A wet nose pressed against the palm of his hand. Then another against his wrist.
Sinking to his knees, he buried his hands in the longer fur around Cerberus’s neck. “Hello, boy. I’ll be fine. You know how it goes with the gods. They just want to see my face and make sure I’m still alive.”
Cerberus huffed out a wet breath and pressed his remaining nose against Hades’ neck.
At least someone enjoyed his company. Even if his family only invited him for the spectacle of seeing the Lord of the Underworld, he’d always have his people here.
And a good dog.
A good dog could fix a lot of ailments.
He stood up and resolved to the long walk up the black sand beach. “All right. I suppose we need to get ready then.”
With a sharp whistle, he summoned Cerberus to his side and together, they marched toward their home.
Chapter 3
Kore stared up at the golden gates of Olympus and her breath caught in her throat. They were so beautiful. It made her eyes hurt to look at them.
Or maybe that was because they were finally standing in front of Olympus. The one place she’d always wanted to go since she was a little girl. The place her mother told her stories about. Even the nymphs and naiads talked about it nonstop. How the entire city was made of gold. How all the gods rested their heads there with individual palaces for each of the twelve original Olympians.
She clasped her hands in front of her heart and tried to look like she belonged here. She didn’t know how to fit in though, when her robes were just a simple mortal cream silk. Her himation had golden threads, but it wasn’t anything that could stand up to the clothing of the gods.
Clouds swirled at the base of the intricately twisted arches. And it looked like she was about to step into the sky.
Her mother let out a soft sigh beside her. “Kore, close your mouth. You’re a goddess, remember? Not some mortal child who never knew this existed.”
Anger burned at her mother’s words. She wanted to retort that she’d been kept as a mortal her entire life. She was little more than a glorified nymph, thanks to her mother’s overprotective nature. And what nymph ever went to Olympus?
As they stepped through the gates, she had the entire argument in her head. Kore would have told her mother that she should have come here a long time ago. She should have seen the golden gates, and she should know what her mother’s palace looked like.
She should have met Apollo by now! Maybe they would have fallen wickedly in love and the nymphs wouldn’t giggle when they heard she hadn’t been kissed yet. Centuries old and not even a stolen kiss from a mortal boy?
The gates opened soundlessly. Demeter lifted her foot and Kore mimicked her movement. A tugging sensation hurtled her forward and then they weren’t standing before gates at all. They were transported onto the top of a mountain where only clouds could be seen for miles.
Kore rubbed her eyes. A pavilion appeared with golden tables filled with more food than she’d ever seen in one room. Bowls of nectar overflowed, dripping gold rivers onto the floor. Slices of glistening yellow ambrosia laid next to the bowls, the chosen food of the Olympians that only added to their immortality.
Gods wandered about with gold goblets in their hands and their best uniforms on their bodies. And they were all stunning.
Demeter straightened her own simple peplos and heaved another drawn-out sigh. “I have business with Hera. Do you remember the rules?”
Of course she did. Her mother had beat them into her head a hundred times before they got here. She couldn’t forget them if she tried. Kore nodded firmly. “Yes, Mother.”
“Don’t talk to anyone without me.” Demeter pointed at her. “And find Artemis immediately. She’ll make sure you’re kept out of trouble.”
“I won’t get in trouble, Mother. I promise.”
Demeter looked her up and down with an unimpressed look on her face. “Somehow I doubt that. Kore, this is your one chance to prove to me you’re old enough to be here. If you fail to adhere to any of the rules, you will never return to Olympus again. Do I make that clear?”
Kore felt all the blood draining from her face. She wanted to come back here already. She never wanted to leave.
Swallowing her fear, she replied, “Yes, Mother.”
Her mother strode through the crowd with her golden head held high, her beautiful shoulders straight and proud. If only Kore could walk with the same confidence as Demeter. She was a goddess the mortals worshiped every single day. The other gods should bow before her.
In contrast, Kore felt like the dirty little girl who still tugged at her mother’s skirts.
Suddenly alone among the most powerful gods and goddesses, she realized just how grubby she was. Kore tugged at her peplos again, drew her himation close to her shoulders, and wondered what she was supposed to do now.
The white columns of Zeus’s palace looked too clean and glistened in the light. She couldn’t lean on one or she’d end up leaving a dirt stain. And she certainly couldn’t walk over to the tables and get a glass of nectar. Her mother would kill her if she drank something that strong. The clouds spreading out around her suddenly reflected the sun too brightly in her eyes. The black marble floors turned into a mirror that showed just how little she belonged there.
Breathing heavily, she didn’t even notice someone was approaching her until a hand landed on her shoulder.
Spinning around with a gasp, she pressed a hand against her heart when she recognized who it was. “Artemis! You scared me.”
The goddess of the hunt was one of the most lovely women she’d ever met. And that included the goddesses standing behind her. But perhaps that was because while they were glorious and gleaming in their looks, Artemis was a sword ready to strike.
She wore a man’s chiton made of emerald green fabric. It tied at her shoulder with a golden clasp in the shape of a deer. The fabric ended just above her knees, and she’d worn laced shoes that only showed how powerful her legs were. Long, chocolate colored curls framed her square jaw and face. Streaks of sun kissed strands gleamed as she moved.
Of all the gods to startle her, Kore was happiest to see her friend.
Artemis grinned. “Did I scare you?”
“I think anyone would have scared me here. Look at all the gods.” Kore tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I feel so drab next to them all.”
“Well,” Artemis stared at her clothing, then stuck out her tongue. “Your mother did you no favors putting you in that peplos. What was she thinking? It’s your first time in Olympus!”
They both knew what Demeter had been thinking. She didn’t want anyone giving her daughter a second glance, and she’d likely succeeded.
Kore sighed and held her arms out at her sides. “I’m not sure really, but... This was the outfit she chose.”
“At least the nymphs made you look pretty.” Artemis touched a hand to Kore’s cheek, her thumb stroking over her softened jaw. “You look beautiful, Kore. That charcoal really does something for those pretty green eyes of yours.”
Blushing perhaps a little too hard, Kore took a step back from her friend. Artemis could sometimes get a little... well. Too comfortable with women. Kore didn’t mind it most of the time, but there were moments when the gleam in Artemis’s eyes was a little too powerful.