The snake, perhaps finding the stone floor too cold, slithered back into the bag.
“What are you doing with it?” she asked. “Just leaving it here?”
“No, I’m sending him to Olympus.” Troy took a step toward the bag. “To Asklepios.”
Even though Troy couldn’t see her behind him, Stella nodded. The god of medicine was quite fond of snakes, just as Hera was fond of peacocks. Sending a god or goddess a favorite gift was a definite way to gain their favor. Since humans stopped worshipping the gods as deities, they didn’t receive nearly enough offerings to sustain their egos.
Stella watched as Troy held out his hands toward the snake-filled bag, a look of intense concentration on his face. His hands glowed. Then the bag disappeared, leaving the snake on the cold floor. Troy twisted his wrists,
