We rounded another corner to the rear of the gym.
“Now back here,” she said, “we have our thermal baths. The girls’ baths are here. And the boys’ baths are over there.” She pointed while we walked.
I loved the smooth, stone facade and the columns of the domed structures. I glimpsed a moving shadow, an indistinguishable form in the mist of the girl’s bath. Soft floral scents floated from the bathhouse and swirled around me.
“Keep walking, soldier,” Tia said with a chuckle. “It’s probably just Hera. She’s a preener. You’ll meet her later.”
We trekked on a path that entered a dense grove of trees. “Housing is tucked back in the woods a bit,” she said. “You’ll learn your way around in no time.”
Down the path toward us sauntered another girl, her stride athletic and confidant. At first, the distance was too great for detail. But as she drew closer, I became self-conscious again. The girls here were beyond breathtaking. I momentarily thought about Telesto, and all I’d left behind on Crete. Before my reflections gained strength, I was again swept into the energy of the two girls standing in front of me.
“Hey, Meter,” Tia called.
“Hey, girl. Mmmm, who’s this?”
Sudden heat flushed through my cheeks.
Tia turned to me. “Zeus, this is Demeter. Demeter … Zeus.”
Rimmed by dark eyeliner, Demeter’s grayish-green eyes twinkled as we shook hands. Or at least I thought they twinkled. Maybe I made that up. My hand in her grasp vibrated with a slight tingle. Almost imperceptible, but it reached into me. I didn’t want to break our gaze. At least not before I had to.
She released my hand, and I realized I probably shouldn’t have held on as long as I did. I must have been staring too hard.
“Easy now, tiger.” Tia laughed at me.
Just what I needed. Now they both probably thought I was some social outcast.
“Call me Meter.” She folded her dark brown curls behind her ear. Her skin glowed as if she’d been brushed with golden dust. Leather armbands snaked around her biceps and wrists. “Well, I’m off to the quad to soak up some sun before turning in my project for Astronomy. Ugh. I had to map the heavens.”
“Oh yeah?” Tia asked. “You’re done already?”
“Girl, I would’ve much rather mapped all of Thessaly, naming each tree and flower as I went. But yes, I’m as done as I’m gonna be.”
“I hear you. Oh hey, Professor O’s headed up to the Observatory. I’ll be up there after evening meal.”
Meter turned back to me. Her cheeks radiated a golden tone. “See you around.”
They certainly didn’t make girls like this back on Crete. Most of the girls looked like seahorses. Except for Telesto, of course. Going to see her at that bonfire really had led to so much trouble. My blood coursed in hot torrents as memories of the attack hit me like punches to the face, each one more staggering than the last.
“Hey.” Tia squared my shoulders, waving a hand in front of my face. “You all right? Your face is way too flushed. Not a good look on you. Do you always look so serious?”
I shook my head as I realized I’d been staring into space. “Sorry. I’m fine.”
“If it’s about Meter, let me just tell you … ” Tia looked at me sternly, but nothing like the earlier glare she delivered about the sports tradition. “You can look but don’t touch. We’ve been forbidden to become romantically involved with other students here at MO Prep.”
“Why is that?”
“There are only five of us, well, now six. Ouranos is cool about it. But Headmistress says that romance distracts from educational pursuits.” She rolled her eyes. “Watch out for Meter.”
I arched my brows.
“If you’re gonna make a move on Meter, you’d better keep it low-key. She likes to keep to herself. Oh, and watch out for Shade, too. He’s a bit smashed on Meter.”
A bolt of confidence rose in me. I narrowed my eyes. “What if I wanted to be low-key with you?”
“Mmm, confident much?” She smiled. “I like that. Just remember, there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance.”
“Is that a yes?”
She turned away from me. “No. It’s probably a bad move. Besides, I pretty much think of you as a little brother right now.”
My posture sank a little. “But you do think of me—”
She grinned as we continued up the path away from the gymnasium. I turned a glance over my shoulder, half intending to get another look at Meter. We were high enough on the hillside that I could see a panoramic view of campus with the bathhouses and gymnasium in the foreground. The Megaron and other administrative buildings stood far in the background.
“To the right are the girls’ cabins. To the left are the boys’ bungalows. Farther up the hill is a stairwell of clouds leading to faculty housing. Let’s go find your new home.” She patted me on the head.
I still felt a little broken by her patting me on the head. I used to do that to goats back home. Somehow, I’d have to get past the little brother stigma. We passed several decorated bungalows before approaching a clearly unoccupied one. Four wooden columns supported the front façade. Above the doorway was carved the number thirteen.
“Here we go,” she said. “I’ll let you get acquainted with everything and I’ll see you back in the Megaron Hall for evening meal. Go upstairs to the Andron.” She turned to leave.
“Wait,” I said. I didn’t want to be left alone, so I stalled. “Where is the Megaron, again?”
“There’s a map inside. Look near the desk. I’ll see ya.” She flashed a smile over her shoulder. The blossom in her hair bobbed as she walked away. The warmth that had been following us all afternoon left as she did and the air immediately turned brisk. Cold even. A stiff gust swept through, rustling the trees.
I opened the door and stepped into my new home, a modest, one-room building with three windows. It beat the cave any day. I trailed my hand over the grain of the wooden desk and chair. Beside them, a window overlooked a cluster of cypress and fig trees so close that I could practically pick fruit from them. I wheeled around and saw two doors with handles. Huh. They didn’t exactly look like an entry or exit.
Wooden planks creaked beneath my feet as I crossed the room and pulled the door handles. Ah. A closet.
From a horizontal bar inside, hung two blue, two white, and two black tunics, along with one white cloak. My uniforms.
The fabric of the tunics felt heavy and coarse under my fingertips. I turned them over in my hands. A bright blue ‘Ω’ symbol stared at me from the chest. I thought back to Tia’s rich plum tunic and smiled. Yep, definitely not in dress code. Rebellious. I liked that.
I sat on the raised platform bed and stared ahead. The sheets wrinkled under my weight. I loved the idea of a bed with sheets and a blanket. A vision of Amalthea appeared before my weary eyes.
My heart rate increased when she spoke to me. “Do not fear your new life. I raised you the best that I could have. Your brightest days are ahead of you.” Her image dissolved into a soft breeze that drifted out through the open windows.
Her voice faded slowly from my mind. It resonated even more beautifully in its fading form. I missed the softness and its steady cadence and wondered if I’d ever hear it again. I hoped she was mending quickly.
Then a memory of Tos popped into my head. One time, we’d played whack-a-rock. He’d tossed a fist-sized stone to me. All I had to do was open my stance and hit the rock with a thick branch. But, I didn’t open my stance enough. I smacked the rock straight into Tos’ face. Knocked him out cold and bloodied his forehead. I don’t think he ever truly forgave me for that.
I sighed, dropping my head into my hands. He had sacrificed himself for me. How could I have been so selfish? He tried to warn me. I punched the bed, remembering those wicked spears, and the one that had sunk into Tos’ chest. My eyes stung and rubbing them did little to soothe them. I’d have done anything to bring
him back.
“You crying for your mother already?” A low voice rumbled through the room.
I looked up quickly.
Poseidon and Hades blocked the doorway. The sheer physicality of Poseidon’s presence dominated the cramped confines of my cabin. Glancing around with a dismissive frown, he walked toward me, his muscles flexing with each step. “What’s your name, loser?”
“Hog Nuts?” Hades jeered. His folded arms wrinkled his black tunic. A coiled mass of darker brown skin, a raised brand, protruded prominently on the bicep of his right arm. The Omega mark. Ω.
“Zeus,” I said confidently. “Get out in the sun much?” I referred to Poseidon’s pale skin.
“Least he’s got a sense of humor, eh, Shade?”
Hades leaned against the doorframe and chuckled. The tip of his chin up to his temples formed a perfect triangle. He looked me up and down. “He’s humorous all right.”
“I’m Poseidon.” He looked down and shoved his large hand into my personal space. The dimple on his chin twitched. “Call me Don.”
My pulse raced, drumming in my temples. I stood to show I wasn’t intimidated.
I squeezed his hand. “Zeus, like I said.” My body heat rose so high from the tension in the moment it felt like I was once again standing in front of Hyperion. So hot I got chills.
“Firm grip. That’s good. At least that means you can hold a spear. We could use another body on our War Games team next term.” He thumbed over his shoulder. “That’s Hades.”
Hades stepped from the shadows into a shaft of late afternoon sunlight. His body wasn’t as big as Poseidon’s, but was definitely more defined. Black cuff bracelets wrapped around his forearms, making his arms look even bigger. His dark olive skin tone starkly contrasted with Poseidon’s pale complexion.
I extended my hand to Hades.
“Everyone calls me Shade.” He folded his arms again. “I don’t shake hands.”
I threaded my fingers together and cracked my knuckles. Nothing better to do with my hanging hand.
“Well Spruce,” Don turned. “See you at—”
“It’s Zeus. Got it? Zeus.” I snapped.
He pivoted to me sharply. With piercing slate blue eyes, his icy glare pinned me. “You’re Spruce ‘till I say otherwise. As in twig.” He pointed to my sternum. His square jaw tightened. “As in I could break you in half and my heart rate wouldn’t increase. Got it?”
Shade chuckled behind him. His raven hair fell over both sides of his face, leaving only the middle third of his face visible. I immediately felt lightheaded. Or maybe it was all the hot blood rushing to my head.
As they both left the bungalow, I exhaled. I hadn’t even realized that I’d been sucking in my stomach and holding my breath. What there was of it, at least. They were right about my physique, though. I would clearly need to talk to Pontus to see what kind of training I could do to make me as strong as them. And fast. I wasn’t about to endure this type of harassment every day.
I lay down on my bed for a moment, only to realize I still needed to get to the guidance office to figure out which classes I needed. Better change into a uniform, first. I pulled off my old tattered tunic from Crete, leaving it in a pile on the floor, and grabbed a clean tunic from the closet. I slid it on as I darted out the door.
I found the guidance office door inside the Megaron Hall and knocked cautiously.
“Come in,” sailed a high-pitched, frail voice from the other side.
CHAPTER NINE
I pushed open the door. An elderly lady with high, bright cheeks and a straight nose greeted me from behind a desk. Her long, silvery-white hair swept back off her face as if wind were blowing directly at her.
“Welcome, dear heart,” she said. Her light gray eyes twinkled. “I am Ananke.”
“Uh, hello. I, ummm, need to—”
“I know. We’ve expected you for longer than you could possibly know.” Her smooth, rich voice danced around my ears as she handed me a scroll. “First, let me ask you … tell me about your studies at Eastern Crete. Your records have not made it this far yet.”
I wondered how much to tell her about school. It’s not like I was the best student. “I held my own in language arts, math, and music. I consider myself an expert in agriculture, owing to my mother … ” I sighed. It was still difficult to reconcile that term for her. “My guardian was a goat farmer.”
“Oh yes, Amalthea. We know of her.”
I smiled. “Yes. And I enjoyed science class the best.”
“You received high marks in these classes, I presume? I hope so.”
“Mmmhmm,” I lied. My breaths quickened.
“Very well then,” Ananke said. “On the wall, you’ll notice a list of classes in our curriculum. These are advanced, to be certain, but you wouldn’t be here if Headmistress did not think you could handle the rigors. Our program builds on your previous knowledge and coursework. Look at the wall for our class list.”
Blinking rapidly, I gazed at the courses: Metalworking: Weaponry and Jewelry, Shapeshifting, Horticulture, Rhetoric, Creature Creation. Philosophy. Game Theory. Leadership. Astronomy. The plethora of courses I was scheduled to take seemed endless.
“Thank you,” I nodded. “Ummm, do I need to bring anything to these classes?”
She handed me a scroll. “Here is list of what you’ll need on the first day of class. You’ll find supplies down in the Agora of Thessaly. Ask one of the students to show you. It’s near the end of the trimester right now, so you have a few days before new classes start. So there’s no rush.”
“Thank you again.” I turned to leave, but then stopped. “What about Calisthenics? I need to get stronger quickly.”
“Actually, Calisthenics is a current offering,” she replied with a smile. “Follow the other students for the remainder of term. You will receive new classes at term’s end. Good luck.”
I managed a weak smile and left the room, closing the door behind me. Remembering Tia’s directions from earlier, I searched the Megaron for the central stairwell to the upper floor. Scrolls in hand, I climbed the stairs and approached an arched entryway, over which was inscribed, The Andron.
Tables of food and drink lined a wall to my left. Silver-haired Muses sat at one table. Ouranos and Headmistress ate at another table with a burly guy I didn’t recognize. Headmistress looked up and waved, smiling warmly.
A girl in a green tunic pored over the food offerings. Sweet Gaia, was she beautiful. Perhaps the best looking one I’d seen so far, which was saying something. How was I supposed to walk around here all day among all of these beautiful girls? At least I didn’t have to worry about Tia. Little brother. Psssht. Whatever.
Shade and Meter talked at a far table. As I approached them, I remembered Tia’s observation that Shade liked Meter, They both looked up.
“Hey,” Meter said in a warm timbre that resonated in my ears.
Shade tipped his head upward. “What’s up, Spruce?”
“Spruce?” Meter elbowed him. “Don’t you know his name?”
“Yeah,” he fired back. “Do you?”
“Stop being such an elephant’s fart, Shade.”
Shade’s jaw tightened.
I set my scrolls down, and looked straight at Meter. “Guess I’ll be tagging along to classes with you all until next term.”
“Good.” She smiled. “Let me know if you need someone to escort you to the Agora.”
Tia’s low-key comment came to mind. “Oh right, for supplies and such.”
“And such.” She wrinkled her nose. “I have to make a delivery down there to The Golden Himation anyway.”
“Delivering what?” I asked.
“I have a line of Kosmetikos beauty products. They’re mineral based, all natural. Really popular. Bronzer. Eyeliner. Olive oil moisturizers. Goat’s milk bath soaks. You know, that kinda stuff. Anyway, let me know if you wanna go down there.”
I nodded.
<
br /> “I’m so hungry I could eat a rancid goat. I’m getting some more food.” Shade huffed and slid his chair back. “You want anything, Demi?”
“No.” The warmth left her eyes. “And you know I hate when you call me that. I’m not half of anything.”
“I’ll grab you a plate anyway.”
“No, really.” She glared at him. “I’m full.”
“You are not. I’ll pick up something.” Hades skulked off.
“Fine,” Meter called out. “But no meat.”
I cleared my throat, suddenly confused about the Meter-Shade connection. “I guess I’ll get some food too.” I flashed a half-smile to Meter and ambled toward the food table.
My stomach growled. In front of me sat the most food I’d ever seen in one place in my life. Sweet and savory aromas competed to fill my nostrils. Goat meat and milk had been the bulk of my diet on Crete. Occasionally, I’d eaten seafood caught fresh by the Kouretes. And of course Amalthea always made sure my plate had vegetables.
The girl in the green tunic continued to pile food onto her plate. Figs. Olives. Grapes. Zucchini. Honey. Bread. Some kind of meat. I walked up to stand behind her, noticing the leather diadem that restrained her dark, curly locks. “What’s good here?”
She turned toward me and smiled. Her dark curly hair swung over her shoulder. “I suppose you’re trying to be charming,” she said in a slightly raspy voice. “You must be new.” Her lips remained slightly parted.
“Yeah. Just trying to figure out the lay of the land.”
“It ain’t me. That’s for sure.” She returned to filling her plate again. Then she turned back toward me, raking her green eyes over me like I had three horns growing from my forehead or something.
I looked around the room then back at her. “What did I do?”
“What are you thinking right now?”
“Pardon me?”
“She asked what you’re thinking, Spruce,” Shade interjected as he walked by. “She’s trying to read your mind.”
“Shut up, Shade,” she said. “Have you found a person here who likes you yet?”
“Have you?” he shot over his shoulder.
The Sky Throne Page 5
