Alexis of Troy (Book I)

β′ - Dyo

TWO 

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, struggling to keep up with Athena.

She strode with purpose and such speed I had to jog to match her pace. It hadn't taken long before I worked up a sweat between the heat and the humidity. I panted, my heartbeat steadily climbed. I was sweating in places I didn't even know could sweat, but Athena still looked flawless. Radiant and arrogant.

Typical.

"Somewhere not so in the open," she replied. "And to find you a change of clothes. Whatever you're wearing definitely doesn't belong in this timeline..." She paused and gave me a judgey once-over. "I don't even know if it has a place in your timeline."

My cheeks coloured as I wrapped my arms around my torso, suddenly very self-conscious about how I looked. Standing next to a goddess with a flowing robe, I undoubtedly paled in comparison. My hair was starting to curl and frizz thanks to the humidity, and I'd already removed my makeup. My pyjamas were old and worn out, but they were still the most comfortable pair I owned. I wouldn't say these were my sexiest pyjamas, but whatever. When it came to sleeping, comfort was all that mattered.

"My PJs? I don't wear them when I go out, and I certainly wouldn't be wearing them if I'd known I was going on a time-travelling trip."

How would you plan for that anyway? Would you pack sunscreen? Your passport? Your camera? I shook my head. It wasn't the time to be dwelling on such thoughts, especially when the distance between Athena and me was growing. Somehow she'd managed to get thirty paces ahead of me. I hurried to catch up.

"Regardless of what you're wearing, I doubt you have a Trojan outfit stashed in your closet," Athena pointed out, "and, though I don't anticipate you running into anyone, blending in helps. There's not much I can do about the boyish hair. Perhaps a veil."

I wrinkled my nose. I'd studied about the gods and goddesses and their personality traits, but her blatant arrogance kept throwing me off. She played it so smoothly in her no-nonsense tone that it was rattling. If Athena was like this, the others were probably similar, if not worse. I thought of Zeus and shivered.

"You really have a way with words, don't you?" I mumbled as I attempted to smooth down my hair. When she ignored me, I sighed and tried again. "Tell me more about what I'm doing here. You said Zeus overheard my wish to escape?"

"Yes, he did. As far as I can tell, he must have placed a bet with Odin or Yahweh, or one of his other gambling buddies. Whatever the reason, let's focus on getting you out of here, because it will not be an easy journey."

"Great, just what I want to hear."

Athena barely glanced over her shoulder. "Well, you haven't died yet. That's a comforting notion."

"Comforting... That's anything but comforting. Can't you just, I don't know, snap your fingers and take me home? How about that?"

"I can't do that. Unfortunately, the only person who can send you home is the one who brought you here." Athena was looking around, trying to determine our next steps. "And I happen to know Zeus isn't in a charitable mood, so until I can figure out how to bypass his silly rule, you're stuck here."

"You're joking." I threw my hands in the air. "I can't stay here. I have a life to get back to, okay? People who will be looking for me... who will be distraught that I'm missing. Not to mention, I don't even belong here."

"I don't joke," Athena sighed, "certainly Zeus likes to lie and trick people, but I assure you, I do not. It was better to tell you straight away to give you a chance to accept your situation. If I had lied and you found out, would you have trusted me?"