“Did you enjoy your ride?” Sun Paw asked while getting my matching shoes from the closet. I thought about my morning ride, minus the kitty cat drama, it had been exceptionally good.
“Yes, it was great.” I smiled, and Sun Paw returned it.
***Once I was in the dining room, I realized that I was late for breakfast. Everyone was already seated, and munching on what smelled delicious. I gulped, and walked toward the empty chair. Thaddeus and Alexandria sat patiently staring. I looked away and smoothed the skirt of my dress as I took my seat. Thaddeus moved his eyes back to his plate, and stuck his fork into a piece of fruit. Then he asked me the fated question. He certainly wasn’t a man who beat around a bush.
“Cordelia, where did you go before your morning ride with Bethany?” He looked me dead in the eyes while sticking the piece of fruit into his mouth. I turned away from him, and saw everyone’s surprised expression. Obviously he was the only person at that table who knew that I had been out before meeting Bethany at the stables.
“I went out for a short walk. That's alright isn't it?' I said, challenging Thaddeus in a flat tone. I wasn't about to become a prisoner in this house; unable to come, and go as I felt necessary. I expected some freedom. Christopher and Phoebe looked at me with admiration in their eyes, and crooked little smiles. They appreciated a little mischief. Both Evan and Nikolas looked shocked, and concerned. Then there were the suspicious set of eyes that belonged to Bethany. Here we go, I thought.
“No, it is not alright.” Thaddeus’ voice was firm. “Let us not forget, young lady, that you are the target of malignant forces that wait patiently for the opportunity to capture you when you are most vulnerable, hence my rule of remaining in the house. We have provided you with a safe haven while your memory and powers are restored. It is in your best interest that you stay in this house. If an outing is necessary, you will be accompanied by either Evander or Nikolas.” Thaddeus gave an accusatory look at Bethany. He was still annoyed about the morning ride. “You are to never leave this house alone. Is that understood?” Thaddeus demanded. I was about to let out a sigh, but Thaddeus wasn’t done.
“Without you, Cordelia, we will be rendered powerless and imperiled with what Victor or any other evil entity may have set forth for us.” It was almost as If he could read my mind. “Forgive me, for I do not wish to sound contemptuous, nor have my words misconstrued. We must consider the nature of our peril.” Thaddeus was adamant as he was desperate to have me understand that I was screwing things up for the family as a whole. I get it.
I waited a moment before I answered. I didn't know this man before a day ago. Despite the circumstances of my fate, and what my purpose here was, I didn't appreciate his tone, or his words. I held his gaze and decided to be good for now, and gave him the answer he expected. No need to alert the watchdog. I knew I would sneak out again to visit Gerald if he accepted my invitation, which I was certain he would.
Sixteen
Blooming Garden
After breakfast, I spent the rest of the morning in my bedroom, hoping for a message with an answer from Gerald. At some point I had dozed off on the chaise. I thought it odd how no one bothered to come and check up on me, when I woke up, and saw that the clock on the fireplace mantle read one o’clock in the afternoon. I left my bedroom and headed for the dining room, and nearly careened into Sun Paw at the foot of the stairs.
“Pardon me please, Miss Cordelia… I’m so sorry, I–” Sun Paw stammered, as she quickly stepped nearly two yards away from me as if she were afraid of me.
“Don’t be sorry, you didn’t see me coming, and I didn’t notice you either.” I chuckled. I couldn’t understand why she was nervous. “Were you coming to see me?”
“Yes, I was coming to tell you that lunch is being served in the garden.”
“Thank you, Sun Paw.” Without another word, she hurried in to my bedroom then into my bathroom. She wasted no time in cleaning up after me.
I walked into the sun room, through which you could enter the garden. The sun room was practically enclosed in glass walls divided every six or so feet by floor to ceiling Grecian columns. The glass walls were covered with wispy silk and linen curtains. The sheer curtains blew gently in the dry warm breeze that came in through the two huge opened French doors. Most of the color in the room came from the garden, and the array of elaborately embroidered pillows, which were strategically placed on the dark brown wicker furnishings.
The spacious room was airy and bright due to its absorption of sunlight. Unexpectedly, the temperature was cooler in this room than the rest of the house. I suppose it must be due to the abundance of potted ferns and potted palms that stood at a variety of heights anywhere from three to seven feet.
Besides that, there were a number of potted ferns, resting on several small tables. The room gave you the feeling of being in a conservatory. It was quickly becoming my favorite room in the entire house.
I noticed Evan leaning against the frame of the French doors. His appraisal of me was nerve wracking and undue. His radiant smile literally beckoned me through the doors. His smile competed with the beaming sun, which was especially bright today. The sun made Evan’s deep auburn hair appear coppery as if singed by its rays.
“How are you, today? Evan asked as he held out his hand. I rested my palm in his and stepped outside, and was overwhelmed by the exuberant floral garden. Before I could answer, the aromatic infusion of the botanicals hit me the moment the sun warmed my skin. My eyes widened and swept over the lush greenery and the cornucopia of flowers. White to blush peonies bloomed along with, tulips in a variety of pastel hues, patches of wild orchids, and a perpetual abundance of red, white, coral, yellow, and pink rose bushes. Something quite strange and magical was happening. The flowers appeared to be blooming over and over again from buds to full bloom. It was as if they had eternal life. I was breathless and in awe.
“The flowers…keep blooming,” I said, reaching out to a cluster of my favorite flower, the rose. The petals felt like water in my hand, but left my fingertips dry.
“Perpetual foliage is a gift from Demeter.”
“Do you mean the Goddess of the harvest?” I asked. I felt like I was walking through an enchanted garden. It was a mystery to me how these flowers flourished in this harsh, dry, desert heat. We barely got enough rain here, and the sun seared us on a regular bases.
“That she is.” Evan smiled bowing his head to get a better look at my face as I peered closer at the roses. When my eyes met Evan’s, I didn’t know which I was more dumbfounded by, the never dying flowers or his eyes. Peering into them was like watching a tidal wave in his irises as if he actually had an ocean splashing in his eyes. I gulped quietly and turned away before I fell into a trance.
I focused on the garden, which quickly had my undivided attention again. The immaculately landscaped hedges bordered and sort of hid the large statues that I hadn’t really noticed before. The ancient looking monuments seemed to be the real focal point of this mystical garden now. Oddly, the marble statues weren’t slightly weathered or cracked as most statues usually were. They glimmered in the sunlight as if they had been recently polished.
They were practically glittering. The imposing statues towered as tall as the ornamental wrought iron gates which enclosed the entire courtyard. I wondered why the statues couldn’t be seen clearly from my balcony. It was like they had arrived just in time for lunch.
Evan stared in the direction of the statues then gazed back at me. His jovial disposition was contagious, so I smiled back. It was effortless which was new for me lately.
“Do you recognize any them?” He asked.
I observed the first couple of statues closest to where Evan and I stood, still near the entrance of the garden. I knew that they were images of Greek gods the moment I first laid my eyes on them.
“Yes, I think do, actually.” I answered, as Evan beamed. I detected his excitement was due to him believing that my answer stemmed from memories of being an Ischero. “Well, I’ve been studying Greek mythology this semester in school,” I clarified. I could tell that my answer wasn’t what Evan had anticipated by the solemn look in his eyes. I never expected what I’d been studying to come in handy someday, unless of course I was auditioning for Jeopardy.
I missed high school as I have never in my whole life. I had never really enjoyed school, but certain subjects had perked my interest. Two subjects in particular, my World History class, and more so my class on Ancient Cultures, especially the portion on Greek mythology. How could I ever have known that the sometimes tragic mythological world I had sucked up like a sponge would be the bases of my existence? I had long planned on fleeing this town, and was now stuck here indefinitely. There is nothing that I wouldn’t give to be back in a classroom right now.
“Every Ischeros family has effigies of the Gods represented in their home in one way or another. They can only be seen by us.” Evan said as he led me down the cobblestone path. Funny, I thought. I didn’t see any statues or anything representing the gods at my house. The place had been cleaned out, but luckily for me, it wasn’t done thoroughly. I smiled inwardly about my discovery of my diaries.
“It makes it that much easier to see them and communicate with them.”
“How do you communicate with statues? Besides praying to them, I mean.”
“Well actually, we do pray to them, and that is what they feed on. As far as communicating, you’ll soon see.”
“Oh.” I said, not fully comprehending what he meant. Maybe, he meant when my memory returns.
“There are twelve in total,” Evan said, as he looked further down the path. “Each represents one of the Twelve Olympians.” The statues didn’t have pedestals beneath them. Their feet – marbleized feet – stood on the grass, as if they could just walk away when the mood struck them. I recognized the first deity instantly, the goddess Athena was rather easy to identify due to the helmet and suit of armor she was clad in.
“Athena Nike.” Evan revealed.
“Athena, the Victorious,” I translated. “The goddess of wisdom whipped Poseidon, your … um father, in a contest of which deity would be named the patron deity of an unnamed city ruled and judged by a mythical king of ancient Greece. Pretty cool, huh?” I could tell that Evan was impressed. His smile broadened.
“Yes, King Cecrops, but of course, he’s not a myth, and Poseidon was quite upset over that competition.”
“Yeah, he flooded the Athenians for choosing Athena’s olive tree, and not his salty sea water.” I added, smirking.
“By the way, Athena is your sister; she is also a child of Zeus,” Evan said, sounding amused. “You share a lot of the same qualities.”
“My sister…?” I just couldn’t grasp the idea of having a goddess as a sibling. I’m still having a hard time accepting that I’m one. Suddenly, a vision came to me. Athena and I had spoken before. I could see her. She wore a toga styled sheath without her armor. I was dressed as I am now – huge gown – but I looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, not so different than I look now. We were talking in what looked to be a sun room but not the one in the Capius’
estate, possibly the one in my house. And just like that, just as it had appeared, the vision was gone.
I couldn’t believe what I was looking at or should I say what was looking at me. The gleaming marble of the statue of Athena turned into tanned skin, and Athena came to life. She looked just as she had looked in the vision, tall and regal. She nodded to me, in an approving way, and walked further down the path, and then vanished. My mouth dropped to the floor.
“Is she real? Where… where… did she go?” I stammered barely getting the questions out.
“Yes, she is returning to Mt.Olympus.”
Oh…right,” I agreed, pretending to be calm about seeing a statue come to life, but really freaking out on the inside. At this point I knew that I had to expect the unexpected in this garden.
Next to Evan stood the statue of Apollo, who held a bow at his side. The lyre he carried on his back was also a dead giveaway. He faced the statue of Poseidon, whose stature was magnificent. His trident stood taller than he did. Poseidon’s muscular frame was barely covered by a slip of fabric, conveniently draped across his pelvis.
“Come. I will tell you about the rest,” Evan said as he led me a little further down the path.
“No, I will tell you.” I said, confidently. Evan smiled that amazing smile, and nodded.
Beside Poseidon, partially wrapped in foliage, was Demeter. How could I forget her? She was the reason for this abundant and endlessly flourishing garden.
“She is the goddess Demeter. She lost her daughter, Persephone, to Hades, who abducted her. Hades tricked Persephone into eating a pomegranate in the Underworld, where eating is forbidden, and now keeps her prisoner there. It pissed Demeter off so much that she caused a drought causing all plant life to wither away.”
“Yes, and Zeus, who is Persephone’s father made a deal with his brother, and Hades agreed to allow Persephone to leave the Underworld for six months every year. This pleased Demeter.”
“Thank goodness, or we wouldn’t have spring and summer.” I noted.
Evan locked eyes with me, and looked at me in such a way that made my blood flood my cheeks. But, I wasn’t so sure of what part of my memory banked that information. Was it the part that retained what I had learned in class, or the part that knows because I’m an Ischero? Either way, Evan was thoroughly elated.
Next to Demeter was another of the three great goddesses, the sparkling sculpture of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, meaning the foundation of family, and not the flooring of a fireplace.
“Hestia, right?” I asked, but didn’t wait for Evans’s answer. “She is a senior goddess, and the eldest daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea.” I said. “She has a strong sense of family.” Too bad I didn’t get the chance to take that quiz. I would have aced it.
“Both goddesses are lovely, revered, and exude strength, but neither is as beautiful and as delicate as the next one.” Evan whispered, as if he didn’t want the other goddesses to hear him.