The Trials of Aphrodite

♦ Chapter Three ♦

Oh, the baths.

Do not get me started.

Too late.

It was heaven. It was a beautiful feeling; like that moment when you eat a piece of candy and feel a burst of flavor on your tongue, or hit the crescendo while listening to opera, or finally get that lip gloss you've waited a month for from South Korea. {A/N: I'm still sorry you had to wait so long, Emily.} It was like floating on a cloud.

The water was hot, with steam curling in the air. Thousands of bubbles frothed, and the bath was as large as a swimming pool. Shampoos, conditioners, and body washes varied in scents. Mint, lilac, lavender, rose, and sour apple were among the ones I could choose from. 

I scrubbed away the dirt and grime, and lathered shampoo in my hair. I soaked in the bath feeling like a new person. I felt clean after I left.

I spotted the girl, Hazel, talking to her boyfriend a few feet away. I tried to get her attention, but she didn't notice me. Hazel was making wide gestures with her hands as she talked, and, being good at reading emotions, I could tell she was upset and annoyed.

It really wouldn't be nice of me to eavesdrop. I would be overhearing things that I wasn't supposed to hear, not to mention invading Hazel's privacy. It would be incredibly rude for me to listen in on their conversation.

I eavesdropped, naturally.

"There's something wrong with the gods," Hazel whispered. "I don't know why. They're paranoid. Jupiter closed Olympus for unknown reasons. Just yesterday they were open, but now the gate is locked. No one can get in or out."

"What do you think is happening?" Frank asked her.

"I'm not sure. The rise of another primordial, or something was stolen."

"We defeated Gaea, so there's no way. I think an object of power was stolen."

"Really? Who? Gods can't steal other gods' objects of power directly, so it couldn't have been someone immortal," Hazel said.

I stiffened. Perhaps Hades's helm of darkness had been stolen, or Hermes's caduceus, or Poseidon's trident, or Zeus's lightning bolt. But last I heard, their objects were in their possession. What, then?

Hazel's gaze locked with mine. "Ren," she said. "Hello. I can see you've been to the baths?"

I walked over to them and nodded. "It was spectacular."

Hazel smiled. "There's nothing like a Roman bath, is there?"

"No," I agreed. "Hey, what were you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Frank said dismissively. "It's none of your business."

That insufferable boy. I wanted to wring his neck, but I didn't think my hands would fit around it.

Hazel frowned. "Frank, don't be rude. It was only a question."

Frank sighed. "Sorry, Hazel."

"The gods have been...distant lately. Olympus is closed for some reason," Hazel said.

"Hmm. Why, might I ask, is it closed?"

"We think an object of power has been stolen. Every god has one. Pluto's helm, Jupiter's bolt, Neptune's trident. Hopefully it isn't anything major, though. I'd like to take a break from risking my life to save the world."

"So, any other strange things I'll have to endure to be accepted here?" I inquired casually.

"Oh, yeah. Ella has to discern the will of the gods and ask them if you're allowed to be here."

That didn't sound too good. If Zeus wanted revenge on me, he probably wouldn't vote for me to stay in Camp Jupiter. 

"Um, where exactly does she do that?"

"The Temple of Jupiter."

"Um, how exactly does she do that?"

"Oh, she guts animals and reads their entrails."

My expression must have been hilarious, for she laughed. "I'm kidding. She guts stuffed animals and reads their stuffing. It would be a lot messier if they were real."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better."

"This way. I'll introduce you," Hazel said.

She strode into the crowd, and I had to run to keep up. 

The temple was magnificent, and the largest one of all. Inside, intricate and beautiful mosaics and Latin inscriptions were etched onto the marble floor. A domed ceiling glittered gold sixty feet above. It was a temple fit for the king of the gods.

In the middle stood a marble altar, with an enormous statue of Jupiter himself behind it. Wearing a purple toga and raising a large lightning bolt, as if it were about to strike an enemy. 

That was all interesting, but most of my attention was on the person raising her hands in front of her and performing some kind of ritual. 

'Person' didn't really fit this girl's description. She was anything but human.

The girl had stringy red hair, thin features, pale skin, and was wearing a dark green dress. Red wings protruded from her arms, and her nails weren't nails-they were talons. A harpy.

Red lightning flashed in the background, and I arched an eyebrow. Impressive trick.

The temple was shrouded in mist, which dissipated as the harpy turned around. She had large brown eyes, which were almost perfect circles. She tilted her head. "I am Ella," the harpy said, her talons scraping the floor. "Ella likes books."

She was holding a Ceremonial knife and a teddy bear, and a shudder skittered down my spine. If the Romans trusted this chicken with a weapon, my chances of living were slim. Especially a chicken that likes books.

A pile of stuffing lay on the altar, which I found strange. Then again, I'm a former goddess whose fate lies in the hands of a chicken lady with a knife, so I'm one to talk.

Ella fluttered down to Hazel and I with incredibly fast speed. "Hazel. Greenish-brown eye color. Eight percent of the world h-has hazel eye color." Her eye twitched, and she squawked nervously.

"Hi, Ella," Hazel said gently. "How are you?"

She flapped around in a circle. "Ella is fine. Ella is reading the stars. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green."

I took a timid step forward and held out my hands. "Are you alright, darling? I know The Fault in Our Stars is a beautiful romance, but why are you acting this way?"

"She's read a lot of books," Hazel explained. "So she quotes them sometimes. She's not crazy."

"Um, please reevaluate your definition of crazy, dear," I said, glancing at the harpy, who was preening her red feathers.

"She was starved to death for hundreds of years because of an old seer named Phineas. You see, he was cursed to eat the same food from a table, but to have a swarm of harpies attack him for it. He tried to capture Ella for her knowledge, but we saved her. She's gotten better, but she still isn't very calm. But she's perfectly sane. Uh, I think."

Ella whimpered. "Phineas is bad. Bad, bad man. Ella is safe. Ella has friends. Ella has Tyson." She blushed a little, and I frowned. The chicken had a lover?

"Yes, Ella," Hazel said softly. "Now, this is Ren Amore. She's a new camper, so she needs to know if she'll be accepted into the legion or not."

Ella clucked and flew back to the altar. She raised a pink bunny stuffed animal in one hand, and the other the Ceremonial knife. She began to chant, and slit the bunny's belly with the blade. Stuffing piled out, and Ella bent over it, muttering under her breath.

"Hazel, hon, I really think she isn't mentally stable."

Hazel sighed. "She's really nice. And she's very smart."

"The line between intelligence and madness is very small, Hazel," I said.

"Just give her some time."

Ella set down her knife and shot down beside me. I yelped and shrank back.

"Ella has spilt the stuffing. Ella thinks you can join the legion. The gods are in a-agreement."

A sense of relief passed through me. Jupiter had allowed me to stay. But why? If he was truly the one to turn me mortal, why would he be so lenient?

"Thank you, Ella," Hazel said in a soothing tone. I supposed she didn't want to spook the chicken. "We'll be leaving now."

Ella bobbed her head. Then her eyes met mine, and her thin lips quivered. "The goddess's symbol, her plans you shall hinder." Then she shuddered and fluttered back to the altar, as if nothing had happened.

Ice froze my blood. That was a line from a prophecy. One meant for me. I just knew it.

"What was that?" I asked Hazel as we left the temple, and Ella to her mumbling. 

"I have no clue," Hazel answered truthfully. "It wasn't a good omen, that's for sure."

I bit my lip and spared one last glance at the temple. The statue of Jupiter seemed to peer into my soul, trying to tell me something. I wanted to know what.

Thank you guys so much for the positive feedback. I'm so honored! Also, whoever can guess which object of power was stolen will get a dedication. 

Trivia Question: What are the Latin names of Reyna's metal dogs, and what are they translated to in English?