Quest of the Half Gods

Chapter 10: Απόλλων

Apollo stood back and watched Will pick the lock to an empty lake house in the woods several miles from the New Gods' hideout. "How'd you learn to do this?" He asked, watching his son's deft hands at work. "I spent a lot of time with the Stoll twins back at camp." He heard the lock click and stood back grinning. "Home sweet home!" Will said, leading the way inside, Nico behind him. Apollo glanced back at Galatea who stared intently into space, her jaw clenched. "You okay?" He whispered, searching her face. "Fine." She muttered, pushing past him into the house.

It was an expensive-looking, two-story, lake house that sat right on the edge of the vast lake that could be seen from the porch. The interior was decorated with stereotypical log cabin things, though Apollo was happy to see a guitar on the wall. 

Nico came from upstairs, pointing his thumb in the direction from which he'd come. "There are three bedrooms up there. Will and I will share and you guys can take the other two." Apollo nodded and Galatea said nothing. I shouldn't have assumed she would kill someone in cold blood. He thought. Something was clearly bothering her and he could guess that his harshness earlier was the cause.

Will and Nico went upstairs to put their things away, leaving Galatea and Apollo alone on the first floor. "Hey, I need to-" He started when Galatea interrupted him. "Something's off." She said, her hand raised in a pausing motion. They heard footsteps on the stairs and Teia's head whipped around to meet her brother's eyes which were also filled with alarm. "What is it?" Apollo asked, looking between the two of them. 

All at once, the both of them dropped to the floor in agony and the world turned dark, as it had several times when Galatea and Apollo were traveling before Quebec.

Just as quickly as the darkness had come, it was gone. Apollo looked up at the stairs where Will held a shocked Nico in his arms. He looked over at Galatea and saw her on her hands and knees, her eyes shut tightly as her full body shook. "Galatea," He said softly, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She immediately threw it off and stood, running out of the cabin. Apollo didn't hesitate and ran after her. 

He found her standing at the edge of the lake, her hands on her forehead as she hyperventilated. As he approached her, he could hear her muttering the same phrase over and over again. "Galatea!" He called from where he stood. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault!" She gasped again and again. "It's not your fault Galatea! You aren't the one doing this!" She whipped around and spread her arms, "Are you kidding me? Look around you!" He did, not wanting to believe what he saw.

The spring that had settled over the landscape had reverted back into a state of late fall, the air crisp with the feeling of a coming winter. "Persephone is dead Apollo! They killed her." She shook her head, "Spring and summer are gone for good. This, " She gestured around them, "this is all we have now." Apollo nodded, "Spring may be gone, and the world may be dying, but you can't seriously be blaming yourself can you?" She looked at him incredulously, "If I hadn't become a goddess again, none of this would be happening! This is my fault! I was the one piece missing from the prophecy! And now? Countless pantheons are dead. Poseidon is dead. Hestia is dead. Persephone is dead. My father-" Her voice broke and she collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. "My father is dead because of me." 

Apollo felt tears of sympathy for Galatea and grief for the lost gods run down his face. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around Galatea and this time, she didn't stop him.

The world was falling apart, and they were running out of time.