I maintained a tight-lipped half-smile, reveling in the warmth of the energy that coursed my veins. I’d faced worse. I’d faced Hyperion. “Are you scared of them?” I looked straight into Shade’s eyes. “I’m not.”
“If you knew any better, you would be. And why do you keep asking about Kronos?”
“Never mind.” I didn’t know how much to tell Shade. I didn’t really know him—or whether I could trust him—yet. I decided it was better to keep it under wraps.
As the crowd dissipated, a tall, athletic man with the obvious talent of throwing his voice to the far reaches of the arena, announced the contestants.
“From Elite Academy of Sumeria we have the Asian champion, Enlil.”
The crowd applauded as the contestant jogged out. He wasn’t big, but his muscles were well defined. His hands glowed as he walked to the center of the circle. The crowd gasped collectively as he slapped himself in the head and howled like a rabid wolf.
“And from our own Othrys Hall Prep … Menoetius!”
He walked to the center of the sandy floor, flexing his muscles for the spectators. Torch light reflected off his oiled skin and bald head. He adjusted his red loincloth and clapped his hands loudly.
“Money!” the crowd chanted over and over until it reverbed in my ears.
The judge dropped his hand to begin the match and the contestants attacked and mauled one another, trying to claw their way to points of advantage.
“I’m gonna grab some food,” Shade said.
“I’ll tag along.”
“All right, come on. But no more square offs, you hear me?”
I half nodded my head, half rolled my eyes. From our positions standing on the top ridge of the arena, we descended an aisle of stairs that divided the crowd, and then entered a torch-lined tunnel. At the far end was a large room with tables of food, much like the Andron. Guys and girls mingled, wrapped up in a dull roar of conversation.
“We can have whatever we want?” I asked.
“Sure. ‘Till it’s gone.”
“Don didn’t want any of this?”
“He’s too focused on who he might have to face next week in the championship.”
“Yeah? That’s not the only face he’s interested in. Who is that girl anyway?”
“You ask a lot of dumb questions.”
A huge rumble of shouts and applause erupted from the arena above.
“Her name is Amphitrite,” Shade said finally as we arrived at the food tables. “They’ve been together since before the schools split. Have you heard what happened yet? About the split, I mean.”
I nodded and grabbed a fig and a handful of grapes. A new group of girls entered as I turned around. One of them ambled with uneasy steps. Her golden hair, parted over her temple, fell in waves around her face. Her friends wrapped their arms around her shoulders in what seemed like a supportive effort.
I nudged Shade and pointed at them. He chuckled, then turned and went right back to grabbing more figs. I took a step forward, but Shade caught my arm.
“You have no idea what’s going on there. Don’t go getting yourself in any trouble.”
“Come on, man. Maybe it’s not trouble. Could be anything,” I reasoned.
Shade looked at me. “I can’t tell yet who she is. But, she’s got nothing on Meter.”
“You’re crazy.”
He looked at me again, his eyebrow cocked.
“Besides, I thought we couldn’t become involved with other stu—”
Shade brought his finger to his lips.
“You and Meter?” My face wrinkled. “But you fought like wild animals back in the Andron.”
“She likes me. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
I returned a blank stare. My eyes drifted as a smirk turned the corner of my lips. I recalled their conversation earlier in the evening. It definitely didn’t sound like she liked him. Delusional much?
The blonde girl’s white chiton clung to her body like second skin as the girls moved into the food room. I drank in the rise and fall of her hips. Torchlight danced on her hair, creating the appearance of strands of spun gold.
I edged away from Shade and drew close to the girls, pretending to pore over the food choices.
“Pallas is lying,” the blonde girl asserted, her voice choked by tears.
“So what are you going to do?” her friend asked.
“What can I do? I know why he did it. But you-know-who will never believe me.”
I edged closer, my neck craned and my ears perked.
“Boys can be such jerks sometimes,” her friend said.
“Tell me about it,” I said.
All three girls turned toward me.
I cleared my throat, gaining confidence by the moment. “I’m Zeus.”
“And?” the friend shot back. “Don’t talk to her. She’s in enough trouble as it is.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“Psssht. You better leave before my boyfriend comes in here,” the blonde said.
“Do I look like I’m scared?” I tilted my head to the side. “Besides, if I was your boyfriend—”
Her big hazel eyes grew even bigger. Her gaze sharpened over my shoulder. I turned. Atlas approached with fire in his eyes. I hoped he wasn’t the boyfriend. Not that I was afraid of him, but there was no reason to purposefully stir someone as volcanic as him.
Atlas bumped my shoulder hard as he walked past me to her.
Yep. He was the one. Damn! My muscles braced for conflict.
Shade called from behind me. “You ready to go?”
“Hold on.” I held my index finger in the air.
“Come on,” Atlas grabbed the blonde girl’s arm. “You done whorin’ down here?”
My heart thudded. I stepped toward them. “Let her go.”
“Oh no—” Shade said. He grabbed my arm. I bristled and yanked away.
Atlas turned to me, looked back at her and thumbed to me. “What? You cheating on me with two guys now? Who’s this jester? Oh wait—” He squared his shoulders to me. “I remember you. You’re the foul-odored rodent I met earlier.” He looked me up and down. “There’s no way you want this joker. His breath smells like goat feces. Let’s go. We’re leaving.” He grabbed her arm, trying to pull her down the hallway but only causing her to wince.
“Let her go. I won’t say it again.”
“What did you—” Atlas looked around at the gathering crowd. “What did he say to me?”
Shade stepped in, exuding quiet power. I was surprised and pleased that he was backing me up. Shade glared at Atlas. “We don’t want any trouble here, but if she doesn’t want to leave … ”
With the quickest strike I’d ever witnessed, Atlas’s hand shot out and nearly collapsed my chest when it connected. I flew backward several feet over the table. Food spilled all over the floor. Laughter filled the room. Then a chant rose. Fight. Fight. Fight.
Sharp, spiking pain radiated through my back and chest. I looked up to see Shade squaring off with Atlas. I rose to my feet, but doubled over, coughing and struggling for breath. My vision hazed over for a moment. A crowd quickly encircled us. Don pushed through the people.
The blonde girl and her friends inched backward as Atlas focused his entire attention on Shade. “Your memory’s that bad? Guess it wasn’t enough that I beat you like a drum three years ago, huh?” He tore his tunic down the middle and beat his chest. “You want some more of this?”
I stood up straight and glared at Atlas. “Nice trick, mule balls.” Walking back to them, I spun my leg around close to the floor, connecting with the back of Atlas’ leg and toppling him backward. He hit the ground with a thud while the entire crowd gasped and laughed in muffled chuckles. He rose to his feet quicker than I’d expected.
Don reached the eye of the storm and stared Atlas down. “Three against one, punk.” Don widened his muscular arms, extending them fully from his sleeveless tunic and clearly
taunting Atlas.
Atlas cupped his hands around his mouth and hollered, “Whoooooo-ooooooo! Titans, Rally!”
“Time to go.” Shade grabbed me. “Nice move by the way.”
“What just happened?” I asked.
“He just called all his boys. We’re only three. He’s got minions,” Shade said.
“This is no place to get seismic. We cannot get in a fight over here. Let’s go!” Don led us back through the crowd. Epic, Promo, and some other guys dipped down into the tunnel as we exited. We rounded the corner to exit the arena’s top level and then jogged back outside into the darkness.
We ran back to the Hurler. A mob formed behind us like storm clouds. I couldn’t make out what they were chanting, but I knew it wasn’t good. When we finally reached the Hurler, Shade and Don put their hands on the top of it, my hand following in what seemed like slow motion.
I heard a strange sound, like the air whipping. Churning. I felt something sharp puncture my back just as I placed my hand on the Hurler. My scream vaporized along with everything else.
Intense heat raced through my limbs again. My body liquefied like beads of lava, fire carried on the wind. I flew through the air and heard nothing that time. Nothing but the crackle of flames.
We reformulated at the Cloudwell. The molten spheres of my body painfully smelted back together and my muscles spasmed. Pain streaked through limbs that refused to hold me upright. I doubled over, and then crumpled to the ground.
Shade nudged me with his foot. “What in Gaia’s name is wrong with you? We’re home now.”
I arched my back in agony. “Knife—” is all I got out before I fell unconscious.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Clawing my way back to consciousness, I called out, “Anytos. No!” I couldn’t shake Tos’ dying image. The grinding scrape of the spear against the shield. The helpless heartbeat and a half before the spear sank into his chest. The split-second it took to cleave my life.
I squinted through a shaft of sunlight and shook my head. I was in somebody’s bungalow. Maybe mine. I couldn’t be sure. Pain pulsed through my limbs in time with my heartbeat.
The burly guy from the Andron stood over me with a damp cloth. “Zeus, I am Pontus. Are you all right? I’m glad you’re awake. You must’ve taken a nasty spill last night.”
I took the cloth and nodded. I massaged my side. “Where’s the knife?”
Ouranos stood to Pontus’ side with his massive arms crossed. “Of what knife do you speak? What happened to you last night?”
I sat up, removing the damp cloth from my forehead. Don pressed his lips tight. Shade brought his forefinger to his mouth. Pontus caught me looking over his shoulder and turned. Shade quickly rustled his hands through his hair. It then fell again to frame his face, shading his eyes from analysis.
Don coughed. “Oh yeah, you did say something about a knife. Right before you passed out. But, I didn’t see anything. Not even a scar.”
Ouranos knelt by the bedside. His demeanor had warmed since our last meeting. “Bad blood flows like the Styx between Mount Olympus and Mount Othrys. Do be wary when you travel there.”
I cleared my throat. “May I have some water?”
“Actually—” Headmistress stepped through the small crowd of people into my bungalow. “You need this.” She extended a goblet. The creamy contents emitted a dull glow.
I took the goblet into my hands. “What is it?”
“It’s nectar. You’re one of us now. This is what you drink. Not up for discussion.”
I brought it to my lips and sniffed. No odor. I swirled the semi-thick liquid around in my mouth. A burst of citrusy flavor hit my tongue, followed by a spicy kick that lingered in the back of my throat.
“There we go,” Headmistress said. “If you can keep that down, you’ll be all right.”
I drank more and it warmed my chest cavity going down. “That was good. May I have more?” I asked.
Headmistress filled the goblet again from a painted amphora jug. “Once the nectar gets into your system, it will fix whatever happened to you on the Hurler.” She glowered at Don and Shade then turned back to me. “For now, just lay back and get more rest.”
Ouranos, Pontus, and Headmistress left my bungalow. I reclined on my bed and sighed. I was sure Don and Shade were going to lecture me about tangling with Atlas. But they just stared at me from various points around my room.
“Go ahead and get it over with,” I said.
They stared a while longer and then burst into laughter.
“What are we gonna do with you, Spruce?” Don asked. “You know you were going after Atlas’ girlfriend, right?”
“All I did was talk to a girl who was crying,” I said, not opening my sore eyes.
Don snorted. “Metis is always crying about something. In any case, you won some points with me.”
Shade popped his head out of my doorway and then returned. “I wouldn’t go making a habit of crossing him or talking to his girl. He’s a bad seed and she’s trouble.”
“I’ll probably never see her again anyway,” I said, thinking of my horrible luck with girls. I lost Telesto to poor decision making. I couldn’t become involved with MO Prep girls even if I wanted. And now, I just met someone who goes to a rival school, is also off limits, and has a maniac of a boyfriend.
“I’ll give you one thing.” Don walked over to the doorway. “You do have a flair for the dramatic. Can you walk?”
I swung my legs over the side of the bed. As I stood, the room spun for a moment, but then my world stabilized. I took a step and exhaled.
“Good,” Don said.
Thinking back to Crete, I asked, “Did you both go to the same lower academy?”
Don shook his head and sat in my desk chair backward. “I’m a proud product of Euboea Lower. Home of the mighty Seahorses!”
“And I came from the volcanic island of Limnos,” Shade said.
“No mascot?”
“The Blacksmiths.”
Don stood. “Let’s get to morning meal. You need some food.”
“Sheesh. I can’t believe I’ve been out cold all night.” I’d never experienced anything like that before.
“C’mon,” Don said with a chuckle. “We have classes to go to and you have to face your first day of instruction.”
After bathing in the bathhouse, I caught up with Don and Shade in the Andron. Meter walked over to me in a standard white tunic. Her grayish-green eyes brightened under dark lids as she took me in. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
“I’m glad you’re all right,” Meter whispered in my ear. When she pulled back, her eyes warmed. I melted into them. The gold flecks in her irises mesmerized me. “We were all worried about you.”
“Thanks.” I felt the heat of Shade’s glare at my back. “I’m just glad I made it back in one piece. That Hurler was rough.”
“Teleportation takes a lot out of you.” She nodded toward the food table and smiled. “Go grab some food.”
Hera sauntered into the room and my body turned to her like a sunflower leaning toward the sun.
“Brush with death, huh?” Hera joked as she strode toward me.
“You could say that.”
“Gotta be careful on that Hurler. It gets easier though. Make sure you get some nectar.”
“Thanks. I already did.”
“You tagging along to classes with us today?”
I nodded.
“You’ll enjoy Shapeshifting. We’re going there this morning.” She absent-mindedly checked the pin that held together the messy bun atop her head.
“Shapeshifting?”
A devilish grin creased Hera’s cheeks. “I won’t spoil it for you. Trust me, you’ll like it.”
Hera grabbed a plate and piled it high with grapes, figs, goat meat, and bread before leaving the room with her food. Again. I walked to the table where Meter, Shade, and Don sat.
“Hera
never eats with us?” I asked, trying to spark conversation.
“Who knows what’s up with that girl,” Meter offered. “She always eats alone. Doesn’t talk a lot, really. I’m surprised she talks to you so much. Maybe ‘cause you’re the new guy.”
“Watch her. She’s moody.” Shade offered.
“Duly noted.” I bit into some bread. “Anybody seen Tia?”
“Yeah, she never misses morning meal.” Don said.
No sooner had the words gotten out of his mouth, than Tia breezed in. “Morning, all.” Her voice sang. Her rich orange tunic matched her disposition in every way. A purple flower blossom bobbed over her right ear as she approached the table. “Rough night, Zeus?”
My gaze fell to the table. I’m certain my cheeks looked like ripe pomegranates.
“It’s happened to all of us.” She rifled her fingers vigorously through my hair, patted my head, and then walked to the food table.
Great Gaia! There she went with that head-patting thing again. In front of everybody.
Don cleaned his plate and nudged Shade. “You ready to go?”
“Where you headed?” I asked.
“I want to get in a few death sprints before class,” Don replied. “Thanks to you, I don’t know who I’m facing in the title match. We had to leave so quickly last night.”
I guess that was my fault. “Hey, I’ll make it up to you.”
Don clapped me on the back. “We’ll catch you later, Spruce.”
Meter’s face wrinkled. “What happened last night?”
I remembered Don and Shade’s tight-lipped expressions in my room. I was certain that no good could come from me betraying their confidences. “Nothing. Just ran into some guy named Atlas over at the other school. What a squid-brain.”
“Ahhh, yes. Atlas. He’s about as stable as a three-legged throne.” Meter nodded, bringing a few strands of hair forward to twirl the ends. “And that girl he’s with, poor thing, she can’t see him for the rascal he is.”
My mind drifted back to the confrontation at Othrys Hall. “I think she can see it. She was crying about something.”
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