Eva Pohler - The Athena Alliance

THE athena alliance

THE underworld saga, book five

Eva Pohler

Copyright 2014 by Eva Pohler.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Eva Pohler Books

20011 Park Ranch

San Antonio, Texas 78259

www.evapohler.com

Publishers Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the authors imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Book Layout 2017 BookDesignTemplates.com

Book Cover Design by B Rose Designz

The Athena Alliance/ Eva Pohler. -- 1st ed.

Paperback ISBN 979-8610712932

For my husband.

Contents

Chapter One

An Unexpected Invitation

T

herese leapt into the sky above Mount Ida in the cold snowy air with Ariadne on her heels. Asterion, the Minotaur, hung back, standing beside Thanatos, waiting. The golden disc shot through the clouds, barely missing Helios descending in his cup, before it slowed and spun back toward them.

The disc swung around outside Thereses reach. She and Ariadne both grumbled and turned in the sky to see if Asterion had any better luck. Than and Asterion jumped up from the mountain top at the same time, inches apart, both with determined looks on their faces. The tip of Thans tongue showed between his lipsa habit of his when he was concentrating, which Therese found quite cute. Asterion flew toward the disc with a grunt, but his timing was slightly off, and Than, whod flown back and to his right, easily caught the disc in one outstretched hand.

No way! Therese shouted. She let an arrow fly, aiming close to his ear.

Watch it! Than laughed, catching the arrow in one hand, before sending it back to her.

She grabbed it in mock frustration. Ugh!

Ariadne rolled her eyes at Therese as the two of them returned to the mountain top. Its no fun if he always wins.

Weve got to get him, guys, the Minotaur said. We need to work together.

Than laughed again and shook his head, obviously trying not to gloat. Hip would have already paraded around them twice, but that wasnt Thans style. And yet Therese would feel better if Than did gloat rather than shrugging and looking at them apologetically as though they were a bunch of morons.

Speaking of morons, Therese thought, there was Pete again, bugging her with his prayers. Oh, she shouldnt be so mean. Pete was no moron. He was a kind and good person who had great intentions, and his sister was her best friend. She reminded herself it wasnt that long ago when shed imagined spending her life with him. Lately, though, his insistence that he relay a message from his fathers ghost was really getting on her nerves.

No good thing ever came from knowing the future. Shed learned that lesson after going to the Fates. What they told her hadnt stopped Ares from wanting to imprison her, and it had only made her worry about her future children.

Two, but none immortal .

She fingered the locket at her throat.

Than wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the back of her neck.

Your turn, he said. He spun her around to face him and, seeing her frown, asked, Whats wrong?

Oh, its Pete again. He wont let it go.

Yeah, I know. Hes been working on me, too. Ive had to block him.

How do you do that? she asked.

He touched his finger to the tip of her nose. Practice, which is what you need with the disc. Now come on.

Like she had much time for practice. Usually she was on Stormys back flying across the world helping humans and their animal companions. Clifford often went along, and, sometimes, her parents, who lived in the bodies of two immortal red birds, joined her, too. She loved making humans and animals happy and loved spending time with her parents and animal friends, but her duties didnt leave her vast amounts of time for practicing Frisbee throwing. Asterion complained that she and Than didnt come play often enough, but the Minotaur was bound to the Labyrinth and had no other duties but to guard it and so couldnt understand the concept of time management.

Not all of us can be at many places at once, she said to Than with a wry smile.

Than handed her the disc. Before she could move into position to throw it, Hermes appeared a few feet away. Ariadne and Asterion stepped closer to see what the messenger god had to say.

***

Jen sat up on her bed and threw her pillow in frustration at Pete, who leaned in the doorway of her bedroom. He caught the pillow and threw it back.

Shell come if you ask her, he said. Tell her you need a friendwhich wouldnt be much of a lie. You barely come out of your room anymore except to do chores.

And thats exactly why you should quit annoying me, Jen said, throwing her pillow at him again.

He threw it back. Why wont anyone take me seriously?

A horrible thought ran through Jens mind. You didnt tell Mom or Bobby, did you?

Do I look stupid or something? He sighed. Of course not. I meant the gods. Than and Therese both ignore me. Hip just sends me sick messages in my dreams. I finally decided to go higher up.

Higher up?

Zeus. Isnt he supposed to be the big shot?

Jen threw her pillow at his face. You are stupid, Pete! Why would you do such a thing?

Why is that so bad? Im worried about Therese. He tossed the pillow across the room, where it landed on the floor beneath her window. Why isnt anyone else?

I doubt Therese will appreciate you involving Zeus in her problemsthough I dont know if he cares, to tell you the truth. She lay back on her pillow-less bed.

Just ask her to come for a visit, he said again.

Fine.

When Pete left, Jen crossed the room for her pillow and then sank back on her bed. All she wanted to do these days was sleep. While awake, she only thought of her best friend, who wasnt even human anymore. Or she freaked out over her fathers ghost creeping around their place, telling Pete cryptic messages. But while asleep, she could be with Hip. Even when she couldnt sleep, all she had to do was to pray for him to come to her, and he would, and she would instantly drift into a wonderful dream.

She nestled into her covers and called to him. Hip?

Hello, sweetheart, he said in a poor imitation of somebody she recognized but didnt know the name ofsome old, classic, long-dead actor. Hip had a habit of doing that. He seriously needed to update his movie references.

But he was dang cute, no matter what he did.

Hello, she said, stifling a yawn. Miss me?

Always. He sat on her bed.

When can you come in mortal form so she yawned again.

Soon.

You always say that. She closed her eyes and gave in to sleep.

***

Hypnos cupped Jens face in his hands. Even in the Dreamworld, her brown eyes sparkled like those of no other. They were especially sparkly beneath her blond bangs and the full moon and star-filled sky. He and Jen sat beside one another on a moving Ferris wheel. The wind blew his hair into his eyes, so he closed them as he leaned in for a kiss.

She returned his kiss but pulled away earlier than he wanted.