Jennifer Estep Bundle

by Jennifer Estep

  “I knew,” she said. “I knew Logan liked you the first time I saw you together at the homecoming dance. I just wanted it to be me instead. You know?”

  “Yeah,” I said in a quiet voice. “I know.”

  “He’s staring at you right now.”

  I didn’t turn and look at the Spartan. I wasn’t quite ready to face him. Not yet. Nobody spoke for a moment. All around us, the clink and clatter of dishes sounded, mixing with the talk of the other students.

  “So are you guys together now or what?” Morgan asked.

  I looked at the Valkyrie, and Talia jabbed her in the side with her elbow.

  “What?” Morgan asked, wincing. “You guys know I can’t resist a good piece of gossip.”

  “I don’t know what we are,” I said, answering Morgan. “But I care about him. I never thought I’d be the kind of girl to steal someone else’s boyfriend, but I guess I turned out to be that person, after all. Just like you said I was at the coliseum.”

  Morgan looked at me, then smiled again, green sparks of magic flickering around her. “Nah, Gypsy. You’ve got a long way to go to catch up to me.”

  I smiled back at her.

  “Besides,” Morgan said. “I told Savannah and Talia about how you saved me from Jasmine that night in the Library of Antiquities. So they know you’re not all bad, even if Talia won’t admit it.”

  Talia glared at the other girl, and Morgan quickly scooted her chair back so she was out of range of the Amazon’s quick, sharp elbow.

  “You remember?” I asked. “What happened that night?”

  A haunted look filled Morgan’s hazel eyes. “I could see and hear and feel everything that was going on as it happened. I just couldn’t do anything about it.”

  The other girls looked at her with sympathy, but Morgan pretended that she didn’t notice their stares. We were all getting good at ignoring things we didn’t want to see.

  “Anyway,” I said. “I just wanted you to know I’m sorry. I’ll see you around.”

  “Gwen?” Savannah called out as I started to walk away.

  I turned to look at her.

  “Be good to Logan, okay?” she said. “He deserves it.”

  I thought about telling her that I didn’t know if Logan and I would ever be together, that I didn’t know if the Spartan even wanted to be with me anymore. Instead, I just nodded.

  “Don’t think this means I won’t still be kicking your butt in gym class every chance I get,” Talia growled.

  I grinned at her. “I’d expect nothing less.”

  The next morning, I went to the gym for the first time since Vivian had forced me to free Loki. Oh, I’d come to the gym for my usual class, but I hadn’t shown up for early morning weapons training with Logan, Kenzie, and Oliver—until now.

  I also had on the snowflake necklace for the first time since Loki had escaped. Grandma Frost had gotten it cleaned for me, and not a speck of blood remained on the silver strands. Still, whenever I touched the necklace, all the horrors of that night came rushing back to me, since all my feelings and emotions had soaked into the smooth metal. But the delicate necklace had made it through that long night when it shouldn’t have, just like I had. It was a sign of my survival—and the hope I had that Logan and I could overcome our troubles as well.

  I was the first one in the gym, and I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I paced back and forth in front of the bleachers where Vic was propped up and rehearsed what I was going to say to the Spartan.

  “Oh, just tell the boy you bloody love him and be done with it,” Vic growled. “This lovey-dovey stuff gives me heartburn. Don’t you agree, fuzzball?”

  Nyx barked, but I didn’t know whether she was agreeing with Vic or angry at the nickname the sword had given her. The pup’s twilight eyes were finally open, so I’d put her in my messenger bag this morning and had given her a tour of campus. I’d hoped that Nyx would stay in my bag during weapons training, but the pup had already climbed out. Now, she was trying to jump up onto one of the bleachers. Smiling, I bent down, picked her up, and put her where she wanted to go. Nyx licked my hand and started running up and down, like a pirate sprinting along a wooden plank.

  “She’s cute,” a low voice called out behind me. “Just like Oliver said she was.”

  I whirled around. Logan stood behind me, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved blue T-shirt that brought out his icy eyes.

  “Hi,” I said in a soft voice.

  “Hi,” Logan said in a guarded tone.

  We stood there. Logan didn’t approach me; he didn’t tease me; he didn’t do anything that would tell me what he was thinking. Finally, I cleared my throat.

  “So where’s your entourage?” I asked.

  Logan shrugged. “They quit coming a few days ago. Everyone has more important things to think about now that Loki’s free.”

  I nodded.

  “What are you doing here, Gypsy girl?” Logan asked, his gaze on my face. “I’ve called and texted you a dozen times, and you never once responded.”

  “I know,” I said. “And I’m sorry about that. I came over here this morning to apologize for, well, everything. But especially for how I acted outside my Grandma Frost’s house. You came to rescue me, you risked your life to save me, and I didn’t want to have anything to do with you. I’m sorry for that. Sorrier than you’ll ever know.”

  I didn’t make excuses, and I didn’t bring up what I’d gone through in the stone circle, everything I’d lost and how much it had hurt me. Carson had told me more than once that all the kids had lost someone to the Reapers. Now, I had, too. First, my mom and now Nott. Not to mention the bits and pieces of myself I’d sacrificed along the way just to stay alive. And there was more loss, suffering, and pain on the way—for all of us. I could feel it deep down in my bones.

  Logan sighed. “I’m sorry, too, Gypsy girl. For that night in the library when I accused you of digging through my brain. I know you can’t help it, that your magic makes you see things whether you want to or not. The truth was that I was afraid—afraid you’d see me for the coward I really was. But then when I found out you’d been taken by the Reapers, all that mattered was getting you back—and not being that coward again.”

  “You’re not a coward,” I said. “I never for one minute thought you were a coward. I’m the coward.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because I want you, but I’m afraid to be with you.”

  Logan started toward me, but I held up my hand, stopping him.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered. “With my—with my magic. You don’t know what it felt like, to pull Preston’s life out of him. What if I slip up and do it again? What if I touch you and do that to you? I’d never forgive myself. I don’t know that I can forgive myself for doing it to Preston, even if it was the only way to save myself. The thought of ever hurting you, it just—it just makes me sick.”

  I wrapped my arms around myself and looked away. Logan reached out and cupped my hand with his cheek, raising my face to his. My eyes widened at his soft touch and all the emotions I felt pouring into me. His care, his concern, his understanding. The hot, pulsing warmth of his feelings took my breath away because it was exactly the same way I felt about him. The same way I’d always felt about him.

  Logan gave me a crooked grin. “You won’t hurt me. I know you won’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?” I whispered.

  His grin widened. “Because you’re that Gypsy girl, and I’m the bad-boy Spartan. And I think it’s time we were finally together, don’t you?”

  I stared at him, all of these emotions pouring through me, burning and burning, brighter and brighter, hotter and hotter, until they couldn’t be contained and there was only one thing I could do. I stood on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pressed my lips to his.

  For a moment, the world just—stopped—and all I knew was the feel of Logan’s lips on mine, the firm grip of his arms around me, the hard
strength of his body pressing into mine. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, and the kiss was everything I’d known it would be, everything I’d ever dreamed it would be—hot, sweet, sexy, intense.

  But it was more than just a kiss. For the first time, Logan completely opened himself up to me. I saw and felt so many things, so many memories, so many emotions. All of Logan’s doubts and fears, all of his insecurities, all of the worries that he worked so hard to hide from everyone else. I felt his strength, too—his determination to fight against the Reapers no matter what.

  And most important of all, I realized just how much he cared about me.

  I just felt—everything. The warm, fizzy, dizzying rush Logan got in his chest every time I smiled at him. The sly satisfaction whenever I laughed at one of his jokes. The lightness whenever we were teasing each other. Even the pride he had at how far I’d come as a warrior.

  It all made me happier than I’d ever thought I could be.

  When the kiss finally ended, the Spartan opened his eyes.

  “Wow,” he breathed out. “I know that I’m a great kisser, but you gave me a run for my money there, Gypsy girl.”

  I rolled my eyes, stepped back, and punched him in the shoulder. The Spartan just laughed. I started to hit him again, but Logan grabbed my hands, pulled me close, and kissed me again. The rest of the world just fell away—

  “Woo!” someone whooped, interrupting us.

  Surprised, we both drew back, breathless, and turned to see Oliver and Kenzie standing in the door to the gym, along with Daphne and Carson. Our friends all had smiles on their faces, and Daphne let out another loud whoop and started clapping, pink sparks dancing in the air around her.

  “I guess the secret’s out,” Logan said.

  “I guess so,” I replied.

  “Well, it’s about bloody time,” Vic muttered from his spot on the bleachers. “I was wondering if you two were ever going to wise up about each other.”

  Nyx barked, agreeing with the sword.

  “Shut up, Vic,” I said with a smile.

  Logan put his hands on my waist and leaned down so that his forehead was touching mine. I marveled at the feel of his skin, at the strong circle of his arms, and especially at the fact that there were no more secrets between us.

  Yeah, things were all kinds of messed up right now. Loki was out there somewhere, plotting against the Pantheon, along with Vivian, and the Reapers of Chaos were getting ready to rise once more. But right now, I was at the academy, safe, with Logan and my friends.

  There would be time enough to worry tomorrow. About the Reapers, about Loki, and most especially about how I was supposed to kill the evil god. But today—today was about me and Logan and our feelings for each other.

  “C’mon, Logan!” Carson called out from across the gym. “You can do better than that! Or do I need to come over there and show you how it’s done?”

  Logan turned around and glared at Carson, who just laughed. Then, the Spartan faced me again.

  “What do you say we give them something to really cheer about, Gypsy girl?” Logan whispered.

  I arched my eyebrow. “Bring it on, Spartan.”

  “Kids,” Vic muttered in a fond voice.

  And that was the last thing I heard before Logan lowered his lips to mine once more.

  BEYOND THE STORY

  Gwen’s Report on the Artifacts Exhibit at the Crius Coliseum for Professor Metis’s Myth-History Class

  Given the Reaper attack at the coliseum, Metis didn’t quiz us on the exhibit, but she did mention that we could write a paper on some of the artifacts we saw for extra credit. So here goes:

  An Andvari coin: This gold coin is rumored to be from the stash of treasure collected by Andvari, a dwarf. Supposedly, Loki trapped the dwarf and took all of his gold. Seems like Loki was always doing sneaky things like that, even back before he was the ultimate evil.

  Ariadne’s ball of thread: It’s a ball of silver thread. Sure, I imagine that Theseus found it useful when he was trying to find his way in and out of the labyrinth where the Minotaur was. But still, it’s a ball of thread. I am not overly impressed.

  Bastet’s gloves: These gloves were supposedly worn by Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess. They look like regular gloves, although they’re made of a delicate gold mesh and the fingertips are tipped with curved onyx talons, like a cat’s claws—except much, much sharper.

  Coyote images: There were lots of drawings, carvings, and figurines of Coyote, the Native American god. All of the images were different, though, showing Coyote’s trickster nature and supposed ability to change his shape.

  Sigyn’s onyx bow: It looks cool, and it’s certainly shiny since it’s made out of onyx. But I have to say that I’d prefer to fight with Vic, even if he is a little mouthy from time to time. Okay, okay, a whole lot mouthy pretty much all the time.

  The Horn of Roland: I can’t really play any musical instruments, so Carson was way more interested in this than I was. To me, it just looks like a miniature tuba. Supposedly, Roland was some great warrior who died in battle blowing this horn. Not sure what makes it so special if Roland didn’t actually live through the fight though... .

  Weapons, weapons, weapons: If I tried to list every single sword, bow, dagger, and staff that I saw at the museum, this report would go on ... and on ... and on. So I’ll just say that there were lots of weapons on display and leave it at that. Sometimes, I wonder if all the professors and warrior whiz kids at Mythos care about anything else besides weapons.

  Final thoughts: Many of the artifacts were destroyed during the battle with the Reapers, including much of the pottery, jewelry, and clothing that was in the main part of the coliseum. And, of course, my friends and I used some of the weapons and other artifacts to defend ourselves.

  That’s when Daphne picked up Sigyn’s onyx bow and Carson got the Horn of Roland—things that it seems like my friends are stuck with, since the artifacts keep returning to them, no matter how many times they give them back to Professor Metis.

  Kind of freaky, if you ask me, having something that you just can’t get rid of. I suppose the bow and the horn have some sort of magic mumbo jumbo attached to them. I have a feeling that I’ll find out before it’s all said and done—and that maybe Daphne and Carson have their own roles to play in the war against the Reapers... .

  Mythos Academy Warriors and Their Magic

  The students at Mythos Academy are the descendants of ancient warriors, and they are at the academy to learn how to fight and use weapons, along with whatever magic or other skills that they might have. Here’s a little more about the warrior whiz kids, as Gwen calls them:

  Amazons and Valkyries: Most of the girls at Mythos are either Amazons or Valkyries. Amazons are gifted with supernatural quickness. In gym class during mock fights, they look like blurs more than anything else. Valkyries are incredibly strong. Also, bright, colorful sparks of magic can often be seen shooting out of Valkyries’ fingertips.

  Romans and Vikings: Most of the guys at Mythos Academy are either Romans or Vikings. Romans are superquick, just like Amazons, while Vikings are superstrong, just like Valkyries.

  Siblings: Brothers and sisters born to the same parents will have similar abilities and magic, but they’re sometimes classified as different types of warriors. For example, if the girls in a family are Amazons, then the boys will be Romans. If the girls in a family are Valkyries, then the boys will be Vikings.

  However, in other families, brothers and sisters are considered to be the same kind of warriors, like those born to Spartan, Samurai, or Ninja parents. The boys and girls are both called Spartans, Samurais, or Ninjas.

  More Magic: As if being superstrong or superquick wasn’t good enough, the students at Mythos Academy also have other types of magic. They can do everything from heal injuries to control the weather to form fireballs with their bare hands. Many of the students have enhanced senses as well. The powers vary from student to student, but as a general rule, eve
ryone is dangerous and deadly in their own special way.

  Spartans: Spartans are among the rarest of the warrior whiz kids, and there are only a few at Mythos Academy. But Spartans are the most dangerous and deadliest of all the warriors because they have the ability to pick up any weapon—or any thing—and automatically know how to use and even kill someone with it. Even Reapers of Chaos are afraid to battle Spartans in a fair fight. But then again, Reapers rarely fight fair... .

  Gypsies: Gypsies are just as rare as Spartans. Gypsies are those who have been gifted with magic by the gods. But not all Gypsies are good. Some are just as evil as the gods they serve. Gwen is a Gypsy who is gifted with psychometry magic, or the ability to know, see, and feel an object’s history just by touching it. Gwen’s magic comes from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

  Want to know more about Mythos Academy? Read on and take a tour of the campus.

  The heart of Mythos Academy is made up of five buildings that are clustered together like the loose points of a star on the upper quad. They are the Library of Antiquities, the gym, the dining hall, the English-history building, and the math-science building.

  The Library of Antiquities: The library is the largest building on campus. In addition to books, the library also houses artifacts—weapons, jewelry, clothes, armor, and more—that were once used by ancient warriors, gods, goddesses, and mythological creatures. Some of the artifacts have a lot of power, and the Reapers of Chaos would love to get their hands on this stuff to use it for Bad, Bad Things.