μάγευμα ✸ pjo x hp

i. προτος

Lola is nine when she first meets a god. It's not her first summer on the island, but Aiaia is thriving, and beautiful. The sun's heat is unbearable, but is washed away by long swims in the sea and hours spent sleeping. Time is strange on Aeaea, every season, which is the only way Lola measures the passing of time, seems to last years. It's a strange heat too ; much more humid than what Lola was used to back in America.

Although, as she well knows from history lessons with her mother, Aeaea is first and foremost a Mediterranean island, somewhere between Africa and Sicily is can remember correctly. Still, in the scorching heat of the summer, Lola's mind is blissfully light, as though it knows there is nothing to do other than lay around. She passes time picking fruits and savoring their sweetness. After all there are no fruits like the ones on Aeaea. There are prickly pears the size of her fist and even bigger juicy peaches. Her fingers and face are perpetually sticky from the dried juice. She has finally taken to wearing the light linen dresses.

And that's how she finds the goddess, with salty hair and a damp dress. The goddess seemed shocked to see her, as if there was something wrong with her, but her tone was kind and Lola found herself willingly taking her to Circe. As they talk the goddess introduces herself. Hecate. It was a pretty name, Lola supposed, much fancier than Lola, which had been chosen at random.

The goddess talks and talks and talks, and she doesn't seem put off by Lola's slightly mumbled answers. Hecate talks a lot â€" saying big words which Lola doesn't even vaguely recognise. She talks about other gods, a concept that Lola still hasn't quite grasped, and about how angry they will be. Circe runs up to them, in the strange floaty way which doesn't really look like running, simply hurried walking, and interrupts the conversation. Fury sharpens her features and her hair is a fiery field in the sunlight.

Circe takes Hecate inside her home and they talk, whilst Lola wanders off to the lake for a nap in the sun.

After that day, Lola met a couple other gods, all of which had similar reactions, though she had no clue what caused their panic, or who zeus was.

There was Hermes, with his fumbling, shaking hands when she introduced herself. There was Apollo, with his eyes dimming from an eye-piercing blue to a murky grey. There was Tethys, who's eyes widened almost comically.

On what was supposed to be a lazy summer morning, spent sunbathing and swimming, Lola woke up to screams, to smoke, to her mother's frantic voice. There was a fire in Aeaea. Lola had a faint idea of what happened, she had always known it would happen, there was always a sense of dread in her heart when she looks at the men turned Guinea-pigs. This was no small matter. She was faced with various nymphs, and demigods all looking worried, she tried to help them all, though noting she did stopped the fire from devouring the island, fuelled, no doubt, by the various potion ingredients. Lola walked around the island, breaking into a sprint, yet she could not find her mother anywhere. She was coming too close to the pirates. After doing a quick scan of the main building she left to see if her mother was on the coast.

Sure enough, her mother was staring at the sea, the pirates had calmed down and were now gone. The island was a mess, and would likely not be the same as it was before for many decades. The fruit trees she ate from were burnt. The beach she laid on was destroyed. The lake she swam in had pieces of debris crumbling in it.

"I have let you remain here far too long. I knew my selfishness would come with a price."

It was a somber tone, one Lola had never heard her mum use.

"What do you mean?"

"The fates need you back on the earth. Not here. Your safe here."

Lola didn't say anything. In her mind, her mother was in a deep state of shock mumbling nonsense. That didn't stop Circe from insisting that Lola leave. And when she asked why Hecate just repeated her words. Over and over. So Lola ran and hid. She had no wish to be with her mother whilst she was like that.

And that night, the night after the devastation of Aeaea, Lola fell asleep in a cave, on a bed of vines and flowers. Circe on the other hand, didn't sleep. She had no need for it. She wept through the night. A mother's grief truly did burn brighter than any other.

— author's note —
Okk first chapter down. Please ignore any mistake lol it's my first book. Byeee
- costance