She headed down the dark, reflecting hallway with curtains that billowed from a sourceless wind.
Bethany pushed open the large glass doors that let out onto a courtyard with high black marble walls.
Apollymi sat in front of the fountain that ran backwards up the wall. Dressed in a flowing black gown, the goddess of destruction was as breathtaking as she was lethal. Her long, white hair was braided down her back and her swirling silver eyes saw much more than others.
Archon was right to fear her. She was without mercy or compassion.
"Why are you here?" Apollymi snarled.
"I have learned the most coveted secret of all time and wanted your help in dealing with it."
Apollymi smirked. "What is this secret you've found?"
"Your son is leading an army into our capital."
Apollymi's smirk turned into an arched brow and an innocent expression. "My son?"
"Prince Styxx of Didymos. He's Apostolos, isn't he?"
Apollymi laughed out loud then turned back to her pond. "Nice try. Wrong, but I give you points for creativity."
Bethany didn't believe her for a second. "I know it's him."
"Then why haven't you betrayed me to the others?"
"Because lately I've come to understand ... your sacrifice."
This time, Apollymi's laughter was cruel. "Are you seriously telling me that the goddess of misery and wrath is in love? You really expect me to believe that of you?"
"Why not? If the goddess of utter destruction can love ... why not me?"
"Oh, Bet ... you are naive and foolish. And if you were truly in love, we would all know it." Apollymi ran her hand through the black water. "My son will return home soon, but he won't need a foreign army to destroy this pantheon. Now go and leave me before I remember how much I hate all of you."
"Fine, I'll go. But I wanted you to know that the gods have gathered together, and they will kill Styxx the moment he steps foot on the main shore. In unison."
"Doesn't concern me in the least."
Bethany wasn't so sure about that. While Apollymi seemed to be telling the truth, there had been a slight flare in her eyes when Bethany had first mentioned Styxx's name.
The prince did mean something to the goddess. But if he wasn't her son, what was he to her?
August 11, 9530 BC
The Atlantean gods sat together in their white marble hall as they discussed the advancing Greek army that none of their people had been able to quell or turn back.
"How?" Archon growled at the gods standing in front of his dais. "We are better armed. Higher tech. Our soldiers have psychic abilities, and yet this puny, putrid human and his army are able to outmaneuver us and kick our collective asses. For the love of us, can someone tell me how?"
They exchanged nervous and disgusted looks.
"A god protects him," Bethany said, pushing her way through the crowd until she stood in front of Archon. "I don't know who, but it's a powerful one. Whenever I try to shoot him, it's deflected as if he can see it ... which we all know is impossible."
"Apollymi?" Archon asked, going straight to her initial assumption.
Dikastis, their god of justice, shook his head. "Can't be. There's no way her son would be in Atlantis, leading an army, without our knowing it. He is using powers, but they're not ours. We would all feel it if it were."
"Maybe he's just that much better trained and more intelligent than our armies."
They all turned to glare at the sea god, Ydor. Tall and dark-haired, he stood apart from the rest of the group.