Defying Fate

Chapter 22 p2

Freshly shorn—his hair cut to near his ears with an expert hand, Odysseus stumbled down the steps and into the kitchen, where Hermes was pouring box after box of pasta into a massive pot on the stove.

"Spaghetti again?" Odysseus asked.

"It's the only thing he knows how to cook," Athena called from the living room.

"Not true, I also make an excellent peach cobbler," Hermes replied, turning a dial on the stove to increase the flame coming from beneath the pot.

"Really, Hermes, you've lived how long now?" Athena came into the kitchen and Odysseus did a double take.

She'd changed, not her clothing, she still sported her leather jacket and studded jeans, but she'd changed her shirt to a sequined top that glittered like scale-mail, and she was taller, over six feet. Her eyes, which were always reflective, were larger, and seemed to glow in the fading light of the kitchen. Her hair had been braided back intricately, and there were tiny silver leaves in it.

"Athena..." Odysseus began, awestruck.

"Is it too much?" Athena asked, looking down at herself. "The height—

"My sister, you look beautiful," Hermes interrupted, planting a surprise kiss on her cheek, though he hadn't grown taller it didn't take him much effort, and she blushed. "Though, would it kill you to put on a dress?"

"You know, it just might," Athena thumbed at a pin on her jacket, a tiny bronze spear. "Are you going to change for the family?"

"Oh, I never change for them," Hermes said, though he seemed to shrink briefly, to a boy of about 14 years old. "Only ever for myself." Then he was back to normal, and stirring his pot of pasta slowly, as if nothing was unusual about the night at all.

Odysseus made to sit down at the kitchen table, but Athena grabbed his elbow and pulled him toward the living room, where Asterion was still playing. Eurylochus and Polites were waiting there, sitting on the sofa beneath the big bay window, which looked out over the front courtyard.

Athena bent to adjust Odysseus' collar, but he squirmed out of her grip. "It's fine, Athena," he grumbled. He knew he was behaving like a child, but he couldn't help it. "I'm put-together enough."

Athena looked disappointed, but she didn't fight him. "Stay in this room," she ordered instead. "And keep quiet. It's probably best if you four— where's Cassandra?"

"I'm here," Cassandra slipped past Athena and into the room. She'd changed into a pink dress with lace on the shoulders, and her short hair was pinned up and out of her face. Her eyes were bright and alert, expectant.

"Good," Athena nodded. "Don't draw attention to yourselves. Stay here, stay quiet, and either myself or Hermes will come get you when its time."

With that, she was out of the room, and standing in the entry hallway, blocking the doorway, leaving Odysseus and the others to stare out the window as the sun began to set.