The Sky Throne

by Chris Ledbetter

  I paused. “Ohhh … I never said anything about Hyperion.” My eyes narrowed. “So why would you even mention a sun chariot?”

  “Just because I know about the attack, doesn’t mean I ordered it,” he growled. “Now if you want to go sniffing around Hyperion, be my guest. But he’s not exactly the social type. And he has anger management issues.”

  “So Hyperion decided to attack my family on his own?”

  “Well now, I can hardly speculate as to the mental goings on of a man who spends his day hauling a fire hazard across the sky. But if you think you’re man enough to toss around with him, then by all means … ”

  I thought back to how effortlessly Hyperion had dismissed our spears. And how he summoned the one spear back to his hand.

  “Now,” Kronos said sternly. “Looks to me like you have two choices. You can come to Othrys and I can make you the most powerful young man in the world. We can defy even the Oracles and their gibberish.” He paused for effect. “Or, you’ll go straight to Tartarus. Fighting at Inter-Pantheon events is strictly prohibited.”

  Ouranos and Headmistress pushed through the crowd. “Our students don’t respond to ultimatums, Kronos,” Ouranos bellowed.

  “If Zeus goes to Tartarus,” Headmistress said with an icy stare. “It’ll be by our hands, not yours.”

  “Well, if it isn’t daddy rabbit and the little pussy cat,” Kronos jeered.

  “That’d be lioness to you, Kronos.”

  “Rhea, must we engage in such petty banter?”

  Headmistress did have a name. Wait, Rhea? The one who issued some warning to Amalthea about me?

  All this time she was right under my nose. And could’ve answered all my questions.

  For now, simply address me as Headmistress.

  You will find all the answers you seek … all in due time.

  I clenched my teeth. The ground beneath me shifted in odd ways. I grabbed at the air to steady myself, but the world around me twirled in the opposite direction. Someone grabbed my left arm. I looked over. It was Shade. I sighed. A stronger hand gripped my other arm.

  “Listen to me,” Kronos said. “This is a complex world we live in, one where things are never as they seem. And the more layers you peel away, the more things move from black and white to gray.”

  Ouranos stepped in front of me, panting like he’d been running from the other side of the world. “That’s enough, Kronos. Whatever punishment he deserves shall be issued by us. You may take leave of this campus.”

  “May I, now?” Kronos sneered.

  After a mini staring contest, Kronos helped Pallas from the ground. I felt emotionally turned inside out. Exposed. My feet paced backwards without telling me they were doing so. I bumped into people, stepped on toes, and almost tripped.

  “Zeus,” Shade called out. “Wait.”

  Tiny pinpricks stung my eyes. Pressure built rapidly in my nostrils.

  Metis stepped in front of me. “Hey, you all right? What was that all about—” I pushed past her. The residual coolness of her caress lingered on my arm. Her concern transferred through my skin.

  Shade was hot on my heels. “Wait up!”

  The crowd behind me roared. Something must’ve happened in the wrestling match. I kept walking out of the gym toward the housing area. Through blurred vision, I eventually found my bungalow. Rage-filled blood coursed through me.

  My vision darkened. The room spun and before I knew it, I’d crashed onto my bed. The confusion and anxiety all rivered down my cheeks.

  Abandonment. Amalthea. Anytos.

  Death. Hiding. Hyperion.

  Rhea. Kronos.

  No mother.

  No father.

  Who was I?

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  I awoke some time later to the painful throb of my bruised knuckles. As I pulled my hand up to my face to examine it more closely, a hand touched my shoulder. I wiped my eyes and looked up to see a cloth dangling in front of my face.

  I rolled over. Tia’s smile lit up the room more than my candles.

  “Tia—” I grasped the cloth to wipe my eyes and cheeks.

  “Hey,” she soothed. “I heard about what happened. So, you laid out my ex, huh?”

  “Who? Pallas?” I responded. “He had it coming.”

  I sighed and sat upright. Shade, Meter, and Hera stood behind Tia. Hera covered her mouth with her hand. But her eyes spoke to me, even from that distance.

  “What did Pallas do to earn such a headache? I didn’t even know you knew each other.” Tia said.

  “We still don’t,” I said. “He knows my fist, though.”

  “Doesn’t make sense. Pallas can be a hothead sometimes, but how’d you get crossed up if you don’t even know him?” Tia massaged my shoulder in a motherly way. “And what would Kronos want with you?”

  Before I could manage my mouth, all the words tumbled out. I summarized and explained everything from Hyperion to Kronos and from Amalthea to Anytos, ending with my journey from Crete to MO Prep. I found the story itself rather exhausting.

  “Wow! I’m so sorry.” Tia hugged me. “I’m no math scholar, but something still doesn’t add up. What business would the Elder Sun Deity have with a goat herder on Crete?”

  “Hyperion was searching for a boy mentioned by the Oracles.”

  “But why?” Meter asked.

  I shrugged. “All I know is that I need to find Hyperion. Or find whoever ordered the attack. Either way, if Hyperion acted alone, he is in for the fight of his life.”

  “Yeah?” Shade scoffed. “And how exactly do you propose to fight him with all of his Elder Deity magic?”

  “I haven’t figured that part out yet. But I think Kronos knows more than he’s letting on.”

  “Be careful.” Meter crossed the room and sat down beside me. “Kronos is more powerful than you realize. And Hyperion too.”

  I thought back to Hyperion’s powerful display on Crete and Kronos’ ability to pin me in place at the wrestling match without touching me.

  “While you’re thinking that over, let’s go down to the Agora. There’s a big celebration for Don tonight. He won the match.” Shade rubbed his hands together.

  My eyebrows rose.

  “Yes. He won. Again,” Tia said in mock exasperation before laughing at herself. “I told you, Zeus, we don’t lose.”

  “Give me a moment to collect myself,” I said. “And rinse off my knuckles.”

  “You sure?” Shade said. “I need to catch up with Don. He’s in the baths now. Just meet us down at Dragon’s Breath Taverna.”

  “It’s at the end of the Agora near the Odeon,” Hera said. “But count me out. Wine turns boys to animals, even if it is diluted. I’d hate to have to hurt someone’s feelings tonight.”

  “You boys have fun,” Tia squeezed my shoulder one last time. “I have to put the finishing touches on my Astro project. Just a bit more research.”

  “Tonight?” Meter joked. “Girl, just finish that thing tomorrow. Or the next da—”

  “You know me.” Tia stood up and walked to the door. “Be well, Zeus. You’re in my thoughts.”

  “Oh that’s right. The Astro project!” I palmed my face. “Can I do anything? I am supposed to be helpi—”

  “You have more than enough on your plate,” she said. “But, if Professor O asks me anything, I’ll swear north and south you helped me.” She winked and left.

  Hera, Shade, and Meter followed. I was alone again. I rubbed my arms, massaging the goose bumps that rose in Tia’s absence. I leaned back and closed my eyes. Kronos was a hairy goat’s scrotum. I didn’t trust him—or Hyperion—at all.

  I still didn’t know why they were looking for me or why they had tried to kill Amalthea and succeeded in killing Tos. Had Amalthea abducted me?

  I had too many questions and not enough answers. I doubted that I’d ever find my real mother at this rate. And, worse, Rhea had known the entire time. If she war
ned Amalthea and the Kouretes, she knew I was there! Call me Headmistress, my ass. I pounded my fist on the bed.

  I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go to the party in the Agora or not. I kind of just wanted some time to myself, to process everything that had happened this evening. Also, what if Atlas and Money were down there? That would be just asking for more trouble than I needed right now.

  I clenched my teeth and tried to untangle my mind. After several deep breaths, I’d calmed myself and closed my eyes again, leaning my head back against the wall.

  My eyes were lured open by light rapping on my doorframe.

  “Metis?” I rubbed my sore eyes at the sight of her.

  “Hey,” she whispered. Wavy golden tendrils fell across her face as she tilted her head. “I wanted to check on you. How are you doing?” She leaned against the wall just inside the door, her soft, floral scent floating toward me. Her chiton clung so tightly to her hips and breasts that I momentarily forgot my plight.

  “I meant to tell you earlier … ” I grinned. “You’re not even remotely in dress code.”

  She cast me a searing glance. “Should I take it off, then?”

  I had half a mind to help her out of it. I stood and walked toward her, forgetting all my anger and frustration.

  “That was quite a show you put on out there.” She tugged the bottom of her chiton up slightly. “I don’t know—such power—it did something to me.”

  I felt her draw me in. The pull to be near her, to touch her, was overwhelming. I ran my hands over her waist and hips, looking directly into her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, before she smacked my hands away and smiled.

  “I have a boyfriend, remember?” she purred, slipping from my embrace and moving across the room. She sat on my bed and propped her leg up.

  I crossed the room, moving as smoothly as a panther. “Yeah, about that—”

  Her coy smile drove me insane. I’d almost reached her when I was startled by a noise behind me. Metis’ eyes bulged.

  When I turned around, Headmaster Ouranos stood in the doorway. “Metis, you may return to your cabin. Now.”

  “Yes, Headmaster.” She scurried out, leaving me in a puddle of utter need.

  Headmaster watched her leave, and then turned back to me. His blue eyes cast a frigid stare. “Zeus, come to my office tomorrow after morning meal.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  My vision hazed as I walked to the Megaron the next morning. I scratched the back of my neck and fingered the collar of my tunic. I still stung from my encounter with Kronos and I desperately wanted to ask the Othrys Headmaster more questions. I also had some for Rhea, but I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know the answers. I wasn’t sure how much more bad news I could take. After Ouranos left my bungalow last night, the events of last night caught up with me and I ended up not heading down to the celebration. I was certain Tartarus was in my future for the fight last night. Whatever Tartarus was. And then, there was the “incident” with Metis in my bungalow. Though I might be able to talk my way out of that one.

  When I entered the Andron, the delicious aromas from the array of food stirred my appetite. Professor Mnemosyne, teacher of Rhetoric and Epic Poetry sat at a nearby table. Nemo, as all the students called her, smiled warmly when I passed.

  I grabbed a plate of food and joined Don and Meter at a far table near a window. “Congrats, Don! I heard the great news.”

  “Thanks. Float like a manta ray, sting like a jellyfish,” he said, standing to clasp my arm. “Say, what happened to you last night? I heard you got in a seismic scuffle. Laid Pallas out, did you? Good man.”

  I laughed, massaging my bruised knuckles.

  “Yeah,” Meter added. “Shade said he’d never seen a punch like that before.”

  Shade strode into the Andron. “Spruce, what happened to you last night?”

  “What do you mean?” I looked at him incredulously. “You were there. You saw the whole thing.”

  “No. I mean the after party at Dragon’s Breath. Why didn’t you come down?”

  I thought back to Metis in my room the previous evening. “I was spent. I’d have been horrible company.”

  “Gah, you missed a great party, brother,” Don said. “We played spin the amphora. Girls were belly dancing. It was great.”

  My posture sank. I hated that I had missed the festivities. It sounded epically more fun than anything I’d done on Crete, even the bonfire. Of course, if Ouranos hadn’t cut me off at the kneecaps last night, I would have had plenty of fun on my own.

  Headmistress Rhea rushed into the Andron. Her normally well-maintained hair looked like wild brush.

  “The Observatory is a wreck!” she said. Her hand gripped the fabric of her tunic over her heart. “Stop what you’re doing and come to the lab. I want to make sure everyone is accounted for. Go find Tia and Hera. Who else are we missing? Metis? Find her too. Now.”

  “You all know where to find them?” I said to Meter, Don, and Shade, my heart racing. “I’ll go with Headmistress.”

  I rose from my half-eaten food and walked quickly to catch up with Rhea, my gaze shifting everywhere except for her eyes.

  “Mnemosyne, you and the rest of the instructors should split up and stalk the main entrance and the Cloudwell,” Rhea said. “Report anything suspicious to me. And if you see Ouranos, tell him to come to his lab, immediately.”

  “Done,” said Professor Nemo.

  As I followed Rhea, I thought of the confrontation with Hyperion on Crete. This situation had the same immediacy. The same tension.

  “Did you go to the Observatory last night for any reason?” Rhea asked me.

  I shook my head. Tia popped into my head. “I think Tia might have, though. She was working on her—”

  “Oh dear Gaia!”

  We jogged up the path, winding through woodsy and pungent cypress trees on the hillside. We climbed the steep flight of stone stairs leading to the Observatory, which perched on the edge of a cliff. At the top of the steps, Rhea stopped and turned to me.

  “Zeus, I don’t want you to fret. The scene’s messy up here. Pontus is already in there. The only reason we’re showing this to the students is because we all need to be aware of what’s going on. We don’t shelter anyone here. Full disclosure. Also, the more eyes we have searching, the less likely we’ll miss something.”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  Rhea studied me for a moment, and then tightened her lips into a half-smile. “I know you’ve been through a lot and have a plethora of questions. But don’t concern yourself with Kronos. He can’t harm you here.”

  I tried to turn off my brain. No more thoughts. I didn’t want Rhea invading my brain.

  She pushed the blue door to the Observatory. It groaned open, revealing a chaotic mess. As we entered the lab, I found myself blinking several times. A faint sulphuric scent filled the space. Lab tables lay on their sides. Clay tablets had been strewn widely across tables and the floor, some broken. Unfurled scrolls curled up from the floor like eyelashes. The images overwhelmed me, searing into my mind. The implications were staggering.

  Pontus looked up from gathering scrolls. “Where’s everyone else?”

  “They’re all coming, Pontus.” She turned to me. “Look around for clues as to what might have happened here, or whom might have done this. Call me over if you find anything.”

  I approached a stack of uncharged Hurler posts, struggling with the weight of one when I picked it up. The post was solid.

  A pink flower bloom rested innocently on the floor and beside it, a necklace lay coiled. On the end of it hung a decorative charm similar to Hera’s, except it had the letter ‘T’ on it.

  “Headmistress,” I said as my throat constricted. “I think this is—”

  She took the necklace from my hand. “Hestia—” she breathed with her hand covering her mouth. “All right, we need a clearer picture of what happened here. Keep looking.�
� Her voice was like the dense forest at night, calm with a hint of danger around the next bend.

  My shoulders tensed. A shaft of Hyperion’s sunlight shot through the open ceiling of the Observatory, illuminating the madness on the floor, a stark contrast to the sterile, white walls. In a corner of shadows, an active Hurler post stood, casting a blue halo.

  A trail of dried ichor blood led into the alcove, right to the post. The blood had a muddy goldenrod tone. My stomach turned as image after image of Tos flashed before my eyes. “You might want to see this,” I called to Rhea on the other side of the room.

  She strode over next to me, gasping and then collecting herself with a sigh upon noticing the blood trail.

  Pontus said, “And what’s this?”

  A spear leaned against the wall. The metal tip and onyx shaft were also streaked with ichor. And, on the wall, a message stained the wall in swirls of darkest gray and bright golden-yellow blood.

  Prophecies Are Meaningless

  Stars Come and Go

  Time Marches On

  Residual blood had dripped down the wall like tears. My heart pounded an irregular cadence.

  Rhea’s eyes looked glassy and liquid. Tears threatened to burst from the corners as her brow furrowed. “How could this happen on our campus? How could I not have sensed it … read the person’s mind who planned it?”

  “Rhea.” Pontus looked at her. “This is not your fault. You can’t blame yourself–”

  “How can I not? There are few in this cosmos whose minds I can’t read. So how didn’t I feel this?”

  “Let’s focus on the message,” Pontus said. “Zeus, write this down so we can analyze it.”

  Pontus grasped the spear. Careful not to touch the blood, he pulled it into the sun.

  “Look at that,” Rhea said, pointing to the shaft. “The shaft doesn’t reflect anything. Even in broad sunlight.”

  I finished copying the message onto a piece of parchment and handed it to Pontus. When I got a closer look at the shaft, my mind snapped to the demonic spears Hyperion’s henchmen had used. Aristaeus’ words echoed in my ears.