A warm, silky blanket, that would probably have fetched a few million dollars on the market, considering it was made of woven starlight, held me in its comforting embrace while it tried to make some sense of the last half hour. With mixed results, I might add. Maybe it was my age or just my character but the revelations Aphrodite had shared about Katie and my sister seemed much more impactful to me than the entire ancient world, you’re a reborn goddess garbage. I had actually managed to accept the latter quite effortlessly but the former…

  I couldn’t even deny the authenticity of what she had said. I had never really thought much about it but the way I craved Victoria’s closeness, even her touch… now, with the unbelievably shallow experiences I had been able to make with Katie I realised that it wasn’t just sisterly affection. I imagined her lips, her silky fingers caressingly trailing over my skin… I felt hot and had to forcefully shut down that particular train of thought, otherwise I would pretty soon have found myself in a rather awkward spot. Not to mention that my fantasy was constantly exchanging her face with Katie’s and back again.

  I buried my face in my hands and groaned. Never mind an actual kiss, even my imagination was enough to have me drooling. I had changed. Substantially. In a matter of seconds it felt like and if my so called helpful spell construct was any indication it’d only get worse over the next few days. Oh boy. I was so screwed and if I couldn’t keep it together probably even literally. The worst part: I couldn’t ignore it either.

  As if trying to spit out a mouthful of vinegar I finally asked: “how far can I go without… causing enough problems to alert everyone around of my existence?”

  “Do you want a description? Kissing should be fine. But knowing you you’ll have one hell of a hard time stopping there. If you want a rule of thumb, don’t get naked. As long as your panties stay on there shouldn’t be too much of a fall out but I can’t say for certain. Emotional closeness is just as important as the physical aspect. When it comes to that… butterflies in your stomach are fine but ravenous desire, an all encompassing need to be with someone not so much.”

  “And how the hell am I supposed to control that?”

  “You can’t, don’t even try. I’m simply warning you. Your best bet would probably be to tell the truth, like I said. Have them worry about restraint. You won’t be able to anyways.” Great. Just friggin great. She made me sound like a bitch in heat. The four legged variety. And it wasn’t even an insult, she simply stated facts I had already lived through in a very short, very minor friendly context. By the gods of Greece, just imagining returning back home in the early hours of the morning only to knock on my sister’s door to… confess made goosebumps erupt all over me.

  “Don’t be a drama queen. Admittedly, it’s a bit strange but you at least know what she’s going to say. Imagine trying the same thing without that reassurance. Go a step further and put yourself in her shoes. Considering how much you’re fretting right now I’m pretty sure you would have jumped off a building years ago if your roles had been reversed. She’s a pretty tough cookie, I’ll giver her that. Now, can we move on from Evee’s love troubles? I’m sure it’s the most important thing to you right now but it really isn’t. Getting you through the next few years without a bunch of deities on your tail is. Assuming you want to return. You do, don’t you?” I even managed a dry chuckle.

  “What do you think? Apparently I’m in love with two amazing girls. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t leave them behind, could I?”

  “Probably not. For a few days, maybe, but it’d tear you up sooner or later. Alright, can’t say I’m surprised. Which leaves us with two things to figure out. How we’re going to go about your education and which spell you want to learn.” I perked up, gladly leaving the swamp of self pity I was wallowing in behind.

  “Spell? Shouldn’t it be spells? Three minus one is two, isn’t it?”

  “And how do you think you got here? Three minus two equals one. Fortunately you were already passing out, otherwise learning how to reach a divine realm would probably have left a scar. A real one. You left yourself a recommendation, though. So did Hephaistos. Wanna hear them?” I nodded hesitantly. “The mechanic advises you to learn a creation spell for automatons, big surprise. It’s versatile and you can build whatever you might need. Provided you can find the materials but with your treasury that shouldn’t be much of an issue. Your own advice is temporal displacement. Pretty much the best way to hide. But, in all honesty, if you’d be forced to use it shit would have already hit the fan anyways and playing peekaboo for a while won’t change that.”

  “What do you think, then,” I asked after a moment of consideration.

  “Pick neither. You need something you can actually use regularly. I’d go with telekinetic. Especially in todays world the ability to move objects with your will is nigh unbeatable. Think about it. Even a tank will break down if the piston rings crack and they’re about the size of your thigh. Don’t even get me started on bullets or computers.”

  “Are you trying to turn me into some kind of Jane Bond,” I asked exasperatedly. “Why would I even care? Shouldn’t I learn something that’ll help me hide constantly? Like a veil?”

  “It would make sense, but Artemis will be able to help you out there. Don’t squander your resources. As to why you should care… I really don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but you’re a goddess, Evelyn. You will get involved somehow. You need proof? Close your eyes and imagine a pretty stereotypical scene you’ll probably stumble across while you’re still in school. You overhear a confession and instead of gently declining the person in questions takes out a phone and starts filming, maybe even laughing.” She didn’t have to go on. A knot of fiery fury immediately formed in the pit of my stomach that made it difficult to even breathe.

  “I see,” I pressed out, trying to drown out my lingering anger with an imagine of Katie. It worked but soon it warped into Victoria’s visage and the clothes they both wore became ever more scant. Damn it all to hell and back. The next time I had to choose between being angry and horny I’d go with angry. Any day of the week. No wonder I hadn’t suffered during puberty much. If that was what I had missed I’d rather have stayed ignorant until death. Then again… probably not. Admittedly it hurt, but it was an exquisite kind of agony and I had already become hooked. When Aphrodite had called me a junkie she hadn’t been far off. And now someone had finally handed me a needle. Well, I say someone, but in the end it had been me.

  “No you don’t, not yet, anyways.” She sighed again, a pretty regular occurrence over the last hour. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Betrayal, abuse… rape. Trust me, the longer you’re going to live the more you’ll turn into a cliched superhero, whether you want to or not. So yeah. Learning how to actually do something besides throwing a tantrum is paramount. Not for your safety but for your happiness. And a few parlour tricks should be enough until you graduate. By then we’ll hopefully have drilled a few more spells into your head.” I pinched my thigh to get my thoughts back on track. I wasn’t a masochist, oh, whom am I kidding, maybe I was, but pain really helped.

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  “Right. Spells. Magic. Some context, please?”

  “That’s easy. There are invisible forces in the world around us. Some have been at least detected. Gravity, electromagnetism, weak and strong interaction. But there’s also something else. In Goethe’s words what holds the world together at its core. You can call it mana, magic, energy, spiritual power, it doesn’t matter. What matters is, that it can be used and that you, my dear, have access to more than you could ever need. Transforming that raw energy into something tangible, usable is magic. Think of it as learning… maths. The simile is quite appropriate. I handed you a calculator that can process three tasks. The rest is up to you.”

  “But how does it work?”

  “The runes you’ve seen. They’re like… the source code of the universe. Apply the correct ones and fuel them with your strength and you’ll get a result. Fuck it up and you’ll blow yourself to pieces, if you’re lucky, and your surroundings if you aren’t. On the plus side… you’re probably one of the few beings in existence who could survive a mishap. It’d hurt, though. Majorly.”

  “Great,” I scoffed, “no pressure.” Then my brain kicked back in. “How many runes are there?”

  “Seven hundred and eighty four, by my last count. But someone, somewhere usually always finds a new one. To construct most spells you’ll need about two hundred. But that’s the easy bit. Putting them together appropriately and applying the right amount of power is the tricky part.”

  “And that’s what you’re going to teach me?”

  “More or less. I’ll also add some meaningful life advice from time to time and probably use you as the butt for most of my jokes. I guess you haven’t really thought about it, but I’m a part of you. You’re the only creature I can talk to, that even hears me. And you’re a sixteen year old brat. Not to complain but couldn’t you have kicked the bucket somewhere in your thirties or forties? It’d have made everything so much easier.” I frowned trying to puzzle out what she meant but I didn’t have to puzzle for long.

  “One you wouldn’t have been a virgin and two you’d have been an adult. Teenage drama is all nice and dandy but unfortunately you sulking or feeling wronged might result in a bit more than a few tears and a temper tantrum. But we’ll cross that bridge once we get there. Another reason why I’m not against you pursuing Katie and Victoria. They won’t hurt you. It’s not who they are.” I breathed in deeply, the memories of long forgotten stars rising from my blanket tickled my nose.

  “Let’s get this straight,” I finally managed to convince myself to ask, “do you want me to… date them both?”

  “Me? I couldn’t care less. You on the other hand… if you want a chance to get a grip on your life you’ll have to acknowledge what you are and the less time you’re going to waste the better.” I took another deep, calming breath. “Alright, fine, I’ll worry about it once I get back. What now?”

  “Well, you still have a dragon to greet and a sister of sorts to welcome. Before that, though, do you remember how you got here?”

  I did. In a way. There were no recollections but the runes I had used immediately popped up in my mind. “I think so. Is that also how I’m going to get back? Incidentally, where am I? My temple on Mount Olympus? What does that mean?”

  “The last part is actually a pretty complex question. Let’s start with the rest. Yes. Use the spell again and you’ll open your eyes on the stairs. Right now about 70 seconds would have passed. As to where you are… the Greek pantheon is the only one that includes all seven primordial gods, which makes it a damned sight more real than any other. Consequentially Mount Olympus has become the homestead of almost every enduring god, no matter where they’re from. Think of it as… the Hamptons for deities with Zeus as the mayor. Don’t ask me why the three ancient ones, you, Mother Earth and Death, ever allowed him to play king of the hill but you did. You’re temple is where your power enters Olympus and anchors it. If it were destroyed, you’d suffer until you could recreate something similar. Now, if you were to open the doors you’d first see your own garden, a paradise created with tokens from every age and corner of the world. Behind it… I don’t know. You probably thought it wouldn’t matter since you won’t walk on Mount Olympus freely until you don’t need me anymore.” It was the second time she had said that.

  “What’s going to happen to you once I get that far,” I asked quietly.

  “I don’t know,” she replied, almost inaudibly. “I’m just a spell but I’ve been cast by you. I know I’m not really alive, but… I’m still afraid.” I hesitated, unsure of what to say, but when I finally spoke my voice sounded different. Richer, older… self assured.

  “Don’t worry. Oblivion won’t be your lot. Before the end you’ll breathe on your own and follow your desires. I’m not that cruel.” She took my words at face value, a treacherous spark of hope surging through her as if it had been my own.

  “I know,” she whispered. “Thank you. But for now we shouldn’t dwell on the future. The present is daunting enough. I guess for a first encounter this went rather well. I think we’ve covered most pressing topics, aside from Sparkles, Artemis and the treasury. The former two are your problem, they don’t even know I exist, and the latter… do you want a tour?’

  “Can I even use any of the tools in here?”

  “Only the mundane ones and the weapons. A spear and a sword are pretty self explanatory, though. The pointy end belongs in your opponent and if you want to learn how to shoot, go visit a gun range. You have, however, put aside a few baubles you might find interesting right now. And since you didn’t know how much money you’d have you also stashed some actually currency away here somewhere. Not that you’re going to need it. A million or two will hardly make a difference to your family. If you want to see what you’ve prepared boot up those computers. It’s a clever combination of technology and magic. What’s been stored on the hard drives is actually real. You can browse all you want. If something catches your fancy just press print.”

  “You can’t be serious,” I stammered, “but you are. How…”

  “You created a sentient spell construct. That station was child’s play in comparison. If you’re hoping to recreate something similar, though, it’ll take you a while. A long while. Even an archmage would be hard pressed to understand the runes, never mind being able to fuel them without withering away. Get it into that brain of yours. You’re a primordial goddess. One of seven.”

  I was already moving, the blanket still slung around my shoulders. I tiptoed past gems and armours, flasks with strange, glowing liquids and clumps of metal that shone with all the colours of the rainbow until I finally settled down in an honest to god gamer chair that smelled of roses. It was already adjusted to my size. Apparently I hadn’t changed much.

  When I tapped the enter button on the keyboard, the four screens hummed to live and two computers underneath the desk whizzed into activity. The usual windows welcome screen greeted me. Aphrodite had been set as the username but I needed a password. “Your name, your full birth name,” my invisible twin explained. Evelyne Helene Paradizo I typed and the next second a beautiful rose appeared on the screen with a handful of icons on the left. they weren’t the usual applications, though. Library, one read, weapons and armours was another but I immediately jumped to a winking smiley named starter kit. A CAT-like file opened with a bunch of items already preprogrammed. Clothes, most of them, but the detailed descriptions immediately quenched the pang of disappointment. Those weren’t bras or jeans, they were honest to god artefacts. “Wow,” I breathed as I scrolled down the list.

  “You can say that again. It took you the better part of a year to cobble it all together. If you want my advice, print them all and store them at home. Just make sure your mother doesn’t go through your drawer. That might spark a conversation you don’t want to have right now. As for your sister… you know her. You should really tell her the truth, otherwise she might stumble across it all on her lonesome. Or do you think it’s normal to have lingerie that can turn you invisible? And trust me, she’s going to try them on without prior warning.”