FOUR

Dryope turned out to be a gracious host, even if she was a tad dramatic. When I dipped my feet in the pond, the icy shock made me gasp in pain. Dryope's response was to burst out in tears.

She stuffed me full of berries, pears and dates, and perched next to me to ensure I ate every single bite. The drink she shoved in my hands wasn't wine, but a sweet, honeyed drink that soothed my nerves. Her owl-like eyes were unblinking, curious as if she'd never seen a human before. I tried hard not to stare at her figure, which was so perfect and her skin looked so soft. I imagined that if I touched her it'd be like touching silk. The thought made my cheeks flush, and I had to splash cold water on my face to cool down.

She had no reservations about prancing around almost naked in the forest and seemed unaware of the way I tried to avoid looking her way. Which was hard to do, when she was always nearby.

By the time night had fully settled, Dryope led me to a cozy patch of grass nestled under a low-hanging tree.

"You can sleep here," she claimed proudly. "It has a very lovely view of Artemis' night sky."

She was right about that. The sky had exploded with stars. Fistfuls of glittering confetti that Artemis had tossed into the sky. It was startling and beautiful. I was used to seeing a night sky tainted with city lights. I'd be lucky to see one bright star in the muddied sky.

"The wise goddess will return in the morning," Dryope continued as I settled in. "Do not worry, pretty little thing, I will keep a vigilant watch over you."

"Right... thanks. I guess."

The moss at the base of the tree acted as a pillow, and was wonderfully comfortable. Even the earthy, dirt smell was comforting, and as my head hit the mossy pillow, the world turned dark, and I was falling.

Falling into a black void, my screams snatched away by the rushing air. My limbs flailed helplessly as I tumbled down and down and down, unable to catch myself.

Through the rushing wind came a shrill beeping. It pierced my eardrums, and I gritted my teeth against the sound. There was no escaping it, the sound wrapping its claws around my head.

And then came the voices.

They were distorted, though it sounded like someone was calling my name between fits of crying.

I reached for the invisible voice, my own words snatched from my lips. I thought I knew who was calling my name, but I couldn't remember.

And then I landed on something soft and warm. A gigantic hand, judging by the wall of pink-fleshed fingers. They curled towards me, threatening to crush me like a bug.

"YOU ARE NOT GOING HOME!"

The voice was rolling thunder. It rattled my bones, made my teeth chatter as I clamped my hands over my ears. I tried to move, but the ridges in the hand were too difficult to navigate.

The fingers were closing in, and I kept slipping—

"No!"

I wrenched myself awake with a strangled scream. My heart raced against my chest, desperate to escape its confined cage. What a horrific nightmare, though now that I was awake, it was fading away. I remembered waking up on a beach in Troy, and meeting the goddess Athena, and Paris, the shepherd prince. Then Athena took me to the home of a dryad called Dryope...

The rest of it was a blur.

Blindly, I reached for my phone to check the time—only to find it wasn't on the bedside table. Nor was my bedside table there. In fact, it was tree root, jutting out from the ground. I was nestled in the crook of the tree, the mossy pillow now indented with the side of my face. The sky was ombre of blue and pink, cloudless with the promise of another hot day.

I wasn't in my bedroom. I was outside, in the middle of the woods.

Everything that happened the previous day came crashing on me like a bucket of ice water.

"No," I gasped, wrenching my hand free from the root. "No, no, no, no, this isn't really happening. It was a dream."

"Are we going to be playing this game every time you wake up? This is not a dream, though it sounded like you were having a terrible one."

Athena lounged on the opposite side of my so-called bed, munching on a date. She'd removed her helmet—which rested on her knee—revealing a cascading wave of brown locks. Without her helmet, her face was heart-shaped and softer, her high forehead, and her cool, academic gaze. She appeared older than I'd initially thought, though that wasn't saying much. As a goddess, she probably got to choose how she looked every morning. And with the sun rising to her left, she was absolutely stunning—even if she had been sitting there like a creepy stalker, watching her victim sleep.

"I don't remember," I replied. The reality of my situation was crushing, but the nightmare had become nothing more than shadow. "Though I did hope all this had been a strangely vivid dream."

"For the third time, it's not." Athena swung her legs around so they dangled off the edge of the branch. "Now that we've established that, I found you a change of clothes."

She gestured to a neatly wrapped bundle at my feet. I pulled it onto my lap and unwrapped the package. Fine, silky material slipped between my fingers. The material had been dyed a striking blue, royal and deep, with a row of gold owls carefully stitched along the edges. It was beautiful, soft and light, perfect for the hot weather that promised to bear down on us. The perfect outfit for an ancient world adventure.

I clutched it tight, my eyes pricking with the threat of tears.

"Don't you like it?" Athena demanded. "I had that made just for you."

"I-I do, thank you. It's not that," I whispered. I didn't trust my voice to go any louder. "I just want to go home."

Homesickness felt inadequate, though there was no other term that fit. An aching tumour that festered in my chest. Deep down, I knew that Athena was right—this wasn't a dream. I was really stuck in an ancient world, far, far, far away from my friends and family. I was so far from familiar land that I would no doubt start drowning.

Athena's sigh was soft and empathetic. I stared at the cloth as she slid off the branch, coming to sit closer to me. For a moment, I half-believed she was going to offer some words of comfort, to alleviate the stress my poor heart was enduring. How naive I was to think that.

"About that. I spoke to Zeus. He's not willing to take you home."

"Did he happen to give you a reason? Or is it because he's a jerk?" I shot back wryly.

"He said he had his own reason and I should leave well enough alone." Athena shook her head. "I don't condone breaking the rules for a game, and I certainly don't think you deserve this. But, without Zeus' agreement to take you home, it'll take longer to get you home, if at all. Your fate has already been set. Unless it is written, what I can do is limited."

"Great."

I snatched the slippery material and held it up. The hopeless gap in my chest spread. Home was slipping further and further from my grasp.

Athena looked offended. She crossed her arms and shot me a withering glare. "I didn't say I was giving up."

"Look, I appreciate it, but if you think I'm going to stay here, you're mistaken." I shivered. "This isn't my time... or my world... or, well, both. I don't belong here."

"No, you don't. Which is why I'm trying to help you."

"Help me?" I glared at her. I waved the silky cloth at her. "You call this helping me? Giving me a cloth to blend in? What if, I don't know, create a butterfly effect? Like, am I in a story, or the actual past?"

"Every story has some truth to it, whether intentional or not," Athena said. Her tone was short, irritated. "This is the past, how it was dictated to Homer, anyway. Humans can know about us, but over time it became abundantly clear that they would find a way to exploit us. So, we turned our existence into myth, which is where you are now."

"So, I am in a story. Great, let's jump to the end."

"No, you're in the true history," Athena smiled. "The one that isn't altered to protect us. Humans fare better when they rely on faith."

"Sure, makes total sense," I muttered. "I'm stuck in ancient Greece, perfect."

"Greece is beyond the Aegean Sea. You are in Anatolia, or what you'd call Turkey in your time. Troy is the city you saw earlier. They hide behind their great wall, built by Apollo and Poseidon, and taunt Greece with their riches."

"Got a grudge, huh?" Athena rolled her eyes at my dry remark, giving me some small satisfaction. "Why did Zeus bring me here, then? Why not plop me down in Greece?"

"I think he wanted you as far away from Mount Olympus as possible. Not that you could find it without some help." She took the material from me and climbed to her feet. "I'll help you with this. The chiton is a common garb among the Greeks and Trojans, like what I am wearing. This one is not as fine as mine but it will turn away any unwanted questions."

"Uh, no... uh uh, I am not letting you dress me."

An exasperated ugh was her response. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to see me naked." I wrapped my arms around my chest, self-conscious. "Like, look at you. You are gorgeous and your body is stunning! I would kill for your curves... not these lumpy rolls."

"You should see Aphrodite," Athena remarked. She unfolded the material, adjusting it a bit. "The goddess of love is not a stick thin model like you've seen her portrayed. She has... "lumpy rolls" like you so eloquently put it. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen a naked person before."

"You sure about that?" I teased, earning a dark glare in response.

From what I recalled, Athena was celibate. The rest of her family were ravenously horny but she never seemed interested. The O.G. asexual being.

"Just get undressed."

"I think it's great, you know," I continued. "Asexuality is totally fine. Your family is wild and horny bastards, but you, you stand your own and embrace your true self. You are like the champion of asexual—"

"ALEXIS!"

Athena's voice boomed through the woods, sending a flurry of birds into the sky. It shook the ground, upsetting my stiffened feet. I leaned towards the tree for support, the echoes of her voice vibrating through my bones. The hammering in my chest, however, did not slow. The way she'd spoken triggered an inkling of a memory from the nightmare. Someone had raised their voice like she had... but what had they said?

The goddess adjusted her chiton. "We are not going to discuss my personal life. Now, let's get you into this outfit."

All I could manage was a meek nod and then I was pulling off my pyjamas. They were ripe with sweat, dirt and now pieces of my dignity. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I stood, naked, before a literal goddess. She might believe it wasn't a big deal, but I felt like the whole forest was watching me.

Athena kicked my discarded pjs to the side as if she couldn't bear the thought of them sitting too close, and then helped me into the chiton. It was a type of dress that draped over my shoulders and was cinched around my waist with a leather belt. The goddess moved with expert fingers, adjusting and fitting it properly around my frame. Then she grabbed another piece of fabric I'd missed and draped it loosely over top, which acted like a thin cloak. Lastly, she produced a pair of leather bound sandals and an intricately carved tin.

"Panacea gave me this for your feet," she said, "and these will help you traverse the rocky landscape."

"Thanks." I took the sandals and the tin, warmed by her generosity. Though she didn't say it, I had the impression she was apologizing. "I'm sorry... Obviously, I'm a little freaked out by all of this."

Athena almost looked amused as I rubbed the poultice on my feet. Which were completely mangled. After the pond washed away all the blood, I was shocked by the state. The fleshy padding on my feet were raw with jagged cuts and black bruising.

The texture was sticky and thick, glueing my fingers together as I worked. Judging by the sweet scent, I figured it was a honey mixed with herbs that tickled my nose. Whatever it was, it worked quickly, sealing in the cuts and bruises of my battered soles.

"For what it's worth, you're handling it better than most in your position."

My hands stilled, fingers stuck together as I looked up at the goddess.

"Most? You mean there are others?"

Athena stiffened, her face smoothing into a mask of indifference. But I'd seen it. The slip. She hadn't meant to say anything.

"There were others. Not anymore. Not since the rules were instilled."

"Sure, the "rules." The ones Zeus broke because he's a rebel. Kudos to you guys for upholding the law and all—ew." I'd tried to clap, though my hands stuck together with a squelch. Wrinkling my nose, I pried them apart.

"The last time someone was thrown back in time it was because of a life or death situation—you know what? It doesn't matter. You are in this mess now, don't dwell on the past." Athena waved her hand, dismissing the conversation.

"Oh, but see, I was told to use the past as a lesson for the present," I pointed out. My tongue stuck out of the corner of my mouth as I attempted to wipe my hands on the mossy layered rock. "Dammit, this stuff is so sticky."

With a huff, Athena grabbed my hands and, with her magic fingers, wiped my hands clean. It was like I hadn't spent twenty minutes struggling with the gooey stuff. What I would give to have goddess powers. Life would be so much easier.

I stared at my fresh, soft hands as a mumbled thanks fell off my lips.

"The past won't help you here," she said firmly, dropping my hands. "Hurry and tend to your feet. I want to be on our way by nightfall and you move like a sloth."

"You think that's a burn but sloths are really cool," I smirked, unravelling the bandages.

Once my feet were slick with the stuff and bandaged, I slipped my feet into the sandals, wincing at their stiffness. The soles were hard and unforgiving, and the leather straps dug into my feet, but they were way better than walking barefoot across the rocky terrain.

I threw my arms out and faced Athena. "How do I look?"

"Less pathetic," she nodded, and I rolled my eyes.

Was it just me, or were we starting to get along?

She came forward to tuck my hair behind my ear. "Your hair, however, is a problem. It's too boyish for a girl in this era and too... greasy."

She wiped her hand on her chiton in disgust and the rush of anger hit my cheeks like a stinging slap. Nevermind, we were definitely not getting along.

She was spared a verbal lashing for a terrified shriek cut through the woods. The poor birds who had just settled after Athena's outburst, took to the skies again, feathers raining down on us. My heart, only just having calmed, leapt into my throat.

Athena and I exchanged a glance. She set her helmet over her head, the spear of it sliding down the slope of her nose.

"Dryope," I whispered.

"She's at the pond," Athena declared, grabbing her spear.