by Eliza Raine
The manticore’s eyes met mine through the glass and he flicked his tongue lazily out of his mouth, showing me his razor sharp teeth as he prowled closer. The red stinger pulsed with a glowing light.
‘He’s beautiful,’ I said.
‘He is, isn’t he?’ the princess sighed, turning away from me and looking fondly towards Sting. ‘And clever, for a wild beast.’
‘What does he eat?’ asked Tak, enthusiastically.
‘Meat,’ she answered simply, giving him a sideways look.
‘Oh,’ he replied, clearly hoping for a more gory answer. A thought occurred to me.
‘Are there other manticores here?’ I asked.
‘Yes. Two, actually. They sleep during the day, so I’m not surprised you didn’t see them.’
‘Do they have wings?’ I asked hopefully.
‘Yes…’ she answered, brown eyes crinkling as she peered at me. ‘Why?’
‘I need a manticore feather,’ I said quickly.
‘You need what?’ repeated Tak, screwing his face up.
‘For Advanced Magical Objects,’ I lied fast. None of my friends were in that class with me so it was an easy lie to tell.
Princess Morea cocked her head, regarding me.
‘A manticore feather can be used for many things, I believe,’ she said. ‘I attended the academy too, you know,’ she added with a small smile.
‘Really?’ Tak stared at her.
‘Of course. Not the one you’re at, royals and nobles are sent somewhere more…’ she paused. ‘Comfortable,’ she finished. ‘But I remember Potions and Magical Objects classes. What do you want with a manticore feather?’
I swallowed as Tak turned to me too.
‘Nothing, in particular. I just read they could be useful,’ I said, as casually as I could.
‘Hmmmm,’ she said. ‘Well, it just so happens that one of the manticore stalls will be empty and open for cleaning in a few minutes. Your class is due to leave at the same time though. But… if a student were quick enough and they knew that it was exactly five stalls on the right from here, they might be able to sneak in and grab a fallen feather…’ She gave me a quick wink, and strode off before I could thank her.
I turned right, in the direction she had said the pen was.
‘What’s going on?’ Tak said, coming after me as I began jogging down the corridor.
‘Nothing, I just really want a feather.’
‘Well, I guess they’re pretty cool, but worth being late and getting in trouble with Agrius for?’
Getting my hands on another one of the ingredients for the potion was so worth getting in trouble with Agrius for, but I couldn’t tell Tak that. I shrugged instead.
‘Why not? He already hates me.’
‘That’s true.’
11
We slowed when we reached the pen five doors down. There were no other students around now, as they were all heading back to the meeting point outside the tree. As I watched, the glass in front of the stall lifted, slowly.
‘Are you sure about this? What if the manticore is still in there?’ Tak said apprehensively.
‘Then they wouldn’t open it, with students still here,’ I said and took a few steps closer. ‘Stay here and watch out for whoever is coming to clean it.’
‘Okay,’ he answered, looking up and down the corridor.
My nose scrunched up as I got close, the smell of animal much more potent than the pegasus stables I had gotten used to. The stall had a sprawling tree up one wall, the same as the griffon enclosure, and a series of large, sandy rocks on the other side. There was a rocky cave at the back, the mouth dark and still. When I was sure I couldn’t see any movement I stepped through from the corridor, onto the sand. I began to scan the floor, looking for feathers. There were small rocks, and things that looked suspiciously like bones, and a few leaves and lumps of mud and dirt, but I couldn’t see any feathers. I moved over to the base of the tree, looking up at the branches, hopeful that a feather may have become caught when the creature was climbing. To my disappointment though, I could only see green leaves. Then, suddenly, there was a loud clicking sound and I jerked my head around in time to see the glass front of the pen slamming back down to the floor. I froze, unsure what was happening. Why had the pen door shut? And where was Tak?
I waited a few seconds, looking for Tak in the corridor beyond the glass, but he had gone. All I saw was a flash of silver disappearing around the bend. Astra or Vronti, the silver-haired twins? A rustle from behind me made me whirl again and then my blood turned to ice in my veins. Red eyes were glowing from inside the cave.
Fear washed through me as one giant paw emerged, and my eyes glued to the lethally sharp black claws. How was the manticore still in here? The pen had been open! I took a shaky step backwards. I needed to get out. I needed help. I took another step, quicker, as a horned lion head followed the paw out of the cave. I gave a small, involuntary cry as my back bumped against the glass and the creature froze, it’s eyes locked on mine. Too frightened to take my eyes off the manticore, I knocked my fist on the glass behind me, lightly at first, then harder as the beast resumed its slow prowl towards me. When it emerged from the cave fully my breath caught in realization. It didn’t have wings.
‘Sting?’ I whispered. It paused again, cocking its head slightly. ‘How did you get in here?’ I murmured, trying to keep my voice from shaking, still knocking on the glass. I had no idea if anybody was on the other side of it. Surely Tak had gone for help?
The manticores eyes flicked to my hands and the flashing scorpion stinger rose high above his back as he bared his teeth. I froze, stopping the knocking. The stinger lowered, and the snarling lessened.
‘OK. I won’t do that then,’ I breathed. ‘Why aren’t you outside, in the forest?’ I said, trying to use the same soothing voice I used when I was talking to Peto. The beast took a slow step closer to me, unblinking. I darted a glance up at the tree. Could I get up there before him? Doubtful, I thought. He would be much quicker at climbing than me. Sting took another step, now less than ten feet from me. ‘You don’t want to eat me,’ I said, giving him a weak smile. ‘Surely you’ve already been fed today?’ Please, please gods, let him have been fed today, I prayed. Maybe I could get around him, to the cave and out that way? He took another step.
Adrenaline was coursing through me now, but the room was dry and my power wasn’t surging around inside me like it did in the underwater academy. I was aware of the water in the telkhine pen a few stalls over, but I couldn’t get it out of that pen and use it. Could I conjure enough up from nothing to be useful? Heat tingled across my skin as Sting took another long stride. He was five feet away now, his massive head and flashing red eyes fixed on me. I held up a shaking hand, calling up a fireball. It burst to life above me and Sting stopped, his cat eyes moving to crackling ball.
The princess’s words rang in my mind. Do not use magic around the creatures. Had I broken royal rules? What would happen to me if I wasn’t eaten by Sting? Surely these were exceptional circumstances, I thought desperately, as the manticore dropped his gaze from the fireball and settled back on me. He lifted a paw from the ground, closing the gap between us even further. I was sweating now, both from fear and the building heat starting to engulf me. I willed the fireball above me bigger, but Sting didn’t look at it. I didn’t want to hurt him, I really didn’t. But…
‘Woah! Woah, you don’t want to do that!’ A well-spoken male voice rang across the room and Sting flicked his head around to the cave. An older boy, with soft brown hair and warm brown eyes crawled out of it, a large sack hanging from his left hand. ‘If he wanted to, that stinger would have killed you from back here. If you throw a fireball at him, he’ll definitely kill you.’
‘I’m pretty sure he’s going to eat me anyway,’ I whispered.
‘Nah, he doesn’t eat humans when he can have what I’ve got here,’ he grinned, waving the sack at the manticore. Sting looked between me and the sack, then turned
towards the boy. He pulled a huge lump of raw flesh from the bag and launched it up onto the highest of the big sandy rocks. I held my breath as the stinger swung in front of me as the manticore bounded after the meat, leaping the distance easily. The fireball fizzled out as I sagged in relief.
‘See?’ grinned the boy, as Sting dropped down flat to the rocks, his huge teeth sinking into the meat. ‘Good job I’m on cleaning duty today though, anybody else might have let him play with you. What are you doing in here?’
‘I… I got trapped in here. The glass was open,’ I stammered, pressing my sweaty palms flat against the glass behind me. That had been way, way too close.
‘Huh. Sting is supposed to be locked in his stall when students are here,’ he frowned. ‘Oh well, no harm done. Come on. If you’re with the last class, they were supposed to leave already.’ He held his hand out to me and I pushed myself nervously off the glass, looking at Sting. ‘Don’t worry, he’ll ignore you,’ the boy said. And he did, completely, as I crept across the room and gripped the boys hand with relief.
‘Who are you?’ I asked as he pulled me into the dark cave.
‘Prince Phyleus,’ his voice came back as we crawled through the dark. ‘You probably met my sister earlier.’
‘Prince?’ I half yelped, my voice echoing off the rock.
He laughed.
‘Yeah. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anybody what happened. I’m always in trouble too,’ he said as light began to filter around us and I saw the cave exit.
We emerged onto the dirty forest floor and stood up quickly. I pulled my hand back awkwardly and brushed at my bare knees, scuffed and scraped from the stone of the cave.
‘Well, thank you, very much, for saving me,’ I said in my most formal voice, unable to meet his eyes.
‘No worries. Maybe be more careful around lethal wild animals in future,’ he said cheerfully. I raised my gaze to his. He was grinning. ‘Your class is supposed to meet round the other side of the tree. You’d better hurry.’
I nodded.
‘Thank you,’ I said again, and ran towards where he was pointing.
I met Tak’s relieved expression when I rounded the giant tree trunk with a glare. Guilt washed over his face and he opened his mouth as I slowed to a stop beside him, the rest of the class hovering in a group, looking over at me and muttering.
‘Pandora?’ roared Agrius, before Tak could speak. I winced. ‘Where have you been? I told everyone to meet here ten minutes ago! That included you!’
I turned as the angry man stomped towards me, the other students scattering. Astra and Vronti were both staring at me, cold and expressionless.
‘I… Um… I got lost,’ I said, lamely.
Agrius glared down at me.
‘Detention. Laps of the training ground after your last class.’
I cut off my groan before it fully escaped, the teachers eyes flashing with anger.
‘Yes, professor,’ I said instead, glaring back.
‘Where in Zeus’s name were you?’ I hissed at Tak as soon as Agrius had stamped off.
‘I don’t know what happened! I was keeping lookout, like you said, then I heard your voice, calling me from down the corridor. When I looked back in the pen I couldn’t see you, so I followed the voice and then I was being gathered up with the other students by Agrius and the princess. Honestly, Dora, I’m so sorry.’ His beseeching eyes told me he wasn’t lying and I relaxed my glare.
‘Somebody tricked you,’ I snarled. ‘And I think it was one of them.’ I nodded towards the Zeus twins.
‘Astra and Vronti? Nah, they’re too well-behaved. What happened anyway? Did you get the feather?’
‘No,’ I sighed, looking at him. ‘I’ll tell you what happened at dinner, when Zali and-’ I hesitated, thinking about Icarus. Would he sit with us at dinner? I doubted it. ‘When Zali and the others are there,’ I finished. ‘Although I’m not sure you’ll believe me.’
12
Once Hermes had flashed us back to the academy, we were told it was too late for lunch in the main temple and given sandwiches to take to our next class. I got a few angry glares from the others for costing them their lunch break, and I kept my head down apologetically.
In Advanced Magical Objects we went through methods of spotting cursed objects, and though I would normally be interested, I couldn’t focus on what Professor Fantasma was saying. Who had trapped me in that pen? And had they known Sting was loose or was that a coincidence? It couldn’t have been an accident, I reasoned. Somebody had lured Tak away. And how had he not seen me or the glass front close? It would take strong telepathy powers to do that. My eyes fell on Astra, who was paying close attention to the teacher. I was sure I’d seen silver. And the twins were excellent at telepathy, and every other class for that matter. But they had no reason to try to hurt me. If anybody wanted to trap me in a pen with a manticore it would be Arketa.
My last class was Water and I concentrated on staying out of everyone’s way and not drenching anybody. Adrenaline still hummed through me and I didn’t trust myself to open up to the water surrounding us. Dasko frowned a little at my tiny whirlpools when he came to see how I was doing, but thankfully he didn’t push me.
‘Attention, please,’ he called, near the end of the lesson. ‘Your second semester exams are going to be overseen by Hermes in two months.’
Well, at least Zeus wasn’t coming this time.
‘I know we’ve had a bit of a shock start to this semester but the Gods are keen to continue the high level of expectation at the academy. Anybody who fails too many exams will be asked to leave.’
My skin seemed to tighten across my body as anxiety rippled through me. Leave and go and wander the mortal world alone forever. I couldn’t fail.
‘If you need any extra help, please do ask your teachers. It’s what we’re here for,’ he finished. His eyes settled on mine. His meaning was clear. I needed more help. The gong sounded and I blew out a sigh as the other students grabbed their bags and began filing out of the room. I trudged over to Dasko.
‘I guess I need more extra classes,’ I mumbled.
‘I’m free again this Sunday if you are,’ he smiled at me.
‘Yeah. Sure,’ I sighed. Dasko looked over at the last student leaving the water room.
‘Don’t be so down about it Pandora, you only need the extra classes because you have the potential to be so powerful. It’s a good thing.’
‘It doesn’t feel like it,’ I grumbled. ‘And all the other students still hate me.’ I thought about telling him that I thought one of them tried to kill me earlier, but decided it sounded too dramatic. I didn’t actually know it wasn’t an accident.
‘Just work hard, and it’ll pay off,’ he said. His eyes were soft and reassuring.
‘I will,’ I said. ‘And thank you. For giving up your time for me.’
‘You’re welcome.’
When I got to the training ground for my detention with Agrius he was already there, launching spears at a massive practice target.
‘You’re late again, Pandora,’ he spat.
‘I was talking with Professor Dasko,’ I answered.
‘Get changed and give me twenty laps,’ he grunted. I glared at his huge back as he turned back to the target, then trudged off to the changing rooms.
I was starving by the time I’d finished running in circles around the training ground. I didn’t even change out of my running clothes, just headed straight into the main temple, praying for hot dogs. I faltered slightly as I reached our usual place at the dining table, Icarus’s absence was like a punch to the gut. Maybe he was just late, like me, I thought, but I knew deep down that he wasn’t coming.
‘Dora! Tak was telling us about what happened earlier, we’re desperate to hear the rest!’ Zali exclaimed when she saw me. I sat down beside her and she frowned. ‘Why haven’t you changed?’
‘Too hungry,’ I said, and leaned over, piling bread buns and sausages onto my plate.
�
��Where’s Icarus?’ asked Tak, looking about.
‘We, um, had a fight,’ I mumbled, not looking at him.
‘Really? About what?’
‘It doesn’t matter. He’s just taking a bit of time. To think.’ My voice choked a little and I picked up a hot dog and shoved it in my mouth, before I or anyone else could say any more.
Tak opened his mouth to speak but Zali cut him off quickly.
‘So, the manticore pen, what happened? And why do you want a feather?’
Between mouthfuls I told them about Sting and my close call.
‘A prince? You met an actual prince? Gods, Dora, you’re so lucky!’ squealed Zali when I’d finished.
‘Lucky?’ I gaped at her. ‘Did you hear the bit where I thought I was going to be eaten alive?’
‘But a prince rescued you! It’s just so perfect!’
‘Zali, there is nothing perfect about my life right now,’ I grumbled.
‘Yeah, what’s so good about princes?’ scowled Tak. ‘And who tricked me and closed the glass?’
I shrugged.
‘I don’t know. The only person here who hates me enough to do that is Arketa.’
‘Could it have been her?’
‘I didn’t see her. And I don’t think her telepathy is good enough to hide me from Tak.’
We all fell quiet as Professor Neos strode over to our table. Students fell silent around us as he smiled around at them.
‘Pandora,’ he said, stopping opposite me.
Oh gods. I’d missed my detention with him, I realized, my stomach lurching.
‘I was in detention with Agrius,’ I spluttered.
He quirked an eyebrow.
‘That’s a lot of detentions, young lady.’
‘I know,’ I ground out.
‘One more weeks worth should make up for not showing up.’
