by Holly Hook
"They're not supposed to be here," Ronin whispered in my ear. "What are they doing?"
I looked at him, hoping I communicated that I didn't know. Then I realized.
And I didn't have the heart to say it out loud.
Dominique cleared her throat. "The gateway to Mount Olympus was once open to all immortals. But since the Awakening, it requires a blood sacrifice, and this sacrifice must be Olympian blood that contains Zeus's essence. His magic, so to speak. Zeus does not want anyone simply entering his home in this day and age, not even some of his own brethren."
Ronin flinched and stepped back as Dominique looked at him, but she wasn't offering her nasty smile. Instead, she was just sad and regretful. Had things softened between them?
"You have to mix my blood with theirs?" Ronin asked, motioning to the Olympians.
"But the Oath!" Cal shouted to Apollo. He stepped forward.
Apollo offered a sad, but relieved nod. "I will be dormant for the fall of Mount Olympus. It is better that way. When Zeus's throne falls, the gods will return to sleep anyway. That's the way it should be. Humanity turned away from us a long time ago. Nothing lasts forever or should."
"Wise," Dominique said, eyes shining. "You are far wiser than I was in my youth." Regret threatened to pull her into the ground.
Did I want to hug her?
"Mother, we must begin," Alonso said, stepping out of the crowd. "We are all going in together."
Apollo held out his hand, shaking, over the black bowl. "Hurry!"
Cal stepped back. Ronin let go of my hand after what felt like an eternity and also stepped to the bowl, holding out his hand.
"You are last," Dominique said, waving her arms. "Natalia!"
Trembling, the oracle stepped forward, dagger ready, and slashed it across Apollo's palm. Golden blood dripped into the black bowl and spread.
"Another," Dominique barked. "We need all the power we can get!"
Hermes stepped forward, athletic body trembling and weak. Apollo stepped back, stumbling and falling to the ground as if drunk, and the lines of the broken Division Oath spread in the ground around him. The Lower Order all gasped, backing away, as Apollo managed a weak wave at Cal. "Good luck, man."
Cal waved back, choking, and backed into Wendy.
The ground quaked. But Hermes held his position as Natalia slashed his palm, too. More golden blood dripped into the bowl, which now glowed with divine life. I could barely watch. Ronin pulled me close to him, and while I could easily pull away, I let him. He needed to be the protector right now.
"Next!" Dominique barked.
Artemis, who looked so young she might only be a girl, stepped forward, bow shifting on her back. The air seemed to fill with pale moonlight, despite no moon being out this early morning, and the whole clearing flared with a silvery glow that made most of the Lower Order gasp. "Good luck," she told me, in such an innocent, playful voice that I wondered if she was even a goddess at all.
Another slash later, she stumbled back to join her twin brother, who was now lying on his back, grasping at dirt, his inner glow seemingly gone. I swallowed and buried my face in Ronin's chest as the final god, Hephaestus, stepped forward and offered a callused, strong hand.
The ground undulated with broken oaths. People gasped and screamed. The god of metalworking took it like a man as Natalia slashed, and he simply sat down on the ground as it began to open. Pale and weak, he reached out, embracing his fate, and offered me a faint smile as the ground opened wide enough to swallow him.
Prometheus sank to his knees, gripped in tremors. He, too, had broken the Oath just by coming this far.
I couldn't watch. I could only let Ronin pull me away as the five immortals allowed themselves to get taken by the ground and by depths lower than the Underworld. The circle of black-robed figures and the warrior ladies screamed and grabbed trees. Breath spiraled everywhere. Bodies ran in the dark and Dominique shouted orders at all to remain at their posts. Eventually, the ground stilled and Ronin and I did the same.
"It's over," Ronin whispered in my ear. "They're gone. It's just us now."
His words were meant to be comforting, but they were anything but. Slowly, we moved back to our place near the tree stump and the black bowl that lit the tree stump and the frozen ground. The clearing seemed peaceful now, but also sad, as the Lower Order re-formed their huge circle. Weapons drew. The warrior ladies lined up behind us. An eerie silence fell.
I was now the only immortal in the circle.
The others...even Prometheus...gone. The ground where they all fell had closed, leaving no signs of the supernatural crack that had swallowed the five of them whole. I gulped. Our principal. He'd just sacrificed himself for his students and all the people who endured lives as monsters. And I was surrounded by people willing to do the same.
"They all gave themselves up," I choked, shocked at the emotion bubbling in my words.
"And now they need my blood," Ronin said, stepping forward.
Several of the warrior women cheered and the Lower Order applauded as the son of Zeus stepped forward to the bowl, now glowing with golden light, and held out his hand. There was one more ingredient to the ritual and it was Ronin's blood. "Natalia," he said, looking at the oracle, "You know what to do."
She slashed his palm, and red, mortal blood dripped into and mixed with that of four gods.
Ronin backpedaled as lightning forked from the bowl, striking the air like some mad science experiment before intensifying. A crack of thunder filled the sky, making the black-robed figures jump, and the portal to Olympus began to open.
Chapter Seventeen
I had seen a lot of things by now, a lot of magic, but nothing like this.
Wind blew towards the tree stump as everyone, Dominique and Natalia included, backpedaled. The bowl glowed brighter than ever, filling the whole clearing with so much light that if the sky weren't still black, I'd think it was daytime.
A hole in reality opened, just above the bowl, and on the other side, clouds and blue sky waited. A sense of awe swept over me as the opening grew. Air rushed in, but not as intensely as it did into Chaos, and this hole was more flat than round. As it opened from the size of a basketball to the size of a door, I blinked, eyes adjusting to the brightness. Electricity washed over me, making my hairs all stand on end. I felt as if a thousand Ronins stood next to me. The place was full of Zeus's energy and other magic. I blinked. Flowers. Beauty. Wine. A sense of home. Even a whiff of the sea emerged from the portal. Mount Olympus was the type of place mortals strived for, the life most mortals only saw in their dreams. As the opening continued to widen, filling the world in front of me with bright blue and white clouds, I wondered if I was doing the right thing at all.
I was to go inside and open darkness.
"Don't be fooled," Ronin said, grasping my arm. "This is probably what the gods want you to see."
I looked at him. Sunlight reflected off his face. Ronin frowned as the wind snapped over him, blowing his loose hair forward.
He shouted, "Zeus likes to dangle hope in front of you and make you fall into line!"
Yes. So yes. I knew that. Zeus had worked hope on me for three and a half years, blinding me to the truth. I had to see the reality behind that blue sky, the puffy clouds...and the vast, white temple waiting on the other side of the opening.
The opening had stopped expanding and now hovered in place, just above the still-glowing bowl of godly blood. Mount Olympus was set on a literal mountain, one so high it climbed into the clouds, and a long set of wide stone steps led up to the front which looked a lot like the white marbled entrance to Olympian Academy. No colored fountain spat water, but a vast row of white pillars faced us, carrying an intimidating air. I'd seen Hades's dark palace before, with its face a dark version of this one, and like the Underworld palace, this one had no visible doors. It was clear the top gods didn't like visitors.
"How do we get inside?" Max asked.
"There will be a way," I a
ssured him, letting my voice fill the clearing. I squinted, and then the large doorway into the palace took shape for me, revealing a vast archway big enough to fit ten people marching side by side. "There's an entrance. Right in the middle. Mortals just can't see it."
I linked hands with Ronin. This opening into another realm was powerful--I could sense the electricity and lightning holding up the edges of the barrier--but I knew it wouldn't stay open forever. And even if it did, the gods would catch on. They would meet us for battle before we even reached their home turf. I was certain Zeus would be alerted to this in no time.
"Giselle?" Dominique asked, walking around the portal and facing me.
She was waiting for my word.
Five immortals had just taken punishment for me to lead this charge.
I drew my dagger, turning my thoughts to Maria and Mikey, who were both trapped in their own hells. "L...line up behind me and Ronin. We will lead the march." I let a bit of the old Giselle peek through. The klutz. The scared girl who didn't know what was happening. And now I was going to...going to...
Ronin drew his sword, which sparked with electricity. A faint zing sound filled the air as he pointed it at the temple, which was up a good quarter mile of stairs, and then everyone else followed suit, drawing their weapons. "We don't know what exactly we will face up there," Ronin said, "but we will face it together."
I watched as the Lower Order reached into their robes, drawing clubs, daggers, maces, whips. Even Dominique drew a wooden wand which sparked with orange magic. Everyone here was armed. Ready. I looked back at the warrior women, most of whom had swords, and at Elliot, who had appeared with a club of his own. He offered me an encouraging smile.
And then together, Ronin and I took the first steps through the opening in reality.
We had to lift our legs high to step over the edge, which threatened to shock us, and onto the first stone mountain steps. The sense of awe increased, making it hard for even me to breathe. But I adjusted after a second and took a breath. Beside me, Ronin did the same, gasping for air. "I feel strong here," he said. "My magic...I feel like I could take down a whole army." Ronin flexed his biceps.
And I had to laugh.
He was closer to the source of his power. That made sense. I blinked, reaching for the void, and I sensed it lingering on the edges of my awareness, waiting to surge forward at my command. I had no increase in power. Mount Olympus was as far from Chaos as you could get.
My mind turned back to all my Combat Training classes. "Warrior ladies and magic users right behind us!" I yelled. The strongest warriors would come first, plowing the way for the weaker soldiers, who would swarm the enemy after they were blasted with magic.
Max stood right behind us, one leg over the bottom of the portal, nodding his approval. "Pass your last test, Giselle!"
No one complained about the order. I turned to look back through the portal. Back in the mortal world, everyone took their positions. Max and Celestus got right behind me, just on the other side, and then the warrior ladies mixed in with Dominique, Alonso, Duncan, Wendy, and Cal. Duncan and Wendy looked at each other. Exchanged some low, surprised words. A few other Lower Order members, probably god descendants, got in the first group.
Elliot and the other monsters took up the rear, forming a terrifying crowd.
"Forward!" I shouted.
The battle against Mount Olympus began.
Dagger out, Ronin and I led the climb up the long set of stairs, and I feared the gods would only have to let that climb fatigue us all before we even got to the front doors. I turned my enhanced senses to the portal behind me as I climbed, and gasps of surprise rose as each fighter crossed the threshold. The warrior ladies let out high-pitched gasps. Someone waved a sword. My heart rose. This realm offered power and strength to many. Dominique was right that Mount Olympus was the source of all the magic in the world.
And taking it down would cut that off. Forever.
"So what do we do once we're up there?" Ronin joked as we continued to climb. The air thickened with a passing white cloud. The whole universe turned to fog. Even that seemed to thrum with magic, and the feeling intensified the closer we got to the top. "Knock and say we're delivering a pizza?"
"Ha, ha," Cal said. "I say we just barge in for an inspection."
Ronin continued to climb through the cloud with me, but he didn't get out of breath. His strength remained. It was this realm. No longer did I hear shocked warriors and monsters crossing the portal, now far below, but the near-silent clicking of footsteps filled the air.
The air electrified to an impossible level and shifted. The cloud around us blew past, hauling trails of vapor, and I gasped with the sheer power blasting past. The warriors down below did, too. The feeling and the wind only lasted a moment before clearing, but the sensation was clear.
Zeus had caught wind of us and had rushed home. In what form, I didn't know. All immortals could shapeshift. I'd heard stories of Zeus turning into various animals and even a beam of light. Could he summon, or become, a storm in this realm?
Ronin and I looked at each other and listened to the scared muttering of the fighters on the stairwell below. I could only see Wendy, Cal, and Celestus just below us, the cloud was so thick. Had Zeus sensed me? I waited and waited, dagger raised, but nothing happened.
And that was somehow more frightening than an attack.
"Continue," I shouted. How close were we to the door?
Swallowing down my racing terror, I held my dagger as I continued to climb through the cloud, and at last, we reached clear air.
Ronin cursed.
We were much closer to the pillars of the entrance--so close, in fact, that I could make out every swirl in the marble.
Keep going.
We had to end this and I had to face my darkness. My purpose.
At last, we reached the top of the steps, and once there, I faced the doorway that was hidden to all mortals. I could blink and see through it, see right through to another vast set of steps on the other end of a ballroom-like chamber. All was made of white and gray marble. Pillars held up the vaulted ceiling and statues of the gods--five on each side of the room, with a statue of Zeus opposite me--waited, each one towering ten feet tall.
I shuddered. Prometheus had made me take down plenty of statues this year. He'd known about this place. This felt familiar.
One by one, our fighters reached the top of the steps. Ronin and I faced each other. He was strong. Bright. A true warrior.
"I never thought I'd be here," he said, reaching out for my hand. "Looks nice, but I'd rather have something authentic."
I took his hand. "Me, too."
And I got what he was saying. The enormous temple was a front, hiding all the dark, ugly cracks within. At least I wore my darkness on my sleeve.
"Are we ready?" Ronin shouted at the assembled fighters. "Pass right through this wall!"
A war cry rose. People raised their weapons. Wendy's sword sparked with green life and even Dominique's wand glowed a fiery orange.
And with my own dagger raised, I ran beside Ronin into the center of the gods' universe.
Chapter Eighteen
I was ready for the statues. I'd seen plenty of golems come to life, all made of stone and clay and courtesy of Prometheus. The first room of Mount Olympus was literally just a space meant to display the marble statues of the Olympians themselves, all of them except for Hades and all brandishing weapons.
The warrior statue of Athena shifted first, drawing shouts from the fighters thundering in behind me. She lifted her spear and turned her marble head slowly towards us as she stepped down off her pedestal with enough force to shake the floor.
I skidded to a stop as Ronin lifted his sword. He couldn't deplete himself before the fight. Lifting my dagger, I stepped in front of him.
"Giselle!" he shouted.
But instead of charging ahead of me and under the statue's heavy boots and shield, he let me take the lead. I lashed out with a pur
plish-black stream of magic, and my power obeyed, going straight for the neck of the statue. With a single lash, the head came clean off, and toppled down towards us.
People screamed. I pulled Ronin out of the way as the goddess's stone head crashed to the marble floor with a deafening roar.
"That was close," Ronin said.
"And fitting," I added, thinking of Celestus's lecture on Medusa's fate.
People cheered, but the cheers turned to screams again as the air shifted. Something lumbered in the corner of my vision, and a massive, marble trident sailed towards me.
"Shit!" Ronin shouted, raising his sword. A lightning bolt shot at the weapon, blasting it to the side and leaving the cruel-looking Poseidon statue weaponless opposite me. The trident landed at the marble Zeus's feet as the leader of the Olympians took a step off his pedestal.
I took a breath, heart racing, as Wendy ran forward and fired an angry green blast from her sword at the statue. It struck, splintering the head off the eagle perched on the god's shoulder. Wendy fell to her knees from the force as Dominique and Duncan took her place, firing orange and black magic at the Zeus statue. Ronin joined in, firing a lightning bolt, but the god lifted a stone hand and caught Ronin's magic.
A ball of electricity grew brighter and I knew what was about to happen.
My hair stood on end. All of it. Ronin wouldn't even survive the attack.
I charged in front of the others, narrowly missing an orange blast of light, and spread my arms, ready to receive what might be the most painful blow of my life.
The Zeus statue threw the ball of death.
The world turned electric and my hair stood on end. The ball spat bolts and sparks, and then I came off my feet as agonizing pain seized my muscles and made my limbs thrash. Everything flew and turned. I crashed into screaming bodies. Arms. Legs. Smoke rose into panicked faces. I smelled burned fabric.
"Giselle!" Ronin shouted, pushing through Lower Order members.
