The Eye of Zeus

by Alane Adams

  PRAISE FOR THE EYE of ZEUS

  “With twists, loyalty between friends, and its cast’s cleverness, the middle grade fantasy The Eye of Zeus hits all the right notes.”

  —Foreword Clarion Reviews

  “This charming and brilliant novel is superbly plotted and will win over readers … Phoebe’s voice is dead on and authentic, as are those of her friends. The author’s masterful prose and style serve the story instead of merely taking center stage … This author and novel are ready for prime time and the big time.”

  —Publishers Weekly, BookLife Prize Critic’s Report

  Praise for The Witches of Orkney series:

  “An enchanting new book full of magical mischief and adventure, Alane Adams’s The Blue Witch is guaranteed to please”

  —Foreword Clarion Reviews

  “Bright, brave characters star in this exhilarating tale of magic and mystical creatures.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  Praise for The Legends of Orkney series:

  2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards:

  Gold Medal, Best Book Series—Chapter Book

  2016 International Book Awards:

  Fiction: Young Adult Finalist

  2015 USA Best Book Awards:

  Best Cover Design: Fiction, Winner

  2015 USA Best Book Awards:

  Children’s Fiction, Winner

  Beverly Hills Book Award:

  Best Juvenile Fiction, Winner

  IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award:

  Best New Voice Children’s/Young Adult, Silver Medal

  Readers Favorite Awards Children Preteen:

  Silver Medal Winner

  “A fast-paced, satisfying capper to a trilogy that’s sure to enchant fans of adventure-driven fantasy.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Sam’s internal struggles and focus on the dark side of his witch heritage are reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker and will likely appeal to fanboys and fangirls, particularly as he ‘must face the darkness inside.’ Combined with strong female leads, both heroic and villainous, the ever growing and changing cast of characters has something for everyone. Fantasy, mythology, a touch of romance, and enough sword fights and battles to appease even the most action-hungry make Kalifus Rising a well-rounded, solid choice for those craving a new type of adventure.”

  —Foreword Clarion Reviews FIVE STAR review

  “Adams is a master of exposition, never letting it slow the narrative by immersing it in rapid-fire dialogue … Indelible characters, both good and evil, and a rescue storyline that refuses to dawdle.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “This series will do well with the Percy Jackson crowd and fans of Norse mythology. VERDICT: A great choice for middle school collections.”

  —School Library Journal

  “The Red Sun: Legends of Orkney by Alane Adams is a book that will take children on a roller coaster ride of adventure and fantasy where whimsical and menacing creatures and witches will enthrall readers.”

  —Readers’ Favorite (5 stars out of 5)

  “The Red Sun is a roller coaster ride of adventure, Norse mythology, magic and mayhem. Between Sam facing awesome villains in the magical realm of Orkney to teachers turning into lizards, I had the best time doing the voiceover for the audiobook. Don’t miss out on this terrific story!”

  —Karan Brar, actor on Disney’s Jessie and Bunk’d

  Copyright © 2020 Alane Adams

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Published by SparkPress, a BookSparks imprint,

  A division of SparkPoint Studio, LLC

  Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 85007

  www.gosparkpress.com

  Published 2020

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN: 978-1-68463-028-8

  ISBN: 978-1-68463-029-5

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2019916095

  Illustrations by Robin Thompson

  Interior design by Tabitha Lahr

  All company and/or product names may be trade names, logos, trademarks, and/or registered trademarks and are the property of their respective owners.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  THE EYE of ZEUS

  To My #TeacherTwitter Posse

  CHAPTER 1

  If there’s one thing a foster kid’s not supposed to do, it’s draw attention to herself. I should know, I’ve been in the system my entire life. I mean literally since the day I was born, and my parents left me at a bus stop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A bus stop!

  Seriously, people, there are better places to leave a kid.

  Maybe they were doing me a favor. They could be a pair of black-hat computer hackers living off the grid. Or maybe they were astronauts leaving on a trip to Mars and couldn’t risk taking a child along.

  I liked that one.

  But let’s face it—they probably took one look at my scrunched-up red face and decided I was going to be trouble with a capital T, and wisely skipped town without me.

  I try to live up to their expectations.

  Can you blame me? It’s not like I’ve had good role models. My foster families have been a niiiiightmare. I could tell stories. Like the time foster dad number five locked me in a closet because a sudden hailstorm put baseball-sized dents in his new Mustang. The one he bought with the money the state paid him for my braces. Was I mad? Yeah. But a hailstorm? Even I’m not that clever.

  Or the time my foster sister said I tried to barbecue her cat up in a tree. The cat had a habit of peeing in my backpack. Let’s just say I had a grudge. But it’s not like I can send lightning into trees.

  And they thought I was the crazy one.

  I’m not saying things don’t happen when I’m around. What I’m saying is they’re not my fault.

  I’m Phoebe, by the way. Phoebe Katz.

  Carl says I should be more responsible.

  Carl’s my social worker. He’s from Brooklyn. His head reminds me of a bowling ball with a mustache. Carl’s the only one who cares if I’m breathing or not.

  Of course, it’s his job to care. But I don’t hold that against him. See, Carl’s the one who found me that day on the bench. I owe him.

  If he had known how much trouble I was going to cause him, he probably would have left me there.

  But that’s jumping ahead of the story …

  CHAPTER 2

  It was Tuesday, which meant Lasagna Day in the cafeteria. Compared to Mystery Meat Monday it was something to look forward to. There was a History Fair at my latest attempt at staying in school, Dexter Academy, and I’d spent all night finishing my model of the Acropolis, gluing row after row of sugar cubes in place. It leaned to one side, but if you tilted your head, it wasn’t so bad.

  Ordinarily, I didn’t give two zots about school or grades, but if my entry won an award, Carl had promised to get me a new cell phone—one that didn’t flip open—so I had made an extra effort. I’d even tucked my uniform shirt in and brushed the knots out of my hair.

  The auditorium buzzed with activity as students set up their displays. My friend Damian Rodina waved to an open spot next to him. Damian was a brainiac to the nth degree, which would normally bore me, but he kind of grew on you when he was rattling off useless facts. I angled my way toward him, carefully balancing my model, and bumped right into Dexter’s resident queen of snobs, Julia Pillsbury.

  Julia stood by her replica of a volcano labeled MT. ETNA. Gooey orange sludge oozed down the sides toward a neatly constructed village surroun
ded by plastic pine trees. No doubt her team of butlers and personal assistants had worked all night so as not to damage her perfect nails.

  Julia glanced down at the model in my hands and laughed in that irritating way of hers. “You can’t be serious, Phoebe—a trained squirrel could have glued straighter walls than that.”

  Ordinarily I would have found a way to insult her back, but I didn’t want to drop my model, so I stepped aside and moved on.

  I was the bigger person, got it?

  Julia was the one who stuck her red-booted foot out and tripped me.

  In slow motion, I sprawled forward, falling flat on my face. As my chin hit the linoleum floor, my project went flying, shattering into a bazillion pieces.

  “Oops.” Julia put a hand to her mouth, feigning shock.

  A wave of rage and frustration washed over me as I eyed the broken mess. I had tried my best, for once. Really tried. And this was what I got for caring.

  I pushed to my feet, ignoring my stinging chin and bruised knees. Little Miss Perfect was about to get a mouthful of my knuckles. My fingers curled into tight fists as a sudden clap of thunder outside made everyone in the room gasp. A bright bolt of lightning lit up the windows, and the air pressure in the room dropped, making my ears pop.

  Damian appeared at my side. “Don’t do it, Phoebes. There’s a ninety-seven percent chance you’ll be expelled.”

  I snorted. Being expelled would be worth it to wipe that superior look off her face.

  A girl with black pigtails died pink at the ends stomped up on the other side of me, planted her Doc Marten boots, and smashed one fist into her open palm. “Want me to take care of her, Katzy?”

  Angie Spaciacolli. The third member of our group. As usual, her school tie was pulled to the side, and her shirt flaps were untucked.

  “No, I got this.”

  Julia laughed, tossing blond hair over one shoulder. “Oh, look, the loser brigade’s in town. Nerd, thug, and charity case.” She pointed in turn at Damian, Angie, and then me.

  My rage boiled higher. Picking on me was one thing, but picking on my friends? Another boom of thunder rattled the windows as my fingernails dug into my palms.

  Julia cast a glance at my fists, then gave a tiny shrug and folded her arms. “You wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me.”

  Oh, I dared. Carl would just have to find me a new school. He’d done it before.

  I raised my fist, but before I got a chance to ruin that perfect nose, her volcano burped. She turned toward it at the exact moment it erupted in a spray of fake lava.

  Julia screamed as globs of rotten-smelling orange goop dripped from her eyelashes and hair. She pointed a shaking finger at me. “You. You did this.”

  I was too busy laughing along with Damian, who just snickered under his hand, and Angie, who was bent over double, to point out that was ridiculous.

  “Hear, hear, what’s the meaning of this?”

  Mr. Arnold, the school principal, rushed to Julia’s side. He reminded me of a walrus with legs. A long whiskered mustache drooped down over his chin, and his beetle brows were drawn into a frown.

  “This clumsy goat dropped her project, and now she’s ruined mine!” Julia shrieked. “I want her expelled. Wait till Daddy hears about this.” She stomped her red boot and rushed out.

  Principal Arnold turned to me, one thick brow raised in that accusing way I was used to seeing from every adult I met. “Well, Miss Katz? Anything to say?”

  Loads.

  “I didn’t touch her stupid volcano! Julia’s the one who tripped me and made me drop my project.”

  “Did anyone see her trip you?” He looked pointedly at Damian and Angie.

  Damian flushed and shook his head. “Sorry, Phoebes, I wasn’t looking.”

  “Me neither,” Angie admitted.

  Arnold harrumphed. “Then there’s no proof you didn’t trip over your own two feet. Miss Pillsbury has an impeccable reputation, whereas you …”

  He didn’t need to finish. I knew all about my reputation.

  “See that you clean up this mess,” he ordered.

  I choked. That was so unfair! I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but Damian dragged me away.

  “I see no way to avoid expulsion if you yell at the principal. I’ll help.”

  The bell rang and Arnold clapped his hands, barking orders for students to go to class.

  “That includes you, Mr. Rodina.”

  Damian grimaced, mouthing an apology to me, and followed the others out.

  Angie made faces behind Arnold’s back, making me smile, and then I was alone.

  CHAPTER 3

  The morning thunderstorm continued to rock the building as I set about cleaning up. Whatever Julia had used to make the lava was quickly turning into orange cement. I grabbed a bucket of water from the janitor’s closet and got down on my knees, scrubbing away my frustration.

  Just when I was settling into a new place, something always happened, and it fell apart. Kaboom. A few tears of self-pity escaped before a slice of daylight brought my head up. The storm had blown open a side door, sending a gust of wind through the gym.

  Great. If any more projects got damaged, Arnold would blame me.

  Wiping my eyes, I dropped my brush, hurrying over to close the door. The auditorium had a raised stage along one end. The red velvet curtains were closed, but as I passed by, I could have sworn they swayed slightly, as if someone stood behind them.

  A gust of wind slammed the metal door against the wall, drawing my attention back. I tugged it closed, making sure it latched.

  That’s when things got weird.

  A growling noise had me whirling around.

  “Who’s there?”

  The stage curtains fluttered. Something was definitely moving back there.

  “If that’s you, Julia, you’re not scaring me.” Which was a big fat lie. My heart pinged around in my chest like a pinball. I wanted to run for the safety of the hallways, but no way was I going to let on I was scared. Not until I found out who or what was behind that curtain.

  Tiptoeing up the steps, I grabbed the heavy velvet and yanked the curtain aside, then sighed with relief.

  It was only Weezer, a St. Bernard–sized stray that hung around the cafeteria bins for the scraps the lunch ladies tossed him. He must have run in when the door opened.

  Weezer had thick black fur and a pair of canines that jutted up from his lower snout. His scarred ears had seen their share of fights. I grimaced as I caught a whiff of him. He smelled as if he’d been rolling around in a dumpster.

  “Hey, Weezer.” I reached my hand out slowly so as not to spook him. “Did the storm scare you?” I took a step closer, but the normally friendly mutt bared his teeth and growled at me.

  I put my hands up. “Message received. I’ll leave you alone.” I started to back away when he began to shake himself from side to side, as if he were wet. When he stopped, he had another head.

  That’s right. Two slobbering heads. One dog.

  I blinked to make sure my brain hadn’t misfired.

  The two heads snarled at me like a pair of chainsaws, and both sets of eyes glowed a freaky shade of red.

  I backed away. “Nice doggo, I mean, doggos.”

  Weezer lowered his heads. One paw clawed at the wooden floor, scraping up splinters as his beefy shoulders hunched, ready to charge.

  I screamed loud and long, then made a run for it. I leaped off the stage, hitting the ground hard, then tumbled to my feet and sprinted off.

  Weezer’s toenails scrabbled to find traction, and then he was after me. The mutant dog was like a wrecking ball, knocking tables over as he gave chase. A replica of Fort Knox went flying, exploding in a tumble of Lincoln Logs.

  I headed for the exit to the main hallway, but Weezer skidded to a halt in front of me, lowering his heads to growl. Muttering an apology to Damian, I grabbed his toothpick Colosseum and threw it at the beast, then raced for the side door. Weezer yelped, then scr
ambled after me, skittering on the slippery linoleum.

  My hands hit the exit bar. Freedom was so close, but I was jerked to a halt as one of Weezer’s snouts snapped down on a mouthful of my sweater. I reached back and ripped the fabric loose, then raced out the door and streaked around the building. I probably would have run all the way to the Lincoln Tunnel, but I ran smack into someone.

  The shocked eyes of Miss Carole, the school guidance counselor, looked down at me. She gripped my shoulders to steady me.

  “Phoebe, are you all right? What on earth are you doing running down the middle of the sidewalk?”

  Silver eyes looked curiously into mine. Miss Carole had always been nice to me, even let me feed crickets to Leonard, the basilisk lizard she kept in her office.

  Turning, I searched for any sign of the mutant dog, but the street was empty. “I … I’m not sure.”

  Miss Carole put her arm around my shoulders and guided me up the stairs and back through the front door of the school. “There, there, dear, everything’s going to be just fine.”

  Miss Carole was a great counselor, but a lousy predictor of my future.

  I spent the rest of the morning sitting on a bench outside Principal Arnold’s office waiting for Carl. It took forty minutes for him to get there with traffic. He barely looked at me before entering the principal’s office and shutting the door in my face.

  I slumped on the bench, flinching at the accusations that leaked through the walls. Destruction of school property. Vandalism. Gross misconduct.

  Finally, the door jerked open and Carl beckoned me in. We sat on hard wooden chairs facing Arnold’s desk. I glanced sideways at Carl. He had a blank look in his eyes that scared me. Like maybe he was getting tired of bailing me out.

  “Phoebe, is there something you’d like to say to Mr. Arnold?” Carl prompted as I sat there like a lump.

  I took a breath and turned on the Phoebe-charm, giving Mr. Arnold my brightest smile. “I’m sooo sorry all those projects got damaged, but it really wasn’t my fault. The side door blew open and the wind knocked everything over. I tried to close it, but I wasn’t fast enough.”