A Hall of Mirrors

A Dusking Power

The weeks passed and it was filled with the same amount of adventure that brought Kath utter bliss. Apollo accompanied her on every single outing and each day he found something new to show her. They swam with the dolphins that pulled some of the chariots Poseidon owned, she finally got to visit Athena’s school where she sat in on a class that taught textile weaving and fashion design. Hermes even popped in on a few of their excursions and along with Dionysus, toured them in the vineyard the god of wine owned.

Perhaps most exciting of all was when Aphrodite finally caved from Kath’s pestering and she finally accompanied them to a tour of the most romantic place in the Valley, the Lover’s quarter. Kath noted how awkward it made Apollo act when they were walking the heart-strewn, pink-infested part of the Valley with her. She would have thought that Apollo would be used to this place by now if there would be any truth to how much of a womanizer he was.

But soon, as they moved on and on and on, Kath had begun to cultivate the confidence to finally set out on her own. To explore the Valley on her own devices and without the hovering presence of Apollo.

“Are you sure you can do this?” the sun god asked when she finally made her plans known. Worry filled his eyes but Kath would not back down.

Instead, she smiled. “Of course, I am! You’ve taught me everything I should know. I’ll be fine to spend the day on my own and then you can come tag along again the following day. Okay?”

Apollo rolled his eyes but he agreed and soon came the day of Kath’s own solo adventure.

She packed light but this time kept her purse full of coins in her bag. Apollo would not be around to pay for her purchases today and it filled Kath with a kind of reckless excitement at finally being able to shop for herself. 

No Apollo meant no one to accompany her bridging today, though, so she started her day a little earlier to make the trek down Olympus’ stairs. Halfway down, she realized how much of a blessing it was that Apollo appeared when he did that first day. She would not have made it intact the full way down. Thankfully her days that involved an endless amount of walking had earned her some muscles to strengthen herself and soon, all on her own physical power, Kath reached the bottom of the stairs and the archway into the Valley.

Her first stop was breakfast. Kath had a favorite shop that sold tasty cheese pies that she swore would never get tired of. The stall across it sold coffee which was just exactly to her taste and she would eat and drink while she sat on a bench, watching a bunch of middle to old-aged people doing their daily exercise in a form that Apollo once told her was called aerobics.

After finishing her food, Kath let herself wander. She was proud of herself for knowing enough of the Valley’s layout to find the artist’s quarter all on her own, but she wanted more. Kath started taking the side streets and finding out where each one would lead her to. She memorized them all, mapping them out in her head.

Kath turned another corner and grinned widely to herself as she found herself in the square that contained Leona’s flower shop. She went in, but instead of the old woman manning the counter, Kath found a young man with brown eyes and broad shoulders.

“Hello, how can I help you?”

“Hi,” Kath replied in greeting. “I was just dropping by to visit Leona. Do you, uh, know where she is?”

The guy smiled, his brown eyes sparkling as he leaned on the counter, dusting off his hands. “Leona’s my grandmother. How do you know her?”

Kath’s eyes widened then she blushed under his questioning eyes. Gods, she should really learn how to control her every freaking emotion.

“Oh, um, I just met her a few weeks ago. I came with Apollo and wanted to buy some white roses again—” she continued to babble but she cut herself off when his mouth hung open in surprise. Kath turned to the door, thinking that saying Apollo’s name had magically summoned him, but there was no one in the shop except for the two of them. 

She got it a few seconds later when he started to bend at the waist for a bow. Red-faced and very, very embarrassed, Kath started to protest when he rounded the counter and plucked out the biggest bouquet of white roses to give to her for free but he wasn’t having it.

“Please, take it,” he begged. “It is good fortune enough to have a goddess grace our business but another thing altogether to come back. On behalf of my family, we must pay you back for your blessing and patronage.”

“W-What?” Kath blubbered. “Oh, no, please I insist you take my payment—”

The man put a hand on her own which reached for her purse. He smiled again, this time grinning wider. He appeared so happy about the fact that it broke Kath’s heart that he wouldn’t take her money.

“You and Lord Apollo made my grandmother so happy by your visit that she was glowing with happiness for days afterward. It made her so youthful that my sisters and I, who are her only family left after our father died, were reminded of how lively she was before age weathered her down. Thank you, my Lady.”

“Kath,” she mumbled, feeling very overwhelmed.

He dimpled at her. “Thank you, Lady Kath.” His soft eyes flickered over her shoulder. “Is that your escort waiting for you?”

Kath frowned and started to turn. “What do you mean? I don’t have a—”

When she turned, however, there was indeed a man standing by the fountain that seemed to be looking at her underneath that dark hood of his. Kath began to grow cold with dread at the faceless, hooded figure’s stare at her. His head tilted to the side, a curious gesture that sent a shiver of fear down her spine. The clouds shifted to shine a sliver of sunlight down to exactly where he was but before it could touch him, he was gone.

“I guess he’s not your escort then.”

She jumped, entirely forgetting that she wasn’t alone. Kath felt a bit better at that small fact but she couldn’t possibly stay here. Whoever that hooded figure was, they had the ability to bridge and Kath didn’t. It meant that they had powers and Kath will be ineffectual in a fight.

“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice containing a slight quiver that the guy did not miss.

“Enrico, my lady.”

Kath nodded. “Thank you for the flowers, Enrico. I must go. Send your grandmother my regards.”

His thick brows pushed together. “You look a bit ashen, my lady. I have tea in the back room, perhaps you might want a cup?”

No, she had to leave now and get back to Olympus. She shook her head regretfully. “Maybe another time.”

She turned to go, the bouquet of roses in one arm. Kath hurried out, her mind racing as she thought of her options. She didn’t have anything to contact anyone, not even her mother. Gods weren’t like humans who needed cellphones so even if she did have one, she would not be able to reach anyone who mattered. Her eyes stung with tears but she quickly fought them away. Dammit, she wouldn’t cry about this. Not now when a weirdo seemed to be waiting to catch her.

Her only option was to get to the School of Arts and Music as fast as she could. Aletheia would help her, she knew it. The school itself would in fact mean safety for her. She only needed to get there.

Kath stuck to the main roads and pathways as she speed-walked all across town. Because it was just barely after noon, there seemed to be close to no people on the streets. Her feet slipped a few times on the stone streets and it was proving to be a bad day to wear a dress. Kath looked over her shoulder. Her steps faltered.

The hooded person was a few blocks away from her now, something silver—a knife, she realized with undiluted fear—catching the sunlight and blinding her for a moment.

For the first time in her hundred years of immortal existence, Kath ran for her life.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as she rounded the corner that would take her straight to Apollo’s street and back into the artist’s quarter. Even now, there were barely any people and they didn’t care the slightest bit about a girl who was running down the street like crazy.

Kath’s legs and chest burned from overexertion, panic rising within her faster than she could master herself. She let go of the roses and took off her bag, throwing her belongings to the curb to get rid of the extra weight. She knew it was no use. Whoever it was that was pursuing her could bridge. But she didn’t dare stop, didn’t dare look back. She didn’t have to. She could feel the person near and—

Her foot caught on the uneven sidewalk, sending her flying and crashing down hard on the rough stones. Kath groaned and scrambled to her feet but a hand gripped her by the back of her neck before she could right herself. She screamed and kicked until her legs and arms fell heavy like lead on her sides and she was immobilized altogether. Somewhere further down, people were screaming.

Roughly, she was turned on her back, the left side of her face singing in pain from the impact of her fall. But she was fearless as she glared up at the hooded person, still not seeing his face as his outstretched hand was curled into claws at her, keeping his magic binding her.

“Who are you?” Kath managed to snarl with as much anger as she could throw to his face. “How dare you bind a goddess!”

The laugh that came from under the hood was almost not human. It was a cross between an animalistic purr and a growl, but definitely not a voice she had heard before.

“Greetings, Goddess of Reflections. I want you to deliver a message to your ‘family’,” he spat the word like it was dirty.

“Wrong deity, fool,” Kath rolled her eyes. “Do I look like I have wings?”

Even under the cover of the hood, she knew he was smirking at her. “No, I am not mistaken. The messenger god is harder to track down than a godling gallivanting around the Valley. The message, lady, is that I am coming for all of you. Your blood will be staining the mountain of Olympus sooner than you think.”

He pulled out the knife again, the golden hilt containing a single ruby, winking at her as Kath stared in horror.

“To make sure they know I am not fu*cking around, I shall require your hand, lady.”

Kath began to kick and scream again as he reached for her but she couldn’t move an inch and no one dared come close to save her. She cried, her tears hot as they fell against her temples. He lifted her hand and Kath began to pray to wherever would hear her.

Through the haze of her tear-filled eyes, she completely missed the broad-shouldered man approaching behind her attacker. With a loud roar, he attacked, swinging a long iron fire poker. The fire poker made contact with the hooded man’s head but it was to no avail.

She screamed for Enrico to run but it was too late. The jeweled knife plunged deep inside his chest, right over his heart. Surprise flickered briefly in his brown eyes but like human life, it was gone in a flash and so was he. Enrico’s body fell to the ground with a crunching thud. 

The hooded man scoffed. “What a pathetic human coming to aid a goddess.”

Anger, red and hot rose within Kath, her chest heaving painfully. That darkness within her that she avoided writhed as they responded to Kath’s wrath. Her vision darkened as the shadows that had gathered around her broke her free from her bindings. Kath stood, shaking from the rage, and took no small amount of satisfaction as the hooded man took a step back.

Kath opened her hands and the shadows lashed at the hooded man but with his own powers, batted them away. The shadows paused, growing like a wave as Kath bared her teeth at the man.

“You should not have done that,” she said, and her voice sounded different to her ears.

Her eyes flashed, the shadows lifting her off the ground as with a cry of rage and pain, they blasted from her in a dark wave that flew in all directions, rushing from her in a show of pure power. Glass began shattering and made the mortals run and cry in panic. The hooded man bridged away before the wave could hit him. The shadows of Kath’s anger melted away, and so did the strength that held her up.

She sobbed, her hands shaking as she stared at them. She had powers, she realized with a mix of awe and fear. The darkness within her had answered to her and she wielded the shadows like a weapon. Kath couldn’t believe it. All along she— She shook her head. What was she thinking? There were more important things right now than the manifesting of her powers.

Kath began to crawl to Enrico’s broken body, her tears flowing anew. Carefully, she cradled his head and wept. This mortal came to her defense, followed her all the way from his shop, and risked his life to save her own.

She looked up and turned to her left. The school was right there. She was already halfway down the street. A few minutes more and she would have made it and Enrico wouldn’t have had to save her.

“Lady.”

With a start, she whipped her head towards the silvery form that hovered over Enrico’s body and gasped.

“Enrico?” she whispered. “What is—”

A god with wings the color of a raven appeared beside what Kath understood to be Enrico’s soul. The god’s face was young and warm, with gentle green eyes and shaggy black hair that fell to his eyes in a boyish manner. He was dressed in a dark cloak with the hood down, a white button-down shirt underneath it, and a pair of dark jeans. He also carried a scythe that towered over him, but despite the glinting of its pointy end, Kath couldn’t help but be comforted by his presence.

If he was with Enrico’s soul, then this must be Thanatos, the God of Death.

Those gentle eyes were focused on Kath as he said, “You are not fine, Lady Kath. Would you like me to take you to Olympus?”

She almost began nodding her head but stopped, looking at the sadness in Enrico’s soul. “Where will he go?”

Thanatos smiled at her. “To a place in the Underworld where all the brave souls go.”

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I want to see.”

Unease flooded Death’s face. “I can’t do that. Lord Hades doesn’t like—”

Kath pointed to Enrico’s soul. “This mortal saved my life and fought fearlessly on my behalf. I want to ensure that the place his soul goes to is well. As for Hades,” Kath pursed her lips. “I’ll be the one to deal with him.”

Thanatos frowned but Kath could tell he was already caving, not one to displease a goddess whose wrath almost level a part of the Village.

“Stay with me at all times, got it?” he warned, holding out a hand to her.

Kath nodded and took it. With one last look at the ruined artist’s quarter, she began to worry what Apollo would say. Later, though. She would worry about that later. For now, she readied herself as Kath and Thanatos, along with the soul of Enrico, descended into the Underworld.