Olympian Challenger
Page 26
Mount Olympus—the one place that’s locked from within and without.
Unless I win…
Chapter 36
The seven challengers left, clad in Artemis’s silver, form two uneven lines on top of the hill. After yesterday, none of us can stomach the sight of the gods, so we face the tropical forest—so atypical of Mount Olympus—sprawling at our feet in the valley below. This is our silent protest, the only one available to us. Gabriel cried when he saw me come in earlier. He was afraid Hades had killed me.
“The Chimera favors tropical climates,” Heracles explains from behind our back.
I refuse to look at him. He lied to us as well, and his apologetic smiles aren’t enough to forgive him.
“But today, unlike Bellerophon, your quest isn’t to slay the Chimera. Instead you need to find its nest and bring back one of its eggs. You have one hour to accomplish this feat.”
The trumpets sound the beginning of the quest. Tepid cheering emanates from the grandstands—the divinities hold a grudge still, same as us. I dared to question them yesterday, and they don’t take kindly to criticism. It makes sense—after an eternity of being undisputed rulers, they believe they are beyond reproach. Until Hades compelled Kieron to forsake me, I believed someday they’d be judged at last. Now? I know that I can never win that battle.
The front line sets off first, Jared and Georgia—him dark, her fair—forming a striking pair, closely followed by Heath and Bob Jr. Gabriel and I tread down the slope next, leaving Joan without a partner. She doesn’t seem to mind. She isn’t a team player anyway.
Gabriel’s plodding matches my own as we enter the forest. Amy’s absence is like a phantom limb between us, ever present and too painful to bring up.
“Where do you expect we can find the Chimera?” Gabriel asks, gazing at the high branches of a banyan tree. “I mean, other than in the jungle…”
A mosquito pricks the skin on my neck. I swat at it with the back of my hand before answering him.
“If it has a nest, it has to be high in the trees.”
“Perfect,” Gabriel grumbles.
I lock my arm with his. “We’ll manage. We always do.”
“Amy would kill us if we lost now.”
I gawk at him, surprised to find him so insensitive. My reaction makes him realize what he just said, and he winces apologetically.
“I miss her too, you know? I just meant that we owe it to her to make it to the final quest.”
I sigh. “You’re right. But she should have been with us.”
“She should.”
We reach a swamp and slog through the mud that pulls at us, holding onto each other so we don’t slip and fall. The other contenders have disappeared into the jungle, and the only sounds I hear are the nerve-rattling croaks of frogs and exotic bird songs.
We clomp away from the bog toward a small clearing in the wild forest. Kapok trees, with trunks wide as houses, fence the clearing. A smaller tree stands out in their midst. Not only is it much tinier, but it doesn’t belong to a tropical forest. It is a cypress, like the tree from my vision. Before the cypress, fragrant amaranth flowers sprout from the ground.
Gabriel pulls on my arm to nudge me forward but I stop him. “Wait. I know this tree…”
His chuckle verges on hysteria as he asks. “You know this tree?”
“I haven’t lost my mind,” I reassure him. “I had a vision of this tree.”
“A vision?”
“I’ll fill you in later. There’s something important about this tree.”
I examine the dry-climate tree, which thrives despite its unusual habitat. Its presence cannot be a coincidence, but nothing seems out of the ordinary from where I stand. I kneel in the rich soil and push aside the amaranth flowers to see the base of the cypress. Artemis’s crest, a bow and arrow, is carved in the bark inches above the ground.
Gabriel gasps as he peeks at it over my shoulder. “You were right!”
The soil before the tree forms a low uneven mound. “I think something’s buried here.”
“Move over,” Gabriel shoves me gently aside, using his sword to shovel the dirt until he unearths the hidden treasure. “What would we need a bridle for?”
The thought of the magical creature it must belong to brings the ghost of a smile to my lips. “Pegasus!”
I grab the bridle and stand up. Instantly, the whoosh of powerful wings drowns the forest’s sounds. As we both look up, a magnificent steed, white as the clouds it descends from, prepares to land in the clearing.
Its clever stare fixates on me as he bows his head, waiting for me to slide the magic bridle in place.
I’m barely breathing as I secure the bridle around Pegasus’s strong neck, afraid he will vanish if I spook him. I fight the urge to pat his flank, like I would with a regular horse. Pegasus isn’t just a steed, though. He is Zeus and Medusa’s son, a god in his own right. Gabriel stands behind, so awestruck he doesn’t dare move.
I call him forth. “Can you give me a lift?”
He weaves his fingers together to create a stepping stone, then nudges me upward. I swing my leg up and land softly on Pegasus’s back.
“Here, give me your hand.” I pull Gabriel up behind me.
With another horse, I’d worry our combined weight would be too much. But Pegasus barely notices as he stomps across the tall grass. Only when I pull on the reins does he rebel, reminding me no rider can tame him. I loosen my hold on the reins and let him lead.
But I forgot where this leading might take me. Instead of trotting into the forest, Pegasus switches to a slow canter before taking off toward the sky. I giggle, the sound foreign and soothing, as Gabriel squeals and throws his arms around my waist.
I could never get enough of this feeling of being airborne. The wind rushing against my face, Pegasus’s spectacular wings catching the sun as we reach the open sky, the weightlessness of skating over the tree tops. I wish I could stay here forever, bobbing aimlessly on the breeze—no more scheming or fighting, no more heartache.
Pegasus slows down, his ears pricked in direction of a banyan tree. I squint to discern a nest in the branches, with blue eggs the size of footballs. Screams echo from down below, but we’re too high to get a good look.
“Let’s grab our eggs and go,” Gabriel urges me.
“What about the others?”
“You can’t save everyone, Hope.”
I gently tug the reins to nudge Pegasus forward. I despise myself for being so selfish, but I can’t endanger Gabriel just because I’m the patron of lost causes. Pegasus glides toward the nest.
The Chimera barges in through the branches, baring its fangs at us. Pegasus rears, threatening to topple us over. I grab his mane while Gabriel still clutches me. Despite my fear of falling, my gaze never wavers from the monster.
Carefully, so as not to worry the beast, I pick up my bow and arrows from my quiver. Gabriel waits with one hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared to fight. The Chimera doesn’t attack us. It keeps darting gazes from us to the ground, assessing the threat to its nest. Its dragon tail flaps in measure with its wings, sprouting from a goat body. Its lion mane shakes wildly with panic.
I don’t want to shoot the beast. It is only protecting its offspring. Instead, I aim slightly to the left, hoping to scare it. As I fire an arrow, zinging just past the Chimera’s tail, a scuffle comes from the branches down below. The Chimera growls, its golden eyes zeroing in on me, before diving into the forest.
Pegasus senses our open window and zooms toward the nest. I apologize silently as I grab an egg then look down while Gabriel snatches his.
The Chimera hovers above Jared and Georgia, intertwined in a protective embrace. A branch breaks in the banyan tree, betraying Heath and Bob Jr.’s ascension. The Chimera growls impatiently, slashing at Poseidon’s challengers with its tail. Blood seeps from a large gash on Georgia’s throat while Jared bleeds out from all over as the beast flaps its wings upward, toward Bob Jr. and Heath.
But before I can fire, Heath uses Bob Jr. as a shield, throwing him into the Chimera who pounces at them. Its claws sink into the kind giant, who releases a death rattle that sends a flock of exotic birds hurtling into the sky. Without a second glance for his teammate, Heath climbs deftly toward the nest.
My blood calls for revenge as I strain against the pull of my arrow begging to be unleashed. I want to eradicate the worthless traitor from the face of this Earth.
“He’s not worth it,” Gabriel stutters as the Chimera focuses on us, holding its eggs, giving Heath ample time to score one for himself. “Please, we need to go!”
Gabriel’s desperate plea dispels my blood thirst. I tug on the reins ever so slightly, sending Pegasus soaring away from the tropical forest, toward the gods waiting on the hill.
I hide in Artemis’s atrium, away from the laughter and music that makes me want to scream. All these lavish parties, this nauseating wealth—the gods lulled us into a sense of security when clearly they planned to decimate us.
Three died only today and here they are partying, praising Heath’s quick thinking when he’s a vile murderer. How could they ever help humanity when they have no moral compass, no sense of good and evil?
At least Gabriel has someone to rely on, someone to love and to remind him that some things are worth living for. Not only has Kieron been ripped away from me, but Hades also forced me to attend the party, dangling my mother’s survival over my head.
I try to be happy for my friend as I watch him strolling under the moonlight, hand in hand with Cupid. He’s one of the good ones, he deserves his happiness. But when Cupid bends over him to steal a kiss, all I find in my heart is bitterness.
I make my way toward the opposite end of the atrium so I don’t have to suffer their bliss or taint it with my foul mood. Gabriel, unaware of the war raging inside me, catches my eye and gives me the most radiant smile. A small portion of my bitterness fades away. The boy sporting a black eye from unrequited love is no more. While I steep in my nightmare, he’s living a dream, and I’m grateful for it.
I wait a while longer in the quiet garden, my back to the boys so they can have their privacy, trying my best not to gag on their love oaths. This is good, I remind myself. This is love. Anything so long as it isn’t death.
At last I decide I’ve been punished long enough. I sneak away from the atrium, careful not to disturb Gabriel and Cupid huddled together on a bench, and make my way home alone.
I don’t know if Joan, the only girl left in the competition, has made it back already. The villa feels hollow with its eerily empty rooms—a soulless creature. I drag my feet to the stairs, the slap of my leather soles against the marble startling me in the silence.
I haven’t returned to my room since Amy left. At the sight of her bed, the pillow bulging with her lost treasures, my breath catches in my throat. I slide to the floor, rocking back and forth, my throat tightening as if an iron collar were squeezing it. I stick my head between my knees, trying to remember how to breathe, but I choke on tears instead. My wails terrify me.
Hours pass before I can stand. I manage to lift myself up and hobble toward Amy’s bed. I lie on the covers fully clothed, grasping Amy’s diamond choker between my fingers and crying myself into oblivion.
Chapter 37
The sun catches against Amy’s diamond choker, which I wear around my neck like a talisman, and casts luminescent speckles that undulate across the sawdust in a joyous dance. I weave my fingers through the flowing light, as if I could make its weightlessness my own.
“Don’t you just look ridiculous,” Joan comments as she glares at my necklace.
“I don’t see you removing your amethyst pendant,” Gabriel defends me.
“I’m wearing it for protection.”
“And why do you think I put this on?” I retort wearily.
A glimmer of understanding shines in Joan’s eyes, soon replaced by her usual haughty scowl. I’m not the only one who suffered losses during the competition. Joan lost Madeline, and now Clifford, whom she’d grown close to, but her contempt makes it hard to pity her.
I look toward the terraced floors of the arena, where every single god in Olympia has gathered, while Gabriel rehashes his romantic evening. The nymphs chatter flirtatiously with satyrs. Aeolus sneezes and sends Nike’s winged tiara flying off her head. Apollo catches it with one of his rays of sunshine.
The Olympian gods stare down from the highest balcony, although those who’ve lost their challengers don’t seem to care any longer about the outcome of the competition. They can add being sore losers to their long list of flaws.
Ares’s banner flutters in the center of the arena, but he has no contender left. Four gods are left competing through us—Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hades. I hate that I’ve been left defending the god I despise above all and am grateful when Aphrodite covers my dress with an armor to represent her lover, Ares. The armor remains black unfortunately, as both gods share the same deathly color.
Heracles steps up. I know if we’re gathered here that the ninth quest will take place within these walls, but I don’t want him to say it. Despite the difficult training, I have good memories in the arena. After today, they’ll be tainted with our blood.
“Once upon a time, in Crete, a monster dwelled in a labyrinth. It was sent as punishment to Minos, who grew disrespectful of the gods.”
I search for Ariadne in the arena. It is her story Heracles is recounting. Her teary eyes lock with mine in a silent apology. So we are to face the Minotaur. Somehow, I can’t make myself care. Why would I fear another monster when my life is already so full of them?
“Theseus was a great warrior, acclaimed by Ares himself,” Heracles continues. “With Ariadne’s help, he defeated the Minotaur and returned peace to the land the monster had terrorized for so long. To win this quest, you’re to bring back one of the Minotaur’s horns as proof of your valor.”
Haven’t we proven ourselves enough already?
“But the Minotaur only has two horns.” Joan points out.
Heracles nods gravely. “Only two of you can move on to the final quest.”
I grab Gabriel’s hand and squeeze it with all my might. Whatever awaits us in the labyrinth, we’ll fail or succeed together.
“A labyrinth exists underneath the arena. You’ve glimpsed parts of it during training, on your way to the library, but it is far deeper and more convoluted than you can begin to imagine. The heroes will escort each challenger to a different entrance to the maze. From there you will look for the Minotaur, steal one of his horns, then return to the arena. Good luck, challengers.”
Panic hitches in my throat at the thought of being separated from Gabriel. We’re stronger together, smarter. And I can’t protect him if we’re apart.
Bellerophon and Perseus amble in our direction. Before they can take us away, I fall into Gabriel’s open arms, pushing all the love I feel for him into our embrace.
“I know, Hope. I love you too,” he whispers into my ear. A thousand words I don’t have time to speak press against my lips—You’re the best person I know. I’m proud of you. You have a right to love whomever you want. I want you to be happy when I’m gone—
Bellerophon comes to stand next to us. “I’m sorry. We have to go.”
Gabriel lets go of me first. He smiles bravely for my sake and I swallow back my tears—my own courageous exploit.
“I don’t want you to worry about me down there. We both have a right to fight for our wish,” he reminds me before stepping in line with Perseus.
I watch him leave the arena, pride swelling my chest. Gabriel was still a boy
when I met him. He is now a man. As soon as he disappears from view, Bellerophon follows the same route out, with me in tow.
Outside, we march past Joan and Ariadne standing before one of the arches opening on the East wall, stopping when we reach the back of the arena.
Celestial trumpets signal the beginning of the quest.
“Follow the steps to the basement. Then look for the snake.” A slight quiver in his voice betrays Bellerophon’s fondness for me.
“What next?”
“Next you’re on your own. I already told you too much,” he says, patting the top of my head tenderly before giving me a gentle nudge forward. “Now go. This is a race, Hope. The first two to reach the Minotaur will get the horns. You need to be one of them.”
As I descend the dark staircase, I wish Bellerophon could come with me. But the quiver on my back is a reminder of my archery teacher, like a part of him follows me into the monster’s lair. I graze the feathery tip of my arrows with my fingers. No matter the outcome of this suicidal mission, I intend to make my teacher proud.
Torches have been lit downstairs, flickering faintly against the gray walls they hang from. It is just light enough for me to make out a stone snake emblazoned into the concrete of the right-hand tunnel. I sprint into the dim shaft, eager to meet up with Gabriel as fast as I can.
Eventually, I reach another crossroad. I stop to catch my breath and figure out where to go next. Ariadne’s story comes back to me. This quest is as much about wits as it is about strength. Finding and stealing the Minotaur’s horn is only part of the quest. Just as important is being able to find my way back.
But I don’t have a ball of yarn. I don’t even have pebbles like the boy in the story. All I have is this armor and my quiver. I could break my arrows into pieces, but then what would I fight the Minotaur with?
The flames from the torch closest to me warm up the metal on my neck. My hand flies to the diamond-encrusted choker. It feels like a sign, yet I can’t conceive of breaking apart Amy’s most treasured possession. It is the only thing I have left of her, the object she longed for so much that she took great risks to secure it for herself. Would I be betraying her memory if I pulled it apart, or honoring her by sacrificing it for a chance to win? The answer flows easily when I think of my other friend, lost somewhere in the maze, who needs my help.