Navigating Hermes (Book Two)

Chapter Sixteen

Hello! This chapter is a bit short because it didn't fit in well with the next one, but I hope that's ok. I plan on not taking any summer breaks this year like I did last year (I went over one month without updating Apollo's Prophecy) so I hope some chapters being a bit shorter isn't a super big deal. We're almost two thirds of the way done with this story and then there will be a long break since I'll be writing book three during NaNoWriMo, just like I did with this book and Book One.

I want to hear your theories! Many of you though that Hamish was actually Hermes until the last chapter, but now that we've seen them together, I want to ask who you think Hamish really is? Or is Hamish actually a human? Or is there something else? Who knows (except for me). I want to hear any theories and guesses! See you next week! - Amy

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     At four o'clock and not one second later, Toronto time, Danika appeared in Julie's bedroom, wearing her overflowing backpack.

     "You know, you could've popped home first to leave your outrageously heavy school bag," Julie laughed at her best friend.

     Danika took her bag off and let it drop on the ground, cringing at what sounded like someone dropping a bowling ball. "I don't know if human me could've carried all of this without needing weekly chiropractor and massage therapy appointments." She sat on the edge of Julie's bed and crossed her legs. "What did you want to talk to me about? I'm assuming it's really important since you wanted to talk in person."

     Julie shrugged and sat in her comfortable reading chair. "It's not that important, but it's kind of a long story and I couldn't really talk to anyone else about it... at least not yet."

     Danika's eyes widened at the words. "Are you.... No, you can't be. We just had mimosas last weekend." Danika tapped her chin as she thought. "Unless you just found out..."

     "Wait," Julie started laughing. "Do you... think I'm pregnant?"

     "No!" Danika answered too quickly, giving herself away.

     "Danika!" Julie threw her head back in laughter.

     Danika's face started turning red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she laughed at herself. "It's the first thing that came to mind when you said you wanted to talk to me in person, and then you said that you couldn't talk to anyone else about it yet so what was I supposed to think?"

     Julie shook her head and sighed, feeling better about the situation. "Don't you think if I was going to fall pregnant by accident that it would've been when I saw sleeping with Hermes? I mean, we didn't use condoms and you know human birth control doesn't work when it comes to gods."

     "I don't know," Danika shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten that the fertility goddesses wouldn't keep you from getting pregnant if you weren't using any protection."

     "I still have an IUD because of the occasional humans I was with over the years," Julie replied and shook her head. "But that's beside the point. I want to talk about a crazy dream I had a few nights back."

     Danika frowned. "You never tell me about your dreams."

     "I know," Julie nodded. "This one was different to anything I've experienced before. I was fully aware that I was dreaming, yet it felt completely real. I remember every little detail, including the sounds and smells."

     "What was it about?" Danika inquired.

     Julie sighed and started from the very beginning of her dream. She explained that she remembered going to bed and how she woke up. Danika listened to all of the details and only interrupted when Julie mentioned the giant.