Curses of Olympus (The Olympus Trilogy #2)

14. Arachne

14

ARACHNE

T he moss on the overgrown roof of the temple squishes beneath Arachne’s spider feet as she skitters across after spending a few hours soaking up the sun. Up here, she can almost forget her curse, the loneliness of this isolating punishment.

The closing door tells her that Hera is awake and wandering about the temple. Arachne produces a small amount of web, wrapping it around one of the wolf statues that adorn the corners of the temple rooftop like gargoyles. The air whooshes as she drops down to the ground floor and wiggles through the broken front entryway.

Following Hera around all day is not part of Arachne’s duties, since without a boat of any kind, they are both stuck here, but she likes to keep tabs on the goddess for peace of mind. These days, Arachne finds her grumblings as she follows Hera getting more curious, and less bitter, but perhaps that is simply because maintaining a grudge is exhausting.

Sure, she and Hera have been on this island for countless years, but Arachne would not be stuck here at all if Athena had not needed a jailer. Never mind the likelihood that if Athena had no other use for Arachne, she likely would have just killed her on the spot.

A memory of Arachne as a child pops into her mind, of not speaking to her sister for an entire year because Clea dropped her doll in the mud.

As she does every time she thinks of Clea, Arachne wracks her brain to try and remember her own name. Not Arachne, the cruel moniker given to her by Athena, but the one her mother gave to her when she was born.

It always feels like the name is so close, on the tip of her tongue, but she can never grasp it. Sometimes Arachne wonders if the curse of forgetting her name is worse than being turned into a spider. With one fell swoop, the diabolical goddess ripped all of Arachne’s world from beneath her feet.

Arachne stops in the sanctuary when she finds Hera sitting on one of the benches, humming to herself like she always does while braiding wildflowers into her hair.

Ridiculous. Who is she doing that for? There is no one here to even see her.

When Hera sees her lurking, her rosy cheeks widen into a warm smile, and Arachne takes a few startled steps back, still unused to interacting with the goddess.

Hera rolls her eyes. “This is absurd. Please come here.”

Arachne pauses before taking a few tentative steps into the sanctuary, creeping up to where Hera sits.

Hera reaches out slowly, and Arachne fights the urge to shy away from the goddess’s touch.

A glow emanates from Hera’s hand as she places it atop Arachne’s head, a tingle washing over Arachne. She jerks back at the sensation and skitters behind a nearby statue.

What was that?

“That was me using what little magic I still have to allow us to communicate with each other. I figured it would be a long eternity otherwise.” Her tone is weary with exasperation but more so at the situation than Arachne herself.

Oh.

Hera laughs. “Yes, oh. Now, you know who I am. I would love to know who you are and how you ended up cursed with your spider form and the task of monitoring me.”

Arachne’s eight footsteps are silent as she pads out from behind her hiding spot and back over to Hera.

I’ve never had the opportunity to tell anyone what happened to me. I don’t even know if my family knows where I am, or if they are still alive. Is time moving at the same pace here?

“I don’t know, but I would be honored to be the first person to learn your story. What is your name?”

Arachne is the only name I know. It used to be something different, but that one was stolen from me as part of the curse.

“Ah. I see someone has a cruel sense of humor. Let me guess, Athena?”

How did you know?

“She was the most likely culprit. That is her brand of cunning cruelty, and since she is the reason I am here with you, it makes sense that she would be responsible for both of our fates.”

Why did she trap you here? How has Zeus not intervened?

“I will tell you my story soon enough, little spider. You have waited far too long to tell yours.”

Thank you, goddess.