Olympian Challenger

by Astrid Arditi

  Amy catches me staring. “A gift from Hermes,” she explains. “I’ve tried to make them fly, but so far I haven’t had any luck. Hopefully he’ll teach me this morning.”

  “Have you considered they may just be a fashion accessory?” I’m still in a bad mood from being dragged out of bed.

  Amy stares at her sandals. “No way.”

  “What about me? Did you notice a gift for me in the closet?”

  “Why don’t you go find out?”

  I sigh as I get up.

  “This is just great.” I pull my dress, now tinted black, from the rack.

  “I’ll swap with you if you want,” Amy offers from our room.

  “And give up your maybe-flying sandals?”

  “Maybe not.”

  “That’s what I thought,” I say as I emerge from the closet.

  I throw the depressing garment on my bed and lock myself in the bathroom to wash. Even the hot water isn’t enough to ease my nerves this morning. My stomach twists in anxiety at the thought of facing Kieron’s scorn.

  I delay going out as long as I can, plaiting my hair in a fishtail braid and badly applying kohl eyeliner and mascara. This is the first time makeup has made an appearance in our bathroom. I wonder if the ghostly servants have sensed my attraction to Kieron, or if they just want to boost my courage by making me feel pretty.

  When I head back to the bedroom, Amy is gone. I shrug on the silky black dress and lace up my new black sandals around my ankles. The dressing table’s mirror reflects the image of a black widow.

  I stare as long as I need to, until I appropriate this glum picture of myself and find strength in this new style. It may be depressing, but it is badass all the same. With my quiver slung across my back, I look fearsome. I hope wearing Hades’s colors will inspire fear in the other challengers.

  Then I go downstairs to meet the girls for breakfast. The atmosphere is gloomier than usual in the atrium, since some of the girls lost their friends yesterday during the selection ceremony.

  Amy gawks as she spies me coming.

  “What happened to your face? Are you one of them now?” She points to the other pampered girls sitting around the table.

  “Just needed a little cosmetic courage.” I claim my spot next to Amy and grin as a plate of scrambled eggs and bagels materializes before me.

  “You look hot, Hope,” Melody says from across the table.

  Her blond hair is swept up in a messy bun, long tendrils of gold framing her lovely face, and her dress is turquoise with two sapphires holding it up on her shoulders. At her ears are ropes of pearls so long they brush against her shoulders.

  “Thank you, Melody. You look quite beautiful yourself.”

  Amy stares at her jewels with envy. “Guess you should have asked for Aphrodite to sponsor you,” I tease her.

  “I descend from the God of Thieves.” She pouts. “I could just steal her bling.”

  I choke on my eggs, laughing tears pouring from my eyes.

  Joan shakes her head disapprovingly. “You’re being so superficial.”

  “And you’re not?” Sara retorts, adjusting the glittering crescent on her forehead. Silver beads that circle her dark hair hold it in place. “Look at that amethyst around your neck.”

  “It symbolizes wisdom,” Joan explains as she fidgets with the massive violet stone dangling from a platinum chain.

  “It’s expensive,” Amy comments with a touch of envy.

  I didn’t receive any jewelry, nor do I care. “Do any of you know what happened to the dismissed contestants yesterday?”

  “Do you?” Joan asks. “They left with your boyfriend.”

  A current of excitement runs through the group. The girls are dying to know the details of my alleged affair with Kieron.

  “He isn’t my boyfriend.”

  “Then why did he vouch for you yesterday?” she probes.

  “Maybe he believes in me.”

  If he doesn’t like me and can barely stand to be around me, this explanation makes sense. I’d rather he didn’t hate me, but I’ll take his respect all the same. The thought infuses me with courage to face the trial ahead.

  “Are you ready?” I nudge Amy, who’s polishing off her mountain of pancakes.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she agrees, not bothering to lower her voice. “I’m tired of the gossiping hens.”

  A gasp of outrage echoes around the breakfast table as we take our leave. I’m still giggling when I exit the villa, a grinning Amy in tow.

  “Can’t stand girls,” she says.

  “Except for me of course.”

  She pretends to consider this. “You’re not too bad.”

  “Where are we meeting our sponsors?” I’m not thrilled at the prospect of spending my morning with the god who hates me.

  “Their place probably?”

  “I have no idea where Kieron lives. Have you seen his palace anywhere?”

  “I don’t know. What’s his emblem?”

  I search for a symbol of power for Kieron but come out empty-handed. “I have no idea.”

  “Well, you can walk with me toward Hermes’s palace. Maybe we can figure it out on the way.”

  Amy takes the road ascending Mount Olympus. I have no better plan, so I follow her. As we near the Castalian fountain, where the Unveiling Ceremony took place yesterday, Josh paces the piazza aimlessly in black pants and tunic, with a copy of Hades’s helmet on his dirty hair. His trident is propped against the fountain.

  “There’s your teammate,” Amy teases.

  I glare at her. “He’s not my teammate. We don’t even have the same sponsor.”

  “But you both represent Hades. He’s your pal.” She grins. I don’t care if she’s my only female friend here. I want to throttle her. But before I can, she trots away. “See you later.”

  I groan and walk to Josh. Amy is unfortunately right. I may have to work with him, at least to find Kieron’s palace.

  “Hey.” I try to conceal the disgust from my tone as I address Josh. “What are you doing here?”

  “Why do you care?” he growls.

  “Because I think we may both be in the same predicament. You don’t know where Hades lives either, right?”

  “I covered the whole town. No sign of his palace,” he admits.

  “Do you think they live in the underworld, in Erebus?” I ask, shuddering at the thought. “Where could it even be?”

  “How would I know?”

  I’m staring at the fountain when the memory of my hallucination hits me—the pronged forks, symbol of Hades, the dark tunnel at the base of the mountain. Could it have been a vision?

  “I may have an idea where to find them.” Josh is the last person on Mount Olympus I want to help. “But it’s just a hunch. I may be taking us on a fool’s errand.”

  “As long as you stop blabbering, I’m in.”

  I glare at him but get going. If he had but an ounce of empathy, Josh would realize I want to talk to him just about as much as he wants to speak to me. He’s cruel and petty, and his presence at my side gives me hives.

  We take a road leading away from the town, down toward the side of the mountain, at the edge of the clouds.

  “There’s nothing here but grass and rocks,” Josh complains after about fifteen minutes of blessed silence. “You’re wasting my time.”

  “I told you I wasn’t sure—”

  The entrance to the tunnel from my vision comes into view. My strides grow in pace as the dark opening at the base of the mountain beckons.

  “Do you think that’s it?” Josh’s curt tone sounds fueled by dread instead of rage for once.

  “It makes sense. Erebus is underground, is it not?”

  “You go first.”

  “What a gentleman,” I mutter. The two-pronged forks loom over me from both sides of the entryway.

  Taking in a large breath for courage, I tiptoe into the mountain, with Josh on my heels—I can feel his juddering breath on my neck.

/>   The tunnel is immersed in total obscurity. I stretch my arms out in front of me in case I encounter an obstacle, but my journey across the long stretch of darkness goes smoothly. At the end of the tunnel, we stumble into a weakly lit circular parlor carved inside the mountain. It looks like a waiting room with its two golden pedestal tables and black velvet armchairs set around them, the only furniture visible.

  Hades and Kieron sit on opposite sides of the room, their backs turned resolutely to one another.

  “See?” Hades smirks, addressing his son, who won’t look at him. “Your valuable challenger had the sense to find you on her own.”

  Josh and I both stand in the center of the room, both equally awkward as we wait to be formally acknowledged.

  “Follow me, Josh Matlin,” Hades says, standing up and taking a corridor leading deeper inside the mountain.

  Josh trots after him. I wring my hands, waiting for Kieron to speak first.

  “How did you find us?” he asks at long last, staring at the wall.

  I shrug. “I had help.”

  “Are you comfortable staying here? Or would you rather we go outside?”

  I’m touched by his concern. Hanging out in hell isn’t exactly appealing, but I’d like a chance to understand Kieron better.

  “I’m fine here.”

  “Follow me then.”

  I trail Kieron through a maze of tunnels, opening on a beautiful meadow like the campfire one where Bellerophon took me to practice. I gawk at the sky overhead.

  “We’re still under the mountain,” the young god explains, pointing to the sky. “This is but an enchantment.”

  “It’s lovely,” I whisper, trying to keep pace with Kieron, who’s ambling toward a charcoal-colored cottage.

  I gasp when we cross the threshold. Inside, the cottage is actually a grandiose mansion. An ivory banister runs along two staircases leading to a mezzanine. The hallway is plastered with charcoal landscapes framed with ebony. The pictures are exquisite, detailed yet wonderfully abstract, like a dream.

  Kieron walks into a vast living room furnished with burgundy velvet sofas and a low ivory table stretching in the center. Delicate marble statues are propped on the onyx floor and more charcoal drawings adorn the walls. These are portraits, like stolen photographs, capturing the essence of the models.

  “Are these yours?” I ask him, remembering his sketchpad from the bonfire night.

  He shrugs as if he finds no pride in them. I, on the other hand, am awed by his talent. He drops on one of the sofas, wrapping a long arm around the back, and waves for me to do the same. I sit awkwardly across from him, feeling out of place surrounded by such beauty, his above all.

  “How fast can you run?” he asks me, an odd start to our conversation. From my past interactions with him, I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

  “Not very fast.”

  “You should train harder. Speed would give you an edge for today’s quest.”

  “Are we racing?” I ask. I don’t like my odds, but I’d much rather run than fight.

  “Today’s quest is based on Prometheus. Have you ever heard of him?”

  “Of course.” I learned about him in school and read more about him in one Ariadne’s books. “He was the titan who gave fire to humans.”

  “He is, not was. But after eons chained to Mount Caucasus with an eagle pecking at his liver, Zeus lifted the punishment. Prometheus now dwells here, on Mount Olympus.”

  I remember the atrocious punishment and wish it had been a metaphor for something else. How can the gods be so cruel? This reminds me of the cast-out contenders.

  “What did you do to the kids that didn’t make the cut?”

  “We’re here to prepare you for your quest, not waste my time in idle conversation.”

  I clench my fists, regretting that I reawakened his ill feelings toward me. But I need an answer.

  “I’m well aware. But I need to know. What happened to them?”

  “They left.”

  Betrayal sears my heart. “So there is a way out? You lied. You said there were none.”

  “None for you,” he says.

  “What does that mean? Why not for me if it exists for others?”

  “I don’t want to discuss this.” He glares at me. “The gods had another punishment for Prometheus. Pandora—”

  I can’t let it go. My whole body shakes and my head is about to burst from fury. “Where’s the way back?”

  Tendrils of black shadows swirl around Kieron. “Through Erebus.”

  “That close?” I gasp. “All this time it’s been within my reach?”

  His black gaze is murderous. “Do you know how you could escape, Hope? By drinking from the River Lethe. Nothing else will let you out.”

  “And that’s supposed to be a problem? Take me there, I’ll drink now and be on my way.”

  “The River Lethe strips you of your memories. Does that sound appealing to you?”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  His eyes look haunted now. “I am. I was forced to make sure the challengers drank yesterday. I saw the vacant shadows in their eyes.”

  “And then you sent them out? Back to a life they don’t remember? To family they won’t recognize?”

  “It is the only way out.”

  I press my back against the sofa, as far away from him as I can. “What kind of a monster are you?”

  “We didn’t kill them. Their lives were spared.”

  “But what good is a life you can’t remember? Don’t you understand? Memories are what make people who they are! You sent back empty shells to Earth. It will crush them and their families.”

  Kieron stares at me but shows no sign of the guilt I expected. “You murdered their souls, Kieron!” I wail. “You killed them as surely as if you’d run them through with a sword.”

  Kieron retreats to nonchalance, arms crossed over his chest as he waits for me to calm down. I jolt to a standing position, incapable of sharing the air he breathes for a moment longer.

  “Take me back. I don’t need a sponsor. I never want to see you again.”

  “Then let’s go. This is one wish I’ll gladly fulfill.”

  Chapter 23

  A thousand trumpets sound our first quest. We’re all gathered in front of the Olympian Palace, the twelve gods standing on top of the marble stairs before us. Zeus’s banner, a thunderbolt crossing an eagle on light blue satin, is raised on top of the palace, flapping in the breeze. The sky is the purest blue, without a cloud in sight, and the snow has melted from Mount Olympus’s peak.

  Heracles paces the grass at the base of the stairs, smiling encouragingly at his students. The other heroes wait on the side, doing a poor job of masking the worry they feel for us. Kieron is nowhere to be seen.

  “How did training go with Hermes?” I ask Amy. I need a distraction from this morning’s conversation that replays non-stop in my head.

  “Great! He’s really cool.” She beams. “But you were right. These sandals don’t fly.”

  I smile apologetically. “Sorry about that. Did he give you any tips for today?”

  “I’m not sure... Our conversation was strange. Jumpy. I think he has a hard time focusing on one thing at a time. And they are not actually allowed to help us during our quest, other than giving us basic information.”

  “Well, that’s useful.”

  “I did learn who my great-great-great grandmother was. The story of my lineage dates back to Antiquity, so I’m pretty sure I need a gazillion more great to make it right.”

  I’d love to add a fourth name to my family tree, but I doubt Asclepius will help me. It will have to stay just me, my mother and my grandmother.

  “And who was she?” I ask Amy.

  “Aikaterina. She was a famous thief in Thebes. Really modern for the times.”

  “Were they very much in love?” Gabriel asks.

  “Can you deal with him?” Amy sighs. “I can’t handle the love conversation. It would be bad form
to puke before the first quest.”

  “What about you? What did Aphrodite teach you today?”

  “She taught me to apply eyeliner, for one,” he says, pointing at his blue-lined eyelids.

  I struggle to keep a straight face. “I can see that.”

  “And she went on and on about Pandora, who wasn’t that beautiful according to her. I just agreed to make her feel better. I can’t see how anyone could be more beautiful than Aphrodite, and I have no clue who this Pandora is.”

  “She was the woman made of clay the gods created to trick Prometheus,” I explain, shifting to a whisper so we can’t be overheard by the other challengers.

  After I stormed out from Erebus, I hid in the library and studied everything I could about Prometheus. Amy leans in, lapping up every word I say.

  “You’ve heard of Pandora’s box, right?” Both Amy and Gabriel nod. “It was actually a jar that belonged to her husband, Prometheus’s brother. It contained all the blessings from the gods to mankind. But it was supposed to remain sealed forever. Pandora, who was deadly curious, opened it and all the blessings escaped except for one that she managed to keep inside by shutting the jar at last.”

  Gabriel gasps. “What was it?”

  “Hope,” I answer.

  As if he’d waited for my story to end, Heracles speaks up at last. “Today your journey begins. Your first quest honors Prometheus, the first Olympian hero, as well as Zeus, the god who punished him for his defiance.”

  On cue, Aphrodite waves her hand and the contenders’ garments turn the color of the sky in homage to Zeus. My jaw goes slack—I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the beauty goddess’s styling magic. Although our clothes have changed color, everyone retains a symbol of their sponsor. Amy keeps her winged sandals, Gabriel a pearl bracelet, and Josh has his helmet. I still wear black sandals, but it’s not much of a statement. I’m brought back to the loneliness of yesterday, when no one wanted to claim me.

  “This is your chance to prove your worth and thank the gods for the opportunity presented to you.” Heracles continues, looking at each one of us. “We’ve taught you skills, but these won’t be enough to win the Olympian Challenge. Heroes aren’t forged. They are born a certain way. Some of you will fail today; most will succeed. But the one who will win in the end will need a true heroic heart and courage beyond measure. These trials will polish your rough edges to let the gems hidden within shine.”