Chasing Terpsichore (Muses Across Time) (9 page)

I’ll close my eyes and when I open them again, all will be back to normal.

He prised open one eye.
Damn, it didn’t work. I’m still here
.

“Okay, mate. What you said about you and Corey not being mortal—I think I’m ready to hear it now.”

The blond picked himself up off the floor of the cave where the force of the whirlwind had thrown him. “I’ll give you the short version. If we are successful, there will be time for long explanations later.”

“Fine. Hurry up so we can get Corey and go back home.”

“All righty then. Have you knowledge of Greek mythology?”

“I remember a little from ancient history class. Hang on,” he said, “Terpsichore is one of the Muses, isn’t she?” He ran his hand through his hair as he paced across the floor. “But she can’t be the same one. The Muses are a myth.”

“Oh, but she is. She is Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance and daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. And no, we are not myths.”

“Freaking hell.” He’d fallen for a goddess.
Holy shit—a goddess!

“So who are you then? Apollo?”

The giant snorted. “No, I am not. I am Eros.”

James laughed. “Where’s your bow and arrow?”

“That is just a vicious story put around by my enemies to reduce my credibility. I do not shoot arrows and I do not walk around half dressed.” He smiled wickedly. “Well, not all the time.”

Now he knew what Alice had felt like when she’d fallen down the rabbit hole
.
“So where are we? This doesn’t look like any description I’ve ever read about Olympus.”

Eros walked around the cave, inspecting the walls as he moved. “That’s because it’s not. This is the Underworld.”

“The Underworld? You mean
Hades
?”

“The Palace of Hades is but a small part of the Underworld. There are also the Elysian Fields, the Plain of Judgement, the Vale of Mourning, and many more.”

“So what part are we in?”

“I can’t be exactly sure, but from the look of the walls here in the cave, we’re near the rock in the centre of the Underworld. Corey must be very close, I can feel her.”

He couldn’t believe he was doing this, but he asked the question anyway. “You said I was the only one who could help Corey. Tell me what I need to do.”

Eros stopped pacing. “Because you are mortal, we will be able to return with you to the surface. It is your mortality that allows this. As long as we touch through the portal at Troezen, we can go through.”

His eyes narrowed. “How do you know it will work?”

“Because it’s worked before. Dionysus brought his mother back, and Heracles returned, bringing with him the hound of Hades.”

“That makes me feel so much better. How can I fail? Mythical characters came before me.”

“I repeat. They are not mythical.”

“Considering your name is Eros, and I’m standing here with you, I guess not. What’s the plan?”

Eros rolled his eyes. “First we must find Corey. We must be careful since these caves have many tunnels and we can easily get lost.”

“Can’t you just wave your arms and poof, we’re there?”

Eros shook his head. “My powers do not work here.”

“So how did Corey get here if the magic powers don’t work?

Eros shrugged. “They are not magic powers, mortal, and I have no idea. The monster who did this had his taken away from him. He must have gained the assistance of one of the gods of the Underworld. When Zeus finds out he’s going to be beyond angry. He doesn’t deal well with traitors.”

James nodded his head. “Great. Good to know. I’ll make sure I don’t piss off Zeus. I guess we’ll try and use stealth and intelligence instead. At least you look like you’d be good in a fight. I’m not so sure I’ll be that much help. I flunked self-defence class.”

Snickering, Eros headed for the mouth of the cave. “Never fear, mortal. Besides my romantic side, I am known for my physical strength.”

“I must have missed that one,” he murmured.

“What did you say, mortal?”

“Nothing.”

The two men walked together out of the cave, the light outside marginally better. James surveyed the dark and desolate landscape. The trees in the distance bore no greenery, and the large branches looked like large claws reaching out to whoever walked beneath them. The path in front of them led into the trees, and towards bare plains covered with mist. He closed his eyes, still incredulous that he was here, walking through the Underworld, and that the woman of his dreams was a goddess. He expected to wake up at any minute. The heat and the odour of sulphur reminded him that this was a new reality, so he’d better get used to it.

Drawing deep inside himself, he tried to picture Corey in his mind. The memories of all the encounters they’d had flashed in front of his eyes. Was it only a few days ago? From that first meeting at the police station, the spark had been there. From that moment on, his life had changed.

“Mortal?”

He opened his eyes. “What?”

“We must hurry. Can you feel her?”

Surprised that Eros could read his thoughts so easily, he frowned. “Yes, I can, but I have no idea what direction to take.”

“We can only find out if we try.” He pointed towards the trees. “This way first. It offers us the best cover from the evil that surrounds us.”

Heading down the path, James voiced another question. “Speaking of evil, who is this guy who brought Corey here, and what does he want with her?”

“Prometheus, a traitor to Olympus. He was banished by Zeus, so he plots his revenge by taking from Zeus what is his. What I don’t understand is how he is using his powers. They removed them when he was banished, but somehow he can move around the dimensions.”

“So how can we elude this Prometheus character?”

“He will not be expecting us, so we have surprise on our side. We must make sure we are not detected.”

“What can he do to us?”

“He can make sure we never leave here.”

Oh great.
“Then we’d better be very careful. There’s no way I’m staying in this horrible place. It’s giving me the creeps.”

* * * *

The messenger bowed low as he entered the sacred chamber and awaited the bidding of his master, Zeus, King of the Ancient World.

“What news do you bring of my daughters?”

Edging forward, the soldier raised his head and directed his gaze at his King. “Your greatness, we have word that Prometheus has captured Terpsichore and imprisoned her in the Underworld.”

“He dares interfere with my family?” Zeus rose from his place, gesturing for the others in the room to leave. “We must rescue her. How can he be doing this?” Zeus paced back and forth, as he pumped and tapped his fists against his thighs before snatching a goblet from the table. “He must have used ancient magic to regain his powers. Either that or we have a traitor in our ranks.”

The goblet in his hand smashed against the marble floor, spilling the golden liquid in rivulets across the room.

The messenger stepped back, avoiding the trail of liquid. “All may not be lost, my lord. Eros has enlisted the help of a mortal and is in the Underworld as we speak.”

Zeus stopped pacing and smiled. “Excellent. The traitor will not expect that. Send a garrison to Troezen to guard the portal. They will need assistance on their return.”

Bowing as he backed away, the soldier nodded. “As you wish, my lord.”

Zeus moved to the window and glanced across the courtyard to where his wife sat with her ladies-in-waiting. “You haven’t won this round, Hera. Terpsichore will soon be back amongst us, as will all of Mnemosyne’s daughters. Your jealousy shall not prevail.”

Hera raised her head, catching sight of her husband. She smiled and raised her goblet in salute.

He did not respond.
Not this time. Her time will come
.

* * * *

Corey explored the cave, desperate to find an escape route. She gingerly rubbed her hand where she’d been zapped by a wall of enchantment at the entrance, designed to prevent her from leaving. The sensation of hundreds of tiny pinpricks darted through her burning fingertips. No point in trying that way again.

Although she didn’t really believe she would find a way out through the back of the cave. Prometheus would not imprison her in a place that had even the smallest chance of escape—but she still had to give it a try. He might have missed something.

Unease crawled under her skin like ants. She held her breath and stopped dead in her tracks. Someone was here with her—she could sense it. Slowly she turned her head, scanning the area. She heard a shuffling sound near the back of the cave. On full alert, she silently moved towards the direction of the noise.

Thud.

She heard it again, barely discernible, but there all the same. She moved over to the wall and inched slowly towards a dark hole. Although she was certain she’d already checked this part of the cave, now she wasn’t so sure. Her pulse kicked up the decibels inside her head, blocking out all other sound. When she reached the black hole, she stopped, willing her heartbeat to slow down. With every breath she took, she deepened her inhalation and slowly exhaled until she could feel herself calming down.

Bracing herself for a quick escape, she peered around the corner and into the darkness. It took a few minutes for her eyes to adjust.

She saw a few dark and uneven shapes, but it was difficult to discern anything at all as nothing was moving. Cocking her ear, she waited for another sound that would give her a hint as to what was there. She wiped her hand across her forehead, pushing the sweat out of her eyes. She heard a shuffle again. It was farther in the distance than before, so she followed the sound along the passageway.

The darkness was less oppressive the farther she walked, becoming lighter as she moved. The path twisted and turned until finally she came to a dead end. At least it appeared like a dead end, until she touched the wall.

“Ouch.”

She jerked her arm back. Sparks of electrical activity jumped off the wall and revealed the outside of the cave. When she withdrew her hand, the illusion of rock returned.
Strange
. It must be an enchanted portal.
How did one get through?
Her hand still burnt from the brief touch and she feared she wouldn’t be able to make it through safely. Perhaps there was a way to disable it. A sound startled her and she jumped back, catching her elbow on the rock behind and sending a shooting pain up her arm. “Argh.”

The wall buzzed and hissed, then a small furry creature ran through the portal, apparently unharmed. That must have been what she’d heard. She could see the outside of the cave as the rodent passed through. Maybe if she threw something across the portal it would give her enough time to pass through herself.

It was certainly worth a try.

She crouched down and swept her hands over the floor, looking for a loose object. Against the wall she found a piece of rock about the size of a grapefruit. She held it between both her hands and stood up. The cold, uneven surface lay heavy in her palms. Would it work, or was she throwing herself into more danger?

What choice do I have?

Even if escaping the Underworld was not possible, at least she would be free of Prometheus. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself to sprint through the portal as soon the rock went through. One, two, three… She threw the rock, leaping nanoseconds after the throw.

Right into a hard body.

Holy Olympus!
She tried to escape but steely arms wrapped around her, drawing her closer to the hard, muscular form.

“Corey?”

She looked up and her heart leapt. “James? Oh my goddess, James. It’s really you?”

His arms tightened further. “Eros told me you were in danger, which is why he brought me here. Thank God we found you.”

“We?”

“Hello there, my little Muse.”

Twisting in James’ arms, she spied her other rescuer. “Eros. Thank the gods you paid attention. How did you know where to find me?”

“This is the only place Prometheus is welcome these days. It was logical to assume he would be where he is safe from the wrath of Zeus.”

She moved out of James’ arms and hugged her friend. “Thank you, Erie. My father will reward you.”

“Speaking of your father, there seem to be a few things you’ve forgotten to tell me,” said James.

Tensing, she turned back to face him, searching his face for signs of anger, but found only curiosity. Her shoulders relaxed and she took his hand. “You already thought I was a weirdo, would you have believed me?”

He smiled and her heart turned over.

He squeezed her hand. “Probably not. But when we get the time, I want to hear the whole story. Right now, we need to get out of this place.”

Eros signalled them to be quiet. Someone was approaching from farther down the path. James pulled her with him and they crouched behind a large rock.

“Who is it?” Corey whispered.

Eros closed his eyes and breathed in the scents around them. “It’s not Prometheus, but we can’t take any chances. It could be one of his soldiers.”

After the dark figure had passed them by, and continued down the path without stopping, they all relaxed.

“So what’s the plan?” asked James, pulling Corey closer to his side. She held his hand and he rubbed her palm with his thumb, sending warm fuzzies all through her body.

“We must find the portal for the exit at Troezen. Zeus will be waiting for us on the other side.”

“He will?” said James and Corey in unison.

“I dispatched a message to him before I brought James here. He is aware of where we are and who is responsible.”

“That is good news, Eros, but how do we find the portal?”

“Never fear. Heracles and I had this long drinking session several years back, and he may have let a few secrets slip. I think I know exactly where we need to be.”

James stood up, helping Corey to her feet. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“I said I might know where we need to be. I didn’t say I know how to get there.”

Corey smiled at his obscure statement. He hadn’t changed. “Stop playing word games, Erie. You have a pretty good idea, don’t you?”