Elliot hesitated for a moment. But a cheeky wink from Hermes sent him diving into the arms of his closest ally.

‘Come on – let’s get you little ankle-biters inside. I’m starving.’

Virgo hopped off the bike and followed Hermes towards the great building. But Elliot didn’t move.

‘E?’ asked Hermes. ‘Not being funny, but I’ve already flown you about once today. You ain’t getting any lighter – you’re on your own now.’

Elliot looked at his shoes. Virgo knew this was often a sign of remorse. Or uncertainty that his shoes were on the correct feet.

‘Is . . . Is everyone here?’ he asked quietly.

‘The whole gang. You’re gonna meet the lot – you have been warned, they are more bonkers than fluorescent animal print . . .’

‘Is . . . Zeus here?’

Virgo had been imprisoned in Tartarus when Elliot and Zeus last met, but Hermes had told her that the mortal child and the King of the Gods had not parted on good terms. Elliot continued to look at his feet. Clearly he was anxious about this meeting. Or his shoes really were on the wrong feet.

‘Mate,’ said Hermes, coming over the sidecar and helping Elliot to the ground. ‘It’s like the bathroom scales on the second of January. You gotta face it sometime. Best get it over with, eh? And just like that fifteenth helping of turkey dinner, there’s nothing that can’t be undone. All right?’

Elliot nodded, but looked far from sure.

‘Bosh,’ said Hermes, giving Elliot a gentle fist-bump. ‘Let’s ’ave it.’

They walked together beneath the pillars and into a marble hallway with beautiful mosaics on every wall. Virgo spotted Hestia up a ladder muttering to herself about ‘curb appeal’ while hanging some new velvet curtains to replace the faded drapes. Ahead was a mighty set of golden doors. Elliot hesitated again.

‘Here we are,’ said Hermes, dragging him forward and grasping the mighty door handle. ‘Home sweet home. Come on in.’

The Messenger God gave the door an almighty shove and Virgo peeked inside. Around a massive table, the Olympians and Zodiac Council were assembled in their formal robes, watching Ares, the God of War point to a diagram of a . . . Virgo wasn’t entirely sure what it was. But she didn’t have time to look again.

‘Hi, honey, I’m home!’ Hermes bellowed into the room. ‘And look what the Sphynx dragged in!’

The very air in the room seemed to draw breath as the Olympians took in the new arrivals.

‘Elly!’ squealed Aphrodite at last, gathering up her robes and sprinting to the door. ‘Thank the Gods you’re all right!’

‘Elliot!’ Athene cried, running up behind her sister and barging her out of the way to hug Elliot first. ‘How are you? Are you hurt?’