by River Ramsey
"Good. Maybe after three times it will sink in," she quipped, giving me a disapproving once-over. "You know, if you want to channel some of that energy, we could use another girl on the preliminary training team."
"Preliminary training?" I asked. "You mean for the Games? I thought they weren't until the end of the semester."
"That's right, but it's never too early to begin training," she said, holding the door open as she waited for me to pass through.
"I'll think about it," I said, even though sporting events weren't exactly my thing. To be fair, I'd spent most of my time in high school running a business, however illicit.
"We meet at the courtyard entrance every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night at seven," she told me before walking off, clearing all the lingering students with her.
I'd say one thing for Artemis, she knew how to clear a room. Or a hallway, in this case.
I realized I had forgotten to return Dionysus' phone call and shot him a quick text on the way to my next class promising I'd speak with him over lunch. I was a couple minutes late, but Akron was by far the most laidback professor out of the bunch. He gave me an acknowledging glance and kept going with his lesson as I took a seat in the front row. Didn't want to try my luck walking all the way to the back when my classmates were in such a tripping mood. Besides, the closer I was, the easier it would be to ogle the cute prof.
There had to be some upside to all this, didn't there?
I found myself chewing on my pencil eraser as Akron discussed what he had planned for the next few class sessions. This semester, we were going to move into the actual alchemy, calcination, distillation and all the fun stuff. Our equipment stations would be ready to go the next day, but we were invited to familiarize ourselves with them over the remainder of the class period.
I was familiar with most of the equipment, since my friends and I had something of our own alchemist's laboratory set up in the Brooklyn loft Jazzy had gotten as a gift from her father.
As I fiddled with the dials, it brought me back to old times, laughing and pumping up shitty nineties dance tunes on the stereo while we worked. We'd shared so many secrets those long nights when both our parents thought we were having sleep overs at each other's houses. I'd have given anything to go back to those times, but the truth was, the writing had been on the wall even before I received that letter announcing my acceptance to Olympus Academy.
About five minutes before the end of class, Akron cleared his throat and went back to the front of the class. "Alright, your attention, please, everyone. I'd like you to take these last few minutes to pair up in groups of three or so. You'll be working in these groups throughout the semester, so try to pick folks who'll actually inspire you to work rather than chatter the whole time," he said pointedly, looking over his glasses.
It was a relief to have at least one professor who wasn't keen on singling me out from the others, even if I did deserve it. I'd never had trouble with group assignments since my friends and I paired off automatically, but I wasn't looking forward to it now that my extended walk of shame was in progress. I turned around, not surprised when everyone near me either looked away or darted across the room before I could get my ick on them.
Ariadne was in this class too, and I almost felt guilty for approaching the one person besides Dionysus who'd been pleasant to me before, but before I could reach her, the girl she'd already paired off with stood in front of me, folding her arms over the plaid bow in the center of her chest.
"Our group's full," she said flatly.
"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow. "Looks like there's just two of you."
"I said it's full," she said, slowing down her words like she was intent on making each one bite.
"Vespa," Ariadne whispered, her shoulders hunched uncomfortably.
"It's fine," I said stiffly. "I work better alone anyway."
I went back to my station as the bell rang and grabbed my things. This time, I was able to get out of the room before the stampede behind me. When I glanced down at my phone, there was another half a dozen calls from Dionysus and a few texts, one of them a picture attachment I couldn't see from my homescreen.
"Damn, that boy's intense," I muttered, opening up the text message thread that had begun the night before.
Holy hell, Kory! You hit him?!
I don't know whether to be impressed or scared.
K I'm both.
Hey, I know you're in there.
Fine, we'll talk in the morning. Just don't off yourself or anything, he's not worth it.
It's morning, bitch. Call me.
Where the hell are you? We need to talk. Now.
Fuck. Please tell me you didn't get a flower that looks like this.
I opened up the attachment and the last message, a simple picture of a white rose just like the one the white flower had turned into made my stomach churn.
So it did mean something. And I couldn't help but think the flower was connected to the group text that was obviously linked to the fact that everyone in this school had gone full-on cannibal on me in a matter of minutes.
With a trembling hand, I dialed Dionysus' number, never more relieved to hear someone's voice than I was when he finally picked up. Even though his first words were, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?!"
I winced, holding the phone away from my ear. "Okay, first of all, this morning has sucked enough without going half-deaf, and second of all, what the hell is going on? What does that flower mean?"
"It's not something I can explain over the phone," he said impatiently. I could hear noise behind him, like he was in a crowded classroom.
"Well, where can we meet?"
He hesitated a moment before answering, "The garden at noon."
"I have class," I protested.
"Skip it," was the last thing he said before he hung up. I stared down at my reflection in the black mirror of the phone screen. Looked like I was finally going to get my answer. I just hoped I was ready to deal.
6
As I waited for Dionysus in the garden’s courtyard, I couldn’t help but admire the great stone goddess who stood in the center of the fountain, her vase overflowing with cool water that poured into the basin. Being surrounded by hanging willows and thick shrubs taller than the titans themselves was the only thing capable of chipping away at my anxiety at all, but there was still plenty of it left.
I heard rustling up ahead and my racing heart settled with relief as I saw Dionysus walking toward me. He looked especially handsome in the school uniform, more boyish than beautiful today, even though he possessed an abundance of both qualities.
“Where is it?” were the first words out of his mouth.
It took me a second to realize what he meant, but I reached into my bag and pulled out the white rose I’d stashed in there without thinking. It should’ve been crushed by my books and all the other random shit that lived in there, but it was perfect. “You mean this?”
The look on his face said more than I wanted to know. He stared at the flower like it was a cursed object and just looking might be enough for it to rub off on him.
“Dionysus? Hello, anyone in there?”
He blinked back to reality and gave me a sympathetic look that bordered on pity. “That’s the White Rose,” he murmured. “It’s a mark.”
“A mark? A mark of what?”
“A mark of prey,” he answered in a grave tone. “It means you’re the new White Rabbit.”
I frowned, recalling the Valkyries’ strange words. “Okay, so what the hell is this White Rabbit and why does everyone at school suddenly have it out for me?”
“Because you’ve been marked,” he answered, seemingly oblivious to his circular logic.
“Yeah, you said that. The question is, marked as what?”
“The Triad’s target for this semester,” he answered. “Usually they don’t choose one until the end of the first week, but you certainly made an impression at the party last night.”
I grimaced.
“I’ve been trying to apologize for that all morning, but Hades’ posse might as well be a ten-foot plated glass barrier. There’s no getting through.”
“An apology won’t help,” Dionysus said, holding my gaze. “Once you’re marked, there’s no getting out of it. You’ll be the Triad’s target, and the school’s by proxy, until another is chosen next semester.”
“Well, who was the last?”
He hesitated.
“Come on, Dionysus. If I’m going to be tormented for the next semester as some stupid preppy bully game, I’d at least like to know who I’m replacing. Unless…” I trailed off as another possibility occurred to me. “Holy shit, did--?”
“No. He’s alive,” he answered quickly. “But he transferred out in the middle of the semester, so the Triad is already hungry.”
“It got so bad he transferred?” I asked in disbelief. “What the hell did they do to him?”
Dionysus sighed, sitting down on the edge of the fountain. He patted the spot next to him and I did the same. “There’s something you need to understand about this school, Kore. The Olympic Games? They’re just the pretense. The sanctioned version of the sport that really runs this place, and has since it was founded. The Wild Hunt is a sport that everyone plays, whether they want to or not, and you’re either the predator or the prey.”
“What do you mean?” I asked warily. “It’s not just the Triad?”
“They’re the leaders of the Wild Hunt. Not the first, and they certainly won’t be the last,” he muttered darkly. “Anyone seen aiding and abetting the White Rabbit is part of the herd, and trust me, no one wants to be part of the herd. It makes you a target in your own right.”
“Hence the meeting in secret.”
He gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I tried to warn you, but--”
“No,” I sighed, holding up my hand. “It’s my fault. I got myself into this mess, I’ll figure a way out.”
“That’s just it. There is no out,” he said slowly. “The only way out is through, and honestly, if I were you, I wouldn’t stick around.”
“I’m not transferring out,” I said firmly.
He frowned. “You said you didn’t even want to come to this school in the first place.”
“I don’t. I still don’t,” I admitted, standing to pace across the fountain’s edge. “But I’ll be damned before I let that Underworld prick and his boy band chase me off.”
When I looked back, Dionysus was smiling. It wasn’t uncommon, but somehow, this was the first time it felt genuine. “You know, if anyone can survive the Wild Hunt, it’s probably you.”
“What about the teachers?” I asked. “Don’t they get involved?”
“They know better than that,” he said flatly. “Most of them were leaders back in their time at the Academy, including our headmaster.”
“Odin?”
“Who do you think started the tradition in the first place?”
I groaned. “Of course. Anything else I should know? Maybe I need to buy a bulletproof vest or something?”
“It’s not that bad. They’re not allowed to do any real physical harm, but sometimes people get carried away, so watch yourself,” he warned me. “Your best bet is to just keep your head down and ignore it as much as you can.”
“That’s not really my style.”
“No,” he said with a weary sigh. “I didn’t imagine it was.”
“So I guess this is it, huh?” I finally asked.
“Just because we can’t hang out in public doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends,” he informed me. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
I couldn’t help but smile. If I was going to survive the semester as Hades’ damn White Rabbit, I was gonna need all the help I could get. Besides, as little time as it had been, I’d already grown attached to Dionysus. I was just relieved to know he felt the same.
“In that case, I’m gonna need the lowdown,” I said, flopping back next to him. “Tell me everything you know about the Triad.”
He eyed me warily. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not just looking to populate your survival guide?”
I grinned. “I may technically be from Olympus, but I’m a New Yorker at heart. If Hades and his crew want to make me their pet bunny, fine, but it’s gonna be one hell of a chase.”
7
After skipping fourth period to gather all the pertinent information Dionysus had to offer, I went to my next class feeling at least partially armed. My reception was as chilly as I’d come to expect, but no one made an overt move in front of the teacher, so at least I had the classroom to call home base.
Or so I thought until Swordsmanship.
Artemis was a foreboding presence, but I soon learned that even her watchful eye wasn’t enough to keep the Hunt at bay.
“Alright, everyone get in line,” she called once she’d taken roll for the day, pacing across the great stone pillars of the gymnasium. Unlike the sweaty linoleum room back in high school that doubled as a basketball court, gym class and aerobics room for the elderly on the weekend, this gymnasium was partially outdoors and equipped with the finest training gear. All along one partial wall were racks upon racks of weaponry, some of which I’d never even seen and doubted I could pronounce the names of even if I knew them.
“Today, we’re going to start by having everyone choose a weapon,” Artemis announced. She had a broadsword bound to her back and even though the thing had to weigh a ton, her movements were no less graceful for its presence. Then again, she was ripped, so I figured I’d have better luck trying for something a bit lighter, as badass as the broadsword looked. “You’re not locked in yet, so I invite you to experiment over the next few class periods until you find something that works for your individual style--and be realistic. A poorly armed competitor is as useless as an unarmed one in the arena, except that she has the ability to cut someone’s arm off.”
I could think of a few limbs I’d like to sever off the Triad, but I wasn’t going to give in to the temptation to obsess over them. They wanted me running scared like all the other little rabbits, but they were in for a rude awakening. If I was stuck here, then Hades was going to rue the day I’d accepted that invitation from the Academy. I’d just have to give it my all and wait for the chance to use everything I’d learned against him.
“I believe in kinesthetic learning, so we’re going to begin sparring today,” Artemis continued. “You’ll be using wooden versions of the big boy weapons, but you can still do damage, so don’t be an idiot. Pair up with the person next to you and get to it.”
Her commanding tone left no room for hesitation, but it left no room for the other students to play odd one out either, so I was happy enough. I turned to the girl next to me and her wary gaze made it clear she wasn’t eager to pair off with the school pariah.
Before she could say as much, Ingrid came out of nowhere and shouldered her out of the way while Artemis’ back was turned, answering some guy’s question about a polearm. “Hey, Rabbit. Let’s buddy up. Unless you’re scared?”
Irritation simmered in my empty stomach. I was going to have to find time to visit the cafeteria on off hours, because dealing with the Valkyries without having any food in me was not going to work out long term.
I knew Ingrid was just trying to get a rise out of me, to force me to call for the teacher and make her give back her place in line, but screw it. If she wanted to fight dirty, I’d give her what she wanted.
“Rabbits have a lot of natural predators, but a rat isn’t one of them,” I shot back, pulling a short wooden blade from the rack. “Let’s go.”
Her expression mellowed to spite, but she pulled a long wooden spear from the rack and moved so swiftly I barely had time to dart back before she made a deadly jab with the pointed tip.
Next time, I was ready. I brought my blade up and struck the spear out of range, but she was fast. One shot after the other, I kept dancing back on the defense and those long limbs weren’t running
out of stamina anytime soon.
She’d definitely chosen her weapon in accordance with mine. I couldn’t even get in close range to take a swing that wasn’t blocking her. Lesson learned. The other pairs were sparring, but it soon became apparent through sideways glances that ours was by far the most intensive match. If I didn’t find a way to start striking back soon, the whole school was going to see me get skewered by Viking Barbie, which was surely what she had planned.
Accidents happen and all that.
I finally saw my opening and I took it, hooking the very tip of my wooden blade underneath the notched hilt of her polearm saber. The wooden implement went flying from her grasp and I relished the look of surprise on her face as I moved in close enough to hold the edge of my sword to her throat.
“I believe that’s one for me?”
Her eyes narrowed and the ground trembled so violently beneath me that I had to stagger just to keep my balance. The fact that the spectators, who’d all ceased their own sparring matches to watch ours, were standing steady was proof it was a localized effect.
Holy shit. She could control earthquakes?
Just before I could find out the extent of my new enemy’s power, Artemis’ voice rang through the rumbling. “That’s enough!” she barked, blowing on a shrill whistle that made my ears burn. “No powers. Kore, Ingrid, walk it off. The rest of you, back to practice!”
With a glare that could’ve frozen lava, Ingrid turned and stalked off the stone platform of the gymnasium.
“You wanna tell me what that was all about?” Artemis asked, folding her arms as she stood before me.
I remembered what Dionysus had told me about the teachers all being complicit to one degree or another and put on a fake smile. I had the feeling I was going to get a lot of use out of it here. “Just a little friendly rivalry.”
She eyed me doubtfully, but I added, “About that training team. I’d like to join.”
That seemed to distract her. Her furrowed brow eased as she studied me. “Meet us here tomorrow night, then, but be warned. The training class doesn’t use wooden weapons.”