The Sky Throne

by Chris Ledbetter

  “Deity magic is unparalleled.”

  My voice quivered. “This looks exactly like one of the spears we were assaulted with on Crete.”

  Rhea’s head whipped toward me. “Hyperion had a spear like this one?”

  I nodded. She and Pontus looked at one another.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Pontus said. “It’s certainly not one of ours. Furthermore, why would the assailant leave his weapon behind?”

  “Perhaps he was in a hurry?” I asked.

  Pontus twirled the spear in his hand. “What’s ironic is I would’ve normally gotten Ouranos to examine a weapon like this.” He stroked his shrub of a goatee. “But he’s nowhere to be found at the moment … which is a low concern. Elders can’t die. Killing weapons don’t exist—”

  “Don’t they?” Rhea snatched the spear from Pontus. “We have no idea what this is capable of.” She held it up to the light again. “Wait. What are those markings?”

  Three rows of runes glowed near the butt-end of the spear. Their visibility seemed to be activated by the sunlight.

  “What pantheon uses these marks?” Pontus asked.

  “I don’t know.” Rhea’s eyes turned cold. “But I intend to find out.”

  “Let’s hope that the other students find Hestia, Hera, and Metis. Then we’ll only have to worry about Ouranos,” Pontus said. “Keep looking for anything else.”

  I stepped over debris toward an archway in the back of the lab. Curiosity got the best of me as I peeked at the stairwell that led upstairs.

  “Come back over here,” Pontus commanded.

  “I wasn’t doing anything.”

  “The Sky Throne is up there. It’s forbidden to all except Ouranos.”

  “I just wanted to look at it. Tia already warned me not to try to sit on—”

  “That’s right! Do not sit on it. Don’t even approach it. I can’t undo whatever it would do to you.”

  “Got it.” I climbed the marble stairs, which stopped at the top of a covered tunnel. Above me, the sky opened in every direction, cloudless and vast. I inhaled deeply, crisp, clean air filling my lungs. I’d almost forgotten my mission.

  “Zeus,” Pontus called from below.

  Looking upward and down the tunnel, I didn’t see a throne, let alone a Sky Throne. I didn’t even see a chair of any sort. “Just looking around for more clues,” I lied, holding on to the sides of the angled, vertical tunnel to hoist myself higher. Smoothing my clammy hands on my tunic, I inched upward as if I were being pulled.

  I reached the top of the tunnel. A panoramic view of the Aegean spread out before me.

  “Just don’t look down,” I whispered.

  But—of course—I did, my gaze fixing on the dizzying drop toward the earth. My limbs stiffened and my stomach lurched into my throat like I was already falling. I could barely breathe.

  I lost my balance, collapsing onto the top stair inside the tunnel. I fell backward the opposite way and hit something hard behind me. Turning around, there was nothing but air. The area behind me felt solid, smooth to the touch like the marble.

  The wide view from Mount Olympus stole my breath. Ocean waves crashed far down to my right. Lush, green hills of Thessaly rolled to my left. The highest point on the earth, eh?

  “Zeus! Get down here this instant!” Rhea called from below.

  If I was ever going to sit on the Throne, this was my chance. They’d never let me this close again. If I could access the power inherent in the Throne, I could stand up to anyone. Hyperion. Kronos. Anyone. I edged higher, but my fear of falling constricted my throat. I wiped my damp brow.

  “Zeus!” Pontus climbed halfway up the stairs. “Down here. Now.”

  I finally relented and inched my way back down the steps, scooting on my rear end. Pontus gripped my arm like it was his last meal. His muscles flexed as his fingers dug into my bicep. “Do not mount that Throne. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes. But—”

  “No buts!” Pontus said. His hair pulsed as he talked. Rhea glared at me over his shoulder. Don, Meter, Shade, and Hera stood behind her, wide-eyed.

  “All I was going to say was—”

  “Do you want detention? You’ve not mapped the Underworld yet. It’s Tartarus for you if you don’t scrap this idea of going near the Throne.” His voice rumbled with barely impatience.

  Rhea stared at me with an icy gaze. “Frankly, it doesn’t matter what you were going to say. We’re not about to lose a student to insubordination. The rules of this school exist to ensure your safety. And they are non-negotiable.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “Ouranos is nowhere to be found. His lab is a mess. We’ve got students missing and one trying to climb the Throne. What else could go wrong today?” Pontus glared at me.

  I avoided his eyes and stepped around the scattered evidence, a ball of anxiety knotting in my core. Don’s disapproving stare hollowed me. Meter tightened her lips. My heart broke to think I’d disappointed them. Just behind Shade, Hera stood with her arms folded, her weight on her right leg.

  “Where is Metis?” Rhea voice creased the silence. “Two students missing now?”

  Everyone shrugged.

  “I’ll go look for Metis,” I said. Anything to get out of there. I inadvertently brushed against Hera’s shoulder as I exited the Observatory.

  “Report to me immediately if you find either of them,” Rhea said.

  Hera caught up to me when I reached the bottom of the stairs.

  I shot a sidelong glance toward her. “Hey,” I whispered.

  She nudged me with her shoulder. “What’s with the sad eyes? They do absolutely nothing for those nice thick eyebrows you have.”

  I whistled an exhale, thinking about how much trouble I got into at Eastern Crete and how my behavior over the past day had been just as contentious. “Rhea’s probably going to kick me out of school.”

  “If that were the case, she’d have done it. Your place at this school is safe. So far, at least.” She smiled. “But, more goat-foolery like fighting at an Inter-Pantheon event and that mess you just tried to pull up near the Sky Throne will get you sent to Tartarus. Trust me. You do not want to go down there.”

  I sighed.

  “Chin up. You still have all your fingers and toes.”

  I instinctively looked at my fingers. And toes. “Aren’t you concerned about that mess back there?”

  “The blood is unnerving. And the mess. But we don’t know enough yet to be concerned. Ouranos is frequently gone. And the couple of students who happen to not be around … yeah, not a huge deal either. Not yet anyway. It’s Hemera Kaos … rest day. Now, if they’re not back by Hemera Gaia, two days from now … we can worry.”

  I acknowledged her confidence.

  “Oh, and just to let you know, I adore what you did back there in the Observatory.”

  “Which?” The corners of my lips turned down. “Almost killing myself trying to find the Throne? Or almost getting myself thrown in Tartarus?”

  She laughed. “Both. Equally. Takes real courage to go after what you want, critics and consequences be damned.”

  “Who wouldn’t want the power of the Sky Throne? The power to rule all the heavens? Sign me up.” I smiled. “Besides, I have a debt to settle with Hyperion.”

  “Good luck with that.” She snorted. “You’ll need to get bigger and stronger before you start picking on Elder Deities.”

  “I have gotten bigger. And stronger.” I flexed my biceps.

  “Mmmm, yes you have.” She slipped her fingers around my bicep and squeezed. Her fingers and palm felt hot on my skin. “But you’re still a mere babe compared to their power. We all are. The only thing that could help you gain their strength is the Throne.”

  I paused for a moment. “I know the Throne could kill me … but what if it didn’t? What if the threat of death is just a story created to keep students off the Throne? You can’t have ever
yone up there controlling the Heavens, right?”

  “When I rule the heavens one day, I’ll let you know. I was the best student at Samos Lower Academy before getting shipped to Euboea. After conquering that school too, I came here. I was the best student here at MO Prep before the schools split. And I’m still the best. Nothing’s going to stop me from getting what I want.”

  “Which is?”

  “To be the most powerful being on earth,” she deadpanned. “Elders included.”

  I countered with a half laugh. “Why stop there?”

  “I won’t.” She tossed her dark wavy hair over her shoulder. “I will rule the heavens and the earth one day. Watch me.”

  “That would mean that you’d have to rule the Sky Thr—”

  “Exactly. Which is why I found it so endearing that you crawled up there. In front of everyone. Brave. Possibly stupid.”

  “If you want to rule the heavens so bad, why haven’t you mounted the Throne yet?” I goaded her.

  “Just waiting for the right moment.”

  “You’re not afraid the Throne might kill you?”

  “To be the greatest, you have to overcome the greatest obstacles.”

  Her ambition struck me. Deeply. The nymphs had been fun back home, but I’d never gotten a sense they had aspirations. Telesto wanted to be a teacher. But here was Hera. She wanted to command the cosmos. There was something alluring about a girl going after what she wanted.

  “Let’s check out Tia’s cabin. See if she’s back yet.” Hera said. “We checked earlier, but—”

  “What about Metis—”

  “What about her? She’s probably visiting Atlas or something. I didn’t even know she was going to MO Prep again.”

  My mind scrambled. I had to find a way to permanently get her away from that goat’s scrotum, especially if he was responsible for those bruises. I wanted to give him a taste of what I’d given Pallas.

  Ahead of us, the path divided and wrapped around a clump of trees. Nearing them, Hera stepped to the right. I veered to the left. She grabbed my arm and yanked me. “Don’t split the trees.”

  I laughed. “I’m sorry. That rule wasn’t in the code of conduct.”

  “Shut up. Like you even read that fire starter.”

  We kept walking past the clump of trees. Violet, yellow, and bright pink flowers lined the path, vibrant and fragrant.

  Hera noticed me looking at the flowers. “Meter planted those. She’s masterful with plants. You should see her cab—” She stopped abruptly, slicing off the end of her last word. “Then again, maybe not. I mean it’s all right. If you’re into that sort of thing. I ate a pomegranate once down in the Agora and it was so delicious that I asked Meter if she could help me grow a pomegranate tree in Horticulture class. She said she was going to do it this year, but never did. I still want my tree.”

  We finally reached Tia’s cabin. I stepped in front of Hera. “Wait here.” I placed my arm across her torso to block her advance. “There might be danger in there.”

  She chuckled. “And what are you gonna do? I’d do better if I went in there by myself.”

  “Did you not hear about the punch I leveled on Pallas?”

  She didn’t answer, brushing my arm aside and walking past me through the door as she called Tia’s name. The doorway had a wispy opaque curtain hanging over it from the inside. It smelled like honeysuckle.

  “Where’s Tia?” Hera wondered out loud. “It’s not like her to miss meals and be unaccounted for. If anyone’s a goody-two-sandals, it’s her.”

  A series of dark, square cubbyholes hung above her desk, each stuffed with one or two scrolls. While Hera inspected the bed and closet for clues, I examined the spotless wooden desk. Each cubby was labeled with marks chiseled into the wood. The cubby for Astronomy was empty.

  A potted flower anchored the back corner of the desk. The dark cubbies framed the flower’s splash of green. Five little heart shaped rocks sat in a row on the windowsill. Each was different in shape and size. I smiled because I could totally see her collecting something like that.

  “Oh well, I don’t see any notes or indications that something malodorous happened here. Her theatre script is over there. She’s still gotta turn that in. Other than that, per usual, nothing’s out of place here. I hate how organized she is. Maybe she went down to the Agora.” Hera turned to leave.

  “What would she be doing down there?” I asked. Then I remembered her saying she liked to go there to read. But still, between Tia missing, her empty Astro cubby, and the mess in the Observatory where she supposedly worked on her project last night, something didn’t quite add up.

  “Oh who knows with that one? She could be grabbing a gyro. Could’ve gone home with some cute boy from another school. Not the first time.” Hera walked toward the door.

  “But wait … ” I put my finger in the air. “What about Tia’s necklace, the one like yours? I found it in the Observatory. Why would that be on the floor in the corner?”

  “Now, that does concern me.” Hera pulled on her bottom lip. She sighed and fingered her own necklace, bringing the charm to her mouth. “That’s easily the most damning clue we have.”

  “And what about the blood smatters?” I asked.

  Hera paused for a moment and massaged her temples. “Once you drink the nectar, the cosmic dust within the nectar binds to your cells and allows you to heal at such a fast rate that weapons can’t kill you. They do hurt, though.” She shook her head. “The blood is bad but not as bad as the necklace.” Hera pinned me with a stern glare. “She’d never take that off. We need to keep searching. Come on.”

  I joined her just as Meter poked her head through the gauzy curtain. “Oh there you are, Ti—” Then her face wrinkled when she saw Hera. “You’re not Tia.”

  “That’s how you greet the queen of the world?”

  “In your damn dreams.” Meter cut her eyes. “I guess we still haven’t found her?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “Zeus and I were just getting ready go look for Tia at the Agora.” Hera eased her arm over my shoulders and began to pull me toward the door.

  “I see—”

  “Hey, by the way,” I said to Meter over Hera’s shoulder, as we walked past her. “I like your flowers outside along the path.”

  We walked to the Cloudwell and hurled to the Agora. I tried to shake off the rough ride. “I wonder if I’ll ever get used to that thing?” I muttered.

  “And you thought you could mount the Throne? Give me a break. I’ll rule the heavens before you will.” Hera laughed.

  I gazed into her eyes. “Is that a challenge?”

  She returned a wry smile.

  We inspected the busy Agora, my eyes keenly searching for anyone resembling our bright and vibrant Tia. As we passed Dragon’s Breath Taverna, I peeked through the doors to see a bit of what I’d missed the previous evening. The sprawling, pavilion-style room smelled like death. Well-used target games lined one wall opposite a serving counter on the other. Plates of half-eaten food and overturned goblets littered the tables and floor.

  “Seen enough?” Hera joked. “I don’t think she’s in there.”

  We searched through the Odeon theatre, asking several people if they’d seen Tia, and eventually made our way back down the opposite side of the Agora. A shop sign hung over an entrance I hadn’t seen the last time, The Golden Himation.

  “I’m guessing they sell cloaks here?” I asked.

  “And other things,” Hera said. “Sandals, cloaks, tunics, chitons, brooches, girdles. You name it. They even sell some of Meter’s Kosmetikos. Masks. Bath soaks. Eyeliners. Lip stains. I told Tia she should make jewelry for this place.”

  “Let’s stop here and ask if they’ve seen Tia.” I pushed through the doorway. Tunics in all the exotic colors Tia wore were folded neatly on wooden displays. I smiled for a moment, remembering the first day I met her.

  I approached an elderly woma
n who sat near the back of the establishment. “Do you know Tia, er Hestia, from Mount Olympus Prep?”

  “Why, yes I do.” The woman’s voice sounded fragile. She reminded me of our guidance counselor. “She’s one of my best customers.”

  “Have you seen her?” I asked.

  “Why, no I haven’t. Not in a week or so now. Maybe Rhea got tired of paying that girl’s tab.”

  Several random people I didn’t know entered the shop. My head snapped toward them, but none of them were our Tia.

  We made our way to Stone, Scroll, and Sword.

  “Kreios?” I called out as I popped my head through a half-open door. Then I remembered my knuckles and whom they’d hit. Yikes.

  No response. I looked at Hera. She shrugged and nudged me forward. I almost jumped from my skin when the door squeaked on its hinges as I opened it wider. Hera held fast to my waist.

  “I got you,” she whispered.

  Kreios rumbled out of the back, wringing his hands. His dark hair was wild. “Ohh, Hera and Zeusss. I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “We haven’t been here long,” I said. “We’re actually looking for Hestia. Have you seen her?”

  “Goodnesss no, boy. I’ve not seen her in agesss. How is she?”

  “We can’t find her. In fact,” Hera added. “Professor Ouranos is also unaccounted for—”

  “That ol’ kook.” He spit a little and massaged his beard. “That man keeps his head in the clouds, he doesss.” He elbowed me in the shoulder. “If ya know what I mean.” He let out a raucous belly laugh.

  Hera and I looked at one another.

  I took a more serious approach. “Kreios, what do you know about cosmic dust?” I wanted to wrap my mind around this substance and how it made Hurlers work and such. Hera gave me a quizzical look.

  His face morphed, matching my tone. “Whaddya be needin’ that information fer, boy?”

  “After searching around Ouranos’ Observatory, I got an itch to learn all I could about it.”

  He glared at me. “Why dontcha just climb up to the Sky Throne and find out fer yourself?”