This Is Stella's Reality

June 30, 2015

"It works the same as his. The items in here are tangible. You may bring them back and forth from reality to here. I've given you many tools: draughts, salves, books, and anything else I could imagine you'd need."

Our eyes met. She looked sad. "You cannot come home yet. But I know you will someday. Continue to work hard, Princess." She scooped the crushed herbs off the board and into the jar of oil. "Now," she breathed, "I must go before the spell breaks and the Olympians see me here."

Her hand reached across the kitchen island, and I felt how cold she was. "I will see you again, daughter. And always know your father and I watch from afar."

With a blink of my eyes, she was gone.

I looked around the cottage again. The fire was out, and the coals were flickering in their last breaths of life.

This is mine.

A smile appeared on my lips. I said a silent thank you to Persephone and Hades and turned back to the kitchen island.

The cutting board was gone, cleaned and stacked where it was meant to be. In its place was a small cream white box wrapped with pink ribbon.

My fingers pulled the box towards me and carefully pulled the ribbon off. Inside was a delicate golden necklace with small garnets hanging from the chain.

I looked back to the pomegranates in front of me. There were six garnet seeds adorning the golden necklace. One for each month my mother spent in the Kingdom of the Dead.

Gently, I secured the necklace around myself. It would follow me to reality. The thought alone made me smile.

Goddess? Loki's voice echoed in my ears. Where are you?

I grinned, Follow my thoughts. I have something to show you.

He appeared in the sitting room in the same place I had. His eyes widened in shock as he looked around. "Did you create this?" He asked.

I laughed, "No, my mother did."

"She came to you?" He asked, surprised.

I nodded and walked towards him. "She said this was my birthday gift. It's like your library."

He admired the cottage and peered out the window. "This is nothing like my library. This is an entire island," his voice was like I'd never heard it, awe-struck and inspired. "The power it takes to create something like this," his voice trailed off, and he shook his head."

We walked outside, and I pointed out the garden to him along with the white beach and glittering ocean. His eyes took in every detail they could as he followed my steps.

"With the tools she has given you," he said as we inspected the herbs she left growing, "you may not need me anymore."

I rolled my eyes, "I still need guidance."

He hummed and followed me towards the back of the cottage. We discovered a side door that led to the library by the kitchen.

There was a small workbench with empty bottles and tools of every kind. Books lined the shelves with space for more to be added. She really had left me a lot to use.

"Magic is mainly will," Loki mused. His fingers glided over some of the book spines. "You are one of the most headstrong people I know. With this," he waved his hand, "you could rival even the greatest witches."

I stared at him, "My mother said something about a wicked bitch's grasp on my memory. Could that be why I fell from Olympus? Some wicked bitch wanted me gone."