Andie reached down and touched the skin. “More like … E.T. Like someone made a giant rug out of a bunch of E.T.s. Yuck. E.T. was so gross. I don’t know why people liked that movie.”
“Because it’s a classic, that’s why.” Hermes swatted her hand away. “And watch what you say. If you think she can’t hear you, you’re wrong. And if you think she can’t lift up out of the sand and slap you to a pancake, you’re wrong about that, too.”
Hermes led the way across the skin, and had to focus hard to keep his legs moving at a pace Andie and Henry could manage. They were so close. Close to finding answers, and then to finding his sister. He was going to strangle Athena when he found her. And he was going to hug her tight. He was going to strangle-hug her.
The nerve of you, jumping off that mountain, leaving me there between the Fates and Ares. I’d kill you if I wasn’t so glad you haven’t killed yourself.
“Hermes?”
“What?” He heard Andie’s breath behind him, but got no reply. When he turned, they both stumbled forward, eyes wide. “What’s the matter with—” He stopped, and felt like an idiot. They’d lost the light. He might be able to see and navigate by the quarter moon, but to Andie and Henry it was pitch black. He smiled at them fondly. Who knew how long they’d been soldiering along, trying to follow him with ears alone. And they were both shivering hard.
“Wait here.” He put a hand on each of their shoulders. “I’m going to go find wood somewhere. Be back in a few minutes.”
They insulated Demeter from the fire with several loads of dirt carried in Hermes’ jacket. It didn’t take long for him to gather the wood and scrub kindling, and even less time for Henry to get a decent fire going.
“Let me guess. You were an Eagle Scout.” Hermes sat down on the skin and passed around a bag of taffy while cans of stew warmed in the coals.
“I wasn’t, actually,” Henry said. “But we take family camping trips every summer.”
“That fire feels so good.” Andie groaned. She’d stretched out on the skin and snuggled into it for warmth. It was a little weird, but Hermes and Henry only exchanged a silent smirk. “I don’t know if I even have the energy to eat.”
“Try,” Hermes said. “You’ll need the fuel for tomorrow. We’ve still got another few hours on the skin, and then a trek to who knows where.”
Henry leaned forward and stirred the fire, careful to keep all coals inside the sand trap.
“Is this weird to anyone else?” he asked. “We’re here on her skin, and she’s somewhere over that way.” He jerked his head over his shoulder. “But she knows we’re here, and we’re camping on her.”
Andie rolled her head toward him.
“Henry. Just about everything about this is weird.”
“Want to add another dimension?” Hermes asked. “Sit still and feel very closely.” He watched their faces turn horrified. “That’s her pulse through your butts.” They groaned and he laughed, but they couldn’t get away from it. Everywhere Andie rolled, the pulse followed. Hermes reached into the coals for a can of stew, double-wrapped it in a sock, and handed it to Henry. “Eat up, and get some rest. Tomorrow we’ll have our answers.”
*
Today is the day, big sister. Today we pick up your trail. And Cassandra’s trail. But yours first. Hope the mortals don’t have a problem with that.
Hermes stretched languidly. The sun had started to warm the air, but Andie and Henry would probably still wake up shivering. In the early pink hours, he’d let the fire burn down to coals as a sort of alarm clock.
They’ll have to see the logic of it. If we go for Athena first, we’re safer. And who better to get to Cassandra fast than Athena?
It sounded good in his head. But he could just imagine Henry’s stubborn face: jaw set, eyebrows squeezed so close together they formed a line. They’d come around. But they’d argue first. Another reason they needed his sister. They never would have argued with her.
A different sort of thrum resonated through Demeter’s skin. Henry’s footsteps.