Waking the Goddess

by Clara Hartley

  “All right,” Devon said, nodding to himself. “I’ll show you that I care. Trust takes time. I understand that.”

  “Good. Glad we’re on the same page.” I still needed to figure out why the one-eighty, however, and we weren’t any closer to solving the mystery of the morgue. I wanted to rip my hair out in frustration.

  I opened my mouth, wishing to bombard Devon with another string of questions. The bell chimed, indicating that it was time for us to head back into our rooms.

  “I’ll tuck you in,” Devon said.

  Tuck me in? Had Theo and Devon switched bodies?

  “No thank you,” I replied, spinning away.

  I felt a damp pressure on the back of my hand. Devon had kissed me there. My mouth hung agape. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion.

  “Sorry,” Devon said again. Two apologies in one night? Devon was on a roll. “When you look so pretty like that, it’s hard to help myself.”

  “Did your textbook teach you to say that?”

  Devon shook his head. “Nope. Just saying what I think and being truthful for once.”

  “You are freaking me out.”

  “In a good way?” Devon asked. He grinned, and I never thought he’d smile at me like that.

  Chapter Eight

  Life went on as usual after what happened between Devon and me, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the universe had tipped on its axis. Was it for the better or worse? It was still too soon to tell.

  I had direr things to worry about than the fate of the universe. I always reminded myself to deal with more pressing matters. Why care about big problems when I couldn’t even handle the small ones? And right then, my largest problem was the sweatiness of my pits and how my lungs were squeezing too tightly.

  I hated gym class.

  I hated it back on Earth, and I hated it now, in Haven. Despite being the daughter of a goddess, I’d been cursed with stubby legs that refused to cooperate with me whenever I ran.

  I’d been forced to run around a fancy track. The texture of the track shimmered an onyx color, and the markings were purple. Pillars, decorated with Agness’s golden vines, rimmed our running area.

  I cared little for the setting despite the gorgeous decorations. Gym class was terrible regardless of the location. They could set gym class in the middle of Disneyland and I’d still be this grumpy about it.

  Danna ran ahead of the rest of us. She made running look like an art. She’d been born to dominate the track. Despite her speed, she wasn’t even sweating.

  “Almost there,” I muttered softly, before pushing myself harder. We were being graded on our times, and if I fell behind too much, I’d lose points. When I finished and glanced at the scoreboard, I noticed that I’d lost a couple positions due to how slow I was.

  I strode from the track, my lungs heaving for air. After stopping, dragging one foot in front of the other was a challenge.

  Theo passed me a towel, then gave me a pat on the back. I doubted he understood just how strong he was. His pat gave me another ache between my shoulder blades, and I groaned.

  “Oops,” Theo said. “Uh, well done, Cara. You finished the run.”

  “I’m not sure why she’s struggling so much,” Liam added. “It’s only a mile.”

  I wiped my forehead with the towel, hating how my sweat clung to my skin and gave me a grimy sensation. “It felt like a hundred.”

  “Weak,” Liam said. I flipped him off. In style, of course, courtesy of Danna’s star.

  Growing up, I’d noticed an odd phenomenon about gym teachers. Most of them weren’t fit—at all. They were usually old and looked like they’d had one too many donuts. My theory was that they spent so much time yelling at kids to work out that they had no time to exercise themselves.

  And in the Sanctuary, this wasn’t any different.

  Our gym teacher, Mr. Applebottom, was a short man with a beer belly. He stood watching over us in a power pose, his hands on his hips, a stern expression on his wrinkled face. “Well done, Danna!” There was a strange vibrato in his voice that sounded goatlike. “That’s the fastest time I’ve ever seen from a half-blood!” He couldn’t seem to talk without shouting, either. A whistle hung around his neck, and in typical gym teacher fashion, he blew his whistle before barking out another command. “Everybody give me ten push-ups!”

  I hadn’t recovered from the run, and my lungs were still straining from panting. Push-ups? Did I really have to?

  Mr. Applebottom met my eyes. His stern expression told me that I didn’t really have a choice, and the flashing scoreboard gave me extra incentive. I groaned and lowered myself to the ground for push-ups. When I put my hands on the track’s surface, my elbows shook. I’d never been to the seventh circle of Hell, but I was pretty sure it felt just like the gym class.

  “Off your knees!” Mr. Applebottom shouted. “I want your maximum effort here! Everybody give me full push-ups!”

  Really? I couldn’t even manage the modified, easier version of push-ups. Why did life have to be so cruel? I tried to steady myself when I moved up to a plank position, but my elbows shook even more, and I thought they might just give in.

  “You can do it, Cara,” Theo said. He sounded like a watchful older brother. Since he’d grown up with so many siblings, that was no surprise. “One.” Theo counted for me as I struggled. My arms barely inched downward before I pushed myself upward, back into the neutral position. Mr. Applebottom had probably noticed how pathetic my form was, but he didn’t say anything. “Two.”

  “You’re doing well,” Hansel said.

  “Don’t lie to her,” Liam replied. “She doing a terrible job. The teacher’s taking points from her and she’s dropping down the— Ow! What was that for?” I heard a smacking sound.

  “You’re not doing her any good,” Hansel said. “You’re supposed to cheer her on.”

  “I’m not going to lie if I don’t have to.”

  “Three,” Theo continued.

  What? I’d only done three? I thought I’d done at least thirty. My shoulders ached from the strain, and I wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the ground. I craned my neck to look at where I’d spotted Danna last. Frustration clawed up the back of my mind. She’d already finished and was doing jumping jacks like a bunny who’d had too much coffee. I wanted to be done and over with this already.

  A shadow moved next to me. I recognized Devon’s voice when he said, “You’re halfway there. Five more to go.”

  Silence fell over the rest of my vassals. They were probably just as surprised as I’d been last night to hear Devon supporting me. I still couldn’t figure out his sudden change. Had I accidentally zapped him with my love powers? Maybe my powers had grown stronger, and they could affect him for a longer period of time.

  “Did I miss something?” Liam asked. “Why are you being nice to Cara?”

  “She’s my half-blood,” Devon responded.

  “She was before, too, but you didn’t treat her so well.”

  “I’ve learned from my mistakes.”

  Hansel cut in, “Did something happen between you back at your father’s place?”

  I finished the last of my push-ups, though I wasn’t sure if any of them counted because I didn’t even go halfway toward the ground. “Ten,” Theo said. I fell to the ground, not caring that it was covered with dirt, and loosed a tired moan. I never wanted to do this again, though I was certain I had to during the next gym class.

  “You did great,” Devon said, smiling at me.

  Liam folded his arms across his chest. “Okay, this is weird. Am I alone in the Let’s Not Be Completely in Love with Cara Club now? I want the old Devon back.”

  Looking at Devon’s hands, I noticed that he’d already prepared a bottle of water for me. He passed it to me. Despite my suspicions, I was parched, so I snatched the bottle from him, uncapped it, and took a large swig. I swallowed large gulps of water, not caring that some of it spilled down my jaw because I drank too quickly. It did the job of
quenching my thirst, but my lightheadedness hadn’t abated.

  Devon raised a brow. “Feeling better?”

  “I’ll… survive,” I replied, having trouble talking over my heavy breathing.

  “It gets better as you get fitter.”

  “I need motivation.”

  “Some push?” Devon asked. “I can help with that.”

  When was he so helpful? He wouldn’t even chip in when facing Fenrir, even though his powers subdued the wolf in no time at all. “How so?” I asked.

  “If I wake you up earlier every day, we can go for a jog together.”

  “Jogging.” And waking up early? Never mind. Devon was just keen on making my life hell. I knew that he had ulterior motives all along. “My suspicions were right.”

  Devon squinted, apparently not quite understanding where I was coming from. “Besides,” he said, “it won’t be too bad if I get to spend more time with you.”

  The others watched us with stupefied looks. They were as confused as I was, and Devon’s new behavior caused tension to spike between all five of us.

  “Well?” Devon asked.

  “I’ll consider it,” I said, though I wasn’t sure if I wanted alone time with Devon. The way he stared at me caused my stomach to twist.

  “Okay then,” Theo said with an awkward chuckle. “We should get Cara changed and ready for her next lesson. We don’t want her to be late.”

  Theo and the others left and walked toward the showers. Devon, however, lingered behind, waiting for me with his heightened level of care.

  “I still don’t trust you,” I said. “I have to make that clear. Are you your father’s son or my vassal?”

  “I did say I can be patient.”

  “Be honest. Why the sudden change?”

  I heard the scraping of our shoes against the track as we walked away. “You stood up for me.”

  “Huh?” I didn’t remember doing so. In fact, if another beast like Fenrir came at us now, I’d probably run away and leave Devon behind to fight it. Sue me for being selfish, but I didn’t love him that much, and it was always the selfish kids in the orphanage who came out on top. Bully or get bullied. That was how the world worked. “Remind me when I did that again?”

  “Back in my father’s study,” Devon said. “He was scolding me and you fought back. I think that’s the first time anybody’s done that for me. Abigail never did. Mother lets Father take control, and my siblings are always too concerned about themselves. But you voiced your opinion and took my side. So, thank you.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “That’s it?” I didn’t do much besides letting my tongue loose, which, for me, was pretty much like breathing.

  “That’s it.”

  So simple. It wasn’t even much, and yet I’d won Devon over.

  “There is one more thing, however,” Devon said.

  “Uh huh. There’s always a but. Nothing can ever be straightforward. So what’s the bomb you’re about to drop?”

  “Father warned me about being with you. He says I should stay far away and that my proximity to you puts me in grave danger.”

  “I’m a grave danger to myself.”

  The universe, proving me right, made me trip over a ledge. I didn’t plan it, but since I was looking at Devon, I didn’t pay attention. I put my hands out in front of me to catch myself, but Devon stopped me from face-planting right on time by hooking his fingers around my elbows and pulling me upright. He caught me in his embrace and tugged me against his hard chest. The smell of him swirled around me, intoxicating me, and sent a lightheaded sensation through my mind.

  Tension simmered between us, and a lump formed in my throat. I was wondering what to say, since my mind had blanked out, when Devon filled the silence between us. “You’re probably going to do something really stupid that’ll end up with my head severed.” He parted from me, and as soon as he did, I missed his touch on my skin.

  The usual Cara snapped back into me when we stopped touching. I banished all nervous thoughts from my mind and answered, “Sounds about right. It’s great that you have so much faith in me.”

  Chapter Nine

  Goddess etiquette was the most bullshit class I’d ever had the bad luck to attend. I preferred to call it “stuck-up etiquette,” because the obsessive way the lesson went over basic manners made me want to tear my hair out. Danna attended this class with me, and likewise, she thought it was overboard. She stood at the table next to me, and every so often, she’d flit a disbelieving expression my way.

  The professor in front, Professor Dahliana, wore six-inch heels that looked like they might break her ankles. She’d tied her hair in an elaborate pattern, and her makeup made her look like she belonged on a stage instead of classroom. Her collared shirt was so straight that I couldn’t spot a single wrinkle on it. As she’d done a million times before, she reached for a bell on the table and rang it to get our attention.

  Most of us gave it to her for the majority of the class, but she looked so insecure that I assumed she thought that if she weren’t ringing the bell every minute or so, she wouldn’t have the ability to keep us focused. It was the constant nibbling on her lower lip and the shifting of her eyes that created that impression. Professor Dahliana was poised, no doubt. Every one of her mannerisms was carefully controlled, but without the confidence to back it up, her knowledge of etiquette was useless. I held myself back, but every time I heard that sharp, ringing noise, I wanted to shout, “Stop ringing the damn bell, woman! We get it! You want attention!” She was probably insecure due to her background. Earlier, she’d introduced herself as a human. Professor Dahliana had spent the earlier years of her life raising many daughters of goddesses, and when her service proved to be satisfactory, the goddesses enlisted her into the Sanctuary to teach. It must be difficult to be the only unexceptional person amongst so many powerful beings.

  “Today, you must learn how to balance books on your head,” Dahliana said.

  I cast a disbelieving glance at Danna that hopefully said, “Are you hearing this?”

  Danna raised her shoulders in an indifferent manner, telling me she was just as miffed as I.

  Why would anybody in any circumstance need to balance books on their head? The only scenario I could think of was if I’d found too many books in the library and needed to carry more of them. Since reading gave me the fits, that was highly unlikely.

  I raised a brow at Theo, who stood at the side of the room with the rest of the vassals. He was my company for this class. Theo flashed me two thumbs up and followed them with a bright grin. He was always glowing with support. He was so perfect that sometimes I questioned whether I deserved to be his half-blood.

  Dahliana continued, “It’s important for goddesses to be poised, elegant, confident…” She was missing the last bit in her own personality. Confidence wasn’t merely a display of actions. It was a way of life, an attitude. Difficult to fake if one lacked it. “…and posture is key when presenting yourself.” She slouched and let her hands hang limply in front of her. “Don’t do this. It projects insecurity and weakness. Some of you have horrid postures. Goddesses have to carry themselves with their heads held high, their backs straight.” Professor Dahliana straightened herself again. She folded her hands behind her back and angled her chin slightly toward the ceiling.

  So, to get good posture, I had to balance books on my head. What kind of crazy logic was that? A chiropractor would be more effective. Were the goddesses drunk when they came up with this curriculum? Then again, what did I know? I was a dumb nineteen-year-old, and these goddesses liked to act as if they had the answers to everything. I just wished their answers weren’t those of murderous psychopaths.

  The professor lifted a stack of three books and placed it on her head. Not once did I see the books lose balance. They centered on her scalp as if they were meant to be there and pressed down the tiny bun that protruded from the back of her head. I assumed that the bun might get in the way of balance, but apparently not. “When yo
u walk,” Dahliana said, “it’s important to ensure that you’re angling your feet correctly. It’s bad when your feet are too wide apart, or placed too narrowly. Always ensure that each footstep is taken in a nearly straight line, and that you properly distribute your weight between both hips.” She shimmied slightly, bringing attention to her hips.

  “The more books you balance,” Dahliana continued, placing the books back onto the table, “the more points you get.” She pointed to the scoreboard, where my name still sat in the bottom half. “And the higher you will climb in rankings.” I was running out of time for this semester, and once it ended, the next batch would go through another cull. Staring at the scoreboard gave me motivation to find another lead. I darted my gaze to Theo, thinking I needed to reconvene with my vassals and come up with a better plan. Theo continued smiling brightly.

  Dahliana rang her annoying bell again, indicating for us to start. The table before me, fueled by magic, flipped around, and a stack of books appeared before me. I picked up the nearest one and perused the pages. They were completely blank, with not a drop of ink on them. The books were bound between leather hardcovers that looked expensive. “What a waste of materials,” I muttered to myself. All this craftsmanship just for a stupid class?

  “You have five tries,” the professor says. “Each time you drop a book and it reaches the ground, that counts as a failed attempt, and you’ll have to balance them all over again. Extra points if you manage ten books and take five steps with them. Good luck.” Ten books? What did she think my scalp was made of? Cinder blocks?

  Like the rest of the girls, I tried placing the books on my head. I was careless about it and lost balance in a split second. The book slipped from my hair and fell onto my ground. I grimaced.

  “That’s one.”

  I flicked my eyes to the professor and saw that she was already scribbling my failure onto a piece of paper.

  I, with my lack of grace, only managed three books the next time before the stack felt too heavy and slipped from my head. I tried catching them so my attempt wouldn’t reset. The hardcovers clunked noisily onto the ground. I grunted, eying the objects as if they were my worst enemies.