I glance around, only just now noticing the crowd of people lined against the walls. They’re all dressed similarly to us in gowns and tuxes but none of them look as handsome as my best friend standing beside me. I steel my heart knowing that from handsomeness alone, I’m about to lose my best friend to the Gods.
Speaking of which, those pompous asses stroll into the room one by one to a fanfare of actual trumpets which only makes my eyes roll, hard. I look away, determined not to pay them any attention or draw attention to myself. That’s the last thing I want right now.
Eric grabs my hand and we walk together onto the stage to stand beside the other chosen in the shadows as the lights go out and theGods seat themselves.
“Just breathe, Ryxa, it’ll all be over soon enough, you’ll be fine answering their questions and the whole school knows you can sing.” Eric whispers as the first girl approaches the podium. Amanda taps the mic as though checking to see if it’s working and it lets out a horrible squeal. She giggles nervously before squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin.
“Who was the first God?” The spot light on Amanda pans across the room to highlight the God who spoke. My eyes go wide as I see him up close for the first time. He’s gorgeous, even for a God his looks are other worldly. The way the lights shine on his hair makes it seem like it’s spun gold. The same lighting makes his eyes appear to be the deepest shade of blue I’ve ever seen but the thing that makes him seem so much more is his perfectly symmetrical face. High cheekbones that any model would kill to have and lips so red they make the gemstone ruby seem dull.
It doesn’t stop there though, his appeal carries on down his broad shoulders, to a narrow waist and even through his shirt I can practically count the abs carved into his stomach. I’m not the only one to notice his looks if the way Amanda is stammering over her words is anything to go by. She’s been prattling on about Eros, for the last few seconds even though the God only asked for the name of the first God, which is Aether by the way, but Amanda’s been listing every God she knows the names of.
The God waves his hand silencing her and sits back down. The spotlight moves to the next God and again I feel like I’ve been thrown for a loop. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark tan, everything about this guy is dark as though someone’s taken the shadows and turned them into the most tempting version of a man they could dream up. He doesn’t stand up like the previous God, just calls out in a booming voice, “What are your goals for the future?”
“I’m going to work with the Gods, as a liaison for the human race.” Amanda replies confidently.
“You’ll have to get through the first three years first.” The God on the other side of the shadow-dream snickers just loud enough to be heard. The spotlight moves to him and I hang my head. He’s a fiery God from head to toe. Deep red hair that looks like pure fire, eyes an amber so deep they glow and his skin has this golden hue that makes it appear to shimmer in the light.
“F- me, why are they all so gorgeous?” I hiss under my breath.
Eric leans into me, growling so low I almost don’t hear him, “They’re not. It’s probably just an illusion to make you think they are.”
To my shock, Eric pulls me in closer to his side and blocks my view of both the Gods and Amanda. I shouldn’t have let their looks distract me; I’ve completely missed the question the shimmering God asked Amanda. I lean around Eric, looking to Amanda to see what her answer is, hoping to gain some insight into the question but she just stands there and nods her head.
“What would you change about the world to make it better?” The question is fired from a Goddess who looks like the classier version of Amanda, complete with blonde hair and blue eyes. My mind instantly brings the word cheerleader to the forefront, and it’s all I can think about now when I look at the blonde Goddess.
“I’d make it so everyone has beauty products, everyone should look their best.” I scoff at Amanda’s response but the cheerleader Goddess nods her head like that’s an acceptable answer.
The next is a woman who looks like the polar opposite of the blonde; her long dark hair frames her face like a curtain waiting to be let down, but it’s her eyes that make me look away from her. Those cold green depths are a trap waiting to spring on any unsuspecting victim. “If given the opportunity to ask a God or Goddess any question, what would you ask?”
I know the answer I’d give to that question, but I’m fairly certain I’d end up struck down by a bolt of lightning if I voiced it.
What kills a God?
Amanda takes the safe route and says, “I’d ask them how they manage to always look so flawless.”
The next God looks like someone’s taken the statue of David, cast it in bronze and brought it to life. His voice carries across the room as though he’s singing his question, “What style of music do you listen to the most?”
Again Amanda gives a generic answer, naming the newest band and then gushing over how much she loves their lyrics, which just happens to be a band that only ever sings about the glory of the Gods. Again I find myself rolling my eyes to the ceiling, praying for this to be over with.
The next is another dark Hades look-alike who growls his question as though he doesn’t give a shit one way or another, “Who’s your favourite God?”
Again Amanda giggles, naming Zeus as her favourite.
Growing bored with the question and answers, I slip my ear buds from my pocket and stuff them in my ears just as Amanda starts doing this crazy dance across the stage. She makes her dress flap around her ankles like a matador, stomping her feet and then straightening again.
Eric quirks his brow but doesn’t stop me as I turn my back on the whole thing. With my head emersed in the lyrics and guitar riffs of music from the nineteen hundreds right through to the thirty hundreds, the time passes a hell of a lot quicker. Eric’s turn comes and I pause the music, pocketing the earbuds to listen to his answers.
The Gods all ask him the same questions; who was the first God? What are your goals for the future? Would you give up everything to save a God? This question makes me pause, if I answer that one honestly then I’m screwed, Eric being Eric though says that he would and even from back here I can see the honesty in his face. He really would give up everything to save a God.
The questions continue and I pay attention this time, knowing that they’re going to ask me the same questions.
If given the opportunity to ask a God or Goddess any question, what would you ask? Eric answers with another safe question,How do the Gods learn their fighting skills?
What style of music do you listen to the most? Again Eric’s eyes brighten as he says our favourite band. Who’s your favourite God? If you could be a God, who’s child would you want to be? If you could have powers what would you want? If you could change anything in the entire world what would you change?
The last question makes Eric hesitate, “Have you ever been in love?” He ducks his head, biting his bottom lip and glances to the side where I’m standing before simply nodding his head.
I cock mine to the side, curious who it is he’s fallen for and when, while my heart plummets to the depths of hell. He never once told me about crushing on anyone. Come to think of it, he’s never really done any of the normal teenage things like dating or fooling around with people at parties. My entire body shakes as I realise that while I’ve been crushing on my best friend and dating to make sure he never finds out, he’s been harbouring a secret crush and never once told me on who.