Muse

Chapter 2

“What happens now?” I asked Ares. He was sat on the stairs of the cottage, blood on his hands, and smeared across his linen tunic.

“Father said we are all returning to Olympus.” He said blandly.

“I know,” I snapped.

“Then why are you asking, Sister?”

“What happens after we arrive? Hera will not allow us—”

“Mother can be more agreeable than you think.” Ares sighed. “We will figure it out then.”

“Fine,” I sighed as the door opened. Father stood with a blank expression.

“Has Hermes arrived?”

“Is he supposed to be arriving?” Ares asked. “You did not say,”

“I contacted him. He said he would be here shortly.”

“Then I’m sure the little terror will arrive. Are the bodies ready?” Ares replied.

“Yes, all of the girls are ready,” Father said before disappearing back into the house.

“Why the sad faces?” A voice called. Hermes was a less intimidating god. He was much shorter than Ares and Zeus. He was also leaner. His blond hair stood up in a hundred different directions making him look boyish. Blue eyes glittered with amusement.

“Did father not explain why we needed your assistance?” Ares asked.

“No, did something happen?”

“Urania and Polymnia are dead,” I said making Hermes look at me with wide eyes.

“Alessa,” He breathed. “I am so sorry.” He said as he approached.

“It’s fine. It’s not as if you knew us well.” I said sadly before I walked away from the men to go inside. “Father,” I called.

“Yes, Alessa?”

“Hermes is here,” I said as I entered the main room.

“Very well,” He sighed before he bent to pick up one of the covered bodies. Clio and Thalia picked up the other before everyone exited the cottage. Ares was quick to grab the body from Thalia and Clio.

Thalia grabbed my hand as we clung to each other. I had not been old enough to remember losing Erato and Euterpe or even our mother. This was the first loss I would feel for eternity. My heart ached deeply for the twins. Besides, Thalia, they had been the two I was closest to.

“I need you all to hold onto Ares and Father,” Hermes said softly. “Once I’m positive none of you will get lost, I will get us to Olympus.”

We moved to hold onto each other and made sure Ares and father were in the middle of us. Hermes gave us a long look before nodding. He pulled something from his pocket before throwing it at us. I sneezed as the dust filled my nose, earning an amused look from Ares as Hermes blew more dust from his palm towards the space between two trees. I watched as the air shifted, filling with swirling colors in the space.

“Do not let go. I cannot promise where you will end up if you fall off course.”

He took Thalia’s free hand before guiding us to the portal.

“Everyone, think of Olympus. Alessa, since you’ve not been there since you were a babe, think of Calliope. She’s there so it will keep our course on track.” Hermes said. I nodded as I thought of my eldest sister. She was our voice of reason. I smiled as I thought of her long curling hair that she would let me braid while we ate fruits in the gardens.

Cold enveloped me, making me gasp as the feeling of falling greeted me. I tried to keep my mind focused on Calliope, but I wanted to open my eyes to see if I was actually falling through the sky.

“Alessa, you can look,” Thalia said softly.

I peeled my eyes open to look at the place I had never been allowed since we left. We were on the top ridge of the mountain. Thalia told me that the mountain was much like a volcano, the very top was open except there was a solid base that the gods had built home upon. The higher ridge kept the humans below from seeing the city.

“Do you like it?” Thalia asked as I soaked in the beautiful white marble buildings and golden streets.

“It’s beautiful.” I murmured. For the first time I felt more than human, I felt the energy coursing through my veins making me feel alive. It was no wonder why my sisters were so restless away from Olympus.

I had no memories from Olympus. I was only a few years old when we left, but it felt like home. Thalia smiled at me sadly as we began the trek down the marble stairs. Nearing the bottom, I could see Calliope dressed in the traditional chiton made with colorful silks. Her dark hair was pulled up with a gold ribbon securing the locks.

“What happened?” Calliope demanded.

“Ura and Poly were on their way to the cottage. Hunters came from the trees and killed Ura. Poly couldn’t leave her but managed to get them both close to the cottage where she followed Ura.” Thalia said softly. “Father has deemed it unsafe for us to stay outside of Olympus.”

“Calliope, we can discuss such things later. We must get your sisters cleaned and buried.” Father said softly. Calliope nodded before joining us behind the men. Hermes fell out of step as we entered the city.

“Mourne dear, sisters.” He said softly before he disappeared into the crowd.

Father led us through the main street where various gods and goddesses had gathered to see us pass. I couldn’t see any major ones, just minor gods with simple roles in their lives.

The palace where father and many of his children lived, gleamed white and gold in the sunlight. Hera stood near the door, between the columns in a chiton even more elaborate than Calliope’s. Hera’s light brown hair was curled and held back from her face by a gold crown, She was beautiful as always.

“Children,” She said as we approached. “What’s happened?”

“As if you care,” Clio spat making Hera’s lip curl in anger.

“Wife, do not start,” Father warned. “The girls have been through enough without your cruel tricks.”

Her light brown eyes darkened as she looked at Clio before nodding. Without a word, she marched back into the palace. Father led us through the halls to a room with three plain marble slabs in the center of the room. A water basin was near the back of the room and other various beauty products lined the table near the water.

Father and Ares set down the twins, each on their own slabs. Calliope and Thalia quickly unwrapped the twins from their cloth prisons. Melpomene and Terpsichore stood beside me as the twins’ faces were revealed. I looked at Mel who sobbed softly, her tan skin was red and her dark green eyes were rimmed with tears. Ter was stoic as she stared at our sisters. Her dark hair was cropped short and currently stuck up in a million directions. She flicked her navy eyes to me before giving me a sad smile.

“We will leave you to ready your sisters. I will have someone bring the chitons.” Father said softly. I caught Ares’s sad stare before I nodded at him to follow Father.

“Thalia, Clio, and Alessa, you do Ura. Mel, Ter, and I will do Poly.” Calliope said softly. I nodded slowly as I moved to Ura’s body. She was covered in blood making my stomach churn.

“Are you okay?” Clio asked as she closed Ura’s chocolate eyes. I looked up at her and nodded.

“It’s okay to not be alright, Alessa,” Thalia said softly as she set a bucket of water on the floor with three rags. I grabbed one and carefully slid it across Ura’s now pale skin of her face.

“I’m fine,” I said softly as I cleaned the drying blood away.

Ura had a deep wound across her throat that had ultimately been her demise. Thalia said the only weapons that could kill a god were Trinity blades which were three blades form the Titans. They were supposed to be destroyed but, it was clear they were not.

I gagged as I supported Ura’s dead weight so Clio and Thalia could dress her in the heavy silks. I wanted to sob and cry and just scream as I touched her lifeless body. We didn’t talk as we worked. I carefully set her down once they had the chiton situated before quickly braiding gold ribbons through her freshly washed hair.

“Are you girls ready?” Ares asked as he poked his head in the room.

“Yes,” Calliope answered for us as we stepped away from their bodies. The six of us joined hands as we took one last look at our lost sisters, none of knowing what was to come next. I could feel the hole in my heart from losing the twins. I always knew that it was a possibility that the Hunters would come back; that they would succeed at taking our lives. I just had hoped that they would give up and move on.