We happened to be standing on the only piece of clear ground and I knew it was not a coincidence I hadn’t landed thigh-deep in frozen snow.
In fact, this small area seemed to be a landing pad of sorts. The perfect circle revealed the rocky stone surface of the mountain. While every other direction seemed to head straight down, the spot leveled out just enough to give us a safe place to stand.
When they called Olympus a mountain, they were not kidding.
I still gripped Ryder’s hand with mine. I had just decided that we should flee. I wasn’t going to fight a battle in these conditions. Call me shallow or flakey or not exactly dedicated to this cause, but this was ridiculous.
I turned around at Ryder’s urging and stopped feeling the cold because I’d clearly slipped into shock.
I had been staring down at the rock and granite that made Olympus a mountain, but when I turned around to look up, I came face-to-face with Olympus the city.
Golden gates stood as guards against unwanted visitors. Their thick bars twined together to make an impenetrable, yet delicate façade. The gilded pieces looked like lace set against the stone of the mountain they were built directly into.
When Hermes took a step forward the doors to the city swung wide and seemed to glow with acceptance. He tossed a smug smile over his shoulder and stepped into the ancient city.
Ryder and I followed him, our mouths hanging wide and our fingers clutched tightly together. I felt the heat as soon as we stepped through the threshold. The icy cold disappeared completely, only to be replaced with an energizing heat I swear I could feel in my bones.
Instead of relaxing from the change, I only felt more nervous.
A road lay out before us, climbing to the very pinnacle of the mountain. It sparkled with the whitest limestone I had ever seen and curved from side to side in a winding, scenic path.
Buildings in the typical ancient Greek style were positioned alongside the limestone street. The triangle roofs sat above stately pillars. In a language I couldn’t understand, the names of every building were written above the massive doors on each separate structure.
Hermes did not stop at any of the initial places and it dawned on me that I had no idea where he was taking us now that we were here.
I tried not to panic, but when the gates rattled shut behind us, encasing us in this super strange place, I couldn’t help the squeak that jumped from my throat.
Hermes gave me another superior glance and kept moving forward. The higher we climbed, the more of the city I took in.
Inside the city, green grass flowed over hills and dipped into valleys where glittering blue streams flowed freely. Palaces dotted the tops of each hill in every direction. I stared at them in awe, shocked by the immense structures on every hilltop.
Houses wouldn’t be good enough for these people. They each needed their own palace.
The opulence and grandeur was astounding, each palace bigger and better than the last. The sun favored the pretty white stone glistening beneath its shimmering heat, bathing each residence with an unearthly glow.
I chewed my bottom lip and pictured each of the gods I had met so far. They were evil, manipulative, greedy men that would stop at nothing to get what they wanted. They believed that they were above humanity, that they could own whomever they wanted and treat them according to their depraved standards. They were not capable of morality or dignity. They murdered innocent girls when they didn’t get their way. And they would do the same thing to me. They would tug and pull and twist me until I was a misshapen caricature of my former self.
They lived in a place that looked like heaven, but it was only a pretty picture meant to deceive and confuse.
This place was really hell come to life- the holding place of demons and devils.
Ryder squeezed my hand, giving me the courage I needed to keep moving.
We walked for at least twenty minutes without seeing another soul. The city was eerily quiet, not even the gentle breeze rustled leaves or grass. Our footsteps jarred loudly as we made our way deeper into the city.
Finally we turned a corner and the pinnacle of the mountain came into view. The road led to one place that I had been expecting since we walked through the gates.
The temple.
At the highest peak stood an enormous, rectangular building. The close sun hit the limestone so perfectly I had to shield my eyes against the brightness. The classic, thick columns bordered the building on every side, creating an open venue without traditional walls.
We stood too far back to see what was inside of the temple, but I could feel the buzzing of power radiating from the center. I sensed the gods waiting for us inside and heard the low murmur of voices drifting on the wind.
Hermes paused midstride and Ryder and I nearly bumped into him. He held up a hand, tilted his face toward the sun and stilled almost completely.
I swallowed against new nerves and waited for this event to finally begin.
Soon enough, a man came rushing down the hill from the mouth of the temple. His white toga flapped with every stride, billowing back from his muscular body.
