Chapter Twenty-One

    Kate began to make her way out of the maze of caves, she finally had the helmet now she needed to get to the throne room. But once she was there what was she going to do? How was she going to not only find Cassandra but get her away from Hera? Her steps began to slow, even with the helmet she wasn't sure how she was going to pull any of this off.

   "Do not forget we are with you Kate," the Mother reassured her, her bracelets warmed and she smiled, then a thought dawned on her, they weren't in the mortal realm, she could let the wolves out.

   "Not yet, keep them a surprise, besides there's only one helmet, if they become solid forms how do you plan on getting them in without being noticed?" the Maiden pointed out. Kate nodded, she had a point, she looked at the helmet, it seemed so simple, so unassuming yet it held the power to conceal her from gods, that was some kind of power.

    She finally found an exit and stepped out into a large cavern, she could see light coming from an opening up on a crevice but where that opening led she was unsure.

   "Wouldn't it be easier to go back to your home and then go to Olympus from there?" she asked dreading having to scale the wall to get out of the cave.

   "That would be exactly where they would expect us to come from," the Maiden said, "We need to make our way there using one of the only ways to get there without detection."

   Kate was sure she was right, but how were they going to get there without anyone else finding out? She looked up towards the warm light again, where did it lead? If Hekate knew she wasn't sharing, Kate knew she would never put her in danger without it being necessary.

   "So how do I go from here," she stamped on the ground, "To way up there?" she pointed feeling her stomach drop knowing what the answer was going to be.

   "You'll have to climb it of course," the Crone said exasperated.

   "No," she shook her head and looked around, there had to be another way to get up there. She searched everywhere but when she came up empty, as she knew she would, she sighed and sat on the ground putting her head on her knees. There was no way she could climb that wall, not after the first and last time she had tried to rock climb. 

   She had been ten years old and was at a friend's birthday party, everyone had taken a turn on the wall and it had looked so easy. It had been her turn, she was strapped into the harness and put her helmet on determined to be one of the kids to hit the buzzer at the top. She began to climb, she had been so confident until she had looked down to see how far she had gone. Her eyes locked on the ground and suddenly she couldn't move, she couldn't speak, all she was able to do was hold on to the hand holds with all of her strength until someone had climbed up and attempted to pry her hands from the wall. She screamed as her hand left the wall and then saw black. When she had come to she was laying on the ground her friends looking at her, knowing she was a chicken.

   "I can't climb it Hekate," she whispered feeling like the coward she knew she was.

   "Who are you calling a coward?" the Maiden had said offended, "I don't know what you think the definition of a coward is but you do not fit it."

   "She's right," the Mother chimed in, "You could have left Artemis to handle Phobos on her own but instead you tucked your friend into safety and went to help someone you don't even know."

   "Not only do we know you can do this, you must do this if you want to save Cassandra, you promised to keep her safe, you do keep your promises don't you?" the Crone pointed out knowing Kate always kept her word.

   She knew they were right, she had promised to keep her safe, she had to do this. Kate leaned back against the wall tilting her head up so she could look for any hand holds, foot holds, anything that would help her get to the top as quickly and safely as possible. She didn't have any rope or hooks, she was going to have to do this without any way of stopping herself if she fell. Her stomach flipped and she felt like she was going to be sick.

   "You can do this Kate," all three voices said, a warmth filled Kate as though Hekate had wrapped her in the world's best hug.

   She nodded, she wasn't as sure as her goddess but she had to try. Approaching the wall she tucked Hades helmet into her bag and swung it on her back cinching the straps tightly and reaching out gripping her first hold tightly. She pulled herself up and stuck her foot on the next hold, slowly she began to make her way towards the warm light. She had to fight to keep herself from looking behind her to see how high she was remembering what had happened the last time. She had climbed for what had felt like hours, gripping the wall so tightly she was sure her palms were a bloody mess when she felt the smooth top of a small ledge. She looked up and realized she had made it to the top, she pulled herself over the hedge and laid down catching her breath. Her shirt was covered in sweat where her pack had been and it was sticking uncomfortably to her, but she only had one other shirt and a little sweat was no reason to waste it.

   Finally feeling able to breathe again she sat up and looked around her avoiding looking over the ledge. The warm light had been coming from between two stone pillars. They stood as tall as Kate and were molded to look like large pitchers were pouring something from inside of them, she stepped closer trying to make out what it was.

   "Those are rainbows Kate, this is Iris's gate to the underworld," the Mother said helpfully.

   "So Iris is the Goddess of Rainbows?" Kate asked skeptically, she didn't want to offend anyone but as far as gods had gone Iris seemed to be a little bit, well unimpressive.

   "Yes she is the Goddess of Rainbows, but Kate you should know by now that it is so much more than that," the Maiden said surprised by Kate's attitude.

   Kate looked between the pillars at the light emitting from it, she had thought it was a pure golden light when in fact it held so many colors that spun, swirled, and glowed so brightly it made her eyes hurt to study it so closely. She finally had to look away, her eyes tearing up as she blinked trying to clear the spots that had come to cloud her vision.

   "Okay, so how is this going to get us to Olympus?"

   "Iris is a messenger goddess, she can travel between any realm she pleases."

   A thought slowly began to take shape, "So Iris is going to get us there?" Sadness filled Kate so quickly it made her heart hurt, she placed her hand on her chest feeling it beat faster.

   "We don't know where Iris is, we haven't seen her since we left our realm, she had been in the throne room when Athena pushed us out," the Crone said a bite in her voice to try to hide the quiver Kate knew was there.

   She didn't want to seem cold but she didn't understand how this was going to help if the goddess wasn't actually in her realm.

   "Iris doesn't have her realm, she prefers the sky, but when she has to take anything that was too hard to fly with she used this portal to quickly go from one realm to the next," the Mother said.

   "So we can use this portal to get to Olympus?" Kate stepped closer to the portal reaching out to hit.

   "Stop!" Hekate yelled making Kate grab her head and step back knocking stones off the ledge behind her.

   "Why?!" she asked rubbing her temples and getting her balance back, she loved Hekate but sometimes being a vessel freaking hurt.

   "You can not just simply walk through Iris' portal," the Crone said matter factly, "You must know exactly where you are going, you must picture that place in your mind. Then, once it is firmly there you may walk through the portal."

   "You must remember Iris' was able to go anywhere and if you try to use her portal without knowing where you are going you could end up in the far reaches of space," the Mother added.

   "Well that's just great," Kate said crossing her arms, her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed at the portal, "How am I supposed to picture a place I have never seen?"

   "We can help you," the Maiden said almost excitedly, was she looking forward to going back there? If it had been Kate she would have wanted to avoid the tragedy.

   "Close your eyes," she continued, "Picture pure white marble, white floors, white walls, white ceilings."

    Kate did as she was told and slowly a picture began to form in her mind.

   "Great Kate. Now I want you to see the fabrics, cream white and soft blowing in the gentle breeze that is always there."

   Kate saw it, she saw a long hallway with top-to-bottom white marble. She saw the fabrics that were twisted around statues of monsters hanging from the ceiling as they billowed gently with each breeze.

   "Perfect, now reach out and allow Iris' portal to take us there."

   Kate reached out and felt when her hand made contact with the portal. Warmth crawled up her arm and it began to pull her in slightly then with a final step Kate walked through what felt like her millionth portal and crossed her fingers that she would be in Olympus when she opened her eyes.

   She could feel the wind whipping her hair around, pulling strands from her braid, she knew she was high up but kept her eyes tightly closed afraid to look anywhere, and more afraid of losing the picture she was holding so tightly in her mind. Coming to an abrupt stop Kate felt around to find anything solid, the ground, a wall, anything. When her hands reached and she still found nothing she nearly began to panic. She knew there was nothing but air around her and she was not able to fly even with Hekate's help so whatever had stopped her was holding her in place at their whim.

   "Who dares to use my portal without my blessing?" a loud melodic voice rang out rattling Kate's eardrums.

   "Okay Hekate what do I do here?" she asked closing her eyes tighter afraid if she were to open them whatever magick was holding her up would suddenly disappear.

   "Open your eyes and talk to her Kate," the Mother said her voice hopeful.

   Kate hesitated another minute before slowly allowing her eyes to open a sliver at a time. When they had finally opened completely they widened in awe. She wasn't floating exactly, she was standing on a large luminescent bridge made of every color imaginable. She looked around trying to find the voice that had called out to her but everywhere she looked a light would flare and she would have to look away.

   "I asked you a question, please do not make me repeat myself," the voice came again from behind her and Kate spun around trying to place a face to the voice, but again she was met by a flare of light and she had to look away.

   "My name is Kate, and I am trying to make my way to Olympus to keep a promise to a friend," she tried to keep her voice strong and sure but it was hard when she couldn't find who she was supposed to be talking to.

   "And what right do you have to be on my bridge?"

   Kate hesitated again, she had no actual right to be on this person's bridge but she didn't think saying that would help her at the moment.

   "Tell her who you are Kate, she will understand," the Maiden suggested.

   "I am the vessel of a goddess and we need to get to Olympus."

   The light began to ebb away, not nearly so bright, and Kate was able to make out the shape of a girl, with...

   "She has wings!" Kate thought so loudly she could hear the Crone grumbling.

   "It is her," the Mother breathed, "Please Kate let me speak to her."

   "I don't think that is a good idea Hekate," Kate shook her head, "I need to make sure you keep your strength for what we find on Olympus."

   "She is right," the Maiden agreed.

    "What goddess resides within you mortal?"

    "Hekate," Kate said feeling prickly at the use of the word mortal, seriously she knew these gods weren't stupid and that mortals had names, why did they have to be so rude?

   The light faded so much that Kate was finally able to make out where the voice was coming from. The goddess standing in front of Kate was tall and thin as she could be without looking sick. Her skin was a deep brown and glowed with every move she made. Her eyes found Kate's and she could see the colors swirling and mixing to look like a beautiful galaxy. Her hair was intricately braided from the top of her head and flowing down her back where it reached her feet and kept growing so long Kate couldn't find the end of it. But it was her wings that caught and held Kate's attention, they fanned out around her so large she could have wrapped herself and at least five other people inside them. Each feather was a different color, all blending to make them shimmer with each slight movement.

   "You hold Hekate inside you?" she asked her beautiful voice quieting to a softer sound.

   "I do. I apologize but we do need to borrow your," she looked around her unsure if she would call this a portal but unsure what else to call it, "Portal to get there."

   The goddess's eyes narrowed and she looked closer at Kate searching for something.

   "She is looking for us," Kate was a little surprised she had never heard the Mother sound quite so cross.

   "Where is she mortal?"

   Kate rolled her eyes, "First my name is Kate, and second, she is inside me."

   "Show me."

   Kate looked at the goddess she wasn't sure she could be trusted, hadn't Hekate said she had been in the throne room when she had been forced to leave, how had Iris gotten away safely?

   "Trust us Iris stays as far away from conflict as she can," the Maiden said.

   "Fine but after we need to keep going," Kate closed her eyes and pulled herself out of the driver's seat allowing the Mother to take the reins.

   "Hello Iris, it is so amazing to see you, I am so happy to know you are okay."

   Iris stood still searching Kate's face for Hekate, dawning appeared in her eyes and her smile made Kate feel uncomfortable.

   "It is you," Iris stepped closer and reached out as though she was going to take Kate's hand, at the last minute she reached up and slapped her across the face. Hekate could taste the blood from where she had bit her lip and she looked up at Iris in pain.

   "Why Iris?"

   The smile became disgusted and the goddess reached out and hit her again, this time Hekate spit the blood out and took a step back.

   "You left us in that throne room to deal with Ares alone Hekate, you ran," her melodic voice spit out like venom.

   "I had to leave Iris."

   The goddess shook her head violently, "No you didn't have to leave Hekate, you chose to leave. You left us there with a mad man and now you want my help?" she stepped closer her hands beginning to glow with a white-hot light, "I will help you to the throne room Hekate, only so you can finally face the hand the Morai have dealt you!" With that, she held up her hands and the light shot from her palms slammed into Kate's chest her mind became foggy as she was pushed violently up and onto Mount Olympus.