Prologue: Evelyne White

Evelyne White awoke to the sound of enticing laughter, but no one was to be seen. As she sat up from the snowy ground, she noticed that from the sky, in the midst of snowfall, black rose petals danced to the ground before fading away like eerie apparitions. Around her, the tendrils of tall willow trees swayed in the wind and although it snowed, the wind grappling with Evelyne's bare shoulders felt warm against her skin. Her white, cotton dress billowed in the welcoming, temperate breeze as she stood, balancing on the earth with bare feet she noticed that the ground seemed to move as though it were breathing.

 As she walked in the snow, Evelyne surveyed the land before her with confusion and, oddly enough, with a sense of tranquillity. The laughter seemed to come from the trees and the rose petals seemed to come from nowhere in particular. Raising a hand in the air, the black rose petals twirled around her arms and danced between her fingers. She looked down as she felt a nudge and to her surprise, a white cat mewled about, purring obnoxiously loud.

 "Oh," Evelyne said as she reached out a hand to pet it on the head, "A kitten…"

 The cat hissed, "Do I look like a damn kitten to you?"

 "You can speak!?"

 The white cat lifted his head proudly and began to walk away, "I'll have you know that I'm at least a couple centuries old."

 Evelyne raised a brow, "I never knew someone to be so particular about being old."

 The feline only chuckled and sat down in front of Evelyne before it licked its paw and scratched himself behind the ear, "When you're immortal, I've found that being insecure about your age is rather moronic don't you think, dumb girl?

 Evelyne ignored the cat's insult and looked around, "Where are we? I woke up here and I can't remember what or who or when or⸺"

 "Ugh, your incessant rambling is going to give me a headache, I can already tell." the cat said with annoyance, "You are in the Garden of the Hesperides, it belongs to Hera, the queen of the gods. You have been summoned here, I am quite certain by her majesty, but if you were brought to this part of the garden, you must have been summoned by the goddess of the crossroads, Hecate."

 Confused, Evelyne shook her head, "No there must be a mistake, there is only one true god and he⸺"

 "Idiot!" The cat exclaimed, "Do you not see where you are? This is most definitely not one of your silly little dreams. This is indeed the Garden of the Hesperides and the queen of the gods must have sent you here."

 Evelyne scowled at the feline, "You are no help to me, cat! I'm only sixteen. What would your goddess want with me?"

 The cat hissed, "Don't use that tone with me, dumb bitch!"

 Evelyne stepped back and raised her hands defensively, "Look, your goddess made a mistake, I'm only a child, what could she possibly want with⸺"

 The white cat shook his head, "Our queen does not make any mistakes, she⸺"

 "⸺is as flawed as any insufferable human." Said a voice.

 The cat hissed, and Evelyne turned around to meet eyes with a boy who wore a black cloak and carried a staff of the most beautiful silver.

 The boy gave Evelyne a smile, "Hello, Evelyne White, I have wished to meet you for some time now. My name is Belial Valentine and I was sent here to show you the way to meet with Hecate."

 Evelyne hesitated, "I- I didn't even know my name until just now. Evelyne White is it?"

 Belial nodded, "Yes. That is your name and it's a rather pretty name if I do say so myself."

 "Oh, give me a break. 'Evelyne' is such a boring name, I think⸺"

 Belial raised his head and peered over at the cat, "I see you've met Jackobe. The snow fallen oddity with a knack for pessimism and a ghastly sense of sarcasm."

 Jackobe said nothing, instead, he laid in the snow and squinted up at the newcomer with a fierce expression of apathy.

 Turning back to Evelyne, Belial reached out a hand, "It's nice to meet you, will you walk with me? Hecate had strict instructions for me to tell you why you've been summoned and what it is the gods wish from you."

 Evelyne ignored his hand, instead, she curtsied, "I am pleased to meet you, unlike someone I know." She said, alluding to the half-asleep feline.

 Jackobe looked around passively, "Huh? What?"

 Belial chuckled and guided her with one hand at the shoulder and began to trek through the snow with his silver staff in the other. Evelyne followed.

 "You know, it's been a long time since a human stepped onto this land." Belial said, "You actually might have been the youngest human to have come to the Garden of Hesperides."

 "You mean to say that you, yourself are not human?" Evelyne inquired.

 Belial grinned, "I am not human. My brother and I, well you see, we are a race of daemons known as Phoenix. Our kind was kept a secret since the dawn of time for fear that we would be hunted down and killed. In fact, it's against our law to show our true form to a human."

 Awestruck, Evelyne pondered within herself many questions but she was patient and so she pursued the topic no more.

 "Alright, so what am I doing here? Where is here? How come I don't have any memories of my life before the Garden of Hesperides? How come⸺"

 "Easy, Evelyne." Belial laughed, "I will answer all your questions, but first you must listen."

 He stopped walking and looked around. The trees seemed to linger on every word and they seemed to even lean in to hear better.

 Belial cleared his throat and the trees seemed to "step back" per se.  In the distance, you could hear someone whistling innocuously…

 He whispered beneath his breath, "You are in grave danger."

 Evelyne said nothing, but she waited for him to explain further.

 "The gods are beginning to get angry at each other and we fear that war is inevitable," he explained.

 "Angry? How so?"

 The two began to walk again, ahead of them was a cobblestone path and on either side, lamp posts lit up the pathway with their light. Evelyne was startled to find that people seemed to dance in the flames.

 "Well, there's this man who is worshipped by many. He's the self-proclaimed 'the god of the sky'. In reality, he's a powerful witch. More powerful than even Hecate herself, but the issue lies in the threat against the grand design of humankind. You see, the fates cannot touch him. His lifeline was stolen and so we cannot hope to understand how or why this has come to happen. Many of the gods speculate that he's planning on trying to overthrow the gods and take the throne for mankind."

 Evelyne nodded in understanding, "What is his name?"

 "Carvanive."

 Evelyne said nothing but instead, she watched the people dancing in the flames, if she listened closely, she could hear the faint rhythm of music reverberating throughout the air.

 "We have to kill Carvanive. That is his punishment for breaking the law of the gods."

 Evelyne shook her head, "If the gods can't kill him, what makes them think I can?"

 Belial laughed, "You misunderstand, you see, we aren't asking you to kill Carvanive."

 "Huh?"

 The daemon nodded, "Your job is simple, get close to him and watch him. We need a spy. As of now, Carvanive is looking for a maid. Should you accept the challenge, you will be given three gifts from the gods and you will be made immortal."

 "Immortal!?" Evelyne laughed, clearly overwhelmed by the decision before her, "Don't you think that he would ask questions if he knew I was immortal?"

 Belial nodded, "Yes, that is why you will be made to appear as though you are ageing. Every once in a great while, you will 'die'," he said giving air quotes with his fingers, "and then you will be given a new appearance. If for some reason you must leave him, for example, if he fires you, then you will be given another appearance and then you will restart your position as his maid."

 "You can do that?" Evelyne asked.

 He smiled, "Well not me, but Jackobe over there." Belial gestured to the cat.

 "It is an honor to serve my queen." Jackobe said as he came striding behind them, "Even if that means playing as a house pet for this dumb girl."

 Evelyne scowled, "Can I have a different familiar? This one has a terrible attitude."

 Belial chuckled, "Alas, if only Hecate herself didn't specifically request that Jackobe be your familiar. His personality is rather tiring, but he is no ordinary cat. He's very powerful indeed."

 Evelyne stopped walking and looked at Jackobe who was busy tearing into the flesh of a rodent at their feet.

 "He will have to do," Belial said.

 Jackobe gave them a lazy gaze as he chewed, slightly purring "So good…"

 "Where is Carvanive anyways?" Evelyne asked.

 "In a town called Littlewell in the American colonies," Belial said, "Also there is a few more things we need to discuss before we meet with Hecate."

 "What's that?"

 Belial's expression turned grave, "Well you see, Carvanive's lifeline wasn't the only one that's been stolen. Father Carvanive, as the townspeople call him, has three children: Genevieve, Leviathan, and Malachi Carvanive. They each have their own gifts and are pretty familiar with their father's craft. Leviathan has the power to control the elements and Malachi is in touch with many mental abilities. It's Malachi you should worry about. He is a risk for blowing your cover. He has the annoying ability to read minds but luckily, he can only do that if he looks you in the eyes. He can also move things with his mind and control emotions among other things. He's rather gifted. In fact, he's Carvanive's favorite it would seem."

 "And Genevieve?"

 Belial waved his hand, "She's nothing too special. She is what we would call a necromancer. Anything that is dead she may bring to life with a touch. Also, they would be at her command."

 Evelyne nodded, turning slightly pale.

Together they trekked across the snowy cobblestone path with Jackobe trailing behind them. In the air, an aroma of burning cedar wood and cinnamon filled the air. Ahead of them, a small bonfire flared and surrounding it stood three women clad in battle armor and cloaks.

 Belial stopped walking and he turned to Evelyne who met his gaze, "Before you meet them, I need an answer. If you accept, then we continue with the audience with Hecate. If you decline, turn back now and sleep in the clearing in which you had slumbered beforehand. You will awake back home with no memory of me or this place," He said.

 Then he smiled, "Oh and you won't have to deal with the incessant babbling of a prideful feline."

 Evelyne looked away from Belial and turned to Jackobe, "Are you up for this?"

 The cat, for once, looked at her with a serious expression, "You have my word that I will only do what is right for our cause. If Carvanive is allowed to live, he will surely bring the fall of Olympus. Mark my words, child. If you do not accept then the world will follow suit."

 Evelyne met Belial's gaze once more, a grave expression plastered to his face. His once confident smile vanished and his eyes pleading for Evelyne's acceptance.

 "Who else is fit for the job?" Evelyne asked.

 Belial didn't hesitate, "Only you, the fates themselves knows no other better suited for this task. You will help bring about the end of Carvanive and protect the future of Olympus and ultimately, the world."

 Evelyne White, though this place of snow and roses brought a sense of tranquillity, now only felt the preponderance of the task before her. She could feel the fear the willow trees now felt for their laughter had ceased. She decided she'd do it for the trees and to protect the tranquillity this place had offered.

 "I accept."

***

 "Evelyne Mary Katherine White. I welcome you to the Garden of the Hesperides." Said the woman of the right, "I am Hera, the queen of the gods."

 She was a stout woman, and for a goddess, she really was not much to look at. Her brunette hair fell in curls and at her side, she carried a small dagger. Over the armor she wore, a satin cloak rested on her shoulders with the hood pulled up.

 Evelyne didn't know what to do except to curtsy and avoid her gaze. Belial approached the goddess and kneeled before her like a knight in shining armor. Jackobe began to obnoxiously purr and nudge her like a common household feline to which Hera ignored.

 "Forgive us for our tardiness. I have no excuses." Belial said with his head bowed.

 Hera peered down at him with a sort of dissatisfaction that could not be mistaken. The look in her eyes said that she would smite him if he were to so much as misplace his words and speak even slightly out of turn. Then she did something that was unexpected: she smiled.

 "Your work will suffice, has she agreed to our request?" Hera asked, looking at Evelyne with a smirk.

 "I have," Evelyne said, "Your majesty."

 She curtsied once more and met her eyes shortly before shying away.

 Hera laughed, "You mustn't be so frightened, my child. Only kind words from me." She approached Evelyne with confidence and took her hands into her own. She gestured to the other two goddesses who approached her as well before taking off their hoods. They smiled warmly but said nothing.

 "The lady on the right is Hecate, she is the goddess of crossroads and magic." Hera said, introducing Evelyne to the goddess, "And the lady on the left is Artemis. She has watched over your kind for a many millennia just as the moon sweeps over the sky each nightfall."

 Evelyne, once more, curtsied and greeted them with a humble smile. Hecate's dark hair was long and as beautiful as the night sky, it was befitting for a goddess of magic. She wore a white dress, a midnight blue cloak, and a silver breastplate. In one hand, she carried a torch. Its blue fire burned bright, but her smile was the one thing that was off-putting. Unlike the fire she carried, her smile had a humbleness that was unnatural for a lady of her godly position.

 Artemis, however, smiled proudly obviously aware that her position as a deity of the moon was an important one. She wore a silver silk dress and a black metal breastplate with a black cotton cloak. She carried a bow with an intricate design and a quiver of arrows, both made of silver. The tips of each arrow were onyx. Of course, she carried herself in a rightly deserved aura of pride and content.

 "It is a pleasure to meet you both," Evelyne said.

 Hera nodded, "We are glad that you have chosen to accept. As you may know, no one else is better suited for this task."

 Evelyne gave a half smile, "Why is that?"

"Sorry?"

Evelyne glanced at Belial and then back at Hera, "Well, why is it that I am the only one suited for the job? Because the fates had decided?"

 Hecate's expression turned grim, "Because your lifeline was already entangled with Father Carvanive. If you were to continue your life as it were in Britain, you would have met with Father Carvanive in the American colonies, but this opportunity has changed the course of your lifeline by one small factor."

 "What's that?"

 Artemis smiled sadistically and glanced at the other goddesses, "Your lifeline is so much longer now than it ever was. Originally you were destined to die by the hands of Father Carvanive."

 Evelyne paled, "Wait, how does accepting the job make me exempt from death by the hands of Father Carvanive?"

 Belial approached Evelyne, "Because now the gifts that the goddesses wish to give you will help prevent your death, and also, even though Father Carvanive will try to kill you, you will not die. We have already anticipated that he will try but you will have to simply play along. When you 'die' the first time, you will be given a new appearance."

 "How do you know it's Father Carvanive that will try to kill me?" Evelyne asked.

 "Because anyone whose lifeline is so closely entangled with Father Carvanive's and stops just after meeting him is no coincidence," Artemis replied sullenly.

 "Besides," Hecate said, "you have nothing to worry about, you will be accompanied by one of the most loyal felines in all the world. You will be given three gifts of your choice plus immortality, and Belial Valentine and his brother," Hecate rolled her eyes, "Who made excuses not to be here, will come by every once in a while to assist you in either way you need help."

 Evelyne looked at Belial, "Your brother?"

 The daemon nodded, "Yes, his name is Amos Blood. He's my half-brother."

 Hera ignored Belial and took Evelyne by the arm and began to lead her to the other side of the bonfire whose flames were populated with dancing satyrs. Again, if Evelyne listened closely, the soft rhythm of music could be heard reverberating throughout the air.

 "Amos Blood is someone you need to look out for. He believes that we are being too presumptuous of the whereabouts of Father Carvanive. He thinks that the threat doesn't lie with Father Carvanive but by whoever stole the lifelines. He doesn't believe that, despite how powerful Father Carvanive is, he doesn't have the power or hasn't had the opportunity to steal such invaluable artifacts let alone four of them." Hera explained.

 Evelyne nodded, "It does sound rather suspicious. I wouldn't think that if Father Carvanive didn't steal the lifelines then his children could. How old are they by the way?"

 Hera nodded with agreement, "Genevieve is five, Leviathan is ten, and Malachi is only eight years old."

 "That settles it then, they are much too young to even know what a lifeline even is. I don't even know really what it is. What do they look like?" Evelyne asked.

 Hecate spoke up, "They are spindles with golden thread. The strands of life can only be cut by the shears that the Fates carry. They can tell the story of someone's life if you prick your finger on the spindle, but it comes with a terrible price for a human. Pricking your finger on the spindle will send you into a death-like sleep that can only be undone by true love's first kiss."

 "Sleeping Beauty!" Evelyne exclaimed.

 Artemis scoffed, "The witch who cursed that spindle was the thirteenth wise women who had not been invited to the royal family's celebration because the king did not have enough golden plates. A rather moronic turn of events if I do say so myself."

 "So it wasn't a lifeline?"

 Hera smiled, "Goodness no, the thirteenth wise women couldn't have possibly gotten a lifeline."

 Jackobe yawned, "Just how Father Carvanive couldn't have possibly gotten a lifeline?" The white cat nudged Hecate who smiled down at the cat and picked him up.

 "Careful, Jackobe. Hera hasn't the patience to deal with your sardonic tongue."

 Hera raised a brow in irritation, "Never mind that, the thirteenth witch wasn't as powerful as Father Carvanive, let alone you, Hecate."

 The goddess of magic said nothing, but merely ignored Hera's insinuation that Hecate was no match for Father Carvanive. Evelyne wondered how this man had gotten so powerful.

 Belial coughed and broke the awkward silence, "I think now is a good time to decide for yourself, Evelyne, what you wish from the gods."

 Hecate, glad to change the subject, nodded at Belial, "Yes, I agree."

 Artemis approached Evelyne, "You may have anything you wish for. Three gifts from we three. Choose carefully."

 Evelyne White looked up at Hera who seemed to study her, clearly judging her decisions and with that, Evelyne felt unsettling indecision overcome her. It was overwhelming to have to decide immediately. How would she know what is the best decision? Then Evelyne felt a sense of peace overcome her. It was, after all, because of the Garden of the Hesperides that she could remain so calm.

 "Well you see, your majesty, I think it would be wise to wait and save my wishes for when I need them most. These gifts, they are to help me on my journey? I should like to see what I am up against for myself before deciding what aid I may need. Is that to your liking, your majesty?" Evelyne proposed.

 Hera smiled, "You are truly wise for your age, my dearest. I can see why the fates have chosen you for such an arduous task. Very well, you may save your wishes." From her neck, she revealed a small pendant. It was a ruby with a gold setting. Hera reached around her neck and undid the clasp. The necklace shined in the light of the bonfire as she removed it from herself.

 "Take this pendant as a token of our appreciation," Hera said, "This pendant will grant you three wishes. Use them carefully. Be warned, this necklace is not omnipotent just as the gods themselves are not omnipotent. It will only grant you so many things."

 "Yes, your majesty," said Evelyne as she retrieved the necklace. She put it on and her chest was warmed by its immense power. It felt heavy on her heart.

 Hera and the two other goddesses put up their hoods.

 "It is time for us to go now," said Hecate, "We will appear in your dreams should you need to speak to us."

 Evelyne nodded, "Yes, my lady."

 "And you, Jackobe," Hecate said. The white cat, who was slumbering within her arms stopped purring and immediately raised his head to attention.

 "Yes, my queen?"

 "Watch her carefully and keep Evelyne safe. There is only one of her and immortality will not make her invincible." said the goddess of magic.

 "I swear it, my lady." Jackobe promised, "I will guard her with my life."

 Pleased by his response, Hecate scratched behind his ear and set him down at her feet.

 Artemis remained quiet, but she smiled in Evelyne's direction and gestured her goodbye.

 "Oh, and Evelyne?" began Hera, "Do ignore the trees, they do not know themselves why they laugh."

 Evelyne nodded, "Yes, your majesty."

 As the three goddesses walked away, Evelyne swore she heard Hera chuckle.

 Jackobe flicked his tail, "I wonder what's so funny."

 "I have no idea, but we should be going. Hera makes me nervous." Belial said forcing a smile at Evelyne.

 As the three trekked back through the snow, Evelyne noticed a tattoo printed on Belial's neck. Its circular shape reminded her of a compass and the runes engraving his skin were Scandinavian. When she asked him about it, he put up his hood and said it was nothing special.

 "Just a reminder of where I come from." He said sullenly.

 Evelyne was slightly embarrassed she had asked but curiosity got the best of her and she pressed, "Those runes, are they Scandinavian? Are you a Viking of some sort?"

 "Uh⸺ Evelyne," Jackobe said as he tried getting her attention.

 "Was your whole family Viking? What were the Vikings like? What kind of things did they do for fun? Do you know any of their traditions? What language did they speak? What⸺"

 Belial turned to Evelyne, stopping her mid-sentence, "Will you shut up?"

 Slightly taken aback, Evelyne said nothing.

 Slightly frustrated, the daemon continued to walk forward; his stride increasing in speed.  Evelyne turned to Jackobe who sat at her feet, his tail moving back and forth like a pendulum.

 "Ugh, you really are just a dumb bitch," Jackobe said before darting after Belial.

 Evelyne followed behind. The willow trees laughing amongst themselves.

 Miss White, however, was not amused.