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Iris twirled a lock of her rainbow-colored hair between her fingers, and broke into a devilish smile. “No, but it sure is fun.”
Zephyr’s brows furrowed. “I trust there’s a good reason you almost gave me a heart attack?”
“You bet.” Iris licked her fingers clean, savoring every bite of the stolen snack. “While you’ve been lounging around up here, some of us have been doing the real work. Like finding our Son of Olympus’ mortal love.”
Hera nodded, and turned her attention to the mischief-making Goddess. “I trust all went smoothly?”
“I’m afraid not, boss.” Iris crossed her arms and sighed. “Our two lovebirds are from two different worlds. Worlds that don’t belong together. I’m just not sure this is going to work.”
Hera gazed at Zephyr and Iris pointedly. “Well, they do say opposites attract…”
Zephyr gulped, and glanced at Iris sheepishly.
“But, my Queen. This is no ordinary task. He’s the God of the Underworld, and she’s a living, breathing mortal.” Zephyr shook his head at the thought. “We’re talking about transcending the worlds of the living and the dead.”
“Zephyr, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that there’s no greater power in the world than love. All you must do is place our two lovebirds on the right path, and let nature take its true course.” Hera smiled confidently. “And in return, the greatest treasure in the world will be yours.”
“Like my hero’s license.” Zephyr gazed at the Heroes Bar longingly, as the popping of champagne corks and the gentle tinkle of laughter drifted from behind its cloud curtains. “Finally, I’ll get to take my place with the rest of the Olympians.”
“And I’ll get my pick of the relics in Olympus’ vault.” Iris’ eyes gleamed at the thought. “Perhaps I’ll choose Pandora’s Box, or the Apple of Discord, or the Helm of Invisibility. Just think about how much mischief I could cause!”
Zephyr shuddered at the prospect. If there was one thing he’d learned about Iris, it was that she was already more than capable of causing mischief, without throwing Pandora’s Box into the mix.
“Very well. Just help this final Son of Olympus find his true love, and everything your heart desires will be yours. After all, the pair of you do make quite the team.” Hera smiled cryptically, before she returned her gaze to the party preparations below. “And when you return, we’ll hold a ball fit for the newest heroes of Olympus. It will be a date.”
Zephyr spluttered at the Queen’s suggestive smile, while Iris’ hair turned a deep shade of crimson.
“A date? I, err…” Zephyr glanced at Iris, whose face turned more beetroot by the second. “Well…”
Hera clapped her hands, as if the matter was decided.
“Go, now. Olympus needs you, And I…” Hera sighed as the Minotaur tripped to the earth with a thud, its hooves entangled with the bunting once more. “I must get back to party planning.”
With a clap of her hands, a trapdoor opened beneath Zephyr’s feet, until he and Iris tumbled from the heavens towards the earth below. As a rainbow burst to life beneath him, breaking his fall, his screams of terror only increased.
“Oh no…” Zephyr’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the twists and turns of the kaleidoscopic slide before him. “Not the rainbow road again! I thought this death-trap was closed down?”
“Good news, wind man. It’s out of the scrapyard, and back in business!” Iris’ cackles echoed through the sky as she hurtled down the slide. “Just watch where you’re going. Some of the track is just held together with bubblegum and a prayer.”
“What?“ Zephyr paled as he slid down the technicolor road. “Get me off this thing!”
At once, the pair sped from the heavens, soaring across loop-de-loops and hairpin bends. With every twist and turn, Zephyr’s screams echoed through the skies, while Iris cackled with delight. As they rode side by side, Zephyr’s breath caught in his throat, until his gaze lingered on the trouble-making pixie. Her hair billowed in the wind, while her eyes sparkled in technicolor hues. She looked radiant. And as his heart stirred at the breath-taking sight, he soon found that his own laughter joined hers.
“So, what do you think, wind man?”
“This is…” Zephyr searched his mind for a word to accurately describe the daredevil, harebrained death-slide through the sky. And yet, his eyes widened as something quite unexpected escaped his lips. “Awesome!”
Iris turned to him in surprise. “Really?”
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s dangerous, and reckless, and violates every health and safety rule in Olympus. And yet…” Zephyr laughed joyfully as he swerved around a corner at full speed. “I’ve never felt so alive.”
“Well, I’ve got to give it to you, wind man. You’re a natural.” Iris turned to him with a grin as they sped along the daredevil track. “Perhaps you’re not such a bag of hot air after all.”
“And perhaps you’re not such an infuriating pixie woman.” Zephyr returned her smile, before he summoned the winds to send him soaring across the slide. “Race you to the finish line!”
The two sped along the track in a blur, relishing every twist and turn. With a yelp, they flew from a makeshift ramp and through the air, until they landed with a thud on a crash-mat of clouds. Their laughter filled the skies as they tried to free themselves from their tangled limbs, until they met each other’s gaze. As Iris’ eyes sparkled in the starlight, Zephyr felt something stir within his heart once more. Something that charged through him like Zeus’ thunderbolts, and drew him closer to Iris with an irresistible magnetism.
Slowly, they inched closer to each other, their lips parted, until Iris’ breath brushed his skin. A feeling of expectation, of anticipation, filled the air as the distance between them closed. And as Zephyr closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but get the feeling that he was about to be swept onto the greatest adventure of his life…
