This week's most desired thing of all
There's no other way to get to the ball
No other way to get to the ball? I crossed through the shadows, and for a brief second it was impossible not to notice how beautiful the ballroom looked with its soft, glittering light and stunningly dressed guests twirling and swaying to the music. I forced my attention back to the scroll. The most desired thing just this week? What would people want this week that meant they could get to the ball? The answer came to me immediately. An invitation. It had to be. I scanned the room for Hedone, and my heart did a little leap when I finally spotted her and Morpheus talking to Hecate. My friend looked knockout, in a white leather catsuit that looked like it had been painted onto her skin, and neon pink shot through her high ponytail. She looked like something straight out of the eighties. I hurried towards them.
'Persy!' she exclaimed when I reached her, and leaned forward to give me a kiss on the cheek. Was that allowed? Hedone hadn't covered that. I glanced at the sultry goddess and she gave me a reassuring smile. 'You look sexy as fuck!' Hecate exclaimed, holding me at arm's length and looking me up and down. I beamed at her.
'I'm glad to see you, Hecate,' I said formally. Hecate rolled her eyes.
'Oh gods, you gotta be all proper here. Rather you than me.' What I wanted to say was, 'they put an innocent man in a fucking hourglass and they'll kill him if I don't win a stupid game, what the fuck is wrong with you people,' but instead I gave a little shrug.
'You did warn me,' I smiled. I had to word my next question carefully. I didn't want to break the rule about asking direct questions, so I'd already come up with a bullshit reason to ask for what I needed. 'Hedone, I never got to see the invitations for the ball and I just want to double check what time they said the first course of dinner was. You don't happen to have one on you do you?'
Hedone gave me an apologetic smile, and looked down at her slinky black dress. It made her look as curvy as that damn hourglass.
'Nowhere to put an invitation in this dress,' she said, her husky voice somehow accentuated. 'Sorry.' Just as my heart began to sink, Morpheus spoke.
'I have one,' he said, and reached into the inside pocket of his navy blue dinner jacket. He was one of a handful of people wearing clothes form my world. He frowned as he dug about, and I held my breath hopefully. Aha!' he said eventually, and passed me a black piece of card.
'Thank you!' I said, and before I could read the gold embossed words, the invitation vanished with a poof, a fourth scroll in its place. Hecate raised her eyebrows at me, and I gave her a quick smile. 'See you at dinner!' I said, and moved away from them, unrolling the paper. My heart was beginning to beat faster now. I was three clues down, and that last one was the easiest yet. I looked over at the man in the hourglass. The sand was past his hips, and fast approaching his chest. I looked back at the scroll, a surge of adrenaline sharpening my focus.
Serene and melodic, giving spirits a lift
Apollo and Hermes gave the world this gift
I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips. The last three clues had been quite obvious but this one... Serene and melodic suggested music. I looked up at the dais. The harp player had been joined by a plethora of musicians, and I couldn't even name half of the instruments I could see. Shit. I was going to have to talk to Apollo or Hermes.
Remembering what Hedone had mentioned about Apollo being as sleazy as Zeus, and recalling the genuinely friendly words Hermes had given me when I'd been introduced to the gods, it seemed clear who I should seek out. I scanned the crowd, looking for the red-haired god. All of the Olympians, other than Hades, stood out - they all glowed slightly and they were all completely surrounded by fawning masked folk. Consequently, it didn't take long to spot Hermes. I smiled and nodded my way through the beings around him, trying not to let my alarm show as I accidentally brushed up against a very hairy thing with ten arms.
'Persephone! Great party,' Hermes beamed at me when I finally got in front of him. His close cropped hair and beard glittered in the low light and his elaborate mask was the same bright shade of red, with a yellow feather. He was wearing a traditional toga in black, that much like Zeus's showed most of his chest. I bowed deeply.
'I am honored to call you my guest,' I said respectfully. He flicked his eyes around at the folk still crowded close to us, and suddenly the chatter of the room fell away. It was like I was wearing earplugs.
'You and I were friends, once. I know you don't remember that, but I won't forget it,' Hermes said, his voice crystal clear and his face open and cheerful. As soon as he finished speaking, the sound in the ballroom rushed back, the string instruments casting a mellow, relaxed tune across the chatter. I smiled at Hermes.
'I was hoping to ask you about the sorts of things you preside over as a god,' I said. I needed to be very careful with how direct my questions were. I didn't think I could ask anything about musical instruments, so I would have to work the conversation around to them. This would be a test of my powers of party conversation, I thought, trying not to roll my eyes. Fucking pretentious asshole gods.
'Fire away,' Hermes said, and took a long swig from a tankard.
'Well, I know you're the messenger god, and that you work for Hades sometimes collecting souls,' I said, reciting what I remembered from my classical studies. 'And I know you're famous for playing pranks.' Hermes chuckled.
'I sure am. That little kobaloi friend of yours is a sprite after my own heart.'
'He's not played any pranks on me yet, as far as I know,' I said.
'No, I don't imagine he's allowed to. But he's got a quite a colorful history,' Hermes said, eyes glittering with mischief.
'So, what else are you a god of?' I asked.
'Thieves, and wealth,' he said, waggling his eyebrows at me. 'Your own Hades has access to all the underground minerals and gems though, so he is technically richer than I am. But who doesn't love a little heist now and again?'
I raised my eyebrows at him, trying to ignore the term 'your own Hades'.
'You'd steal from the king of the Underworld?' Hermes barked a laugh.
'I steal from everyone, dear girl! In fact, I was only made an Olympian because Zeus was so impressed with me stealing from Apollo and getting away with it!'
Apollo? I forced my face to stay impassive as excitement bubbled inside me. Did Hermes steal an instrument from him?
'What did you steal?' I asked quickly.
'His prize cattle,' sighed Hermes, staring wistfully into the distance. I felt my shoulders deflate as disappointment washed over me. 'Those were the days.'
'Oh.'
'He was so mad. I only won him around by appealing to his love of music.'
'Music?' My attention snapped back to the god.
'Yes. I invented the lyre, and played it to him. He liked it so much he forgave me in return for the instrument.'
'The lyre,' I breathed. That must be it. I turned to the dais, trying to recognize a lyre in the hands of one of the musicians. How was I going to find a subtle way of getting onto the stage and getting my hands on one though? I couldn't even be sure if anyone up there had one.