We fall silent. The birds keep chirping in the trees and a soft breeze rustles the leaves. I’m content with this perfect moment, but aware that the minutes on our bliss are ticking. It’s useless to try to hold on to it.
“Where do we go from here?” I finally ask him.
“Well, I really want to find my dad’s soul and get him settled in the Underworld before things get completely out of hand. I don’t want him wandering around up here when all hell breaks loose.”
I nod. “Good thinking. Since Zeus and the other Olympians can torture a soul, your feelings for your dad will give Zeus powerful leverage over you. If he decides to use it, you could be forced to choose between sparing your dad endless pain and helping me. Best to get your dad under Hades’ protection as soon as possible.”
“Do you think Zeus would do that?” Alex asks.
“I don’t put anything past Zeus, particularly when his power is threatened. Get your dad to the Underworld as fast as you can.”
“You’re coming with me, right?”
I raise his hand to my lips and kiss the back of it, mimicking his earlier gesture. “I want to, but I can’t. I’ve got to find Gaia. We’re proposing to leave her in charge of nature and humanity once the gods are gone. I need to make certain she’s ready for the job. She expressed a desire to take her role back before, but I need to know if anything has changed.
“We also need to know if there’s anything she can do to help us. She doesn’t have physical powers, but she’s incredibly intelligent and observant. She sees and knows everything that happens on this planet. If she has any wisdom to share, we need it,” I say.
Alex nods. “Do you want me to poof you to her before I go hunt for my dad?” he asks.
I shake my head. “You can’t. I promised never to reveal her whereabouts. If you show up, she’ll know I broke that promise and probably withhold her help in retribution.”
“She doesn’t sound like the sweet, old Mother Nature pictured in stories,” Alex says. “Are you sure you’ll be okay with her?”
“I’ll be fine. She can be vindictive, but if you treat her with respect, she’s helpful. It’s only when you cross her that things get ugly.”
“If you’re sure,” he says, doubt in his voice.
“I’m sure. Travel has recovered enough that I can reach her without too much trouble. At least it won’t be a repeat of my journey to find the Amazons,” I say, remembering the creepy boat captains and truck drivers who offered me assistance on that journey.
“Away from here, Zeus and the other gods can find you. If the humans recognize you, at best they’ll throw you in jail. At worst…” he says, echoing my earlier thoughts about my personal vulnerability.
“Right. Flaming pyres and stoning,” I say. “The good news is they can’t kill me. At least, the humans can’t.”
“Yeah, but they can hurt you. I don’t want to see you hurt. And if Zeus captures you—” He doesn’t have to elaborate on the creative punishments of which Zeus is capable. I’ve seen them all, from tying a man to a rock and letting a bird peck out his ever-regenerating liver to chaining a man to a burning wheel and making him roll through eternity.
I shrug. “It’s a risk I have to take. We’re going to have to go out in the open at some point, so I’d better get good at evasion now.”
“It’s not funny,” Alex says.
“I didn’t say it was. Nothing’s funny about this war. But I’m the only one who can go to Gaia, and we need her help. It’s got to be done.”
“Swear you’ll be careful,” Alex insists.
“I swear. I still have my sword. As someone once told me, I’m pretty badass about using it. I’ll manage.”
“You’d better. You have to come back to me. No matter how much time we have, it’ll never be enough. I’m not ready to lose you,” he says, echoing my earlier thought as if I’d spoken it aloud.
“When will you go?” I ask him.
He sighs. “I could keep putting it off and enjoy more time here with you, but I’d better go soon. Like you said, if Zeus realizes he can torture my dad—” He doesn’t finish the sentence. Doesn’t have to.
I lean in closer to him and tip my face up to his. “Then kiss me and let’s get going. The sooner we accomplish our missions, the sooner we can come back here, together.”
He kisses me, hard and passionate, and I give as good as I get. This isn’t a gentle farewell or lazy kiss of two people who have all the time in the world. This is an attempt to imprint this moment on each other’s memories and to savor what might be our last kiss.
When we pull apart, Alex gives me a wry smile and rests his forehead against mine.
“I won’t say goodbye,” he says.
“Me either.”
He pulls away from me so we are no longer touching, to make sure he doesn’t inadvertently poof me along with him.
“I love you,” he says.
“I love you, too.”
We stare at each other for a few moments, adding to our precious store of memories, and then he nods once and vanishes. Lyrics from a long-forgotten song drift through my mind. Alone again, naturally.
