LYSSANDRA

  ‘’You mean to tell me that I can read all these?’’ I asked the man who had shown me a room down below the house, filled with tablets and scrolls.

  ‘’Of course you can,’’

  There was a doubt in my mind as he spoke with all positivity. I took one tablet close to me and began to read it underneath the bright torch.

  Sumerian. Carved letters in a language that I didn’t know. A language that I shouldn’t have known. And here I was, reading, understanding everything.

  ‘’How…’’I gasped and moved back to the man who was flickering his fingers and his eyes slowly turning bright blue.

  There was a tinge behind my nape, telling me to move back. As I did, the man tried to calm me down.

  The last thing I wanted was more gods to mess with me.

  ‘’Thank you for the gift, but -’’As I was about to leave, she grabbed my hand tight. But looking at him, it seemed that he did not want control. No power over me, nothing.Just for me to listen to what he had to say.

  We sat on the stairs of the room as he was moving his fingers around in the air.

  ‘’When I was a boy, my family took me to the temple to become one of the priests of Sumeria.’’There was a chuckle coming from him. ‘’And that meant being gifted the knowledge of the rituals of one of our gods.’’

  He moved his fingertips again, and I felt my mind tingling, as it was getting new information.

  There was an image now, of a boy facing pictures of a man with a strange pair of wings. Another image of him and his family eating sweets near the river, his mother fixing his hair while his father was fishing.

  ‘’Enki,’’ He stopped and held a trembling breath.’’Knowledge has an interesting power’’He now chuckled, but I understood that he was trying to hide something. Another quick thought came to my mind about the words he used. Knowledge and power. It seemed that he was using a ritual to speak different languages and even giving me the gift to know them too. He even showed me his memories. But what if he knew more? What if he went to my memories?

  ‘’And why are you sharing these with me?’’ I tried to play dumb, and the man smiled gently.

  ‘’I saw the way you looked at your…’husband’’’ He said slowly, and my face flushed. I wanted to disagree with him, but I had no idea what he would actually do to me if he found out I was unmarried.

  ‘’And I think that you might need a friend here’’He leaned close to me, and I could see once again that kind smile.

  But I gave him a doubtful narrow. ‘’And your true intentions?’’

  He simply stared at me deeply into my face and looked down at my fingers. ‘’Maybe I want a friend too?’’

  There was doubt again. Crawling around my skin like a snake.

  ‘’I better go’’ I whispered and stood up from the stairs.

  ‘’Ensi, wait,’’ The man tried to grab my hand once again, but I began running.

  A friend? How stupid does he think I am? Nothing comes without a price, I found that out the hard way. Always a price, never an equal, always…

  I stopped in the hall and looked up to the dark ceiling. For a moment, I thought about them. Maybe they were once my friends. Or I was the only one who thought of that. Maybe they thought of me as their boss.

  Stop crying, stupid woman. I said, trying to wipe out my tears, and my gaze moved to a wild copper bird that was simply studying me. Taking a better look, I could see a crescent moon painted at the top of the bird’s skull.

  My cheeks turned hot just the thought of anything else trying to spy on me.

  ‘’Leave me alone’’I commanded. But it seemed not to listen as it flew right in front of me with the moonlight forcing it to glow. I squeezed my eye and tried to look away.

  ‘’I cannot leave a mess like you’’ A rough feminine voice echoed, and looking now in front of me, there was a tall woman with heavy night sky curls. Her skin had shades of purple, blue, and light lilac near her fingertips, while her eyes were covered with a dark mask. Around her black dress, there was a case of arrows wrapped on the waist while she was holding her arrow in her left hand.

  ‘’You know who I am’’She kept speaking calmly, but I had no energy for any of this.

  ‘’I do not need your help’’I replied to the goddess, but she did not seem to agree with me. I knew that because she shot an arrow really close to my face and hit one of the pillars.

  ‘’Funny’’I moved my head back to her, and now, I could see her blue dyed ears and the hooves for legs. And even her features…She was so similar to Paris.

  ‘’I need your help’’She finally lost her guard, and her cold fingers touched my wrist. ‘’It’s about Apollo, I think that if you come with me…’’

  I pulled my hand away from her and shook my head. ‘’Whatever you say, no. I am done being part of’’

  ‘’Silence, Lyssandra’’She commanded me and felt that power again, covering my mouth. Of course, she knew my name. Artemis, the protector of girls, was now standing in front of me.’’

  And she took one more deep breath. ‘’Do you even know why you are here?’’

  I raised my brow.

  Artemis replied with a nod and looked around. ‘’We are trying to free Apollo. We have been searching for centuries, but we can’t find anything’’

  I wanted to speak, but she still did not let me. Maybe she had forgotten. I also tried to help him. I wanted to say it. I wanted to explain myself to her.

  And the goddess smiled. She had the face of a wild animal, a warrior of the forest, and yet, I wanted to get on my knees for her, worship her entire existence.

  ‘’I should have protected you years ago’’She whispered and traced my curls around my ear. And then, she moved to my scars.

  ‘’I should have’’She narrowed and then shook her head. ‘’Come with me. ‘’ She was grabbing both of my hands. ‘’I can protect you this time, say anything, Lyssandra’’

  I finally managed to speak again, and I tried to back away. ‘’I do not want to hide’’I admitted.

  ‘’What do you think you are doing here?’’Artemis raised her tone. ‘’He wants you to stay away, he wants you to be far if we succeed…’’

  ‘’Why? What does he want from me?’’

  The goddess’s face froze like a statue. She had the same expression as Hermes did when I asked him a question. She was about to speak, but a cold hand fell onto my shoulder. I did not flinch, I did not react. I simply watched Artemis face Hermes with disgust.

  ‘’Did you come to stay?’’ There was no life inside his voice. But looking at him, I could see that he wanted his sister to stay. He wanted to talk with her.

  The goddess of hunt and moon was the twin sister of the god of archery and the sun. One soul into one body. And she lost her brother, being trapped for eternity in darkness. But she wasn’t blaming me. She was blaming the messenger of the underworld.

  Because he wasn’t helping them. Freeing his brother means that he might lose an astonishing prize for himself. Even if it hurt him, he lost his trust in his family.

  ‘’I came for her’’announced Artemis and lifted her chin up.

  Now, the god squeezed my shoulder tight. ‘’She belongs to me.’’

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  Well, that hit the right nerve. I slapped his hand and glared at him to stay away. And turned back to Artemis, whose eyes were facing me with hope.

  She wanted to protect me. She wanted me safe.

  I should have wanted that. But asking for help? I couldn’t do it, my pride was chaining my neck, forcing me to not breathe or move. I wanted to beg her. To rush to her rough hands and lay on her soft-looking dress. But simply, I was stuck on my own hubris. I did not want to be saved by them, I did not want to be a part of their story again,

  But there was a thought for a second. About what that man said about rituals.

  Now, play your part.

  I bowed towards Artemis and her brow arched with a sudden satisfaction.

  ‘’Thank you for your kind lady, daughter of the king,’’ I said calmly. ‘’But I cannot come with you.’’

  And her face shattered like a star about to fall from the sky. I could even listen to Hermes gasping, amused.

  ‘’Whatever he said to you’’She tried to explain. ‘’You don’t have to be afraid of him.’’

  On the contrary. I think that he is a big buffoon who can’t control both of his heads.

  I couldn't say that.

  ‘’It is better this way’’I did not want to show my full thoughts to her. Or even my intentions.

  ‘’Lyssandra, you cannot stay with this’’She showed Hermes once again. ‘’This monster.’’

  ‘’ I love you too, dear sister, but it seems that she made her decision.’’ Spoke hermes victorious and he tried to touch my shoulder again, but I slapped his hand away.

  Artemis seemed upset enough, but in the end, she took a deep breath and moved her hands close to mine.

  ‘’I cannot force you to escape him.’’She whispered, and her fingers dug deep into my skin and pressed a cold stone right to my veins.

  ‘’But when your stubbornness finally breaks, you can always call for me’’Her soft lips kissed my earlobe before she vanished into thin air.

  Hermes, now, still with the Ea Nassir disguise, tried to compliment me, but I walked right past him.

  ‘’I am tired’’I grunted and tried to find my room.

  A ritual. A ritual of knowledge that the gods are teaching their priests. What if he could teach me one of the rituals? I would finally have actual power. I could find every secret that I was craving to reveal. Hermes’ ways to free myself to free Paris…

  I took a look at my left hand, where Artemis squeezed it tight. There was a white moonstone glowing deep on my skin, but it wasn’t burning or hurting. But it needed to be covered up.

  After I wrapped it with a few pieces of fabric, I was about to fall asleep, but Hermes stepped inside with a nervous smile. Not a disguise, just him.

  ‘’You…you stayed.’’He lowered his shoulders, and his legs were trying too hard not to run into my bed.

  I was so surprised that I chose him. Well, he did not know the truth, so he was probably thinking that I was now all fond of him.

  ‘’Don’t be full of yourself, killer of Argos’I spoke coldly at him. ‘’I just simply got used to having you around’’

  That was the moment that made him jump right to my bed and lean close to me. ‘’Do tell’’He grinned, and my fingers slipped to his face, close to the fabric he had to cover his eyes.

  Be close to him, make him lower his guard. His own hands moved right to my waist, hugging it slowly and trying to pull me closer to him.

  There was that quick thought again. What if I wanted it? What if I wanted someone at this moment? And I was simply too stubborn to admit it. Everyone was saying something about me and my hubris. What if they were right?

  His lips began to tremble as his hands grabbed my wrists to stop my movements. ‘’What do you think you are doing, dear?’’

  I frowned and looked away, but he kept staring at me. I could feel it.

  And then, Hermes sighed as he walked back to his disguise.

  Well, that was strange. I was expecting more from him, but he still did not do anything.

  The sun rose up, and the servant girl was shocked when she saw me in the kitchen.

  ‘’Lady, what are you-’’She tried to speak, but I already grabbed her by the hand.

  ‘’Great, you are here, please help me’’I said with a smile.

  The woman with the name Akila agreed instantly as I explained to her that I wanted to make something sweet for everyone.

  She took out of the jars a few figs and with a sharp knife she began cutting them into little pieces. She then pointed at another jar where green seeds were hiding.

  ‘’Pistachios’’She explained to me and took another look at them while she pointed at another jar with long, brown, old grapes.

  ‘’Dates she explained.’’

  I had never seen them before. I remembered the places I’ve been where they were always being sold to men with rich clothes and jewels all around their bodies. I took one bite, and I could feel my mouth melting from it.

  ‘’Why do you want to cook?’’ Akila asked white she began smashing everything into a copper bowl.

  Did I do something wrong? Where I am from, it’s natural to help even with servants.

  ‘’I like helping’’I said, smiling, but Akila raised her brow with suspicion. I suppose it wasn’t normal. Or was it because I was underestimating her capabilities?

  ‘’Master Nassir’’Akila explained.’’Told me that you were quite a ‘’She paid with her words and then said an unknown word in both the languages I could understand now. But the accent she just let out was kind of familiar.

  ‘’Odd woman’’She said after.

  My brow twitched, and I tried to smile at that comment. Of course, that stupid man-child would have said that.

  We finally made a mass from pistachios and dates, and figs in the shape of round acorns. I managed to take one bite, and my lips curled from all the sweetness. So sweet, I wish I could die.

  I forced my mouth not to spit it and swallowed it hard, and then turned to Akila. ‘’You can take the rest to share with the …’’

  Shit, I didn’t know his name.

  ‘’Zimu’’ the voice of Akila was dry as she blinked twice.

  ‘’And, are you sure? ‘’There was the doubt again.

  ‘’Of course’’I was smiling so much that it was making my face ache in pain.

  The day passed, of I strolled around the gigantic house while Hermes was trying to find me after he heard about the sweets I made for Akila and Zimu. I wondered if I could go out to the marketplace and shop.

  But when the sun was falling slowly, I found Zimu. Or maybe he found me as he was trying to steal small glances while he was cleaning the floor.

  ‘’Thank you for the sweets’’He said.’’May I ask why, though?’’

  ‘’You were right.’’I said, grinning.’’I would actually want us to become friends’’

  Zimu raised his brow. Of course, he didn't believe me. So I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down to the scrolls.

  I wondered if Hermes knew about this place, but he never did mention that he knew anything.

  ‘’The rituals you know…’’I tried to speak, but Zimu began laughing.

  ‘’I cannot teach you those, I am not a priest, not anymore.’’

  ‘’You can try’’I tried to insist and moved my hand without knowing close to his forearm.’’I am a fast learner.’’

  His gaze looked down at my hand and then back to me. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, more eyes began popping out from his skin like works getting around his flesh.

  ‘’Why?’’ He asked and I could feel the pressure of telling him everything. Who I was, what I wanted.

  But what did I want? It wasn’t just for Paris, was it? No.

  I simply did not want to be an example.

  ‘’I want to be powerful’’I replied, trying to push every other detail.

  The eyes vanished, and he looked at me, stunned. Was this a part of a ritual? If so, I might actually take everything back.

  ‘’You are far more stubborn than I expected.’’

  ‘’Well, everyone tells me that.’’

  ‘’It’s nice’’There was a sound of joy coming from Zimu, and I must admit, he had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

  It was the first time that I got a compliment like that.

  He moved his hand around his lips, trying to think of something.

  ‘’Tell you what, if you make more sweets like that, every night, I will help teach you.’’

  My cheeks flared with excitement, and I let out a wide smile.

  ‘’However, you have to tell me your real name’’

  There was doubt growing in my stomach. What if he tried something like Paris, Hermes, or even the rest of the goddesses? I will be trapped again.

  The man coughed and showed me his hand.

  ‘’My name is Zimu’’He was the first one to tell me his name.

  And I relaxed, giving him my hand and my name. Like actual friends, I said calmly.

  ‘’Lyssandra’’