When the Time Comes
“Theo,” Stephanie called from across the high school quad.
“Steph,” Theodora called back with a smile.
Steph and her daughter, Gale, made their way to where Theo was dropping Josephine off for her first day at high school.
“Josephine,” Steph said warmly.
“Hello, Mrs Delray,” Josephine said, then looked at Gale. “You looking forward to today?” she asked.
“Yeah!” Gale said, her dark eyes almost black in the sunlight. “Did you see? We’re in the same classes!”
“Yeah, that’s so cool,” Josephine said. “Pony and Kaz are also in our classes.”
A strained look passed between Steph and Theo. They’d been looking into Kaz ever since they first met her in preschool and had yet to uncover anything about her—except that the odour around her had only intensified as the girls grew older. Oddly, Josephine was completely unaware of Kaz’s smell. Gale, however, winced at the mention of Kaz, and the look on her face said it all. Gale could smell Kaz, and like most, found her deeply unlikeable. All of Josephine’s friends had mentioned the odour to her, and every now and then, Josephine would sniff the air, trying to figure out what they meant, but she never smelled anything.
“Want to grab a coffee with me?” Theo asked Steph.
“Love to,” Steph replied, bending down to give Gale a hug and kiss. “Have a great day, girls.”
Theo did the same with Josephine, but just as she leaned in, that familiar, overpowering odour hit her senses. She saw Steph and Gale scrunch their noses in unison, doing their best to block it out.
“Hey, Kaz! Pony!” Josephine said, running off to hug Pony.
Pony hugged Josephine back. The two had grown very close over the years, and if it weren’t for the fact that the supernatural and magical worlds had been kept hidden from Josephine, Kaz and Pony would never have been allowed to stay at the Marlin Institute. Secretly, all the mothers in their community had hoped Kaz would end up at one of the public schools in North Reachville, but no such luck.
“Hey, Kaz,” Josephine said with a smile. She knew better than to touch Kaz, who always seemed to be on the offensive with everyone.
“Hey, Jo,” Kaz replied with a half-smile. It was more of a grimace than anything else, but that was just Kaz.
“So, Pony,” Jo said, “we’re all in the same classes.”
Pony was a cheerful girl but uncoordinated. The mothers had investigated her extensively, but all evidence suggested that Pony—Penelope—was human. At five foot six and still growing, Pony towered over her friends. Polite and fiercely attached to Jo, she puzzled the mothers with her enigmatic nature.
“Okay,” Theo said, addressing the girls. “Off you go. Find your classes and settle in. Steph and I are going for coffee. Have a great day. Come on, Steph.”
Just as the girls turned to leave, Ann and Deb, the twins, arrived with Del and Sue. Josephine’s face lit up as her friends gathered around.
“Gotta go, Ma,” Josephine called over her shoulder. Theo and Steph watched as the group formed, chatting animatedly. That’s when Steph noticed Neoma and Katarina crossing the quad.
Neoma, the human vessel for Atē—the underworld goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and folly—walked beside her sister Katarina, the vessel for Athêna, the goddess of wisdom, war, and art. Both women carried themselves with a regal grace, their mortal forms ageing gracefully but unmistakably ancient in their presence. Atē was 181 years old, and Athêna was 183, nearing the end of their two-hundred-year vessel cycles.
“They’re close to the end,” Steph murmured, watching them.
Theo nodded. “They’ve already chosen their next vessels.”
When their vessels died, the sisters would return to the Fields of Elysian, where they would mingle with other gods and goddesses, drink wine, and wait for their chosen vessels to mature. The sisters had coordinated their returns to be the same age for their next cycle.
Theo and Steph waved to them as they approached.
“We’re going for coffee,” Steph said. “Want to come?”
“Will there be cake?” Neoma asked with a sly grin.
“Yes, Atē,” Steph replied, rolling her eyes. “There will be cake.”
“Come on then,” Theo said, leading the way to her Jeep, affectionately nicknamed Jezz—short for Jezebel.
Before Steph could climb in, Atē had already claimed the front passenger seat.
“Geez, Atē, you’re spry for an old gal,” Steph teased as she slid into the backseat.
Theo, now 38 years old and ageing like any human after giving birth to Josephine, still drove like she was impervious to harm. She weaved through traffic with a reckless confidence that had the others gripping their seats. They soon reached the waterfront and parked near The Little Shop of Beans, their favourite café. The aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans filled the air, a welcome relief after the lingering stench of Kaz.
The women settled at a table near the water, ordering coffees and slices of chocolate cake—two slices for Neoma, who could never resist indulging her sweet tooth.
As they relaxed, sipping their coffees, the conversation inevitably turned to Kaz.
“So, Athêna,” Theo began, “do we know anything about Kaz? Anything at all?”
“We know she smells,” Atē quipped, earning a round of laughter. “But in all seriousness, I recognise that odour. I just can’t place where I’ve smelled it before.”
“The Underworld?” Steph suggested, drawing Theo’s attention.
“You think she’s from there?” Theo asked.
“We’ve exhausted every other possibility,” Athêna said. “Why not? Hera was definitely up to something during the Transference Ritual.”
“You don’t think Hera—?”
“We don’t know for sure,” Steph interrupted gently.
Theo hesitated, her voice lowering. “I need your help. Josephine will be coming into her power soon, and I can’t be here when it happens.”
“What?” Atē asked, nearly choking on her cake.
“When Josephine becomes the Bearer, I’ll have no memory of this world. And I can’t stay. The power of the Bearer will seek her out, but because I was once the Bearer, it might mistake me for her. The power could split between us, and that would destroy her transition.”
“You have to leave?” Steph asked softly.
“Yes. And because I’ll have no memory of magic or the supernatural by then, I won’t even know why I’m being taken. Eros has arranged for me to be relocated to a world like this one, but I’ll have no way back.”
Athêna frowned. “That sounds... cruel.”
“It’s the only way,” Theo said firmly. “If I’m here, I could ruin everything for Josephine.”
Neoma grinned. “Well, we’re not black-bagging you.”
Athêna laughed. “No. We’ll have a lovely dinner, slip something into your wine, and you’ll wake up in a nice hotel room.”
Theo chuckled, though her worry lingered. “Just promise me you’ll watch over her.”
“We will,” Atē said. “When the time comes, we’ll all be here.”