by Holly Hook
Wendy snapped her gaze to me for a second before pointing at a cluster of pines in the distance. We upped our pace through the underbrush, and when we stepped into a well-hidden clearing, Wendy clicked on something. Turned out to be a lantern hanging from a thick branch, one of those old oil ones probably taken from the basement of Cursed Academy. It illuminated several old drying racks, most of which had dry rot creeping up their wooden legs.
And resting on the dozen racks were rows and rows of white flowers, now pressed and dry as if they'd been in the desert sun for ages. The eerie white glow was gone, but the air took on a chill.
"How did you set all this up?" I stared. "Where did you find--"
"Easy. I've been exploring Olympian thanks to what you guys told me. The healer house was throwing out these old racks so I didn't think they'd mind if I took them. And better yet, rain doesn't get on them. Guess one of the gods enchanted these. Can't explain the dry rot, though."
At least Wendy was catching on quick. "The herb. It's safe to take now?"
"Not completely," Wendy said with a wicked grin. "I can tell they're less powerful. As I said, a tiny amount every day should do it. Now, help me crumble these up and put them in all these vials. Then you can flunk your Combat exam."
Chapter Twenty-Two
A little was all we needed. The next morning, I met Maria and Mikey at breakfast and nodded as I sat down with my tray of scrambled eggs and pancakes. All through the dining hall, people muttered nervously and picked at their food. Prometheus paced around the front of the room, and his gaze landed on me for an uncomfortable two seconds before he moved on. Even through his spectacles, I detected his nerves. Until now, he'd been staying mostly out of sight, probably working on his golems, and now he was back to see the results of his work.
To see me mature.
And when I didn't, I had the matter of getting off campus again.
Serena stormed into the dining hall and through the attached lunch line, looking more furious than I'd ever seen her. Ronin had pulled a jerk move on her, then. Serena, as she walked over to sit with Wendy and Percival, sent me a death glare. You set me up, she meant.
"Giselle, you just exchanged one nemesis for another," Mikey hissed. "I heard about what Ronin did. Now, what were you nodding about?"
I waited for Prometheus to leave the room. "We've got it. A whole summer's supply. We're all going to fail Combat Training spectacularly today."
"Excellent," Mikey said in a fake evil voice. "Oh, and I have to tell you something. We've got a plan, according to Ronin."
"Mikey!" Maria said, slapping her hand to her mouth.
"What?" I gasped. "A plan?"
"It's a surprise," Maria said. Her look warned Mikey to say no more.
Carmen hadn't given me any hints about a plan, though she'd sent me messages saying she was looking forward to seeing me this summer. "Okay. Fine. But Prometheus. We haven't even fed him the water yet--"
"We'll just have to work on that next year," Maria said. "Third years work around the immortals more than second years do. I've been looking for him to leave some nectar out, but he's careful. Like he expects someone to pull a fast one on him."
I pulled out a small vial of crushed asphodel petals. Wendy had given me a dozen, easily enough for all three of us. Yeah, it looked super illegal, at least in the normal world, and my friends' eyes widened at the sight. But I uncorked it, sprinkled a tiny bit on their scrambled eggs as well as mine, and then took a huge bite. "We've got to take this risk."
I swallowed, and instantly a cold feeling spread through my limbs, bringing weakness. I hadn't realized the low groan of the void had been present in the back of my mind, waiting to strike, until it silenced. Gasping for breath, I gripped the table as my palms sweat, hitting my tray by accident which in turn hit my carton of orange juice. It spilled. "I...I think it works," I said as I watched the juice spread across the table.
Mikey swept it up with a napkin. "You just reverted back to a Level Fifty Klutz, so maybe. Let me try. I'm not going to try to eat anyone this year. Physical Studies is good, but not that good."
I released the table. I hadn't felt like this since right before Randy tried to coerce me back in Colton Corners. Right now, I was just normal Giselle. "Well, at least this shouldn't affect my Divine History exam. I think I can still think. And I'm glad they're rolling Magical Meditation and Combat Training into one exam." Divine History would be right after breakfast and the merged exam after lunch. I hoped this herb lasted through the afternoon.
It was working.
I laughed, sounding completely stupid.
And so did Maria and Mikey. Heads turned all down the second years' table, and even some of the first years craned their necks to see what was so funny.
"So are we," Mikey said, shoveling in the treated eggs. Then he shuddered. "Yikes. That works! If I just top it up every so often we should be able to ditch this place for the summer. Right, Maria?"
She took a bite and stiffened. "Right. And it's a good thing...it's a good thing Combat Training is the last exam of the day. Giselle, have you packed your stuff?"
"Yeah. Best to do it ahead of time, right? Why?" What were my friends up to now?
Mikey grinned evilly. "You'll see."
* * * * *
The golem was in the worst taste imaginable.
An eight-foot-tall clay model of Dominique herself, the leader of the Lower Order, greeted us as we stepped into our last exam. When I stepped into the arena and stared, a shudder went down my spine. Hooded and glaring down at us students, Dominique commanded attention even from the other side of the fifty-foot-wide circle of pillars.
"Bad taste," Sarah said to Jamal right behind me.
"We get to fight this thing?" Jamal asked. Like me, he was in Magical Meditation.
"Looks like it," I said. Instinctively I reached for that low groan, and I felt it, just a little, but it was nowhere near as strong as it had been. The asphodel had reduced my powers, but not eliminated them. Hopefully I could put on a show without getting too dangerous, and Prometheus would walk away thinking I just needed a bit more work.
Or that I just needed to leave campus and trip his curse already.
Maria and Mikey frowned at me while they marched over to the mock fort, where they'd be having their exam separate from me, because Max barked at them get over there already. Prometheus appeared at the periphery of the arena while healers, performing their own exam, paraded in from the Olympian side. Yeah, I might get hurt this time. I would get hurt. And with the herb working on me, I might not heal.
Ronin appeared from behind a pillar, and as soon as I nodded to him, his face relaxed. Natalia walked in behind Prometheus, and I was relieved to see her here, even though thin stress lines had aged her ten years overnight. I'd forgotten she and Max were grading us Magical Meditation students together.
Once we were all divided into our respective places, Ronin nodded to me before he reluctantly jogged to the Olympian side of the arena and left. Prometheus followed with his glare. I'd forgotten. Ronin wasn't supposed to be here on Fridays at all. And he had his own exams. I hated to see him go. I'd even been looking forward to him making fun of me for failing this badly.
"Max," Prometheus said, giving me a once-over. "I would prefer that you have the Magical Meditation students fight after we grade the Strategy students." As he spoke, his voice filled the arena, turning every head. Even the healers flinched and looked at the titan. It was a shock to everyone, because Prometheus didn't come to boss around Max.
Max glowered at the titan. The air thickened and I backed off, looking to Mikey and Maria, who stood off on the other side of the arena with the other Strategy kids. Sarah and Jamal looked at each other, confused.
"Treating me as if I am Ronin," Max grumbled.
Huh? He never complained.
"That is my order, Max," Prometheus said, taking a bold step towards our Combat Training teacher. "Today, you are Ronin. This exam must go off without a hi
tch."
Max gulped. Even from the side, I read the fear in his eyes. He flicked his gaze to me. "You know, you're way too tough on that boy. You seem to forget that a son of Zeus saved you."
My jaw dropped.
Prometheus paled. What were they talking about? And Max was defending Ronin?
"That is not the point of this conversation," the titan said, jabbing his finger at Max's chest. The air heated.
"I'm...I'm fine with waiting," I said, eager to stop this.
The principal smiled at me as the tension dissipated. "I'm glad that you are. I want to save the best performance for last. Max, will the healers have the other students while Giselle gets graded?"
"Yes, sir," Max said, stiffening.
Translation: will the other students be out of the danger zone when Giselle matures? The herb was one hundred percent the right choice, then. But after this, I still had the matter of escaping campus.
Wendy, Serena, and Percival entered after us, and us Magical Meditation students lined up against the wall while Natalia looked us over. She bit her lip as she paused on me. I wished I could tell her that I'd probably just get smooshed by the Dominique golem, but the last thing I needed to do was blow my cover. Especially since Prometheus had pulled up a folding chair and positioned himself near the exit.
The Strategy students went first. After a fake force of third years walked in, all holding birthright weapons of their own, the second years disappeared into the fake fort and took their positions. While the third years tried to invade the second years, Max scribbled on his notepad, circling the fake wooden fort and peeking into windows. The Strategy teacher did the same, even bumping into a distracted Max as the clicks and clacks of the fight died down and a few injured people, one of whom was Mikey with blood running down the side of his head, staggered over to the healers. He rushed away from the fight, dagger in his hand, with no trace of blue skin. One of the healer girls poured golden liquid down the side of his head, and the head healer, a different girl than the mean one I remembered from last year, must not have liked her wasting so much of the precious stuff, because she shook her head as she marked something down on a clipboard.
But Mikey was fine. Still normal-looking. With no blood around his mouth.
Maria stumbled out next. She wasn't hurt too bad and my heart rose at the thought. Mikey stood there and let the healer nervously wrap a bandage around his head. He hadn't fought well. But he hadn't wanted to.
Mikey flashed me a smile as the Strategy students ended the fight and lined up. The whole battle had taken ten minutes.
"Ready?" Wendy whispered in my ear.
"Huh?" I jumped, having forgotten she was there.
But she had gone back to not looking at me. Instead, Wendy studied the Dominique golem. Serena and Duncan stood feet away, whispering amongst themselves. Green energy exploded around Wendy's hands. Some part of her might remember the fight with the leader of the Lower Order.
"Not yet," Prometheus said with a grin. "Wendy, you're going to go second to last."
"Yes, sir," she said.
"Magical Meditation students!" Max shouted. "Line up!"
Our exam was to begin.
We lined up, in the order he directed us, with me in the very back. My heart thudded. I could barely swallow and a lump formed in my throat. The low groan was still there whenever I looked at the golem, but very weak. The asphodel had only taken it down ninety percent, maybe. Or it was just my imagination.
The Strategy students filed out of the arena behind us, and the healers paraded closer, the head girl in the lead. Maria and Mikey walked quickly past, not meeting my gaze. What were they up to?
We began the exam. Sarah went first, and Max handed her a silvery dagger, her birthright weapon. The scary golem lumbered forward as Sarah looked up at it. Each time it stepped, closing the fifty feet between her and it, a horrific thud sounded through the arena. Sarah shot whitish light from the dagger and blasted small craters in the Dominique statue, and Max held up a hand when she was done. A rare smile teased our teacher's lips.
"Excellent," he said. "Jamal. Next!" He seized the next weapon off the rack as Sarah walked back to the healers for a look-over.
Mindlessly, the Dominique statue shuffled back to stand in its place across the arena. Jamal took his weapon and faced down the statue. I tried to pay attention to this fight, but my gaze drifted to the door.
Mikey and Maria stood beyond it, on the Cursed side of campus, and Prometheus didn't notice them. The air remained hot as the titan watched Jamal fight the golem by shooting black energy from the sword he held. The golem cracked and aged with each blow, turning from a newish tan to a sickly gray. At last, it gave up on its own, as if programmed to know when it was hopeless to continue, and shuffled back to its place.
"Excellent. The Fates would be proud," Max said.
Jamal just nodded. He was descended from one of those three ladies said to determine someone's lifespan with threads, then. Judging from the way Jamal's face fell, this was the first time he had confirmation of it.
As the line progressed and the golem got increasingly battered, I started to tremble.
My fake Chaos Dagger rested on the rack. If my powers didn't manifest at all, I'd get hurt. Super hurt. Maybe the asphodel had made it so I couldn't heal fast, either. I still had that hangnail on my thumb I picked at this morning...
"Wendy. Step forward!"
She proudly took her sword from Max, which flared green as she squinted at the golem. Serena and Percival had already gone. The golem had so many cracks by now I could barely tell it was supposed to be Dominique.
Wendy went postal on Dominique as if trying to prove to everyone she wanted nothing to do with the Lower Order. Yes, some part of the old Wendy remained. Green blast after green blast hammered the approaching golem, and Wendy didn't notice when Max held up his hand, motioning for her to stop the fight.
"Wendy!" He roared at last. "One more student needs to go, and if this thing--"
But she lifted her sword, caught in the groove, and fired one more blast of thrumming, dreadful green light. It sailed right into the golem's chest, now just a collection of small holes and cracks, and vanished into its depths. The green glow spread through the entire statue, shining through the cracks and then--
Explosion.
Dominique had had enough. The golem burst into fragments, all of which exploded everywhere. Most of the healers screamed. I backpedaled to avoid the falling pieces. Wendy ducked to the side and Max retreated, falling onto Prometheus's lap as a stone fragment struck him on the arm. Both grimaced and Prometheus shoved Max off before rising, open-mouthed, to stare at the settling debris I'd been meant to fight in less than two minutes.
Wendy looked right at me. For the first time, I realized Percival and Serena had left the arena.
"Now's your chance," she whispered. "Go."
"Huh?"
Wendy rolled her eyes. "Enjoy your summer."
Prometheus grabbed Max's sleeve and marched over to the destroyed golem. Pieces settled over each other and dust had filled the air. The titan coughed. Max held his white toga over his face. Both had their backs turned.
Well, I wasn't doing my final.
And I had the sense Max wouldn't mind if I left.
To the side, Maria and Mikey waved to me. I nodded my thanks to Wendy. She'd just gotten herself in trouble for me. Maybe even blew her spot at the top of the class.
But I ran out of the arena without another look. We had to make Wendy's move worth it.
And no one stopped me.
"This took me weeks," Prometheus shouted, voice booming through the whole arena. "Wendy. Your family will compensate me well for this."
"Yes, sir. I got carried away."
Maria grabbed my arm. Her grip was strong, but nowhere near as strong as it had been. She'd taken the herb already. The three of us ran into the back of the main Cursed Academy building, robes flapping.
And Ronin was waiting, brand
ishing a purple and black card, at the first corner.
"Forget this?"
My keycard.
"You got into my room."
"Well, we needed to grab your stuff. I might have lifted it off you. Found your drugs, too. We're escaping with enough to keep all three of you safe over the summer. Yeah, we'll miss the end of year dance, but you're going to my mansion, baby."
"Your mansion?" My heart leapt into my throat.
Ronin picked me up before I could react. My face pressed against his amazing muscles. "Surprised? I'm sweeping you off your feet."
Maria snorted. "Hurry before Prometheus comes looking for you. He won't expect you to duck out of exams. And it was not easy arranging this with Wendy."
"Or Max," Ronin said, face inches from mine.
"What?"
But Ronin already carried me down the corridor, and my face heated to the surface of the sun. My circle of support had gotten much bigger, we had vials of dried asphodel, and we weren't going to mature over the summer. Even the low groan in the background had fled.
Since everyone was taking exams, no one was out in the front of Cursed Academy, not even the guards. I tensed as Maria and Mikey ran ahead, activating the gate. But as they stepped through, nothing happened. Maria didn't scream in pain and slap her hand to her forehead, nor did Mikey turn blue.
"How are you doing?" I asked as Ronin broke into a run, carrying me through the gate and into the woods.
"Just a super mild headache. Might have to up the dose," Maria said. "Get. In. The. Car."
I couldn't believe this had worked. Ronin set me down, and I realized he'd once again borrowed a Mercedes from the Olympian campus. He'd parked in the trees, not far from where Wendy had.
"But what about your exams?" I asked Ronin.
"Max teaches at Olympian, too. I might have bribed him to alter my grades," Ronin said with a wink. "Come on. He's going to pull strings for you, too. He might look constipated on the outside, but when he's not shouting at people he's actually a pretty nice guy. Did you know he paints on the side?"
My mind was spinning enough. I eyed the closing gate of Cursed Academy and then peeked through the back tinted windows of the car. Yes. My friends had already grabbed my stuff, which lay stacked in the back. My summer had begun.
