Soul Keeper: A Greek Mythology Magical Romance (Sons of Olympus - Book 7)

Prologue

Night fell across Olympus. As Nyx drew her inky cloak across the sky, and fabled heroes stumbled home after one too many glasses of Dionysus’ wine, all grew quiet in the home of the Gods. But despite the serenity of the landscape, one figure tossed and turned in his bed of clouds. And he didn’t need to call on the Fates to know that a peaceful night’s sleep wouldn’t be in his future any time soon.

Zephyr groaned as he managed to find every lump and bump in his cloud pillow, and stared blankly at the constellations above. Where once his mind had been filled with nothing more than an airy breeze, now it grew as restless as a storm at sea. But what troubled him the most wasn’t thoughts of his heroic adventures, nor was it the tantalizing taste of those delicious mortal meat buns. No, it was something, or someone, altogether different…

There’s no use fighting your true feelings for Iris. Because there’s no greater magic in the world than love…

Zephyr groaned as his Queen’s warning echoed in his mind. This was nothing more than a result of her meddling. If she hadn’t forced him to work with the mischief-making Goddess of Rainbows, none of this would have ever happened. He, of all people, knew that no good came from the Olympians and their love lives. No, he had to put his feelings for Iris to one side, before they ended in disaster.

He snuck down to the kitchens, hoping that a slice of leftover Hercu-Lime Pie would help ease his worrisome mind. To his surprise, he found a lone figure waiting for him, with two steaming mugs of hot cocoa laid out in readiness.

“Hera? What in Zeus’ name are you doing in the kitchens?“ Zephyr rubbed his weary eyes, and glanced in bewilderment at the curlers in the Queen’s hair, to the fluffy slippers on her feet. But as a calculated gleam sparkled in her eyes, he gulped warily. “And why do I get the feeling I’m walking into a trap?”

“Oh, Zephyr, must you really think so poorly of me? Can’t the Queen of Olympus share a late-night cup of cocoa with her favorite subject?” Hera smiled sweetly, looking every bit the wolf in grandmother’s clothing. But as Zephyr raised an eyebrow in disbelief, she sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And it was either this, or asking Medusa to turn you to stone to stop you from slipping away. I trust there’s been a reason you’ve been avoiding Iris recently?”

“My Queen, I haven’t been avoiding her…”

“Then why is it I hear you’ve barely made any progress on your mission? Rather than find our final Son of Olympus, you’ve been moping around on those clouds of yours, all day and night!”

“I haven’t been moping. I’ve been… pining.“ Zephyr sighed, and took a seat opposite Hera. He took a sip of the velvety cocoa, before he gazed at the night sky in the distance. “Ever since you opened my eyes to how I feel about Iris, I can’t seem to get her out of my head. Day and night, all I can think about is the way her eyes sparkle with every color of the rainbow. The way her hair smells like sunshine and rain. The melody of her laughter as she delights in torturing me…”

Hera smiled knowingly. “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

“True love?“ Zephyr spluttered on his cocoa. “This is nothing more than a passing fancy. A result of your incessant meddling. And since you got me into this mess, surely there’s something you can do to get me out of it. Can’t you just… wipe my memory, or something?”

“Now, now, Zephyr. I could never bring myself to meddle in affairs of the heart.” Hera’s lips curled into a smile that suggested quite the opposite. “Have you tried telling Iris how you feel?”

“How could I? Besides, what if she doesn’t feel the same way? She’s the Goddess of Rainbows, and I’m just…” Zephyr gestured to his wind-swept hair and his ill-fitting robes, until he sighed like a deflated balloon. “Me.”

“Zephyr…” Hera squeezed his hand, and smiled reassuringly. “You’re a hero, remember?”

“I’m no hero yet. Not until I have my hero’s license.” Zephyr shook his head, and drained the dregs of his cocoa. “No, the best thing I can do is to focus on the mission and put this all behind me. Perhaps then I’ll finally be free of this ridiculous crush.”

“For a God of gusts and breezes, you sure can’t see which way the winds are blowing sometimes.” Hera sighed, and shook her head in despair. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other, more important, matters to attend to.”

Zephyr raised an eyebrow as the Queen marched to the kitchen doors. “Is there trouble with the Titans again?”

“It’s far worse.” Hera’s eyebrows furrowed, until she flung open the doors to the courtyard. “We’re throwing a party.”

Zephyr balked in surprise at the sight before him. Golden fairy lights were elegantly draped across the courtyard, each infused with the light of the heavens themselves, while giant tables sagged under the weight of elaborate platters of food. He glanced in bewilderment at the entertainments, as a group of sirens launched into a merry medley of melodies, a Gorgon practiced her snake-charming, and a Minotaur roared in fury as he became increasingly tangled in a pile of bunting.

“Why, in Olympus’ name, would you plan a ball now?” Zephyr watched in surprise as Boreas, the God of Winter, carved an elaborate ice sculpture in the perfect likeness of the Queen. “We still have another Son of Olympus to find. And if we don’t fill his heart with love…”

“Olympus will fall to the darkness. I’m well aware of that, Zephyr.” Hera rolled her eyes as she untangled the Minotaur from the bunting. “But what better way to announce your triumphant return than with a ball fit for a hero? Think about it. You’ll be greeted by the rich and famous. You’ll dance the night away with the Muses. You’ll dine to your heart’s content. I’ll even get some of those meat buns you’re so fond of.”

With a smile, Hera conjured a silver cloche, where a lone hot dog lay in wait beneath.

“Well, when you put it like that…” Zephyr salivated as he greedily reached towards the snack. “Perhaps some brain food will be the ticket to clearing my mind, and focusing on the mission at hand.”

He inhaled the rich aroma of fried onion and meat, allowing it to empty his mind of all thoughts of Iris and this ridiculous crush. With a grin, he went to take a bite of the snack, only to curse as his mouth met empty air.

“What the…”

“Hiya, wind man!”

Zephyr yelped in surprise as Iris appeared before him in a burst of dazzling light. He groaned in protest as she plucked the hot dog from his hands, and swallowed it in one bite.

“Iris, we’ve been over this! Must you always appear from nowhere?”

Iris twirled a lock of her rainbow-colored hair between her fingers, and broke into a devilish smile. “No, but it sure is fun.”

Zephyr’s brows furrowed. “I trust there’s a good reason you almost gave me a heart attack?”

“You bet.” Iris licked her fingers clean, savoring every bite of the stolen snack. “While you’ve been lounging around up here, some of us have been doing the real work. Like finding our Son of Olympus’ mortal love.”

Hera nodded, and turned her attention to the mischief-making Goddess. “I trust all went smoothly?”

“I’m afraid not, boss.” Iris crossed her arms and sighed. “Our two lovebirds are from two different worlds. Worlds that don’t belong together. I’m just not sure this is going to work.”

Hera gazed at Zephyr and Iris pointedly. “Well, they do say opposites attract…”

Zephyr gulped, and glanced at Iris sheepishly.

“But, my Queen. This is no ordinary task. He’s the God of the Underworld, and she’s a living, breathing mortal.” Zephyr shook his head at the thought. “We’re talking about transcending the worlds of the living and the dead.”

“Zephyr, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that there’s no greater power in the world than love. All you must do is place our two lovebirds on the right path, and let nature take its true course.” Hera smiled confidently. “And in return, the greatest treasure in the world will be yours.”

“Like my hero’s license.” Zephyr gazed at the Heroes Bar longingly, as the popping of champagne corks and the gentle tinkle of laughter drifted from behind its cloud curtains. “Finally, I’ll get to take my place with the rest of the Olympians.”

“And I’ll get my pick of the relics in Olympus’ vault.” Iris’ eyes gleamed at the thought. “Perhaps I’ll choose Pandora’s Box, or the Apple of Discord, or the Helm of Invisibility. Just think about how much mischief I could cause!”

Zephyr shuddered at the prospect. If there was one thing he’d learned about Iris, it was that she was already more than capable of causing mischief, without throwing Pandora’s Box into the mix.

“Very well. Just help this final Son of Olympus find his true love, and everything your heart desires will be yours. After all, the pair of you do make quite the team.” Hera smiled cryptically, before she returned her gaze to the party preparations below. “And when you return, we’ll hold a ball fit for the newest heroes of Olympus. It will be a date.”

Zephyr spluttered at the Queen’s suggestive smile, while Iris’ hair turned a deep shade of crimson.

“A date? I, err…” Zephyr glanced at Iris, whose face turned more beetroot by the second. “Well…”

Hera clapped her hands, as if the matter was decided.

“Go, now. Olympus needs you, And I…” Hera sighed as the Minotaur tripped to the earth with a thud, its hooves entangled with the bunting once more. “I must get back to party planning.”

With a clap of her hands, a trapdoor opened beneath Zephyr’s feet, until he and Iris tumbled from the heavens towards the earth below. As a rainbow burst to life beneath him, breaking his fall, his screams of terror only increased.

“Oh no…” Zephyr’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the twists and turns of the kaleidoscopic slide before him. “Not the rainbow road again! I thought this death-trap was closed down?”

“Good news, wind man. It’s out of the scrapyard, and back in business!” Iris’ cackles echoed through the sky as she hurtled down the slide. “Just watch where you’re going. Some of the track is just held together with bubblegum and a prayer.”

“What?“ Zephyr paled as he slid down the technicolor road. “Get me off this thing!”

At once, the pair sped from the heavens, soaring across loop-de-loops and hairpin bends. With every twist and turn, Zephyr’s screams echoed through the skies, while Iris cackled with delight. As they rode side by side, Zephyr’s breath caught in his throat, until his gaze lingered on the trouble-making pixie. Her hair billowed in the wind, while her eyes sparkled in technicolor hues. She looked radiant. And as his heart stirred at the breath-taking sight, he soon found that his own laughter joined hers.

“So, what do you think, wind man?”

“This is…” Zephyr searched his mind for a word to accurately describe the daredevil, harebrained death-slide through the sky. And yet, his eyes widened as something quite unexpected escaped his lips. “Awesome!”

Iris turned to him in surprise. “Really?”

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s dangerous, and reckless, and violates every health and safety rule in Olympus. And yet…” Zephyr laughed joyfully as he swerved around a corner at full speed. “I’ve never felt so alive.”

“Well, I’ve got to give it to you, wind man. You’re a natural.” Iris turned to him with a grin as they sped along the daredevil track. “Perhaps you’re not such a bag of hot air after all.”

“And perhaps you’re not such an infuriating pixie woman.” Zephyr returned her smile, before he summoned the winds to send him soaring across the slide. “Race you to the finish line!”

The two sped along the track in a blur, relishing every twist and turn. With a yelp, they flew from a makeshift ramp and through the air, until they landed with a thud on a crash-mat of clouds. Their laughter filled the skies as they tried to free themselves from their tangled limbs, until they met each other’s gaze. As Iris’ eyes sparkled in the starlight, Zephyr felt something stir within his heart once more. Something that charged through him like Zeus’ thunderbolts, and drew him closer to Iris with an irresistible magnetism.

Slowly, they inched closer to each other, their lips parted, until Iris’ breath brushed his skin. A feeling of expectation, of anticipation, filled the air as the distance between them closed. And as Zephyr closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but get the feeling that he was about to be swept onto the greatest adventure of his life…

A blast of a car radio filled the air, shattering the magic of the moment. Zephyr yelped in surprise, while Iris peered through the clouds to the mortal world below.

“That’s her! Our Son of Olympus’ true love!” Iris wriggled free from their tangle of limbs, and peered at a car that sped along a road below. “Quickly, we have no time to waste!”

With a shimmer of light, Iris grabbed Zephyr’s hand, and pulled him to the earth. He gulped as the sensation of her hand caused his heart to flutter once more, and shook his head to clear it. If he wanted his hero’s license, he had to focus on the mission at hand. Which meant he had to ignore this ridiculous crush, and concentrate.

“So, remind me…” Zephyr studied Hera’s briefing notes, grateful for the distraction from his hammering heart. “Who are our two lovebirds this time?”

“He’s the descendant of Hades, King of the Underworld, and guardian of lost souls. And she’s a workaholic mortal who’s lost sight of the magic in life.” Iris’ eyes sparkled with mischief as she plucked a wrench from thin air, and fiddled with a nearby road sign. “Luckily, I’ve given her a little holiday to the Underworld.”

With a turn of the wrench, the road sign swiveled, until it pointed to a nearby dirt track. Zephyr watched as the mortal’s car approached, before it turned from the main road to follow the direction of the sign. He raised an eyebrow as it sped into the distance, where a magical glow sparkled in the darkness.

“I can think of better places to go on holiday than the Underworld. I’ve heard it’s filled with ghosts and all manner of things that go bump in the night.” Zephyr shuddered at the mere thought. “Besides, don’t you think the King of the Underworld will be a little suspicious when a mortal turns up into his lair?”

“Zephyr, does this look like my first time meddling in the affairs of others?” Iris rolled her eyes, before she conjured a letter from thin air. With a grin, she folded it into a paper plane, and turned to Zephyr. “With these instructions, that mortal will be another lost soul for the King of the Underworld to save. And now we just need a friendly breeze to deliver it to his front door.”

Zephyr smiled in understanding. He summoned his winds, until they plucked the paper plane from Iris’ hands, and sent it in the same direction as the mortal’s car. As it sped into the distance, Iris broke into a grin.

“You know, I wasn’t sure about pairing up with you at first.” Iris drew herself to her full height, and met Zephyr’s gaze. “But I’m starting to think that you and I make a good team, wind man. Sure, there’s been a few world-ending calamities along the way, but it’s been one hell of a ride.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Zephyr sighed as he reflected on their journey. “It seems like so long ago we first set out on our mission. And now, we’re just one step away from the finish line.”

“To think, you’ll be a hero of Olympus, and I’ll have more treasure than a plundering pirate.”

“And just what are you planning on doing once you have all this treasure?”

“Why, I’ll bury it at the end of my rainbow, for safekeeping.” Iris winked playfully, and gazed at the horizon. “And after that, I’ll go on my next adventure. I’ll follow the winds and travel the world, sowing mischief wherever I fly. I’ll befriend dragons, and battle pesky leprechauns who try to steal my treasures…”

Zephyr raised an eyebrow as Iris’ hands balled into fists. For a goddess of rainbows, she certainly wasn’t all sunshine and sparkles when it came to tiny treasure-obsessed Irishmen.

“That sounds like quite the adventure.”

“You bet!” Iris’ eyes gleamed at the prospect, before she drew an excited breath. “You could join me too, if you wanted?”

“Really? That would be…” But Zephyr’s rush of joy faded as he glanced at the Heroes Bar in the heavens. “I’m fairly certain the Heroes Bar has strict rules about picking fights with tiny Irishmen. Even if they’re a bunch of pesky treasure-thieving leprechauns.”

“Oh, right...” The sparkle in Iris’ eyes faded, while her hair turned to a shade of mournful blue. “I guess that means we’ll be parting ways then, wind man.”

Zephyr drew a long breath, and lowered his gaze to the earth. “I guess…”

Zephyr’s heart sank as realization dawned on him. All this time, he’d been so focused on his mission, that he hadn’t considered what would come afterwards. The Sons of Olympus might have brought them together, but now he and Iris were doomed to drift apart. His shoulders sagged in realization, until he slowly deflated, as if the wind had been taken from his sails.

Silence descended between the pair, as they gloomily contemplated what the future held. Zephyr glanced at Iris, to see her hastily wipe away a single teardrop, which splashed onto the earth with the shimmer of a thousand rainbows.

“Well, this adventure isn’t over yet, wind man.” She forced a smile, and glanced at the silhouette of a city in the distance. “How about we leave our two love birds to it, and grab one of those meat buns, for old times’ sake?”

Zephyr smiled, and nodded.

“It’s a date.”