The conference room at the Highrise looked suspiciously barren when the remaining ones of my entourage met. Bill’s house and Olympia remained intact possibly because Circe didn’t know exactly where they were or else she simply couldn't get inside the wards we set up. At the Highrise, we lost Leto, Calliope, Irene, Lethe, Tychon, Deimos, and seven of Phobos’s followers--a total of thirteen were murdered.
Phobos and Eris still lived. They clung to each other as if they were scared, small children. Phobos still looked as if I beat him in the face with a baseball bat, but at that moment, I didn't care.
I had to figure out how to keep everyone safe.
Hermes contacted Titan and he and Perses returned to the Highrise and Artemis joined us, too after Apollo contacted her. She was eager to destroy the one who killed her mother.
Calliope’s two children, Orpheus and Linus joined my cause to avenge their mother, when Memory, their grandmother, gave them the bad news.
Amid the bedlam, in the conference room, Hermes received a cell phone call. He shouted, “Quiet down,” and we all waited while he spoke with the person on the other end. For my part, I was worried we would hear of another death. However, Hermes gave his consent for the other to join us.
When Hades appeared in my conference room I was definitely surprised. That he left his own realm was unusual in itself. That he chose to visit me could mean very good news or very bad.
Hades was dressed in a resplendent gold robe and his black hair hung in heavy waves down his back. His face was hidden behind a great black beard that hung to his waist. Hades walked slowly toward me. He glanced around the faces at the table and then said, “This is an impressive entourage you have.”
“Hades, welcome,” I said and he gave me a small courtly nod of his head. I waited for him to tell me why he visited.
Hades spoke again, “You have a powerful enemy who has killed the mother of my wife. Also, you sit in Zeus’s place as the leader of all of us. I offer you my sword and my realm to help you defeat this witch.”
Could it be true? Could Hades actually be offering me the underworld? I expected that Hades would throw his lot in with Hera and Poseidon, yet, here he was standing in my conference room offering what amounted to an army to help me.
Ares spoke next. “Athena is asking for an Oath of Binding from all of her followers. The oath must be witnessed by Memory.”
Hades frowned. “That will mean my loyalty to Zeus has come to an end. The Oath of Binding will supersede any of those I made to him.”
Ares nodded and said, “Although he has not made an official declaration, Zeus has abdicated the throne of Olympus.”
I held up my hand and Ares fell silent. “Hades, you rule your own realm and I do not wish to take over there. However, your assistance in my current situation will help.”
“I am reluctant to perform the Oath of Binding, but I will give you a Pledge of Loyalty. Memory can witness and affirm my resolve to assist you. I will pledge my loyalty to you as I pledged my loyalty to Zeus. You are a welcome leader, Lady Athena,” Hades said.
“That will be sufficient. You are a very strong ally,” I said to him.
Hades, the King of the Underworld, gave me his pledge.
It seems like a lot of ceremony to normal humans, but the Pledge of Loyalty or the Oath of Binding happens on a metaphysical level and cannot be unwoven easily. When a human makes an oath, it is simply a promise and circumstances may render the oath meaningless. Among Titans and Olympians, the oath carries weight and consequences, so we are very careful to whom we pledge allegiance.
I accepted this new ally.
Then, I turned to the others in the conference room. “My first priority is your safety. All of you. Hermes, you will transfer us to Olympia. It is more defensible than this place. Circe has violated my Highrise more than once, so we will leave here until she is dead.”
“What about Bill’s house?” Jason asked me.
“We will leave there, too. I cannot protect people when they are spread halfway around the world.”
“Why did she kill these particular people?” Dionysus asked.
“I would think to discourage anyone from following me,” I said. “Also, they were here and convenient. Any more questions or concerns?” No one said anything.
Hades kissed my hand when I stood and then said, “I will remain in my realm as I am safe there. Hermes can collect me when I am needed.” With that, the powerful king of the underworld vanished. With his phrase, he gave permission for Hermes to come and go freely within Hades’s domain--an honor given to very few. Most who arrived in Hades’s realm were obligated to stay forever.
I motioned to Hermes and in an instant, we were in the conference room on Olympia Island.
The sun was just rising and I ached for Helios; to watch him standing in dawn’s light, hair blowing in the breeze. I couldn’t indulge any selfish whims while standing in the conference room with my followers present, so I said, “Ares, we need to hide this place from view and shore up the wards over the entire island to keep Circe out.” My voice sounded tired. I felt very tired.
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Ares gave me a long look and then nodded. I walked out of the large room, leaving everyone to fend for themselves.
I walked to the bedroom that Eli and I never shared. A sharp pain started at the base of my skull and moved up until my whole head throbbed--a tension headache but it made my whole body hurt.
The morning sun beckoned to me and I watched it creep out of the water, adding golden ribbons to the green ocean. I cried for long minutes over my deceased followers and I wondered if my father felt the same anguish when one of his died. If things were bad before, they were worse now. Not only did I not know where Helios was, but I was also no further ahead than before. In fact, I felt like I had taken several steps backward, because I had lost Circe, too.
The bright morning held no solace for me or answers. I went to the large bed and lay crossways on it. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but sleep eluded me. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept well for several hours. Maybe it was the night I got drunk with Ares. Perhaps I didn't even sleep well that night and I just can't remember.
Ares knocked softly and then came into the room. He said to me, “What can I do to help?”
I told him, “I haven't got a clue. I haven't got a clue about anything. The world is spinning in the wrong direction. I need help Ares and I don't know where to go to get it.”
He said, “It is understandable that you feel this way. I know I would if it were me. But, Athena, you can't spend days and days wallowing in self-pity. You have to do something.”
“Ares, you are always prodding me to do something. It is getting somewhat tiresome.”
He said, “Someone has to do it because if left up to you, you would do exactly what you are doing right now. Lying on a bed and feeling sorry for yourself.”
Of course, he was correct. I took a deep breath but didn't rise from the bed.
I reviewed my priorities. Everyone was as safe as I could manage for the moment. Finding Helios had to be the next step. I gazed out of the window and watched the waves in the bay for several minutes. It was an exercise to calm my brain and help me focus. Finally, I said, “Ares, go get Hermes and Bill. We will start searching for Helios.”
Within a few minutes, the four of us sat on my oversized bed together. Bill sat directly behind me and wrapped his long arms around me, allowing me to feel his affection. I leaned back against his chest and tried to relax in his embrace. My poor misplaced Bill. Allowing him to hold me was a very small price to pay for taking away the thing he loved--police work. I hoped he would replace it with something else soon.
Hermes moved closer to me and lay his head on my thigh. Ares moved beside me and lay his head on my shoulder while encircling my waist with his arms. We pulled in energy from each other. We touched each other’s emotions and soothed the rough parts. I discovered that I wasn’t the only very sad person. Ares ached because he wasn’t able to foresee what Circe intended. Bill ached because Circe committed murders and was still at large. Both missed Helios nearly as much as I did. We needed our quadrumvirate to be complete, again. The missing person took its toll on all of us. We collected strength from each other for long minutes in a tangle of arms and legs.
Finally, I said, “We have to find Helios. Hermes, as much as I have fought against the idea, you have to join our power partnership.” I placed a hand on his shoulder. “We are going to travel over the globe and I need your expertise in transportation. Do you accept this burden?” Because it was a burden for me and for him, it would be, too.
Hermes didn't even take the time to think, rather he nodded his head, vigorously. It was what he wanted.
I said, “I am not sure exactly how we did it the first time but we will try to duplicate what happened. Ares and I will start the show. Then, we'll pull in Bill.
Then, Hermes, we will invite you into the group. It will take a few minutes to get everything established, then you will lead the search for either Circe or Helios. Helios is the priority.” Hermes nodded.
We untangled our physical selves. I stood up from the bed and opened the French doors. We all stepped out to the patio beyond my bedroom. The breeze from the night before was now gale force and cold. Dark clouds piled up, covering the northern horizon in a thick gray blanket. The air smelled like rain. I buttoned my coat and nodded to Ares.
Ares and I began. We took a moment to gather our thoughts and join our power together. It was different joining with just Ares than it was joining with just Helios but we persisted and finally a strong link was established. I held up my hand and I felt Bill grab it. Ares and I both looked at him and drew him in with us. I felt it when Hermes clasped my hand. The energy built as we combined our effort and pulled Hermes into the partnership. In moments, we cemented him into our group.
I told Hermes subliminally, “Let's look for any sign of Circe's magic. It is a fine green thread that looks almost like a spider web.” I felt Hermes’s nod of assent. We rose from the stone patio floor and slowly upward as we all got used to the sensation of traveling in a group. We hovered over the island for several minutes, all of us looking for that trace of green thread that would give us a hint as to Circe’s whereabouts. None of us could see anything so Hermes widened the circle.
It was a slow and meticulous thing we did; we searched until our metaphysical eyes were tired. We saw no sign of Helios or of Circe. We searched over seas and mountains and meadows and fields and cities. Our search took us more than 1000 miles from Olympia and it was the most intensive search I had ever conducted. No grain of sand was left unexamined.
Finally, we were back on the patio. I couldn't tell how much time had actually passed until I looked at my watch and realized we had been striving for over six hours. My physical body was drenched with rain and sleet and I shivered in the cold. My exposed hands turned blue from the cold and my feet ached from the icy rain. Water dripped from my hair and from my nose. Misery, both physical and mental, claimed me.
My fellows fared no better. We wasted no time.
Inside, I went directly to the shower and turned the water on warm. I wiggled out of my sodden clothes and stepped into the warmth. For long minutes I allowed the warm water to battle hyperthermia and in the end, the water won.
I dressed in warm fleece pants and a cozy red sweater.
The kitchen was my next destination to ease the gnawing gap in my middle. My mother and Phoebe were both in there and being discerning Titans they realized we needed to refuel and quickly. For my part, I would have fallen over without Ares’s supporting arm around me.
Metis placed glasses of orange juice in front of each of us and Phoebe got to work scrambling eggs and frying bacon. I ate three or four eggs and six slices of bacon and then Metis placed a plate of cinnamon buns on the table in front of us. I ate three of them. I finally felt strong enough to talk. So, I stood and paced around the kitchen.
“Hermes,” I started. “We know that no sign of Circe or Helios is within a thousand miles of this place. What, in your estimation, is the next best place to search?”
Before he could answer me, Titan stepped into the kitchen and nodded in my direction. I motioned for Hermes to continue.
“You can be certain she is not on Florida's gulf coast. Other than that, I am not sure,” Hermes said.
Titan said, “The last place Circe was, that we know about for certain, is your Highrise. Start your search there. Also make sure you end it there, too, before transporting back here.”
“Do you think she went straight to Helios after leaving there?” I asked. “We fell for that trick once before.”
“I know you did.” Blunt as always. “So, everywhere she goes, she will leave a trail, even if she transported. It may not be a good idea for the four of you to search around this island, again. If you can find her through her metaphysical signature, don’t you think she can find you by the same method?”
I wasn’t thinking right. I was suddenly very happy to have so many supporters.
Titan continued, “Also, every time you transport from one place to another, a different person should do it. Three of the four of you can do it and three trails are much harder to negotiate than one. Also, she may not recognize all of your metaphysical signatures”
“Thank you, Titan,” I said.
“Always at your service, my Queen,” he replied. He walked out of the kitchen as silently as he arrived. Titan knew how to carry the weight of the world. I felt the same weight on my shoulders. I could learn much from him.
I ate another cinnamon bun and then said, “How soon can we start this, again?”
Ares suggested, “Right away. We can have someone else transport us to the Highrise and then they can leave immediately.”
“Dion can do it,” I said. Hermes popped out of the kitchen and within a minute, he and Dionysus returned.
We stood in a loose circle and Dion took Bill, Hermes, Ares, and me to the Highrise in Norfolk.