The Demon Demigod

by Eliza Raine

  ‘Slow down, slow down,’ I heard a female voice say. ‘You’re OK.’ It was Miss Alma, I realized. Spots were dancing in front of my eyes and I had a vile taste in my mouth.

  ‘Arketa?’ I gasped.

  ‘I got her too.’ I turned my head to see Zali next to me in the pool, tears pouring down her cheeks. ‘I thought I was too late to save you,’ she whispered. I didn’t have the strength to answer her, but tried to give her a smile. I could hear someone else retching, and the strong hands left my back and I collapsed onto the tiles.

  23

  I was taken to the infirmary where Fantasma checked me over, and announced that I needed to be watched for a few hours. I felt sick, and shaky, and tired. Miss Alma came in half an hour later, supporting Arketa on her arm. She didn’t say a word to me as she was helped into one of the other beds.

  ‘I just wanted to let you both know, it was obvious you would both have collected all of the flags, so given the circumstances, you both passed the exam,’ Miss Alma said gently. ‘And Pandora, you did exceptionally well. You probably saved both of their lives.’ Arketa looked up at me, her usual poisonous expression absent. She was frowning. ‘Now, get some rest,’ the teacher said and left the room.

  ‘Why did you save me? You could have just let the shark eat me and not risked your own life,’ Arketa said as the door swung shut.

  I gaped at her.

  ‘Are you serious? You think I’d leave someone to get eaten by a shark?’

  She shrugged.

  ‘Do you hate me that much?’ I asked quietly.

  ‘I know what your kind are capable of,’ she answered, just as quietly.

  Anger swelled inside me, warring with guilt. I may have saved two lives today, but four girls had their souls stolen because of me. But Vronti and Arketa didn’t know that. Why did they have such a problem with Titans?

  ‘That’s twice today I’ve been told my kind are evil. But I don’t know what you’re basing this on. Icarus saved Kiko’s life. And I would never have let you, or Alexander, die today,’ I said as calmly as I could manage.

  She stared at me, and I stared back.

  ‘I’m sure you have your own twisted reasons,’ she said eventually, and turned over in her bed, putting her back towards me.

  I let out a bark of frustration and rolled over in the other direction. Fine. Let her think what she wanted. I clearly couldn’t win. And I was so very, very tired.

  They made us wait three full days before we got our exam results. I was let out of the infirmary after I had awoken from a crazy long sleep, then we were all given two days to ourselves, other than dorm chores. I spent most of the two days talking to Nix about ways to catch death demons or reading books about manticores. I was praying that Neos was true to his word and knew what to do to catch the demon, because Nix only had knowledge on how gods could stop demons, which wasn’t much help. All the research I was doing didn’t distract me fully from the anxiety of our impending results though. We were allowed to fail only one class, and I was so nervous about history and language. I thought that geography and magical objects had gone OK, but the thought of wandering the world alone was keeping me awake at night all the same. What would I do if I failed?

  As we sat in our seats in Dasko’s classroom, Zali squeezed my sweaty hand.

  ‘We’ll be fine,’ she whispered. The teacher began handing out papers, and it felt like a million years before he got to me. I half snatched them from him, flipping through them fast without even looking at his face.

  Pass, pass, pass, pass.

  I let out a massive sigh. I’d done it. I’d passed them all. I looked at Zali, who was beaming.

  ‘I passed them all too,’ she said. I hugged her, happiness oozing through me for the first time since I’d opened the box. At least something had gone right.

  Suddenly a scream pierced the noisy chatter filling the classroom. I turned, releasing Zali to look for the source of the noise and my blood turned to ice in my veins.

  Tak was rising from his seat near the front of the class, his body limp. I only half heard Zali scream beside me as I leapt to my feet, scrambling to get to him. He hovered in the air for a moment, then crashed back down, onto Dasko and Icarus who had beaten me to him.

  ‘Call Chiron!’ shouted Dasko, lifting Tak and moving him to the front of the classroom where there was more space. I pushed my way through the pale faced students gathering around him. Roz was kneeling by his unmoving body, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  ‘He was so nervous and distracted this morning I-’ a sob interrupted her whisper. ‘I think he forgot to take his potion.’

  I felt like somebody had punched me in the gut. No, no, no, please no. I struggled to draw in air as I dropped to my knees and gently pushed his hair back from his face. His eyes were completely black.

  The next hour was a daze. We were herded back to our dorm rooms by the teachers, and Tak was taken to join the four girls the soul snatcher had already attacked. Zali hadn’t uttered a word, and I didn’t know what to say to her. I didn’t know what to do, what to think, how to live with myself. I was too angry, both with the demon and myself, to cry. Frantic panic warred with a refusal to believe what had happened every time I thought of Tak’s laughing face. Those black eyes… Bile rose in throat every time I saw them. What had I done?

  A knock on the dorm door startled me as I sat on my bed, legs hugged to my chest, thoughts spinning out of control. I looked at Zali but she just stared back, her expression hollow.

  ‘We need the manticore feather,’ Icarus said, as I opened the door. He pushed his way into our room and sat down hard on my bed. I stared at him. ‘We need the manticore feather, now,’ he repeated. ‘How long until the fire rafe is ready?’

  ‘Now,’ croaked Zali. ‘It’s blooming from now until tomorrow.’

  ‘Good. I have an idea.’

  ‘I- I thought you didn’t want to trust Neos and make his potion?’ I stammered. Icarus’s piercing green eyes met mine, and they were fierce.

  ‘We don’t have any other choice now. Between the three of us, we may be able to fight him, if we need to.’

  I turned to Zali.

  ‘Are you up for this?’ I asked her.

  ‘I didn’t understand everything you just said, but if it means helping Tak, I’ll do anything,’ she said, standing up.

  ‘We may have to fight. Demons.’

  Zali narrowed her eyes.

  ‘I just aced all my exams. I can fight just as well as anyone in this school. Even two all-powerful Titans.’ My heart swelled with admiration and I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing hard.

  ‘I know you can. You’re the best friend I could possibly have,’ I whispered. She squeezed me back and hope surged through me.

  ‘So are you,’ she replied. ‘We can do this.’ I let go of her and the determination in her expression mirrored my feelings. I turned to Icarus.

  ‘What’s your idea?’

  We decided that Zali should go and collect the fire rafe, and Icarus and I would try and get the feather. I was worried about Zali going by herself, especially after the shark incident, but she was a mermaid shifter, who could communicate with sea-life. She’d likely do a much better job than me of looking after herself underwater.

  ‘I really, really don’t think he’s going to agree to this,’ I whispered to Icarus as we crept down a hallway in the boys dorms.

  ‘Then you’ll have to persuade him,’ he answered, shortly. I could see he was no more thrilled about this plan than I was, but he was right. It was the best shot we had. When we reached the right door I took a breath and knocked.

  ‘Pandora?’ Thom said, surprise on his face as he opened the door.

  ‘Hi,’ I smiled. ‘I need to ask you a really big favor.’

  ‘Oh. Um, come in,’ he said, opening the door wider.

  ‘Actually, could you come with us?’

  ‘Us?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘So this isn’t a date then,
’ Thom said with a grin.

  Icarus coughed loudly and Thom’s grin slipped as he noticed him standing in the shadows on the other side of me.

  ‘No, no its not. It’s really important though. I think you can help the people who’ve been attacked.’

  His expression became serious and he stepped out into the corridor.

  ‘Then of course I’ll come. Where are we going?’

  ‘You can’t be serious,’ Thom said as we stood on top of the elemental building, where shifting class was held. ‘Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?’

  ‘But if we don’t try then we can’t help Tak and the others. I need a manticore feather.’

  ‘So all that interest in manticores… It was just about this?’ His voice was laced with disappointment and I tried to squash my guilt.

  ‘Actually, I do find manticores fascinating,’ I told him. It was the truth. ‘But right now, I need you to shift into one, so I can get a feather.’ I gave him my best pleading smile. I heard Icarus shuffle his wings behind me.

  ‘Pandora, I have no control over myself at all, when I’m in that form. And you can’t just pluck feathers from a manticore. I might kill you!’

  ‘Just manacle yourself like you always do and let me worry about the feather. I won’t get close enough for you to hurt me, I promise.’

  He stared at me for a moment.

  ‘Why do you need the feather?’

  ‘It’s for a potion I believe will help us stop the death demon.’

  ‘Will it bring everyone’s souls back?’

  ‘No. But it will stop it taking anymore. And then we can work on getting back the souls.’

  Thom took a deep breath.

  ‘OK. I’ll do it.’ A surge of relief and adrenaline pulsed through me.

  ‘Thank you, thank you,’ I breathed.

  ‘Gods, I hope you know what you’re doing,’ he muttered, shrugging out of his shirt.

  So did I.

  When we sure his ankle was secured in the manacle, Thom gave me a final nervous look and told me to get back a few feet. I gave him my most reassuring smile and retreated across the rooftop. Icarus stood behind me, watching apprehensively. Thom closed his eyes and tilted his head up. There was an unsettling rippling across his body, then in a flash a snarling manticore took his place, his back haunch surrounded by the manacle. His dark eyes locked on mine and I scanned them for any trace of Thom. I saw none. My attention moved to the big red wings protruding from the lions body. His scorpion tail was raised up and over his back, between the wings, as the breast growled and pulled against the manacle. One feather. I just needed one feather.

  I called my water power, focusing on the pool below us. After a second, long swirling ribbons of water crested the edge of the building, flowing towards my outstretched hand. I flicked my fingers, and the watery ropes changed direction, aiming for the manticore. His cat eyes flicked to the water ropes and he lifted a massive front paw and batted at the first one to reach him. The rope fell apart, the water splashing to the ground. I swore as manticore Thom snarled and the manacle rattled as he tried to move towards us again. I called more ropes up from the pool, concentrating. I needed them to be solid, like they had when I’d used them to pick the underwater mushrooms. I tried again, focusing every ounce of energy I had on sending the water at the wings. This time, when the manticore batted at the rope, his paw went straight through and the rope held. A smile tugged at my lips but I stayed focused as the ropes made contact with his left wing. There was a roar and the creature began to beat its wings hard, sending the ropes flying. I managed to keep them intact though, weaving around the beast now leaping and biting at the water. If it weren’t for the brutal fangs and shiny stinger he would have looked like a kitty chasing a toy. I waited carefully for my moment, and as soon as there was a heartbeats lull in the manticores frenzied movement, I struck. One of the ropes darted down, to the bottom of the wing and I wrapped the end quickly around one of the lowest feathers. With a tug I yanked the water rope back to me. The manticore bellowed, so loudly I winced, then he rippled in front of us, and Thom was crouched on the rooftop, shirtless and panting.

  ‘Ow!’ he said, standing. ‘That hurt!’

  ‘But it was worth it,’ I beamed at him, as the water rope above my hands dissipated and the leathery red feather dropped into my open palm.

  24

  We had agreed to meet Zali at the changing rooms, and Thom had insisted on coming with us, once we released him from his manacle. Icarus was still glowering about it, but I figured it was only fair. I mean, he had played an important part after all. We sprinted to the changing rooms and waited anxiously, until Zali burst through the door, dripping wet in her swimsuit. She was holding the most beautiful plant I had ever seen. Although it was green overall, red and orange lights shimmered up and down the long grass like stems, and each one was topped by a flower that phased through every color of fire.

  ‘You should see it underwater,’ Zali breathed as we all gaped at the plant. ‘It’s incredible.’

  ‘It’s pretty good here,’ muttered Thom.

  ‘Do you have the rust?’ Icarus asked, turning to me. I nodded. ‘Then let’s go and find Neos.’

  Zali and Thom didn’t know Neos was involved, as every time we’d talked about him the Titan language had taken over. So they looked as confused as Neos looked delighted when we knocked on his office door on the mezzanine level of the front temple. He glanced at them both, then looked between me and Icarus.

  ‘You two made up then,’ he said with a lazy smile.

  ‘We’ve got the ingredients,’ snarled Icarus.

  ‘Excellent,’ he answered, and his eyes flashed scarlet. ‘Do come in.’

  ‘Dora, are his eyes red?’ Zali whispered as we all followed Icarus into the office.

  ‘Yeah,’ I answered.

  ‘Is he… not a normal teacher?’

  ‘No,’ I shook my head.

  ‘Is he human?’

  I shook my head again and she gulped. His office was plain and gave no sign at all that anyone spent time there. A large wooden desk like Chiron’s dominated the space but there was just a small stack of papers in the middle of it. There was nothing on the walls and the bookshelves that lined the right wall were empty, save one or two simple black books. Neos gestured at the desk.

  ‘Let me see,’ he said. Zali stepped forward, laying the fire rafe down on the desk. I stepped up after her, laying down the manticore feather and the tiny vial of rust.

  ‘And the blood…’ I held out my arm. Icarus stepped forwards at the same time Thom said,

  ‘Blood? What in the name of Zeus is going on?’

  ‘Oh, nothing to do with Zeus, I assure you,’ grinned Neos. ‘We need much more space that this. And if you’re all going to be present, you’ll need to be ready for a fight. Do you have everything you need?’ He looked at all of us in turn, his red eyes ablaze with life. We all nodded. My stomach was twisting itself into knots. ‘Good. There’s something I need to get from Chiron’s office. I’ll meet you on the roof of the elemental building in a few minutes.’

  ‘What do you need?’ I asked. Neos locked his eyes on mine.

  ‘If you want to catch a demon, then you’ll need a box to put it in. And I happen to know of just the one.’

  My muscles clenched involuntarily as I thought of the box Chiron had confiscated when he’d found it empty by the pool last semester. The box I should never have opened.

  ‘Fine. Grab the stuff and let’s go,’ said Icarus.

  ‘Do you have any weapons?’ Thom asked as we raced through the main temple and out to the training ground. With everyone still confined to their dorms we saw nobody.

  ‘Yes. Two daggers,’ answered Icarus, his wings streaming behind him as he ran.

  ‘I don’t,’ I panted.

  ‘Me either,’ said Zali.

  ‘I only have a slingshot,’ he said.

  ‘You can turn into a manticore. I reckon you’ll be OK,’ I
said.

  ‘And you can hit sharks with water. You’ll probably be alright too,’ he answered, looking sideways at me with a smile. Icarus suddenly flexed his wings, and without a word took off, soaring up towards the roof of the fast approaching elemental building. ‘I’m getting the impression that he doesn’t like me,’ Thom said.

  ‘Mmmm,’ I answered.

  The three of us took the spiral staircase up to the roof and I saw Icarus was standing at the corner, looking towards the main temple. With a deep breath, I made my way towards him.

  ‘Someone might see you there. Your wings stand out, you know.’

  He took a few steps away from the edge, then turned to me slowly.

  ‘I understand, you know. He’s a nice guy. And funny too,’ he said quietly.

  I stared at him.

  ‘Understand what?’