Navigating Hermes (Book Two)

Chapter Three

Welcome back to my old readers and welcome to those of you who are new! We're still in the Apollo's Prophecy timeline, but there will only be a few more chapters of overlap before we skip to "present" time. As usual, don't forget to vote if you enjoy and leave a comment with any thoughts. I love reading comments that interact with the story so never be afraid to share :) - Amy

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     While I loved travelling, I always realized how much I loved New Zealand every time I arrived back home. The scenery was out of this world, the air felt cleaner and the people always seemed friendlier.

     Marcus had been surprised when I woke him up that morning in Ibiza, letting him know I'd be heading back home for a few weeks. He was a little annoyed that he could no longer change his flight date since it was within twenty-four hours since he hated flying alone, but he agreed to pick me up when I arrived in order to surprise our Mum.

     I wasn't about to complain about flying alone, even though it was my least favourite part of travelling. I was going to have a few days alone with Harry, getting every last bit of him out of my system for good. I was not disappointed in my decision to hang out with him. I'd discovered places in Ibiza that I wouldn't have otherwise thanks to him and getting a ride to the airport by him was more enjoyable than a taxi driver I could barely understand. That and the sex was pretty damn good.

     Mum was very surprised when I got home. She'd been in the kitchen chatting with our chef when we arrived and barely noticed me standing there. She's the type of woman who becomes so engrossed in a conversation that the world around her stops. After clearing my throat for the third time, she looked over and let out a squeal that didn't seem humanly possible before using her super-mom strength to pick me up and hug me.

     That very weekend was her birthday party and seeing the joy on her face to have the whole family there confirmed that I'd made the right decision to come home for a bit. It was also nice that I'd be able to create a plan on where to go next, and change out my wardrobe for it. I'd only packed warm weather clothes before so I was limited to warm climates, but now I could create a more inclusive travel plan.

     Being home was wonderful and relaxing. I slept in a bunch and caught up with my girlfriends, but all good things must come to an end. I didn't realize that would mean that Marcus and I would end up getting kidnapped by a mythological figure.

     I remember it like it was yesterday. Marcus was in my room helping me reorganize furniture to switch up the layout. When I wasn't travelling I liked to change things up a bit. Sometimes it meant dying my hair or getting a new piercing, but this time it was my room that fell victim.

     "You know," Marcus groaned through his clenched teeth as he carried my nightstand to the other side of my room, "for someone who spends most of their time away from home, you have way too many things."

     I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm going to try that method that's popular on the internet and do a big declutter of my clothes."

     Marcus set the nightstand down and glared at me. "So you made me move everything before decluttering and making it lighter?"

     "Oops?" I grimaced. He's got a point there. "Would it make you feel better if I said you did a good job?"

     It was Marcus' turn to roll his eyes. "Absolutely not."

     We both jumped at what sounded like a crash happening outside. We were the only ones at home since it was after working hours and Mum and Dad were probably still finishing up dinner at whatever restaurant they were at.