The Goddessy II: The Trials of Zeus

Chapter Sixteen

They stayed in the cave for a good while until they were both sure that the coast was clear. It was nearly a day before they agreed to leave. And during that time, Rainbow had a self check with her emotions, Jacob had... she wasn't really sure.

The only thing certain was they agreed to keep all this secret from everyone but their parents. If someone like Aphrodite figured it out, she would never hear the end of it.it.

But finally, they got out of that cave just as the sun started to set, signaling they'd been in there for about twenty-one hours.

"I almost forgot what light looked like," Jacob said, taking a deep breath. "Almost forgot how the light also makes the most beautiful things sparkle. Like you."

There he was again.

"Well, it's sure good to see outside again," she replied. "Even though we're in the middle of a desert with destroyed pyramids and an entire city whose minds well have to perform a memory wipe on so they don't realize that Greek mythology is real and they..."

She couldn't even finish her thought.

"Look, that wasn't your fault," he said, breaking the silence. "That little girl just believed in that exact moment, and you and her happened to be staring at each other during that moment. Don't think for a second that any of that was your fault."

And again.

He gently pushed her hair out of her face.

And again.

He really was going to town with this.

"Reports say they're being labeled as rebels, according to supporters of Poseidon," Athena said, handing Marie something they called a hard drive. "I haven't watched the footage we secretly took of Poseidon yet, but my dad says this could help you with your work right now."

"I'll deal with it later," Marie responded, tucking the hard drive into her pocket. "Are there any updates on the trials?"

"Other than the rebel thing, not really much," Athena said. "They spent almost a day in a cave before heading out. And I think Apollo said they've been staying in the same area for a good while now."

"Well, we just found out the power couple might be real!" Kratos exclaimed as he came in.

"Wait, what?" Athena asked.

"We've got some drone that was enchanted to be invisible watching them, and you gotta see this," he said, and the three of them rushed over to see what was up.

Not surprising that Jacob was doing anything.

But he and Rainbow?

Laughing with each other?

"Five bucks says it's real," Heracles said.

"Highly doubt it," Artemis contradicted. "I say they know we're filming them and they're faking it or one of them did something utterly ridiculous."

"Okay, the bet's on," Heracles said, leaning back against the wall. "Five dollars says it's true."

"Make it fifty," Artemis smirked.

"I get your bow and arrows for a month," Heracles added.

"And I'll get your lion armor," Artemis replied.

"Deal," they both agreed.

Marie quietly slipped away as siblings acted like siblings, hurrying into the library and plugging the hard drive into a screen, showing Poseidon and a group of dolphins hovering over a moving map.