CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

After hurling back to Mount Olympus, Rhea herded us up the Cloudwell, a grand staircase composed of dense clouds, to behind the gymnasium. While she commanded all of our attention, she gazed directly at me.

“Listen, Zeus, you’re not wrong. And sadly, I think your instincts are as sharp as a sword’s edge. But something’s amiss. While we sort out everything, we need to stick together and lean on each other at our home base.” She paused, taking in our faces. “That means no running off alone on secret missions. I’m serious. I will get to the bottom of the Crete incident, whatever happened, even if it means bringing in the Khaos Council. Perhaps I can call in a favor.” She walked over to grip my shoulders tightly. The pressure applied beneath her fingertips was at odds with her signature soothing touch. “Zeus, and the rest of you … are you all absolutely certain of what you witnessed on Crete?”

We all nodded silently, our voices not quite strong enough to carry the weight of the answer.

Tia spoke up. Her voice shook. “W-we all saw it.”

Poseidon cosigned. “Honestly, I wish we hadn’t.”

“Very well then.” Rhea sighed slowly. “Everyone, go and get some rest. Classes begin tomorrow despite the chaos.” She grabbed Amphitrite’s hand. “Come with me, sweetheart. Let’s get you checked in before tomorrow. Ananke’s probably toiling late anyway. She’s a workaholic, that one.”

Don said, “Headmistress, you must let us go up to the Sky Throne tonight.”

“What?” Rhea turned to him.

“When we went to Othrys, Zeus and Shade were the only ones with offensive abilities. And we could’ve gotten crushed if you hadn’t shown up. We all need to sit on the throne to see what gifts we receive.”

“Tempting … but, no,” Rhea said. “I already have three hotheads with unwieldy deity magic. Gaia knows I don’t need nine of you running around with powers you can’t control, adding to the growing tension.”

Hestia scoffed. “You don’t have to worry about me, Headmistress. I’m not one of the hotheads of which you speak.”

Meter joined Tia’s side. “Neither am I.” She points to Shade, Don, and me. “Now those boys … they are the ones you have to worry about.”

“Poseidon,” Headmistress Rhea began, “you raise a compelling argument. I’ll take it under consideration.”

We all dispersed to our residences, except Don who clearly wanted to stick close to Amphitrite. “I told you going to Othrys would be a bad idea,” Don said to me as he turned to walk away with Amphitrite and Rhea.

Metis at my side, I reluctantly ambled along the trail back to my bungalow. I hadn’t wanted to leave Othrys in the first place. At least, not until I had some answers. Someone over there knew something. I didn’t trust anyone wearing the blood-red omicron of Othrys Hall.

My heavy heart tightened. How could Amalthea and Aristaeus be dead? And the rest of the Kouretes? What would happen to the goat operation? It wasn’t like I was going back to take care of them. But, I was absolutely going to visit a sack of kickass on those responsible.

Yet, I couldn’t discount that when I had confronted Atlas at Othrys earlier, I had nothing going in my favor. We were off campus. In hostile territory. And outnumbered, by Titans alone. And there was no true telling how many Oceanids and Potamoi there were. Hundreds maybe. They were nearly as plentiful as the rivers and streams themselves. Not to mention, I had not one shred of evidence for my claim. Just a gut hunch, really.

In the calm of the MO Prep landscape, it occurred to me that I’d almost ripped apart the fabric of the Olympian friendship bonds. To have my friends and siblings split over whether to help me was something I’d never imagined would happen. I guessed I thought they’d come willingly. But perhaps this mission hadn’t been the best one to test loyalties on. I had wanted so badly to be a part of something larger than myself. MO Prep was it. The Olympians were it. I hoped I hadn’t pushed them away permanently.

Metis remained quiet for the walk. Her presence was support enough. We reached my one-room bungalow, my home away from home, or away from Crete, rather. An oil torch burned outside the doorway. I crossed the threshold with the torch to light some candles inside, Metis rubbing a circle on my back. I loved when she did that.

“Hey, you,” she whispered. “There’s nothing I can say right now to make any of this better. Just know that I will always be here for you, to talk, to listen, to ride into harm’s way, to … whatever.” She slid both of her palms to my cheeks. They seared into my anger-warmed skin. She pulled my face to hers. Our lips touched and she jumped back, licked her lips, and then dragged two fingers across them. “Ouch!”

“What?” I said. My gaze roamed over her ivory skin.

“You just shocked me.”

“Really? I felt nothing.”

“Ohhh …” she sassed. “You felt nothing, huh?”

I sucked my teeth. “Not nothing… you know what I meant.”

“Well, I felt plenty. Electrified. And not in a good way.” She chuckled and wagged her finger at me. “You need to control that … whatever that is.”

I glanced downward. “Sorry.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I like positive energy as much as the next girl, but let’s try to turn the current off … at least when I’m kissing you.”

I looked from under my brows into her hazel eyes and flashed as wicked a grin as I could manage.

“Now … as for that punch you gave Atlas tonight.” Metis’ oval face brightened as she purred, “Baby, I haven’t been that turned on since … you toppled his ass at the wrestling match last term.”

“Wait …” I turned to face her. “You got aroused by that … all the way back then?”

Her cheeks blushed fiercely, even in the darkness. “And then there was that time you smashed Pallas at the wrestling match …”

Images of both nights flashed through my brain like searing jabs. The leg swipe that sent Atlas to the ground with a thud at the wrestling match at Othrys. The punch that landed on Pallas like a hammer striking an anvil at the wrestling championships here at MO Prep.

“Ummm, yeah …” I said. “The last time you got turned on, Tia was abducted, Ouranos was murdered, and I was the number one suspect for both. Bad things happen when you get aroused.”

Metis gripped my wrist with a feather-light touch, and then slowly applied more pressure until I could feel her pulse in time with my own. “I am so sorry about that. But—”

“Admit it. Violence makes you warm and tingly under that clingy chiton you’re so fond of.”

“I regret nothing.” She released my hand, pinched the sides of her dress, and inched it higher on her hips. She closed her eyes, and then smiled after a moment like she was reliving something. “You want me to protest, but I can’t. I won’t. Displays of unabashed manliness are my weakness. Virility arouses me. I know this about myself. It’s a good thing you supply me with my fix.” She bit her lip in such a slow, seductive manner that my breathing came faster. She moved close to me, sliding her hand around my neck, and then whispering into my ear. “But you’re incorrect about the last time you really had me ready to disrobe. It wasn’t the night of the wrestling championships after the Pallas take down. The last time you could’ve had your way with me was the night just before we went to the Underworld.”

I scoffed, “But I didn’t hit anyone that night.”

“But all that lightning and thunder,” she purred. “Mmmm, damn. One day you’re going to make some powerful children.”

Thinking back to that night, I closed my eyes and felt myself growing closer to Metis in many ways. I chuckled. Despite our humble beginnings, she had always had my back when it counted, even sacrificing herself in the Underworld last term.

“Yeah,” she whispered into my ear. “We have some unfinished business.”