This time, I did not dream of the woman of starlight.
Instead, it was sun, sunlight, sunshine, that remained behind my eyes as I slumbered. It warmed my skin and blinded me even with my eyes closed. Then, when I opened them, I realized it was because he was here, standing before me in his red leather jacket and blonde quiff, like a boy band member on steroids.
"Apollo!" I exclaimed. "Uh... I mean, father."
He sniffed, like he couldn't believe he was here. Then, sure enough, he said, "I can't believe I'm here."
"In my dreams?" I asked. Then I was surprised, because this was the first time I'd known I was dreaming as I did it.
I wondered if I could turn it into a lucid dream. If I could, the first thing I'd do is make myself able to fly again, this time without a risky mount or vehicle. I'd love to be Maximum Ride...
"Artemis!" Apollo snapped - literally snapped, with his fingers - making me jolt.
Where, exactly, we were, I couldn't tell you. All I knew was Apollo and I and endless sunshine all around us. I felt my cheeks go warm.
So I asked, "Why exactly are you here?"
"Unfortunately, I do have a moral obligation to let my kids know when they're about to do something wildly stupid," he said, sighing, "And you are the only one who'll listen."
"What?" I asked, offended.
"You know I can't tell you more, kid." He leaned forward and grabbed my hand, then placed something within it. It was a violin bow; at his touch, I recoiled backwards, nearly dropping it into the endless ultraviolet around us.
"Just... stop avoiding the sun, okay?" He gestured to the bow. "Don't run from the real you."
"What." I said. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
He gestured to the bow again, and I spluttered, "I don't have a violin! What do you want me to do?!"
He sighed, touching his perfect hands to his perfect face. I really, really, wished I looked more like him than my woefully normal mother; it would do me well to have some perfect skin like him. Or maybe it would do him well to know what it's like to have acne.
"There are people you should be around," said Apollo. "And these kids... well, some people aren't who they seem."
Oh.
I felt anger rise in me like a hot, wild flash. He had quite the nerve to come here and attack me, and for what? Because I was hanging out with kids that weren't his? I was deeply, deeply offended. I almost swung the bow at him.
Instead, I just sneered as deeply as I could.
"I'll listen to you," I said, "When you start showing you care."
His eyes flew open in offense, and unfortunately the real, real me came into play. Apparently there was a version of me between sleeping and awake, who thought she could do anything in a dream. Once I started to wake up, I realized I'd just made a stupid as hell mistake. I could only hope Apollo would remember what I'd done for him - and that he wouldn't screw me over in the end.
YOU ARE READING
Lucas, Mythology, and the Quest for Silver | DoS #2
Hayran Kurgu[ the second book in the drops of sunshine series ] As much as she ended up loving her first one, AJ Hood never wanted to go on another quest. But somehow, she ended up on one anyway. And this time, it's not going to have a pretty ending... but at...
