Christos looked at his watch. “What should we do until then?”
“Well, we could go to Sounio Beach. Have some lunch. Enjoy the crystal-blue waters of the gulf. It’s located down the hill from the temple,” Andreas said.
“We don’t have swimming suits,” Dani said.
“Then we’ll stop on the way and get some. We need to pick up some flashlights, anyway,” Andreas said. “Come on, let’s go.”
They drove a few hours out of town, heading south toward Sounio, making a quick pit stop at a touristy beach shop to pick up swimsuits and a few other items for the evening. Eventually, the Temple of Poseidon appeared in the distance on Cape Sounion, sitting atop a cliff a few hundred feet above the sea, a stone’s throw from the beach. A row of columns, similar to that of the Parthenon but smaller, made up the structure, although it was clear that part of it had collapsed over the years.
“So what was the purpose of this temple?” Dani asked as they drove through the town, winding down the hill toward the beach.
Theo and Andreas started speaking at the same time. Dani noticed the two of them looking at each other in the rearview mirror.
“Go ahead,” Theo said.
“No, after you. I insist,” Andreas responded.
How things had changed over the last two days.
“Poseidon, the god of the sea, was Zeus’s brother,” Theo explained. “In ancient times, many believed that storms and trouble at sea were displays of Poseidon’s wrath and ire, so the temple was built to honor him.”
“They said this is where Theseus’s ship sailed to after his return from Crete and his slaying of the Minotaur,” Andreas then called out. “Have you heard the story?”
“I’m not sure,” Dani said, assuming he was speaking to her since Theo would have clearly known the story.
“Well, Theseus, son of Aegeus, king of Athens, was returning home and was supposed to display a white sail on his ship to signify his safe return. But when he forgot to change the sail, Aegeus thought Theseus had died and flung himself into the sea in despair. It’s how the Aegean Sea got its name.”
“He killed himself without confirming the truth? Doesn’t sound like a very wise king. Maybe the Athenians were better off without him,” Dani said.
“Brutal, Juicy,” Theo said.
“Sorry,” she said, shrugging with a smile.
“It’s also thought that this was a place for cult worship,” Andreas said.
“Well, that would make sense, then, if there were people who worshiped the Minotaur,” Dani said. “Perhaps this is where they came.”
She thought back to the clay vessel she saw in the museum inCrete of the man holding the Minotaur’s head outside a cave. Though in that piece, the structure with columns perched above the cave.
“Are there any caves around here?” Dani asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Andreas answered. “Why do you ask?”
Hmm.
“Just curious.”
“Well, we’re here,” Andreas said, parking the car.
They grabbed their bags and headed toward the beach where Andreas had already made reservations for sunbeds right at the edge of the water. They changed into their swimsuits and settled in for the day, sitting side by side. Thankfully, the swimsuit she found at the shop was much more modest than the one she’d worn at Vautour’s, despite this one being an actual two-piece. The white bikini wasn’t anything special, but it provided full coverage. And she certainly wasn’t mad about the option Theo had picked out—veryshort board shorts that did little to hide the size of his cock.
Dani stared out at the clear water, listening to the waves and people laughing and enjoying their day. Christos sat nearby, working on his tan. Andreas was somewhere at the bar, trying to woo some chick. Theo sat beside Dani, reading out of Andreas’s leather journal. If you didn’t know any better, they would seem like regular people having an ordinary day at the beach. The whole thing was surreal.
“What are you reading about?” she asked, turning over on her side to look at him.
“More about the Minotaur’s Children.”
“Anything interesting?”
