The Tyrant's Tomb

I bit back the urge to tell her that we’d had a few things going on. I
climbed off Arion’s back and waited for Meg, but she stayed on with Hazel.
“You don’t need me for the summoning thing,” Meg said. “I’m gonna
help Hazel and unleash the unicorns.”
“But—”
“Gods’ speed,” Hazel told me.
Arion vanished, leaving a trail of smoke down the hillside and Tyson
patting empty air.
“Aww.” The Cyclops pouted. “Zoom Pony left.”
“Yes, he does that.” I tried to convince myself Meg would be fine. I’d
see her soon. The last words I ever heard from her would not be unleash the
unicorns. “Now, if we’re ready—?”
“Late. Later than ready,” Ella complained. “Pick a temple. Yes. Need to
pick.”
“I need to—”
“Single-god summoning!” Tyson did his best to roll up his pants leg
while hopping over to me on one foot. “Here, I will show you again. It is on
my thigh.”
“That’s okay!” I told him. “I remember. It’s just…”
I scanned the hill. So many temples and shrines—even more now that the
legion had completed its Jason-inspired building spree. So many statues of
gods staring at me.
As a member of a pantheon, I had an aversion to picking only one god.
That was like picking your favorite child or your favorite musician. If you
were capable of picking only one, you were doing something wrong.
Also, picking one god meant all the other gods would be mad at me. It
didn’t matter if they wouldn’t have wanted to help me or would’ve laughed
in my face if I’d asked. They would still be offended that I hadn’t put them
at the top of my list. I knew how they thought. I used to be one of them.
Sure, there were some obvious nos. I would not be summoning Juno. I
would not bother with Venus, especially since Friday night was her spa night
with the Three Graces. Somnus was a nonstarter. He’d answer my call,
promise to be right over, and then fall asleep again.
I gazed at the giant statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, his purple toga
rippling like a matador’s cape.
C’mon, he seemed to be telling me. You know you want to.