Rosalind

Five

Hymenaios danced back around the other side of the last huge dog bowl, Cerberus slobbering more than usual for breakfast. Rose tied up the bag and began to drag it back to the cupboard.

"What're you doing for lunch?" Hymenaios stretched, flexing his muscles.

"Seeing Pythia." Rosalind rolled her eyes in her mind, locking the cupboard and rushing towards the palace.

"Mind if I join?" She ignored him, already seeing Pythia's silhouette by the turret.

Once there, Pythia greeted her with a smile.

"Rose!" She hugged her and began walking in the direction of the palace. "So, I have an idea."

"And it is?" Rose opened her sandwich, too much mayo, not enough chicken.

"I want to go to Olympus," Rose stopped in her tracks. "Before you say anything, I know we're not allowed to go without a deity. It's illegal and everything, but you haven't seen Atticus in a month."

Rose swallowed hard and ignored Pythia's gaze, steadily walking towards the palace. Pythia jogged to catch up to her large strides.

"You can't tell me you don't miss him."

"Of course, I do!" She had her mouth full, almost choking.

"Then let's go." Pythia grabbed Rose's shoulders and stopped her from going any further. "Come on, it won't do any harm."

Pythia asked Hecate for the rest of the day off, being granted this, she had another nymph friend stand in for her. She took Rosalind to the elevator and closed the doors, pressed the penthouse button and off they were.

"How long is this elevator ride?" Rosalind leaned against the wall.

"It's taking us to Olympus, Hermes' office." Pythia was texting on her phone.

"And you promise we won't get into trouble?" Rosalind looked at her, Pythia dismissed this and nodded.

Once the doors opened, they were greeted to a very bright room, grey and whites, silvers and golds accented the room. So many plants and flowers were around.

"Hey Pythia." The receptionist called out; he was a short, red boy with horns like hers. "Come to see Hermes?"

"Actually, I'm just on my way to a meeting." They didn't step out and instead, she pressed the button for the ground floor and after a few seconds, she was in the lobby of an Olympus building.

"Act confident, like you're meant to be here." Pythia whispered. She held Rose's hand while guiding her through the lobby, out into the bright, concrete jungle.

"This is Olympus, baby." Pythia grinned, pulled out her phone, tapped it and pressed it to her ear. "We're outside."

A moment later, a black car pulled up, the door opened and they both got in. In the front was a man Rose didn't recognise. He had blonde hair; his skin was a rich golden brown, similar to Atticus' but much darker. He shined like the sun, she almost believed he was the sun.

"Hey, Apollo." Pythia nodded towards him, introducing the two strangers.

"You're Atticus' girlfriend?" Apollo began speeding down the street, Rose's hands gripped the seat, trying desperately to put her seatbelt on. Pythia was calm, leaning back and crossing her legs.

"We're just friends." She answered sheepishly.

"For now." Pythia winked at her discreetly, looking out the window.

Apollo parked up at a very modern apartment complex, it was a pale pink colour with silver, unnatural flowers around the gated entrance.

"What's the passcode?" Pythia asked. Both her and Rose had stepped out, adjusting their ponytails.

"I don't know, all I said is that I'd get you here. Not that I'd get you in." Apollo smirked, driving away and leaving the girls stood in the summer air. In the open. Where someone could see.

Pythia grabbed Rosalind's hand and rushed to the bushed side alley, where she began assessing how to climb over.

"I doubt we can get over that, Pythia." Rose hissed. She kept glancing back at the street. It was quiet, every now and then some cars would drive by or some pedestrians, but no one seemed to notice them. Her heart was pounding, lips being licked and bit until they bled.

"Can we not just go?" Rose whispered.

"No, I got it." Pythia stood on one of the dumpsters, climbed along the iron fencing and over the stop. She encouraged Rose to do the same. Which she attempted. But she slipped down, caught a thorn on her leg as she fell.

"Fuck." She cried out. Pythia reached through the fence and tried to cover the wound with some leaves.

"What're you doing?" Rose cried. Her blood began to bleed black, something she thought she'd never experience.

"Here." She cooed. Once she lifted the leaves, she saw all that was left was dried red blood but no cut wound. "Now, get over the fence."

Rose sat there for a moment, looking this nymph in the eye, her red skin stood out like a sore thumb. She looked like a little devil, but she knew better. She was trying to do something nice. In her own way.

"Okay." Rose took a deep breath, wiped away her tears and stood up.

She eventually made it over the fencing and landed hard, down on the bark ground. Pythia smiled and held her hand, guiding her to the front apartment doors. Once in, the lobby was empty. The man at the desk was asleep. He looked very human like, she wondered if there were many people like her that had jobs in this realm.

"Shh..." Pythia whispered.

She pressed the up button on the elevators, the second top floor. Once it stopped, they stepping out into a hallway. It seemed very grand, something Rose was used to. But it still swept her away, the divine beauty that this realm seemed to have, the impressiveness of such bland objects. Light bulbs, carpets, doorhandles, all seemed to have a familiar yet strange and wonderful way about them. Maybe they were made out of some kind of materials forged in Olympus. Or maybe she was just overthinking it all.

They walked down a few halls before hearing some voices. Ones Rose didn't recognise. A man turned down their path and caught eyes with Pythia.

"You!" He called out. He was very tall, bulky and menacing.

"Run!" She bucked it. Pushing Rose in another direction.

She kept running, taking turns, not noticing where she'd been and where she hadn't been. She found the elevator; Pythia was right behind her. She waited those extra seconds and the two girls safely got into it.

"Emergency stop it!" Rose reached for the buttons, but she was swatted away.

"No! That will give them time to warn others we're here." Pythia kept pressing the downwards button until the doors opened. They were greeted by a security guard, a short, curvy woman holding a toddler.

"What're you doing here, ladies?" The security guard stepped forward, Pythia held Rose's hand and took a deep breath.

"Nothing, we were leaving."

"She's a nymph, from the underworld." The woman said.

"And the other one?" The guard looked at Rose.

"She's a human, I tricked her into this. Please, let her go." Pythia stood forward, trying to shield Rose from the security guard.

"Sorry, love." He pulled something out, whatever it was, she couldn't see.