place.”

“What brings you way out here, Thanatos?”

So she would change the subject. He cocked his head to one side. “Have you heard that Therese and I are to be married on the summer solstice?”

“No. Congratulations.” She gave him the hint of a smile. “I’m glad I’ll be on Mount Olympus to see it.”

“It won’t be at Mount Olympus,” Than said.
“It will be in Colorado, at Therese’s childhood home.”

He went on to explain Zeus’s announcement, but he did not reveal Athena’s plan or his suspicions of Zeus’s counter-attack. Instead he said, “There’s been a prophecy that someone close to Therese will die on our wedding day. We want you to come and sit with her little sister and protect her from harm.”

“If the girl is fated to die, there’s nothing I can do…”

“We don’t know the identity of the person referred to in the prophecy,” Than said. “And we don’t know which choices we make affect future outcomes. Your hand in this may be the reason only one is mentioned in the prophecy and not more.”

Demeter eyed him up and down. “You make a good argument. I suppose I can do my best to protect the child.”

Than stood up and smiled, full of relief. He was glad to have something positive to tell Therese for once. Demeter’s protection would bring his bride great comfort. “Thank you,” he said.

***

Later that night, Therese pretended to get ready for bed—though neither she nor Than would be sleeping. He was down in the basement on the sleeper-sofa, which Carol had made up with fresh linens. Therese and Than planned to leave once everyone else was asleep. Than would relieve Hip, so Hip could return to his duties, and Therese would take Hades’s chariot—parked a little way up the mountain behind her house—to answer as many prayers as she could during the seven or eight hours before morning.

As she waited for Carol to come in and wish her a good night, she snuggled with Clifford on her old bed, just like they used to do. A rush of nostalgia came over her as she recalled those days when she was still a little girl, and her parents weren’t birds and could hold her in their arms, and there was nothing at all to worry about. Although it was winter and cold outside, she had opened her window so her parents could sit on the sill and talk to her. She and Clifford were immune to the cold, and though Therese spoke with her parents nearly every day through prayer, it was nice to see them and to speak with them out loud. When they spoke, they made the most beautiful bird sounds, but Therese could understand them just as she could the speech of all animals. She hadn’t told them about the prophecy, or Athena’s plan, or the counter-attack they were expecting from Zeus, because she didn’t want to worry them. Consequently, when they spoke to her, they were full of excitement.

“There’s a big white plastic container in the attic,” her mother said. “It has my wedding gown in it. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t like it, but I just wanted you to know it was there, in case you
would
like to wear it,” her mother chirped.

Therese climbed from the bed and crossed to the window.
“Oh, Mom! Why didn’t you ever tell me about it before?”

“You were only fifteen when we died,” her father said.

“But still…” Therese argued.

“Actually, I did once, when you were really little. I think you were five. I dressed you up in it and took photos of you. I thought I put them in one of the albums.”

“I’ve never seen them,” Therese said.

She sensed Carol coming up the stairs, so she kissed her parents good night, closed the window, and returned to her bed.

Carol knocked before entering. “It’s freezing in here! Did you have the window open?”

It was difficult for Therese to sense just how cold it was.

“I just needed a little air.”

“Should I get you another blanket?”

“No, thanks. I’m fine.”

Carol sat on the edge of the bed and hugged herself to keep from shivering. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I should have known better.”

Therese was thankful for her aunt’s apology. She had hoped Carol wouldn’t pretend she had never said anything. The accusation stung.

“That’s okay. Don’t worry. I know I’ve been acting kind of strange.”

“Are you having second thoughts?”

Therese sat up. “No.
Not at all. I promise.” She hoped she wasn’t giving anyone that impression, especially Than. Therese had never felt surer about anything in her life.

“Just…”

“I love Than. He’s the sweetest, most thoughtful, most trustworthy person on the planet. I admire him so much, more than any boy I’ve ever met. I wish you could have the chance to get to know him better. I’m telling you, he’s the one for me.”

Aren’t you laying it on a little thick?
A prayer from Hypnos came unexpectedly.

Hip? Quit spying on me!

I’m on my way to see Jen.

“Just because you know he’s the one doesn’t mean you have to rush into anything. Richard and I waited a few years, and I think it helped us make a stronger beginning.”

“I’ve known Than for almost four years, Carol. I’ll be nineteen in April. I know not all girls are ready this young, but I am. I really am.”

“What about college? Are you planning to finish those online courses?”

Therese twisted the covers in her hands. She had nearly completed her degree in psychology, but there was no way she could tell her aunt. She would think it impossible. And it was impossible for a normal girl. “Yes. I may even finish early.”

“Is it still psychology?”

Therese nodded. “It will help me get a job as an animal caretaker and trainer.”

Like Apollo and some of the other gods, Therese hoped to integrate into the company of humans as often as possible.
With a degree, she could even get a real job, which she hoped would make it possible for her to help more people and their animal friends. Plus, the psychology had already come in handy more than a few times.

“Are you still working at the animal shelter?”

“Yep. I love it.”

Carol smiled. “I guess it’s a good thing
Than’s parents are loaded.”

Therese laughed. “You don’t need to worry about us. We’ll be fine.”

Carol nodded—her body more relaxed—and said, “I have an idea, but tell me what you really think, not what you want me to hear, okay?”

“Okay.”

“What do you think about having Lynn as your flower girl?” Carol’s eyes were gleaming, but Therese’s heart was breaking. “I know she won’t be quite three by the wedding, and she might do something silly, but even if she messes up, she’ll still be adorable. We could give her a basket of rose petals, and she could…”

“Carol, stop,” Therese said, feeling the blood leave her face. As much as she would love to see Lynn in a pretty dress carrying a basket of flower petals, all she could see was how much more danger her little sister would be in if she walked down the aisle alone among all those gods.

The gleam left Carol’s eyes, and she blushed. Even her ears turned red, nearly the same color as her hair. “I’m sorry. This is your wedding.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Therese felt terrible. She could see she had taken some of the joy away from her aunt.

Tears formed in Carol’s eyes. “It was a silly idea. She’d steal the attention away from you, where it should be.”

“I, I just want to keep things simple.” She knew she was breaking her aunt’s heart. Tears flooded her own eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay.” Carol patted Therese’s knee and gave her a big smile. “It’s no big deal. I’m just happy for you.”

Carol stood up and then bent over and kissed Therese on the forehead. “I love you, sweetie. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“I love you, too.”

“Lights off?”

“Sure.”

“Merry Christmas Eve
Eve.”

“Merry Christmas Eve
Eve.”

As soon as Carol left and closed the door, Therese hugged Clifford.

Clifford licked a tear from her cheek. “She doesn’t understand,” he barked.

“I know, boy,” Therese said. She wiped her eyes on the bed sheet. “Come on. We better get going. I’m looking forward to driving the chariot tonight. That will cheer me up.”

She opened the bedroom window, where her parents were still perched, looking in on her.

“It’ll be okay, Sweet Pea,” her father chirped.

Her mom asked, “What doesn’t Carol understand? I thought having Lynn as a flower girl was a lovely idea.”

“She wants to keep it simple,” her father said.

“I better go,” Therese said, evading the conversation. “I hear a dog trapped in a tar pit in Oklahoma City. I’ll see you two later.”

Hades had urged Therese to take his chariot instead of Stormy in the event Zeus decided to act before her wedding day, so, with Clifford following behind, she ran up the mountain where Swift and
Sure were waiting.

“Hey, boys,” she said to the horses. “Thanks for waiting for me. Are you ready to go?”

They neighed an affirmative.

With her sadness over the wedding plans replaced by total excitement, she climbed into the chariot beside Clifford, took the reins, and launched into the bright night.

There was something thrilling about riding in a chariot, especially this one. Apollo’s and Poseidon’s each had their perks—Apollo’s was pulled by beautiful flaming horses and Poseidon’s could move like lightning underwater—but only Hades’s chariot had the ability to cut into the narrowest of passageways and turn on a dime in any direction. As frightening as her life had become among the gods, zipping through the sky behind Swift and Sure reminded her how much she loved it.

***

When Hip finally arrived in mortal form to visit Jen in her bedroom that night, the first thing he said was, “I can’t stay long.”

Enough already. She was tired of never spending real time with him.

“What?
Why not?” Jen asked.