“Apollo!” Dad yelled. I jumped out of my skin and everyone else looked stunned. Dad’s rage went from simmering under the surface to exploding. “It would behove you to accept some responsibility for this. You and your sister.”
Any moment now, they’d find out that Marco shared the video. They’d find out that my boyfriend, a regular mortal, knew our earth-shattering secret.
I had to tell them. The thought terrified me. But I wanted them to find out from me and not anyone else.
I took a deep breath, and burst into tears. Big, thick sobs. It was so embarrassing and went on for a good few minutes. Dad responded by leaping off the sofa and turning the kettle on. I think a few decades in Britain had taught him that tea is the cure for all distress. Aphrodite rubbed my shoulder with what I assume was meant to be tenderness, but felt more like a kneading motion. I’m pretty sure it left bruises. Eros got up to give me a cuddle and I instantly felt ten years old again.
“You don’t have to say anything until you’re ready,” said Eros as I cried into his T-shirt.
By the time Dad came back with a too-milky cup of tea, I had calmed down enough to talk.
“Whatever you have to say, Helen, you won’t be in trouble. You know that, don’t you?” Dad said.
I nodded and braced myself. For all his understanding looks now, I knew he wouldn’t like what I was going to say next. There was no point trying to skirt around the truth. I had to be honest.
I decided to break down my announcement into a list. I could handle lists.
“I guess there are three things you should know. The first is that I’ve been seeing a guy called Marco. We’ve been spending a lot of time with each other since New Year’s Eve,” I said. “He’s from Greece and taking a gap year in London.”
Dad pursed his lips so hard that they practically disappeared. Aphrodite swore under her breath. Eros glared at her.
“Mother, keep your thoughts to yourself. This is Helen’s announcement to make,” he said.
“It gets worse,” I said. “The other thing is that he filmed the video. He promised that he wouldn’t show anyone. But,” I said, holding back the tears, “he lied!” The reminder of Marco’s betrayal made me cry even harder.
“You’re not pregnant, then?” Dad asked.
“WHAT?” I shrieked. “Why the heck would you think I was pregnant?”
“Well, you looked so upset. And the first thing you did was tell us about your secret older boyfriend. I suppose, as a father, I just assumed the worst.”
“I’ve got to admit, you had me worried there for a second too, darling,” said Aphrodite.
“And me. Sorry,” Eros said.
“Well, there’s more. The third thing you need to know.” This was the big one. Telling the truth was going to hurt, but I had to be brave. “I tried everything to stop Marco from sharing the video. So I thought that … that if I told him why he shouldn’t share it, he wouldn’t. I trusted him.”
Four pairs of eyes stared back at me, waiting. But they must have known what I was about to say.
I took a deep breath. “So I told him the truth. About us. Where you’re from and what … what I am.”
Telling the truth didn’t make me feel any better. I had betrayed them all.
I’d never felt more ashamed. The longer they were silent, the fiercer my cheeks burned with embarrassment. I wanted to slip out of the front door and never return.
“Aren’t you angry at me?” I asked between sniffles. Anger I could take. Dad’s rage or Aphrodite’s spite was exactly what I deserved.
But I couldn’t deal with their silent disappointment.
Dad nodded, his lips pursed so tightly they looked like a straight line. “Yes, I’m angry. I’m angry at my children for breaking the rules, including you, Helen,” he said. “Above all, I’m angry at myself. Moving you in with us was a grave mistake.”
I sniffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“My duty is to protect you and I’ve failed.” Dad looked the most serious I’d ever seen him. It scared me.
“But it’s going to be OK, isn’t it, Dad? Marco didn’t tell the newspapers that you were gods. He’d look crazy if he did!”
The gods exchanged glances and shifted in their seats. Eros put his arm around me and hugged me even tighter.
“I don’t think you understand, Helen. The Council are serious about enforcing the rules. Deadly serious,” Dad said.
What did that mean? The other gods were way too quiet.
Dad sighed. “The first rule: Gods must not reveal their immortal identity unless there are extraordinary circumstances. I’m afraid this counts as rule-breaking, Helen.”
My heart pounded dull and heavy in my chest. “Yes, but Marco won’t tell anyone else. He promised,” I whispered pathetically.
“It doesn’t matter, Helen. The Council already know,” Dad said. He produced a small cream scroll from his back pocket. The same one that Hermes delivered. “This is the official message from the Council.” He unrolled the scroll at both ends, and we all leaned in to read … absolutely nothing. The scroll was blank.
Suddenly, the paper flickered into life. Lines of handwriting appeared, floated off the page and hung in mid-air. The writing slowly expanded, becoming larger and larger, until it could be read from the other side of the room.
Devastated as I was, I couldn’t help but feel impressed. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie.
The words said:
The Rules were put in place in order to maintain harmony between gods and mortals.
To break these rules is to disrupt a careful balance designed to protect mortals from harm.
It has come to our attention that Rule One has been broken.
You must come to Mount Olympus and prepare for judgement.
“I wouldn’t be so sure he kept that promise,” Apollo said grimly. He was the only one who looked angry.
“Apollo, not now!” Dad said.
“Do you realize what you’ve done, Helen? Thanks to your lover boy, we will never see earth again!” Apollo spat.
“W-w-what?” I stuttered.
Apollo smirked. “Don’t you get it? Cranus and the Council will push for the maximum punishment. We will be banished to Mount Olympus for the rest of our lives. And that’s if the Council are in a good mood. If they’re not, then—”
“QUIET!” Dad roared, his face puce with rage. Apollo fell silent.
“Tell me. Then what? What happens?” I asked. Despite Eros having his arm around me, I suddenly felt cold.
“Then we’ll be stripped of our powers and immortality. It will kill us instantly,” Aphrodite said. Her eyes filled with tears. It was the most human she’d ever looked.
It terrified me.
“But that’s not fair!” I gasped. “This was my fault. Why should you be punished for it?”
Dad smiled weakly. “The Council won’t see it that way. You were in our protection, and we’re all responsible for one another. We will be tried and sentenced as a family.”
“How long do we have? Before the trial?” I asked.
“We leave for Mount Olympus on Friday night,” Dad said.