Olympian Challenger #1 by Astrid Arditi

Author:Astrid Arditi [Arditi, Astrid]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, 2018

Chapter 24

Amy’s shoulder brushes against my arm. She hasn’t recovered from her fright yet.

“Thank you. For stopping me from opening the box.”

A tight smile etches on my lips. “That’s what friends are for.”

Melody places her hands on her hips. “Where’s the next torch?”

We find one with Hephaestus’s crest standing at the edge of a cliff that falls abruptly down, with a ledge descending all the way to the clouds.

“Makes sense,” I say. “Prometheus must live in a cavern. But how do we get across?”

“There are ledges large enough for us to walk on,” Amy says.

As if to prove her point, we spot another torch blazing further down a ledge. I squint at the distance. Two silhouettes sidle down it, their backs pressed against the mountain. The tallest one must be Bob Jr., which would make the blond boy next to him Heath. I grunt. Of course he would be in first place.

“Let’s go,” I say.

Gabriel blinks rapidly with fear. “I can’t. I’ll fall.”

“You won’t.” I hold his arm, taken aback by the taut muscles in my grip.

“I’m afraid of heights,” he says.

“I won’t let go of you. You can make it.” I drag him toward the ledge. “Marcus, can you do this?”

“I’m fine.”

I worry about the tremor in his limbs, but we have no other choice if we want a chance to win.

“Just let me know if you need a break, ok?”

Amy goes first, followed by Melody. I let Marcus go before me then drag a reluctant Gabriel onto the ledge.

Gabriel’s spine goes rigid as he looks down.

“Keep your eyes on me. Slow and steady.”

We creep over the ledge in the direction Heath and Bob Jr. went. Marcus wavers dangerously but stays upright. Gabriel quakes beneath my hand. After a while, I notice a flock of eagles circling threateningly over one particular spot.

I call loud enough that Amy at the front will hear me, “Zeus’s eagles. We must be getting near.”

At the next torch, the abrupt rock wall turns into a milder slope. It is made uneven by serrated boulders, but at least we’re not on a narrow ledge looming over a deep gap any longer. Gabriel’s stiff shoulders soften.

We descend slightly to get an overview of what lies ahead. A cavern opens up in the mountain with jagged edges, like the teeth of a monstrous dragon. Three eagles, their powerful wings flapping in the breeze, protect the gaping mouth in the rock.

“Do you think that’s it?” Melody takes a cautious step toward the cavern.

With feral shrieks, the eagles dive toward a place hidden by large boulders.

“That is where Heath and Bob Jr. went,” Amy says.

“Should we help them?” Gabriel asks.

Marcus is shaking and his face is chalk white.

“We need to get him to safety first,” I say.

“The boys can fend for themselves,” Amy agrees. She grabs Marcus’s left arm.

We force him to walk although he’s still locked in his prison of terror. Gabriel and Melody follow closely.

Two of the eagles are busy with Heath and Bob Jr., so only one remains.

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