The Sky Throne

by Chris Ledbetter

  I’d certainly felt that way. My life wasn’t my own anymore. The leaf analogy was a direct hit.

  I stared at her, wanting to speak, but my mouth wouldn’t form words. She moved closer. My body was light as papyrus, weightless under her gaze.

  “I totally get it,” she said. “I’ve been there. I am there. Something inside you just wants to escape sometimes. And becoming that bird allowed you to do that, if only for a moment.” She caressed my shoulder, but it felt like she was reaching inside of me, opening me up. I tensed as the hair rose on my arms. An odd tingle crawled down my spine, and I stepped back even though I wanted nothing more than to step into her embrace.

  “I’ve struggled to find my place in this cruel world,” she breathed just above a whisper. “I have more siblings than you could count in a lifetime. There are thousands of us Oceanids. I grew up on Kithira Island, away from mommy, Tethys, and daddy, Okeanos. To get my parents’ attention, I’d always felt I needed to become something or someone extraordinary. But many times, I simply wanted to run away. Find somewhere to exist. They’d never miss me.”

  I remembered Aristaeus telling me once I had siblings. If there are any left, he said. I still didn’t know who they were. Perhaps I’d never know. “At least you know your parents and some of your siblings. My entire life, I thought one woman was my mother, only to find out that she wasn’t. I guess my real mother abandoned me.”

  Her mouth gaped and she covered it with her hand.

  I studied her eyes. The high arc of her eyelid. The black line around her hazel pools. The way her pupils dilated whenever we were close, like she was taking in more of me.

  “And I don’t even know who my father is—” My voice quivered, off balance by how easily she’d opened me up. “You do know your parents, right?”

  “I know who they are … but I don’t really know them. When you have as many siblings as I do, you become a number, you know? I think my mother had like eight or ten children at a time, overly fertile freaks of nature.” She paused to reflect. “You’re from Crete. Tell me about dear old mom and dad.”

  I recalled my tenure at Eastern Crete … various run-ins with the headmasters … my final act mischief. I figured I’d leave that out. “Tethys and Okeanos were larger than life on campus. Overall, they were nice. I had no problems with them. The Potamoi, on the other hand …”

  “Ahh, those knuckleheads,” Metis said. “My brothers are always trying to be big fish in small ponds.”

  Then I thought back to Telesto. I suppose she and Metis would be sisters. After weighing whether or not to ask Metis if she knew her, I passed on that idea too.

  “At Kithira lower school, I pretty much kept to myself when I wasn’t hanging with Amphitrite,” Metis said. “I closed up inside my loneliness. Not letting anyone in. Until Atlas came along once I graduated to MO Prep. He’s a great guy. Or at least he is, until he turns.”

  “Turns?”

  She looked away. I touched her shoulder and after a few moments she turned back to me with glossy eyes. “He showers me with attention. Takes care of me. Makes me feel like I matter. But he has rage issues. It’s why he can never win wrestling tourneys. He blacks out when he gets angry. Sometimes it’s good, but a thinking person can outwit blind rage any day.”

  “Are these issues recent?” I remembered the bruises she’d had. “Does he ever … turn his anger on you?” I didn’t want to come straight out and ask her if he’d caused the marks I saw when she’d shown up at MO Prep. But, I remembered his disposition in past meetings. I wouldn’t have put it past him. I finally blurted, “Did he hit you?”

  “He’s always had anger management issues. We’ve broken up many times because of them. I’ve tried looking past them. He kept promising to change.”

  My voice rose. “Did he hit you?”

  “The concern in your voice is cute.” She looked away again. “He’s the first guy who ever showed any real interest in me. And once he claimed me as his, no one else would even look at me. I’ve always felt like a shadow, hidden in plain sight.” Her words caught in her throat.

  I wrapped my arms around her. “You don’t have to put up with that, though,” I whispered into her golden hair. Her body shuddered against mine. I held her at arm’s length and watched tears stream from the corners of her eyes. “The attention he shows does not grant him the freedom to act like a goat’s rectum.”

  “It’s said that we all have five senses, right? Love is the sixth sense,” she said. “But it’s fallible like the rest.”

  I narrowed my eyes into a sidelong glance.

  “Every sense has a false read. Haven’t you ever seen something that wasn’t quite what you thought it was … or heard something one way and it turned out to be something else?”

  My mind churned.

  “All of our senses are flawed. Love is no different.”

  “But love’s not a sense,” I scoffed.

  “All of our senses are tied to body parts, right? Love is tied to the heart. I fell for Atlas, the softer side of him, the side I wanted to see.”

  “So when he showed you his true nature, why didn’t you believe him?”

  Tears streamed from her eyes. She shook her head. “Sometimes, the heart provides the falsest read.” She sighed hard. “I don’t know—”

  Her beauty really was quite astounding. Even crying, I was drawn to her, to the vulnerability that belied her outward strength. Perhaps it was because her truest beauty, I found, lay beneath the surface. Her open soul and refreshing spirit.

  “Hey, that night at the Othrys wrestling match, what was all of that stuff with Atlas about?”

  She shook her head. “He’s such a jerk.”

  “Yeah, but you were crying. Why?”

  “He accused me of cheating on him with Pallas. You know, the guy you laid low at the wrestling championships?”

  My teeth clenched. Pallas. “Yes. I remember him.”

  “But, I didn’t. I’m not like that. I wouldn’t do that.” She stepped a little closer to me, looking up into my eyes. “Please believe me.”

  As my head spun, I realized I didn’t know what I believed anymore. A knot twisted in my core and my breathing shallowed. I did know one thing … that I absolutely had to keep Metis away from Atlas.

  As she drew closer and placed her palm over my heart like she owned it, I declared something I wasn’t sure I wanted to. “I’m so drawn to you.”

  She looked up with wide eyes. A rogue tear streaked down her cheek. I reached to swipe it and she playfully smacked my hand away. She chuckled, shaking her head. “You don’t mean that. I’m a complete mess. I just understand you.”

  I rested my hand against her cheek. She leaned into my palm and closed her eyes. The space between us evaporated. Her lips were inches away when I heard a voice.

  “That’s a tad close. Can you see her stomach from that vantage?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Don and Shade stood ten paces away. Damn. Another kiss with her had been ruined. I pivoted my head to see if anyone else was with them.

  Don stepped forward. “Sinking your teeth into Zeus, huh? Atlas not enough for you?”

  She cut her eyes at him.

  “Back off, Don. Seriously,” I said.

  “Woo-hoo-hoo-hoooo.” Shade looked at Don. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say there’s something serious going on here.”

  “Just remember what I told you.” Don glared at me.

  Metis turned to me with raised eyebrows. I didn’t have the nerve to tell her what he’d said … that she was trouble.

  I glanced from Metis to Don. But when I looked back into her eyes, and her damp cheeks, I knew Don was wrong. The connection between us was so strong that our spirits threaded into a tight braid, almost like we’d known one another before now. That I found her irresistibly attractive was just a bonus.

  There was no explaining or rationalizing our connection, but if nothing else,
I knew I had a good friend who identified with me. Not that friendship was all I wanted from Metis.

  “Come on, kid. We need to get some food in our bellies,” Don said. “Pontus wants us to meet him in the gymnasium after morning meal.”

  I looked at Metis and sighed. I worried that a moment like the one we’d almost just had might not come again. Even now, as Don and Shade walked toward the Megaron, my feet refused to move.

  “I need to stop by my cabin,” Metis said. “I’ll catch up.”

  It’s almost as if she read my mind. She caressed my arm and sauntered away, releasing my feet from their rooted condition. I jogged to catch up to Don and Shade. The sky above had turned iron gray with clouds. It mirrored the entire mood on campus.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing, Zeus. Helping you fight over a girl is not my idea of fun,” Don said. “And you’re setting yourself up for a collision. It’s just a matter of time.”

  I made a beeline for the food table as soon as I entered the Andron. I sat down next to Don and Shade and faced the door. Meter joined us with a plate piled high with vegetables. We ate in relative silence, our long faces reflecting the fog of sadness that hung over our mountain home.

  Metis strolled in not long after me. I immediately looked at my food to make sure nothing had fallen over the sides of my plate. In truth, I wasn’t sure what my eyes would express if I met Metis’ gaze at that moment. She could read me like a scroll.

  “Have any of you seen Hera?” Meter asked. Heads shook all around.

  “Sheesh, like we need more drama around here,” Metis said in between bites.

  The bread I bit into dried my mouth considerably. I raised my eyes slightly, and saw Metis. The corners of her lips turned upward. Quite alluring. I looked back down at my food because I was certain that had I gazed directly into her eyes any longer, my vision would’ve tunneled. Everyone else at the table would’ve melted away. And they all would’ve known.

  After the meal, there was still no sign of Hera, so I headed back to my bungalow. I wanted to pick up where I’d left off with Metis. My soul craved our connection with an illogical ache. She fed me far beyond anything I could have anticipated when we first met. Metis was the brightest blues of the vast ocean. Cool. Calming. Refreshing like rain on a warm day.

  I reclined on my bed. My eyes hadn’t been shut for too long when I heard a soft purring voice at my door.

  “You look so peaceful when you sleep.”

  Metis stood in the doorway, twirling her hair.

  “Hey,” I said. “Been standing there long?”

  “Long enough.”

  “For?”

  Her mouth twitched into a grin. “Don’t you worry about what for.”

  “Sassy.”

  Her smile filled out, reaching her soft, hungry eyes.

  “I just thought about something.” I propped myself on my elbows. “You’re an Oceanid. How do you have blonde hair when the rest all have some hue of bluish-green?”

  “That’s my rage against the machine. I got so tired of looking like everyone else, so I rinsed my hair with vinegar and sat out in the sun. After that, it became my signature style. What? Don’t you like it?” She folded curly strands behind her ear and twirled the ends.

  “No. I do. It’s hot.”

  She grinned. “Good answer.”

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Shouldn’t you be headed to the gymnasium?”

  “Shouldn’t you?” She ambled to me as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “Besides, I wanted to finish what we started earlier before Don—” She cleared her throat, “Interrupted us.” She bit her lip. “I hate unfinished business.”

  She moved between my legs at the edge of the bed, gently nudging them apart. I was clay beneath her palms. She could’ve molded me into whatever she wanted.

  I stared into her hazel eyes. She swept her fingertips across the ends of my hair. Before I knew it, I stood and fisted my fingers in her golden tendrils. She let out a soft moan that rumbled from my ears to my core. I pulled her face slowly toward me, but stopped.

  I shot a glance over her shoulder, fully expecting someone—anyone—to ruin this moment for me. She took a finger and guided my chin back to square with hers. I pulled her close again and pressed my lips to hers.

  She returned my kiss with such passion I almost pulled her down on the bed. Her arms draped over my neck. I kissed her harder while her torso swayed against mine. Our lips danced. Stealing breath. Giving life. I forced her lips apart again and our tongues arched against one another for a moment before she broke contact.

  “Mmmm,” she moaned in a low reverb. She dragged her fingernails lightly down across my chest.

  I would’ve responded, but I wasn’t sure I had any breath left.

  She looked up with her big hazel eyes. “We’re going to be late.”

  “Yeah I suppose we ought to get to the gym, huh?”

  “Not like I want to.”

  I was drawn into her eyes and couldn’t pull myself out. Finally, she caressed my shoulder and said, “We should go. And thank you, by the way.”

  My brow wrinkled.

  She smiled sweetly. “For coming to my aid over at Othrys Hall. The wrestling match.” She walked to the door. “I never forget a favor. That kiss was just the beginning.”

  I felt suspended in mid-air. I closed my eyes, thinking back to the incident at Othrys. It seemed like ages ago. In that time, I had collected enemies like Tia collected flowers for her hair.

  We exited the housing area and walked down the path around to the grassy quad area between the gym and the Megaron. I was hyper-conscious about who we’d run into on our way given my recent conversation with Don. Had anyone seen us leave my bungalow? I glanced around, not noticing anyone or anything out of place. I really wasn’t in the mood for another Don lecture about the girl who’d stolen my heart.

  “What’s on your mind?” Metis asked.

  “Just thinking about Tia.” I lied. Actually, it wasn’t a total fib.

  Metis rubbed my back. “Yeah, that’s tough. I just hope there is some way that they’re both all right, you know? I’m not sure what that scenario could be, though.”

  Metis and I entered the gymnasium. Don, Shade, Meter, and Hera stood in the center of the floor with Pontus. A ring of urns encircled them. They all glared. My gaze dropped to the sandy floor.

  “Close the doors, Zeus.” Pontus said. “And drop the bolt in place.”

  Metis ambled toward the center congregation as I secured the door. I made my way back to the group. Pontus motioned for me to join them within the circle. I stepped between two urns, noticing that they were filled with water.

  Pontus put his finger to his mouth to indicate that we should be quiet. He huddled us close together and then stretched his hands out to the side. A teal color seeped into his fingers, spreading slowly to fill his entire hands up to the wrists. Then the water in the urns levitated into the air then joined together to form a shield all around us. Pontus slowly brought his hands over our heads. The water followed suit, creating a watery shell. Deity magic is unparalleled.

  Pontus held one fist high in the air. I guessed it was to hold the water in place. “The shell is to keep Rhea’s faculties out of this huddle. We are not supposed to leave campus, but I can’t sit around here doing nothing. I want to send out a search party into The Thick to see if there are any clues down there.”

  “What’s The Thick?” I asked.

  “Where we conduct War Games. Second term intermural sports,” Don answered.

  “You sure about this, Professor?” Metis asked. “Headmistress said—”

  “I’m in,” Hera said. “Let’s go. Time’s wasting.”

  Pontus looked into our eyes. “I’ll leave the gym first to make sure no faculty is around. Then I’ll wave you out. Guard your thoughts as you run to the Cloudwell. Can’t have Rhea shutting down this search mission.”
<
br />   With such a lack of practice in shutting down my thoughts, I tried really hard to think about Mount Ida back home … and Amalthea … and Tos. The watery shell returned to the urns with a splash. Pontus jogged to the gym doors, opened and looked around. We all regrouped and stood just behind him, ready to bound. Pontus waved us forward.

  Following Don, we turned right out of the gym doors, and rounded the corner to the white-pebbled path toward the edge of campus. I trained my mind to think of nothing but goats. It’s what I knew best. As we descended the Cloudwell though, I pushed my hair off my forehead and considered what had just happened back at my bungalow after morning meal. I’d just kissed Metis. Our entire dynamic had changed.

  At the bottom of the Cloudwell, we all placed our hands on the Hurler. I closed my eyes to avoid eye contact as my hand nestled between Hera’s on the bottom and Metis’ on the top. Pontus plopped his hand on the very top. And then we liquefied.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  We hurled to the Caldron, where the War Games field house was located, and rematerialized in the elbow of a deep valley. Craggy cliffs framed either side. A semi-circle of Hurlers curved around us.

  Pontus must’ve seen me looking at the multiple Hurler posts. “They’re for other Pantheon League teams when they come here to play us in War Games.”

  I nodded, but I still didn’t quite understand what War Games were all about.

  Some nondescript buildings stood beside the edge of the river. The one on the left was labeled, Laconia Bathhouse. Another building was labeled, Armory. Each building had one door for Olympians and a separate door for Titans.

  “Shouldn’t the door read visitors instead of Titans?” I asked.

  “This is their home field too, unfortunately,” Don replied. “So since we both share this armory now, it says Titans on there … per Kronos. Visitors simply use the Titans’ room when they’re here.”

  “Listen,” Pontus said as we gathered around him. His white tunic peeked from under his royal purple robes as he knelt between us again. “I couldn’t say everything back at the gym because of time concerns. There’s been a development in the investigation. The Khaos Council has apparently found enough evidence to bring Hyperion in for questioning.”