The Immortal (16 page)

He was watching me. "You drink it."

I laughed softly. "You're not afraid, are you?"

"Only for you," he said.

Somehow he understood what I was offering him. Maybe he was my old love, Aeneas. Maybe when Tom had been in his bicycle accident, the soul of my husband had entered his body, coming to Earth to find me. It was a possibility. All I knew for sure was that my love for him was a wonderful thing.

"Close your eyes and drink," I said. "There is only enough for one."

"It was meant for you," he protested.

"It
was meant for love," I said. A tear ran over my 208

THE IMMORTAL

cheek. "Please drink so that I can see you well before I leave. You know I will not take it."

Tom hesitated, then nodded. He let me feed him the elixir. When he was through and the blood was gone, the statue fell from my hand and shattered like thin glass on the hard stones of Kythnos. Tom inhaled a deep breath and let out a sigh.

"The pain is gone," he said.

I nodded weakly. "It will never return. Your life will be rich and long."

"Josie," Tom cried, aware then that I was leaving.

My eyes closed. I wished to touch his face once more, but I couldn't move. "Think of me sometimes," I whispered. "I will think of you."

Tom's arms went around me. I could hear Pascal's tears. Neither could hold me in my body. My days on Earth were finished.

For now.

209

Apollo stood beside me on the summit of Kythnos. Dawn was coming. My body was gone, as were Tom and Pascal, although I don't believe they had been long gone. My blood still stained the holy stones.

The ruins of Delos, spread out beneath our feet, seemed ^somehow lonely in the pale light.

"Were you really born here?" I asked Apollo. I had on the white robe of Sryope and was once more clothed in her radiant form.

"I was born before the Earth," Apollo said. "But I first set foot upon this world on this spot. For that reason, it is sacred."

"Did you send the flash of sunlight to save us from Phthia?"

"Yes. But you saved yourself."

"Who is my father?"

"You know."

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CHRISTOPHER PIKE

"You're my father."

"Yes."

I was glad, but still confused. "Why didn't you defend me at the trial?"

He answered my question with a question. "What is wrong with paradise, Sryope?"

I thought of the gods of Mt. Olympus and many wrongs came to my mind: the sloth, the jealousy, the pettiness. But one problem was at the root of them all.

"No one grows there," I said.

Apollo nodded. "You are my daughter. I wanted the best for you. But you were a proud muse. You would never have entered the kingdom of mortals willingly."

"That's why you allowed me to be punished?"

"Was it such a great punishment? Or was it a great opportunity?"

I thought of all I had learned in the last year. "I understand."

Apollo continued. "Olympus is one door through which to enter the human kingdom. There are others.

But once you pass through the human kingdom, and master what there is to learn there, you can go anywhere." He smiled at me. "This is the way the old ones went."

I was delighted. "Zeus and Athena became mortal?"

"Yes."

"Have I mastered all the ways of mortals?"

"No."

I was not disappointed. "That means I will have to return one day?"

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THE IMMORTAL

"Yes. Next time you might even be born in a proper manner." He stopped and took my hand. His touch was warm as mortal skin. I believed he had been human many times, he knew so much. "But not today, Sryope. Today you go with me to my secret home in the sun. It is far above Mt. Olympus. I'm in need of a good story. Come, the way is long and the day has already begun."

"I don't have to stand before Minos and be judged?"

"No. The only mortals he gets a chance to judge are the ones who think they need it."

I laughed. "I thought as much." I tightened my grip on his hand as we prepared to leave Delos, adding, "I do have a story to tell. It starts with this girl on a plane."

Look for Christopher Pike's
The Wicked Heart

213

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER PIKE was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Los Angeles. He now lives in Santa Barbara. Prior to becoming a writer, he worked in a factory, painted houses, and programmed computers. His hobbies include astronomy, meditating, running, playing with his nieces and nephews, and making sure his books are prominently displayed in local bookstores. He is the author of
Last Act,
Spellbound, Gimme a Kiss, Remember Me, Scavenger Hunt, Final Friends
1, 2, and 3,
Fall into
Darkness, See You Later, Witch, Die Softly, Bury Me Deep, Whisper of Death, Chain Letter 2: The
Ancient Evil, Master of Murder, Monster, Road to Nowhere, The Eternal Enemy,
and
The
Immortal,
all available from Archway Paperbacks.
Slumber Party, Weekend, Chain Letter,
and
Sati

—an adult novel about a very unusual lady— are also by Mr. Pike.