The Trials of Aphrodite: Righting the Wrongs

They Trust a Chicken With a Knife. Forget It, I'm Doomed

The Trials of Aphrodite

♦ Chapter Three ♦

Oh, the baths.

Do not get me started.

Too late.

It was heaven. It was a beautiful feeling; like that moment when you eat a piece of candy and feel a burst of flavor on your tongue, or hit the crescendo while listening to opera, or finally get that lip gloss you've waited a month for from South Korea. {A/N: I'm still sorry you had to wait so long, Emily.} It was like floating on a cloud.

The water was hot, with steam curling in the air. Thousands of bubbles frothed, and the bath was as large as a swimming pool. Shampoos, conditioners, and body washes varied in scents. Mint, lilac, lavender, rose, and sour apple were among the ones I could choose from. 

I scrubbed away the dirt and grime, and lathered shampoo in my hair. I soaked in the bath feeling like a new person. I felt clean after I left.

I spotted the girl, Hazel, talking to her boyfriend a few feet away. I tried to get her attention, but she didn't notice me. Hazel was making wide gestures with her hands as she talked, and, being good at reading emotions, I could tell she was upset and annoyed.

It really wouldn't be nice of me to eavesdrop. I would be overhearing things that I wasn't supposed to hear, not to mention invading Hazel's privacy. It would be incredibly rude for me to listen in on their conversation.

I eavesdropped, naturally.

"There's something wrong with the gods," Hazel whispered. "I don't know why. They're paranoid. Jupiter closed Olympus for unknown reasons. Just yesterday they were open, but now the gate is locked. No one can get in or out."

"What do you think is happening?" Frank asked her.

"I'm not sure. The rise of another primordial, or something was stolen."

"We defeated Gaea, so there's no way. I think an object of power was stolen."

"Really? Who? Gods can't steal other gods' objects of power directly, so it couldn't have been someone immortal," Hazel said.

I stiffened. Perhaps Hades's helm of darkness had been stolen, or Hermes's caduceus, or Poseidon's trident, or Zeus's lightning bolt. But last I heard, their objects were in their possession. What, then?

Hazel's gaze locked with mine. "Ren," she said. "Hello. I can see you've been to the baths?"

I walked over to them and nodded. "It was spectacular."

Hazel smiled. "There's nothing like a Roman bath, is there?"

"No," I agreed. "Hey, what were you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Frank said dismissively. "It's none of your business."

That insufferable boy. I wanted to wring his neck, but I didn't think my hands would fit around it.

Hazel frowned. "Frank, don't be rude. It was only a question."

Frank sighed. "Sorry, Hazel."

"The gods have been...distant lately. Olympus is closed for some reason," Hazel said.

"Hmm. Why, might I ask, is it closed?"

"We think an object of power has been stolen. Every god has one. Pluto's helm, Jupiter's bolt, Neptune's trident. Hopefully it isn't anything major, though. I'd like to take a break from risking my life to save the world."