The day of the race was fast approaching, and still there was no sign of Aphrodite, though the other gods and goddesses visited the stables more and more, their voices loud with boasts and bets.
Pippa had so many questions for the goddess, especially now that she knew about the wager between her and Ares. No wonder Ares hated Pippa and Zeph so much. They threatened his chance to win. Why had Aphrodite made such a bet? So far, it had only caused Pippa trouble.
When Pippa asked Bellerophon about Aphrodite’s absence, the groom replied, ‘Be grateful. These gods and goddesses are giving me a headache.’
But Pippa wasn’t grateful.
‘Perhaps Aphrodite is staying away because of the bet,’ suggested Bas one night at supper. ‘Maybe she doesn’t want to argue with Ares.’
Bas was sitting with Pippa and Sophia now, though Sophia was slightly wary of the boy. But it was hard not to feel sorry for him, knowing how much he missed his family, although with Ares’ threat looming over him, running away was no longer an option.
‘What bet?’ asked Sophia.
‘Aphrodite claims love shall win the race, whereas Ares bet on might,’ explained Bas, stuffing a barley cake into his mouth.
Pippa contemplated an olive. ‘Might makes sense. I mean you are strong, and so is Kerauno, but love … ?’
‘No one cares for their horse more than you,’ Sophia replied.
‘That doesn’t have anything to do with winning though,’ said Pippa. ‘Besides …’ But she stopped there. Pippa had yet to tell them of the Fates’ prophecy. Or the map. She wasn’t sure why, except that she was still learning what to say and not say to friends, and also, maybe saying it aloud would make it certain, maybe Sophia would insist the Fates were always right. Pippa preferred to believe Bellerophon, preferred to hope that there was still a chance. She had to hope. It was up to her to keep Zeph safe – something she was reminded of every night, when Ares’ knife, with the silvery blood on it, cut into her dreams.
It was for Zeph, not herself, that Pippa finally decided to risk searching for the gods’ palace, despite Bellerophon’s warning that doing so could result in being disqualified or worse. There were only two days left until the race, and the final day would be spent on preparations. This was her last chance to have her questions answered. Why had Aphrodite chosen her? How did Aphrodite expect love to win the race? Could she help Zeph? And what about her parents?
Unfortunately, Pippa didn’t get far.
She and Zeph had only just flown out of the stables when a giant black wing swept over them. Pippa ducked. ‘Watch out!’ she cried.
‘Sorry!’ shouted Bas.
He yanked Kerauno’s reins, trying to steer the horse away but without success. The monstrous horse was heading straight for Zeph!
Pippa had no choice but to land. Once she and Zeph were safely down, Bas landed too. He secured Kerauno’s reins to a tree and stepped back, shaking his head. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong. He keeps flying to the left. He never used to have this problem.’
The beast looked even more agitated than usual. Flecks flew from his nostrils, and his ears were pressed back.
Something was wrong.
‘Here, hold these,’ said Pippa, handing Zeph’s reins to Bas. ‘I’m going to take a look.’
‘No,’ started Bas. ‘It’s too …’
But Pippa stepped forwards anyway, into the shadow cast by the huge horse. His eyes glowed red like coals but didn’t give off any warmth. His gaze was hard and cold.
She reached up to check his teeth – which were sharp and pointed, not like a horse’s at all – but he snapped at her. When she felt his legs, he kicked out. As she touched his wings, he opened them forcefully. She ducked just in time.
‘Are you OK?’ asked Bas.
‘Yes,’ she replied. Kerauno’s wings spread above her like the limbs of a tree. ‘I think I see something!’
There was a gap in the feathers on Kerauno’s left wingtip, like a missing tooth.
Carefully, Pippa crept towards it, concerned the horse might close his wings on her at any moment.
The gap was not because any flight feathers were missing – the feathers were there, but stuck together. They were pinned by – she could see it now as she looked closer – a long, thin thorn. She reached up on tiptoe, her fingers just touching it.
She gripped the thorn and tugged. Kerauno gave a shrill whinny, like the shriek of a harpy, and tossed his head, jerking his wing away, folding it back up. The thorn slid free, causing Pippa to stumble back, right into … Ares! She quickly moved away from him, but the damage was done.
‘What’s going on here?’ thundered the god.
He gazed, steely eyed, at Bas, then at Pippa, and then at the thorn in Pippa’s hand.
‘What’s this?’ He reached over and took the thorn.
‘It was stuck in Kerauno’s wing,’ explained Pippa.
‘A thorn?’ said Ares, glaring at her. ‘Did you put it there?’
Pippa shook her head.
‘She was helping me,’ Bas interjected. ‘Helping Kerauno. The thorn was causing him to fly off course. I don’t know how it got there. Maybe while he was grazing?’
Ares ignored him. ‘Now is the time when tricks are played. An injured horse cannot race. A sly attempt, but foolish. Bas, come with me. At once! And you, girl, can take your tricks with you.’ He threw the thorn at Pippa’s feet. Then he untied Kerauno’s reins from the tree. ‘There, there, come,’ he told the monstrous horse, almost tenderly.
Bas glanced at Pippa apologetically as he walked away.
Pippa watched them go. She could feel anger at Ares bubbling up inside her.
Obviously it wasn’t her fault. But it was someone’s. Ares was right about one thing: there was no way this thorn had accidentally made its way into Kerauno’s wing, not so deep and so purposefully placed. Someone had put it there, knowing Bas would struggle to remove it, if he even found it at all. Someone had wanted Kerauno not to race. But who?
Pippa had given up her search for the gods’ palace. The thorn was all the three friends talked about that night at supper, huddled together on a bench in a corner of the courtyard.
Sophia examined it carefully. ‘It looks like a pomegranate thorn. But it is much larger than any I’ve ever seen. Someone is trying to sabotage you, Bas.’
‘It isn’t fair,’ said Pippa. ‘Not even Kerauno deserves that. What did Ares say?’
Bas’s voice grew thick. ‘He threatened my family again.’
Pippa placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘It must have been one of the riders,’ said Sophia. ‘Surely a god or goddess wouldn’t have done it.’
Pippa looked around the room. Everyone was busy eating or chatting. No one looked suspicious.
‘Pomegranates do not grow on the mountain,’ said Sophia thoughtfully. ‘Of course, there is the myth …’
‘… of Persephone,’ finished Pippa.
It was her favourite tale of the gods, other than the stories of the winged horses, for it was a tale of family love so unlike her own story. It told of a mother who truly loved her daughter and would do anything for her. Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped by Hades, and Demeter missed her so much that when she mourned, her grief cast perpetual winter across the world.
At last, Hades had no choice but to give up Persephone, although he played a trick on the girl and convinced her to eat an enchanted pomegranate. When Persephone returned home she still had the fruit, which she dropped upon seeing her mother. From it grew a pomegranate tree unlike any other. It was said to mark an entrance to the Underworld. But only Hades knew its whereabouts. And perhaps his rider …
Pippa scanned the courtyard for Timon. But he wasn’t there.
‘Where’s Timon?’ she said.
Bas shrugged. ‘He never comes to meals.’
‘So what does he do instead of eat?’ said Sophia.
‘Practise?’ said Pippa. She had seen him flying around the training course in the starlight on her way back to the stables after supper. ‘He must really want to win. Enough to …’
‘Enough to do this?’ finished Bas, gesturing to the thorn. ‘If that’s true, he’s lucky Kerauno didn’t kick him and snap him in two. I don’t think he’s strong enough to deal with my horse.’
‘We need to talk to Timon,’ said Sophia. ‘We need to find out more.’
Bas and Pippa both agreed.
Pippa glanced again at the ominous thorn. Kerauno might be a monster, but no horse was born that way. Perhaps he had never known love. Without love to guide you, life was hard. No one knew this better than Pippa.
Aphrodite might have abandoned her, her parents too, but still she had Zeph. But for how long?
The last rays of the sun hung above them like the threads of the Fates, and she shivered.