Read The Cult of Kronos for Free Online Page A

would shake the
mountain. Was I right? How is your brother, Zeus?”
    “ He's devastated.”
    “ Good.” Coach Cruz put his
hand on Nick's shoulder again. “My son—”
    “ You ate us.”
    Cruz laughed. “But I didn't
kill you.”
    “ There's a difference?”
    “ You came back up whole,
didn’t you?”
    Nick just glared.
    “ I was rash, it's true. I
believed a prophecy and in trying to stop it, I made it true. I've
learned my lesson.”
    “ And that lesson is?”
    “ Don't try to thwart
prophecies. Keep up, boy. It was obvious enough.” He took his hand
off of Nick's shoulder and bridged his fingers in front of his chest.
“You were brothers and you drew lots. Hades drew the underworld,
Zeus drew the sky, and you drew the sea. Isn't it funny how the
brother who orchestrated this whole drawing of straws managed to get
the heavens? The best domain? By right, being the youngest, shouldn't
he have gotten the least domain?”
    “ What do you want from me?”
    “ Ah, yes. Listen, Poseidon,
I know you're tired of following orders.”
    Nick's shoulders tensed. “I
mean, who isn't.”
    “ And it's not necessarily
because you don't like rules and authority. After all, you have no
problem taking orders from an Olympic Bronze Medalist,” he said,
placing his hand on his chest.
    “ Well, I figure someone
who's been to the Olympics deserves the authority.”
    “ But Zeus…”
    “ But Zach,” Nick said.
“Who died and made him boss?”
    Cruz chuckled again. “Exactly.
Why does winning one fight against an old man make him king? Who
decided that it had to be a monarchy? Here you are, gods, and your
mortal pets have invented a more progressive government than you.”
    “ So what are you proposing,
a democracy?”
    “ When I ruled over men,”
he said, “Everyone was happy. I don't just mean a few rich
senators. Everyone. Not just men. Women too. And there was no slave
class. They called it The Golden Age. Nobody wanted for anything.
There was no fighting, no jealousy, no hunger. Everyone was their
best self and everyone was happy. How would you like that?”
    Nick shrugged. “I dunno,
seems kind of boring.”
    “ There was no boredom
either. There was no want.”
    “ And you want to make
everything golden again?”
    “ Exactly. And you are just
the god to help me.”
    “ Yeah? How do I do that?”
    “ Well, first I would have to
convince your friends.”
    “ I'm not exactly their
favorite, as you pointed out.”
    “ I was thinking the choice
would be a little less persuasive and a little more intimidating.
They join me or they die.”
    “ Oh.”
    “ If you give yourself over
to my service, if you vow to be my loyal servant, when I kill them
all, I will let you live. When they are gone and I am in charge, you
will be a king. You will not just reign over the sea, but you will
personally help me rule the land with fairness and wisdom. How does
that sound?”
    “ Uh…” Nick looked back
at his locker. His green and gold Olympia Heights Senior High
Athletics sweatshirt hung on the hook opposite his towel. He was
being offered a chance to live, rather than to have his neck snapped
like Dr. Davis. If Kronos was going to kill the Pantheon anyway, why
shouldn't Nick make it out alive? “Can I have a few days to think
about it?”
    Cruz smiled. “Of course. But
while you mull it over, remember how they've treated you. Would they
give the same consideration for your life?”
    As Nick was watching, Cruz's
pupils snapped back to normal size. The change was quick, like
watching a rubber band rebound. Cruz stopped smiling and blinked.
“Oh, hey, Nick.”
    “ Kronos?”
    “ Huh?”
    “ Nothing.” Nick watched
Cruz put his hands into his pockets and saw the change in his stance.
No longer was he solid and intimidating, but bouncy and open.
    “ What're you doing here so
late?”
    “ Just…just practicing a
little more.”
    Cruz clapped Nick on the side
of the arm. “Well,” he said, “don't wear yourself