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He may look like a scary giant to those who don’t know him, but he is first and foremost a girl dad through and through.
“Fine, but quick,” he whispers as his eyes scan the bright woods. “The woods are giving me a bad feeling.”
Skipping toward the tree, a bright smile dawns on my face.
Pomegranates are a rare find, even this close to the Veil. The Pythian Priestesses swear that they only grow in the land of the dead.
Which obviously is a myth but they needed a way to justify how rare they’re. I ask Dad, “Want me to climb or stand guard?”
Dad narrows his eyes at me. “You want the pomegranates, then you’ll be the one climbing for them. Now hurry up.”
Smiling wide, I turn to scale the tree.
Touching the curly bark of the tree, I blink. Suddenly I'm not in this clearing but in a palace garden with cool black stone pavers lining the path. Colorful humanoid creatures dance around me. Dryads with their green hair coiled like leaves. Naiads and their ethereal pale blue skin. While half goat and half human creatures stomp with their two hooved feet as we dance around the tree. Horns curling at their temples like rams. The flower nymphs were my favorite. Each has hair as brightly colored as their flower. Violet, white, blue, yellow, and more. Their skin is pale green.
At least thirty of us are lost in the rhythm of the drums and pan flutes. Focused on the music, each other, and the moment.
Bright and happy memories. Swirling around, I join their dance around and around the tree. A celebration of the summer solstice. Turning, I catch my reflection in the pool of the fountain. Older than I'm now.
“Hurry up Pandy,” Dad warns. Jolting, I rub my eyes. The fruit tree stands tall before me as though nothing was wrong. “If you're going to pick the fruit, do so now.”
Blinking, my vision swirls back into the present moment. “Will do. Sorry. I forgot where I was for a moment.”
Gingerly touching the tree, I wait to be overtaken by the memory or vision or whatever it was, but nothing came.
Scurrying up the sheer face, I rest on some branches. My legs swing underneath me as I fill my bag as full as I can manage. Picking the ripest pomegranates. Their decedent red colors starkly juxtaposed against the verdant green leaves. Wrapping my legs tightly around the tree, I held on with one hand and started dropping pomegranates down into Dad’s open bag.
As I’m preparing to hop down, my eyes happen to scan our surroundings. I notice a figure in the distance— the shadows appear human. “Dad, look over there. I see someone.” Pointing in the direction of where my gaze is fixed.
Pushing off from the tree I plop down with a less than graceful thud.
Slender fingers wrap around my lips.
The pale hands of my misty friend.
Damn medicine. Every time that I take it, the less clear Ari becomes.
“Don’t move,” whispers Arista. Her voice is like my own, soft, and hesitant. I peek out the corner of my eye at my friend's flaming locks of red hair that are in stark contrast to her bright green eyes. Dressed in her typical outfit of varying shades of black. Arista pulls me back closer to Dad. At her touch, my arm zings with an electric thrill. The tingles of magic quaking through the clearing. Turning fully toward her, my friend is gone.
Absent.
To my dismay, the shadow’s gaze falls upon our direction.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Dad pushes me behind him swiftly. Pinning me between him in the tree. Had he been given a choice at this moment; I would have become a tree nymph.
No amount of preparation would have prepared me for his next words. Words that will haunt my nightmares from here on out.
His voice drops low. “A god.”
The dark shadowy figure turns toward us. Like he can feel our presence. From this distance, he shouldn’t have been able to hear us. Dad shoves me behind him and frantically whispers, “Do not say a word or make a single noise. You're glamoured. He'll not be able to see you but he could still hear you.”
Glamour?
How in the name of Hades himself can Dad use glamour?
The gods aren't what I expected. The cruel and deadly gods and goddesses were supposed to be grotesque creatures as I imagined. They were supposed to look like some gnarled goblin with leathery skin and red eyes. This god looks nearly normal.
The forest held its breath. Waiting for battle. Dark shadows cut through the wood. A warning.
