The Stars Are Burning [PAUSED]

10. Dust and soot

FLETCHER AND CASSIAN left the Acropolis of Olympus and returned to the town. The roads were finally awake. People milled around, chatting with each other on the sides of the cobblestone street. Cassian and Fletcher had garnered some attention from the local residents. They were battered, tired and covered in dust and soot.

Still, Cassian was certainly not unattractive with his unearthly allure, but this was downplayed by the fact that they were in a village of immortals where they all just as hauntingly beautiful.

Fletcher failed to notice that she, too, had an imposing effect on the people around her. She was just as formidable as him, maybe even more so. She matched Sloth in her steady gait and steely stares as she scanned the unfamiliar town.

After a while of walking, Cassian stopped by a set of dark wood doors of an unassuming stone building in the middle of the busy street. Fletcher could smell something sweet wafting in the air as she followed the blond god to stand beside the doors.

"What is this place?" Fletcher asked as Cassian turned the gold doorknobs to unlock the doors.

Cassian turned to give her a smile. "You'll see."

Fletcher walked through the doors to find herself standing back inside Cassian's living room.

"It's a one-way portal." Cassian explained. "You can only enter from Olympus but you can't use it to get there, for obvious security reasons."

Already accustomed to all the magic going around her, Fletcher nodded. She looked down at her destroyed dress. "So what do we do now? I'm supposed to be back home soon, and I can't go back in this state."

"You can use the shower in my guest room suite." Cassian said cordially. "Take off your shoes, I don't want you to trample over my mopped floor."

Cassian brought her to the second floor of his house and showed her to the guest room, a brightly lit area dominated by furniture in various shades of white and grey.

"I'll bring you fresh clothes from your wardrobe if you'd like." Cassian said as he made his way out of the room.

Fletcher grimaced. "Please don't. It' really weird for you to teleport into my private space like that — makes me feel rather exposed."

The god nodded in understanding. "Alright, I won't do that again. I'll find you something to change out of, though."

"Thank you." Fletcher answered. She walked into the adjoining bathroom and shut the door behind her.

ONLY FIVE MINUTES later, Cassian knocked on the bathroom door sharply.

"The others are here, Fletcher." He said loudly. "They think they know who was the one who knocked down the acropolis. Come out quickly."

Fletcher shouted her reply and in record time had darted out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bathrobe she found hanging on the wall. Cassian had left her a clean clothes that belonged to his sister. She slipped them on and rushed downstairs, hair wet and feet bare.

Athena and Apollo, both cleaned up and scowling, were sitting opposite each other in the dining room. Apollo looked up as Fletcher nearly tripped down the final flight of stairs.

"Oh," The god turned to Cassian, who was leaning against a tall bookshelf. He smirked knowingly. "Nice one, my friend."

Fletcher scrunched up her face. "Pig."

"That, I have been called before." Apollo pulled out the chair beside him. "Here, sit. I'll dry your hair if you want."

I'd advice you to stay away from the gods. All of them.