‘How? The nereids won’t. I didn’t finish their plan.’
Amathia held up a neutralising bracelet. ‘With this. It will neutralise your powers as long as you wear it. But it means you won’t be immortal anymore. Is that what you desire?’
‘Yes! More than anything.’
Amathia slipped the bracelet over Pandora’s wrist, where it tightened against her skin. An almost ecstasy crossed Pandora’s face. ‘Oh, that feels better. I don’t have to concentrate on holding the disease back. It’s just not there.’
‘Good,’ Amathia said. ‘I need to know if there was anything else my sisters were planning. Such as awakening the gods?’
‘They only asked me to come here and spread my disease. They never said anything about the gods.’
‘Good,’ Amathia said. ‘Perhaps they have no schemes left for resurrecting the gods. Now, I understand why you agreed to Nemertes’s terms, but I cannot allow you to remain here.’
Pandora nodded, sadness and regret glinting in her eyes. ‘I know. Banished back to the forest I go.’
‘No, Pandora. Your powers are neutralised. There is no reason why you cannot live among humans now.’
‘I could live with people again? You would let me after everything I’ve done?’
‘Your life has been hard, Pandora. I know how manipulative and cruel the gods were. Your father betrayed you and sentenced you to isolation. You have been imprisoned long enough. You deserve a life. I will help you settle down somewhere of course.’
Pandora’s eyes brimmed with tears. ‘Thank you.’
Amathia bowed her head. ‘Now, I think the six of you have some things to discuss. I have brought you something to help. It is beside the bed,’ Amathia said. ‘I will return soon to escort you to a new dwelling.’ She glided away before anyone could object.
Hailey peered over the bed to see what magical object would help them forgive Pandora and saw Amathia’s memory ball resting on the pearl floor. It hadn’t made her forgive Pandora the first time, so she doubted it’d work a second time.
‘I’ve got one question before I storm out of here,’ Demi said. ‘Why’d you spare Venus? Why didn’t you make her sick?’
Pandora tucked a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. ‘I thought if she got the disease it would be too obvious that I was responsible. I worried Amathia would work out I was Pandora and kill me.’ Hope dropped her head. ‘I’m sorry. I truly am.’
‘Whatever.’ Demi moved to storm from the room.
Jayden grabbed her arm. ‘Wait. I want to hear—see—what Hope has to say.’
Demi huffed, but stayed put.
Pandora brushed her fingers against the memory ball.
White light flooded the room.
The memories were worse the second time. Hailey’s chest grew heavy when she watched Zeus promise to help Pandora, knowing his “kindness” was a trick to use her to hurt more people. Sympathy flowed back through Hailey, and this time she couldn’t shove it away. It swelled like an over-flowing river with each memory Hailey re-watched. She wanted to close her eyes by the time Hera appeared, not wanting to see Pandora’s world crumble again.
But she was forced to watch. And then she waited for the world to reform, but another memory appeared instead—one Pandora hadn’t shown her before.
Hailey reclined by the stream that had saved her from Hera’s monsters, staring up at the shards of light breaking through the canopy.
‘I brought you a friend, Pandora.’
Hailey rolled her head to the side. A naiad with ice blue eyes stood in the stream—the same naiad who had sent her and her friends to Aradia’s cave. Harpy! Hailey wanted to yell. She’d basically sentenced them to death, all because they hadn’t waited to get permission before drinking from the stream. Hailey’s anger only deepened when she saw who stood beside the naiad.
Hailey frowned and sat up. ‘Who are you?’
‘Nemertes.’ She stepped from the stream and gracefully perched on a rock across from Hailey. ‘I am one of Poseidon’s nereids.’
Hailey tensed. ‘Poseidon? Did he ask you to kill me before he died?’
Nemertes raised an eyebrow. ‘Why would he make such a request?’
‘Because Zeus was mad at me.’
‘This has nothing to do with your father. I only learned of your existence recently. I thought you had died centuries ago, otherwise I would have sought you out much sooner.’
‘For what?’
‘Your help,’ Nemertes said, a sly smile touching her lips. ‘You see, my sisters and I have resided in Poseidon’s palace almost our entire lives. And six years ago humans stole our home. One of our sisters was weak and allowed them in, while the rest of us were banished to our chamber. And now more humans have come, these ones wickeder than the others. They wish to destroy our palace and kill us. I managed to escape without them seeing so that I could find help. You can save us. You merely need to come to the palace and use your powers.’
Hailey hugged her legs. ‘My powers kill people.’
‘These humans deserve death.’
Hailey shook her head. ‘I promised I would never kill anyone again.’
‘They are evil.’ A hint of impatience crept into Nemertes’s voice. ‘They are thieves. They will kill us if we do not attack first.’
‘Pandora, I think you should help.’
Hailey looked to the naiad who remained standing in the stream. ‘Lilaea, you know I can’t.’
‘I understand you do not wish to harm anyone,’ Lilaea said. ‘But this is different. From what Nemertes has said, these humans are not innocent—they are wicked. And nereids are kin to the naiads. You must help them.’
‘And as payment for your aid, I can offer you the one thing you have always desired.’
Hailey turned back to Nemertes. ‘What?’
‘Freedom from your powers. If you rid the palace of humans, I will take away your abilities.’
Hailey pressed her hands against the hard earth. ‘You can do that?’
Nemertes nodded.
‘I… I want that more than anything… But I still don’t know.’
‘Pandora,’ Lilaea said again, ‘help our fellow sister. The deaths of evil humans are worth the price of your freedom.’
Hailey chewed her lip.
‘If you do not help me, I will find another way to end their lives,’ Nemertes added.
Hailey swallowed. ‘Okay. I’ll do it. Just tell me how to get there.’
The healing wing swirled back into existence.
‘Nemertes told me you’d be coming to the island on an excursion to visit the dryads,’ Pandora went on. ‘She said she’d organised for a cyclops to attack you, and that I was to come to your rescue and fight it off. And then I’d be hailed a hero and you’d let me come back to the palace. I know it didn’t work out that way, but that was the plan.’
No one spoke.
Pandora’s shoulders slumped. ‘I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I hope you can at least understand why I did it. I also want to thank you for making me feel like a normal human for a little while. I promise you won’t ever see me again.’ Pandora moved to roll out of the bed.
‘Wait,’ Hailey said, sympathy still flowing strong in her.
She couldn’t let Pandora walk away thinking she hated her. Maybe it was seeing the memories a second time, or maybe it was that Pandora had saved everyone, but Hailey didn’t feel angry. Especially after watching that last memory. The nymphs in that forest were Pandora’s only friends, and even they had told her to help Nemertes. Everyone manipulated her. And if Pandora had really wanted to, Hailey was pretty sure she could have killed all the students and teachers in the first week by spreading the disease as quickly as possible. But she hadn’t. She’d spared Hailey and everyone who could help for as long as possible—and she’d saved them in the end, even when it had meant giving up everything.
Hailey smiled. ‘I forgive you.’
Pandora blinked. ‘What?�
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‘You didn’t want to hurt us. Nemertes tricked you. And you never really went through with it,’ Hailey said. ‘I forgive you.’
‘Me too,’ Jayden said. ‘Centuries of misery would drive anyone crazy.’
Demi sniffed and wiped at a rogue tear in the corner of her eye. ‘I want to stay mad at you. You almost killed me, and you let the perfect opportunity to torture Venus pass you. But you have had a pretty sucky life. And it was really Nemertes who caused this whole mess… I can’t be mad at you anymore.’
Tears streamed down Pandora’s face.
‘I guess I forgive you too,’ Alec said. ‘After all you did spare me from the disease until the end, so I appreciate that.’
Everyone looked at Aaron. ‘One thing doesn’t make sense to me… your mission was to infiltrate the school by stopping the cyclops and winning everyone’s trust. But you came after us. You tracked us down after the cyclops threw us and protected us from the arachne—you saved me from its poison. If you were planning to kill us anyway, why bother? Why not leave us to die?’
Pandora shrugged. ‘Being scared and alone in a forest with monsters stalking you isn’t a death anyone deserves.’
‘I don’t think you ever really planned on killing us, Pandora,’ Aaron said. ‘But on the plus side, you fixed my mistake. You weakened PET enough that we could get rid of them. So thank you for that.’
‘PET’s gone?’
Aaron nodded. ‘Left an hour ago. You saved Poseidon’s Academy.’
More tears streamed down Pandora’s face.
‘Time to go.’
Hailey’s head snapped around to Amathia. ‘Why can’t Pandora stay? Nobody else knows the truth about the disease, and she can’t hurt anyone now that she’s wearing a neutralising bracelet.’
‘Yes, please let her stay,’ Demi begged. ‘We’re not angry anymore.’
‘I am afraid I cannot allow that. If anyone ever discovered the true identity of Pandora, it would not end well. Fear would wreak havoc upon the school, and humans do misconceived things when they are afraid—such as hunt down and kill the person they are afraid of. I do not wish to risk that,’ Amathia explained. ‘And Pandora is over sixteen-centuries old, hardly young enough to be in high school.’
‘But—’ Demi began.
‘It’s okay,’ Pandora interrupted. ‘Amathia is right. And I’m excited to see the world again.’ She climbed out of bed.
Demi sprang on her, yanking her into a hug. ‘I’m going to miss you.’
Hailey joined the hug. ‘Me too.’
Pandora was crying again when they released her. ‘Thank you for showing me what being human is like.’
‘Come, let us find you a new home.’ Amathia slipped a travelling necklace over her head and reached her slender fingers towards Pandora.
Pandora waved goodbye and clasped Amathia’s hand. She swirled into a mix of colours, like a rainbow ice-cream, before vanishing altogether.
Epilogue
Nemertes perched on a rock in the middle of the infinite sea, glaring at Poseidon’s palace, which was close enough for her to see humans running around in the grounds. Grounds that never should have been soiled by their filthy race. Something lurched in her stomach. A growling monster that wanted to claw out and take the palace back. To kill every last human that had stolen her home.
Nemertes held the monster at bay, placating it with the thought that their end was nearing. Soon the gods would return, and humans would once again take their rightful place kneeling at their creators’ feet.
Though she doubted these humans would be fortunate enough to serve the gods. No, if they remained here when Poseidon returned, he would slaughter them. She could see it now—their laughter turned to screaming.
‘Nemertes, why are we here?’ Nesso asked, anxiously gazing about as if she expected someone to attack them. ‘Amathia banished us. We cannot be here.’
The monster inside Nemertes reeled again, roaring to be set loose so it could punish Amathia for betraying them. ‘Our sister will pay dearly for handing our home to humans and then banishing us. She is fortunate I did not tear out her throat.’
‘You know you cannot,’ Maera countered. ‘She is protected.’
‘Not for long,’ Nemertes spat back. ‘Soon we will reclaim our home, and the gods will rise again.’
‘How? Our plan failed. Pandora—’ Ligea began
‘Do not speak her name!’ Nemertes hissed, balling her hands into fists as the roaring inside her grew louder. ‘That traitor brought us so close to victory and then snatched it away. I will make sure Poseidon punishes her.’
‘But how will the six of us reclaim the palace when it is swarming with humans?’ Nesaea asked.
A wicked smile touched Nemertes’s lips. ‘I have another plan. And this time, it will not fail.’
Did you enjoy joining Hailey for her second year at Poseidon’s Academy? For newbie authors like me, reviews are really important, so if you can find the time to leave one on your favourite book website, such as Amazon or Goodreads, it would mean a lot to me.
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Sign up to Poseidon’s Academy Reading Group to stay in the loop on everything related to Poseidon’s Academy, and as a bonus, you’ll receive a 2000-word story that answers some questions from book 1.
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About the Author
Unlike Hailey, Sarah attended an ordinary high school, and a villain-free university—The University of Queensland—where she completed a bachelor’s degree in writing and ancient history, and a master’s degree in writing, editing, and publishing.
Prior to that, Sarah spent her younger years watching Xena: The Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which sparked her interest in Greek mythology and saw her spend entire days by her bedroom window, waiting for a pegasus to swoop out of the sky and take her on an adventure worthy of Homer. When it was clear no pegasus was going to rescue her from her ordinary life, Sarah turned to writing her own adventures.
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