A shiver ran down Hailey’s spine. Aaron’s right; the travelling necklaces didn’t just vanish. Someone took them.
‘Who would want to trap us here?’ Alec’s face was growing paler by the second. ‘The nereids are gone.’
‘Are we back to my theory of an invisible monster?’ Demi asked. ‘A smart one who knew about the travelling necklaces?’
‘I don’t know.’ Aaron’s gaze combed over the students, searching for the lycaon in human form hiding among them. ‘But we’re definitely all in danger.’
22
Sneaking Around
‘Uh oh,’ Demi said when her and Hailey dragged their suitcases back into their dorm.
‘What?’
Demi plucked a letter from her desk. ‘I think Amathia told our parents that she’s not sending us home now.’
‘Oh.’ Hailey cringed when she saw the letter sitting on her own desk. ‘Let’s get it over with.’ She grabbed her letter and dropped onto her scallop-shell chair to read it.
Hailey,
I’m freaking out! Amathia told me she was sending everyone home because students have been vanishing and she doesn’t know why—as if that wasn’t enough to give me a heart attack. And then I’m waiting for you to come home and I get another letter that tells me the travelling necklaces have been misplaced. Who misplaces travelling necklaces?!
I’m on the verge of renting a Poseidon suit so I can go diving to search for the palace. I should never have let you go back to Poseidon’s Academy. Any school that doesn’t stay in the same place so that parents know where their children are at all times should not be allowed! Once I have you back home, I’m never sending you to that palace again! Never!! I think I might even homeschool you.
Write me back as soon as you get this letter. Or ever better, come home!
Love Mum
The letter was worse than Hailey expected. It sounded as though her mum was serious this time about pulling her out of the Academy. Well, she’d just have to convince her otherwise. Hailey grabbed her stationary kit and started writing back.
Mum,
You have to stop freaking out. Everything is okay. I’m safe, and my friends are too. The teachers have only misplaced the necklaces. I’m sure they’ll find them soon and send us all back home. But in the meantime, the teachers are watching us, so you don’t have to worry about me vanishing.
I’m perfectly safe here, trust me!
Please don’t rent a Poseidon suit, or travel to every beach hoping to catch a glimpse of the palace, because that’s just crazy. I’ll write you every hour if you want so that you know I’m okay.
I love you, Mum.
xx Hailey
‘Parents freak out way too easily,’ Demi remarked as Hailey pressed a stamp to her envelope.
‘I know. My mum said she’s never letting me come back here.’
‘Mine too.’ Demi’s eyes shifted to Hailey’s desk. ‘Your mum writes back fast.’
Hailey turned back and saw the new letter resting beside her stack of textbooks. But it wasn’t addressed in her mum’s handwriting. It was Pandora’s. A jolt of excitement shot through her and she tore it open, expecting to read that the nereids had left the island and returned with chests of travelling necklaces—and the missing students.
Hi, Hailey
I hope you’ve recovered okay from almost drowning. I wish I could come and visit you and the others. Amathia just came to visit me and told me about the travelling necklaces disappearing. She thought maybe her sisters had taken them. But they haven’t left. I hope you’re okay. Please be careful. I’d hate it if you, Demi, Alec, or Aaron vanished.
Pandora
The letter slipped from Hailey’s hands to the desk.
‘What is it?’ Demi came to her side. ‘I won’t let your mum make you go to an ordinary school.’
‘No, that’s not it. The letter was from Pandora. She said the nereids had absolutely nothing to do with the travelling necklaces. I’m starting to think that maybe they really aren’t involved.’
Demi put a hand on Hailey’s shoulder. ‘I wish it had been them too. It would have meant they were responsible for taking Brax and the other missing students, so we would have at least known who to go after.’
‘But who else would want to kidnap students and trap us here? Nothing makes sense, Demi.’
Demi leaned against Hailey’s desk. ‘I haven’t given up on my magical room theory.’
‘A magical room wouldn’t have taken the necklaces.’
‘No,’ Demi agreed. ‘But students who didn’t want to get shipped back home to attend boring schools could have. Tartarus, if I’d thought of it first, I would have stolen the necklaces.’
Hailey thought about it for a second and had to agree it made a lot of sense. She couldn’t imagine anyone in the palace wanting to hurt anyone—at least not to the level of kidnapping. But she could definitely imagine a few students not wanting to be sent back home. ‘You’re right, I bet that’s what happened.’ It wasn’t as good as having a definite answer, but it was better than thinking someone living in the palace was hunting them down one by one.
***
Hailey was back in the maze—the one she’d almost died in last year when she, Alec, and Aaron had been running from the nereids. She steered through the hallways, her right hand gliding along the rough coral wall, and paused when she came to a room covered in seaweed. She remembered it wriggling to life last year and trying to strangle her. Why am I back here? I don’t want to be here.
‘You cannot hide. We will find you.’ Nemertes’s voice taunted from somewhere.
Hailey would rather be strangled by the seaweed than by Nemertes. She bolted through the room, keeping her eyes fixed on the exit ahead. The seaweed wriggled to life, slithering towards her like a nest of snakes. Hailey leapt through the archway, and the seaweed froze, falling limp the moment she was outside the room. ‘I need to get out of here.’
Hailey closed her eyes and tried to remember the path she’d taken last year. Had she gone left or right? What had Alec’s hand rule been? Keep your right palm on the left wall? On the right wall? She shook her head. She couldn’t remember.
‘You do not have long now, human.’ Nemertes’s voice was closer now. ‘She is coming for you. You cannot hide.’
Who was “she”? Hailey wasn’t sticking around to find out. She turned left and ended up in another room. This one had a tree as big as an oak growing in it. It reminded Hailey of the tree in Alec’s library, but instead of wood, this one was made of gold. Hailey drifted towards it, touching one of its leaves to see if it was solid gold.
‘Ow,’ she yelped, leaping back as gold seeds poured from the tree like rain and pelted her head.
CRACK! The tree split right down the middle, both halves of it falling towards the floor as a beanstalk shot up from the tree’s roots. The stalk blasted through the ceiling like a drill, sending chunks of crystal raining down.
‘No! No! Not this again!’ Hailey cried, jumping out of the way of the crumbling ceiling.
‘You found it. You found the way to the gods.’
Hailey whipped her head around. Nemertes lurked behind her. ‘What are you talking about?’
Nemertes cackled and pointed up. ‘Too late.’
Hailey’s gaze shot up in time to see the ceiling splinter into a million pieces.
She sucked in a breath and shot up in bed. It was just a dream. Just a stupid dream. She wasn’t in the maze. Seaweed wasn’t trying to choke her to death. The ceiling wasn’t falling on her. She ripped the tangled sheets off her, dumping them on the floor before climbing out of bed. She needed to get out of this dorm. To clear her head of this stupid nightmare. Outside the sun was only just starting to rise, which meant students wouldn’t be rolling out of bed for a couple more hours. Hailey couldn’t stay here though. Not when her heart was still pounding and her mind kept flashing to the gods being alive. Maybe there’d be four students in the common room who wanted to go for a w
alk with her.
Hailey pulled on some clothes and slipped into the deserted hallway, wandering down to the common room. ‘Medusa,’ she cursed when she found it empty. She plunked down in front of the fire, watching the blue flames crackle. Why was she plagued with nightmares? It was bad enough that she was trapped in a palace with something taking students, but now she had to keep having dreams about the nereids and a giant beanstalk. What’s the deal with the beanstalk anyway? It’s so ridiculously stupid. As if a beanstalk can be the gateway to Olympus. And why am I dreaming about Olympus? Are the gods up there, sleeping like Hades and Persephone had been, waiting for someone to awaken them so they can unleash their wrath?
She shuddered. ‘I can’t stand this.’
Hailey jumped up. She needed to do something. The stable seemed like the smartest place to go. She wouldn’t stay there long either. She’d have a quick ten-minute chat with Rain, and then she’d come straight back. No one would ever know she’d left. Unless she disappeared like the other students. ‘It’s worth the risk,’ she decided, not being able to stand sitting here with her thoughts another second.
Hailey was heading towards the two hallways outside Amathia’s classroom when she heard voices coming down the right hallway—the one that led to the stable. She leapt into the other hallway and pressed her back against the wall, praying to the Tyches that whoever was coming wouldn’t come towards her.
‘Let’s hope someone else had more luck finding the travelling necklaces than we did,’ Master Anderson’s voice said. ‘They’ve got to be in the palace somewhere. They can’t have just disappeared.’
‘Maybe they did—they are dematerialising necklaces after all.’ Hailey recognised Sir Bliss’s voice, followed by a chuckle.
‘Very funny, Rowan,’ Master Anderson said, not sounding the least bit amused. ‘Let’s see if anyone else is back.’
Hailey sucked in a breath and pressed herself tighter against the wall as Master Anderson and Sir Bliss walked past the hallway she was hiding in. Her entire body relaxed the moment they disappeared into Amathia’s classroom.
That was way too close. Why did I come down here? Stupid. She needed to get back upstairs before a teacher caught her. Hailey moved to push away from the wall, at the same time she heard Sir Bliss say, ‘I hope none of the other teachers have disappeared. Do you think that’s possible? That whatever took the students would come after us too?’
They’re coming out!
Hailey slammed herself back against the wall as Master Anderson and Sir Bliss left the classroom. She tensed, waiting for them to turn and spot her, but instead they turned right, probably about to head back to the entryway.
Just keep walking. Don’t turn around. Please.
‘Hailey?’
Hailey’s head snapped to the left; she cringed when she spotted Madam Norwood coming down the hallway. Busted.
‘Hailey, what are you doing down here?’ Madam Norwood demanded.
‘Were you there the whole time?’ Sir Bliss asked, having turned around with Master Anderson. ‘I can’t believe we never saw you. Very good hiding.’
‘Hailey, I’m waiting,’ Madam Norwood snapped.
Hailey gulped and pushed away from the wall. ‘I… um.’ What excuse was there for her being there? ‘I’m sorry. I needed to clear my head, but nobody else was awake. I thought it would be okay because I was only going to be alone for a little while.’
‘Needing to clear your head is not a valid reason for you risking your life,’ Madam Norwood retorted. ‘Do you think you’re immune from whatever has happened to the missing students?’
Hailey dropped her head. ‘No. But I thought—’
‘You didn’t think,’ Madam Norwood cut her off.
‘I’m sorry,’ Hailey said again, wishing she’d never stepped foot out of her dorm.
‘Well, you can be sorry in detention this afternoon, and every afternoon from now on.’ She shifted her censorious gaze to Master Anderson and Sir Bliss. ‘Amathia asked me to retrieve a potion, so I don’t have time to escort Hailey back to her common room. Could one of you?’
‘I will,’ Sir Bliss offered.
‘Thank you,’ Madam Norwood said before focusing back on Hailey. ‘Meet me in the Powers classroom for detention after your last class.’
‘Yes, Madam Norwood.’ Hailey dreaded to think of what horrible task she had in mind—scraping out fish eyeballs from cauldrons?
‘I’m going to check on where the other teachers are,’ Master Anderson said as Madam Norwood walked away. ‘The next time you think it’s a good idea to walk around the palace alone, Hailey, remember that it’s a dumb idea and don’t do it.’ He marched down the right hallway.
‘Well, that was a little over the top, if I do say so myself,’ Sir Bliss said. ‘They were rather tough on you.’ He gave Hailey a sympathetic look. ‘Although it really is dangerous to be walking around by yourself, especially in the forbidden parts of the palace, which is where I assume you were heading?’
‘I wanted to visit the stable,’ Hailey admitted sheepishly.
‘Ah, yes, that is a nice place to clear your head. Come on, let’s get you back to your common room.’
Hailey started back down the maze of hallways with her teacher, grateful Sir Bliss was taking her and not Madam Norwood. She probably would have spent the whole time yelling at Hailey.
‘It’s a bit scary all these disappearances,’ Sir Bliss remarked as they walked. ‘I think there’s a secret wall somewhere, but it’s not really a wall—it’s a hologram. And when students have gone to lean against it, they’ve fallen into a room. I haven’t found anything like that yet though. Amathia doesn’t think it’s likely, but people can’t just disappear into thin air. Do you have any theories?’
Hailey shrugged as they turned down another hallway, walking past the jewel and shell-encrusted crystal walls. ‘Demi thinks there’s a room tricking people into walking into it, or an invisible monster roaming about.’
Sir Bliss chuckled. ‘An invisible monster, that is quite a stretch. But I suppose we can’t disregard any theories.’ Sir Bliss stopped suddenly.
‘What’s wrong?’ The hairs on Hailey’s arms stood on end. Did he sense something… like an invisible monster?
‘I didn’t notice it before.’ He crouched down and pointed to what looked like chalk dust on the middle of the floor. It was almost impossible to see against the pearls, but the white powder had a slight shimmer to it.
Hailey squinted at it. ‘What is it?’
‘I have no idea.’ Sir Bliss touched the powder, rubbing it between his fingers. He stiffened.
‘Sir Bliss, are you okay?’
His eyes were as wide as giant pearls.
‘Sir Bliss?’ She shook his shoulder.
Her teacher’s breath came out in a rush. ‘Stetho. It’s something about Stetho.’
‘Stetho? What are you talking about? Who’s Stetho?’
Sir Bliss blinked. ‘I don’t know. I just had a vision about Amathia saying Stetho needed to be found. I have to tell her. It could be important.’ He straightened and then looked at Hailey. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I have to take you back first.’
‘No.’
‘You can’t go by yourself.’
‘Take me with you. This name could be what Amathia needs to know to find the students. You can’t waste time taking me back to my common room.’
Sir Bliss hesitated. ‘Oh, all right. I don’t see the harm in you coming.’
Hailey held back a smile as she bustled back down the hallways with Sir Bliss. This could be it. This could be the puzzle piece Amathia needs to solve everything. But what does it mean? Who’s Stetho? She’d never heard the name before. As far as she was aware, there weren’t any students with that name at the Academy. Maybe they don’t go here. Maybe they’re in the outside world and have some special power they can use to locate the missing students. But what does that have to do with the white powder in the hallway?
Hailey was
still thinking of theories when Sir Bliss stopped outside the nereids’ room. Pearl and seashell-encrusted mirrors lined the crystal walls, each of them hanging above a clamshell sink. In the middle of the room stood a glass statue of Poseidon, surrounded by four white chaise lounges. Amathia sat on one of them, staring up at the statue, thoughtful, as if trying to read the dead god’s mind.
Hailey followed Sir Bliss inside, her eyes darting to the painting on the centre wall, where Poseidon stood on a rock in the sea, with twenty-three nereids gazing up at him in adoration. Behind it was a secret passageway that led to that awful maze Hailey had had her nightmare about.
Amathia straightened from the chaise. ‘Rowan, why have you brought Hailey here?’
‘There wasn’t time to take her back to her common room.’
‘Hailey, were you wandering around the palace alone?’
Hailey sighed. How many more teachers were planning to yell at her this morning? ‘Yes, but Madam Norwood has already given me detention for it. You need to hear what Sir Bliss has to say.’
‘I had a vision where you said the name Stetho. You needed to find Stetho.’
Amathia’s turquoise eyes widened. ‘Are you sure?’
Sir Bliss nodded. ‘Yes. It happened when I touched a white powder on the floor. I don’t know what it was.’
‘White powder?’ Amathia paled, as if they’d just told her they’d found a pile of bones. ‘I checked though. I never thought…’ She trailed off, seeming to remember Hailey was there. The fear creasing Amathia’s face disappeared in the blink of an eye. ‘This is very helpful, Rowan. Thank you.’
‘Who’s Stetho?’ Hailey asked.
‘That is a long story, and there is not time to tell it,’ Amathia said. ‘Rowan, please escort Hailey back to her common room. And if you cross paths with Madam Norwood, tell her to use the potion as I said.’
‘Of course. Come on, Hailey.’
‘No.’ Hailey didn’t budge. ‘I want to know what’s happening. Who is Stetho? Did she take the missing students? Or can she help find them? And what’s the white powder?’
Poseidon's Academy Box Set Page 81
