A Curse of Gold

by Annie Sullivan

  Triton sits up and takes the piece of tangled driftwood, turning it over in his hands before launching it back out to sea for his pet to chase.

  “I’m hoping to get close enough to turn him to gold.”

  Triton clasps his hands across his bent knees and shakes his head. “I’ve always heard that the creatures Dionysus curses can’t use their powers against him.”

  I slump forward, a sinking feeling flooding through me. That had been the one plan I’d been counting on to work.

  But if I couldn’t do that, what could I do?

  “There’s got to be some way to weaken him or trap him. What about those bad grapes you mentioned?” I say.

  “Dionysus is no fool. The only way to really weaken him would be to capture his staff—but don’t count on that. He’s never let me even touch it before. And only he can wield it anyway.”

  I weigh a handful of loose sand in my palm, letting it drain between my fingers. “We’ll have to outsmart him, then.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Good luck with what?” Royce says, coming over and sitting down on my other side.

  “Finding a way to outsmart Dionysus,” Triton replies.

  “There’s got to be a bet or something he would take. Something we could win.” I pour the remaining sand from my hand back onto the shore and stare out at the dark waves. But no matter how long I sit there, I can’t come up with anything Dionysus couldn’t counter.

  I bury my face in my hands.

  “We’ll think of something. We’ve got time,” Royce says, rubbing his hand across my back. “Didn’t we outsmart the Oracle’s tests?”

  I nod slowly, thinking back to the crystal challenge and how we’d had to read between what was written on the sign to figure out how to pass. Sure, we’d eventually figured it out, but we also weren’t up against a god with near limitless powers.

  “I bet I could outsmart him,” Phipps says, plopping down in the sand, Lenny at his heels. “There’s not a deal I can’t get someone to make.” Phipps’s eyes swing to Triton and a familiar grin passes over his face. He nudges Lenny and then clears his throat. “Speaking of deals . . .” He straightens, looking at Triton. “It seems like you’ve got a lot of human junk littering the bottom of your beautiful ocean. If you wanted to just sweep it up in a wave and deposit it on land, I would take care of disposing of it for you. All those sunken ships and everything. We could clean the whole ocean right up together.”

  “You mean all those ships full of jewels and cases of gold and other goods that are just lying useless on the sands of my ocean?” Triton asks.

  Phipps smiles widely, nodding along.

  “Not a chance,” Triton says.

  “Just one ship?” Phipps ventures.

  “I could cause barnacles to grow all over your face, you know,” Triton says.

  And while in the past I may have taken him at his word, I can tell by the upturn of his lips that he’s joking.

  Phipps waves his hands in defeat. “All right, all right. No ships.” His eyes gleam. “How do you feel about pearls?”

  “Phipps,” Royce says, groaning in unison with the rest of us.

  “Fine, tough crowd,” Phipps says, shoving a clam into his mouth that Triton had just summoned for dinner. “No one understands that with Thipps gone, I’ve got to work twice as hard to pull off my business ventures. None of them have worked out since he—since he—”

  Lenny nudges him, his brow furled. He nods toward the pegasi.

  “No, Lenny, those are yours.”

  Lenny stares at him, motioning toward the winged horses once more before gesturing between himself and his brother.

  “You’d really let me start a flying horse show with them?”

  Lenny nods eagerly.

  Phipps smiles down at Lenny, and I think I spot tears in his eyes as he pulls him close for a hug.

  “Don’t I have the best younger brother?” Phipps shouts. He holds his brother so tight he nearly strangles him. Lenny pushes against him with his legs to extricate himself.

  Phipps laughs and releases him. “Things are finally looking up! In fact”—he cracks his knuckles—“I’m feeling so good, I bet I could convince Dionysus to part with all those treasures he’s collected on Jipper. He’s probably got better things than anyone.” Phipps slaps his leg. “I could bet him I could identify real gold over that fool’s gold faster than he could.”

  “He’d probably turn you into a statue while he figured out which is which,” Triton says. “He’s always planned some way to win before he accepts a bet.”

  Phipps’s smile falters a fraction. “That’s not fair. He should have to win a bet without using magic. Otherwise, how are we supposed to beat him?”

  “You’re not,” Triton declares. “But if you really want to find out if you can, you will at sunrise. That’s when we’ll get the signal for how to find Jipper.”

  “The signal?” Royce and I share a look.

  “Oh, you’ll see,” Triton says.

  And while the others start discussing what this mysterious signal could be, all I can do is think about how soon that means we’ll reach Jipper. And about how I don’t have a plan to defeat Dionysus once we get there.

  CHAPTER 23

  While the rest of the crew sleeps, I toss and turn. Sand digs into my skin, eroding me from the outside while the poison dissolves me from the inside. When I can’t lie down any longer, I roll to my side and try to rise. But my muscles don’t want to respond.

  A rushing pain spirals through my body, infecting my muscles and turning them almost to liquid. I fight against it, forcing my arms out from under me. I eventually make it to my feet. I wobble to where Triton stands on the beach, throwing another stick for Grax.

  “You’re up early,” Triton says.

  “It hurts too much to sleep.” I risk a look at my ankle. The swelling has gone down, but what’s taken its place is much worse. Green veins snake up my leg, as high up past my knee as I dare look.

  My throat tightens. I roll down my pant leg and try not to think about what it means.

  “Here.” Triton pulls out something crumbled and lumpy from the pockets of his pants. “I had Grax fetch some snilloc kelp. It’s used to help with fevers.” He hands me slimy green pieces. “You chew it.”

  “Thanks.” I shove the kelp into my mouth, trying not to gag on the salty juice as it slides down my throat.

  Though as soon as the juice touches my stomach, the aching eases.

  “Better?”

  I nod.

  “Are you sure you’re up to facing Dionysus?”

  “I have to be.” I duck my head. “I just wish I had a plan.”

  Grax pops back out of the water, spraying us with droplets, and lets a long piece of driftwood covered in bite marks fall between us. I pick it up and fling it back into the ocean.

  It floats there for a second before Grax surges out of the water, clamping his mouth around it. Only, he bites too hard and the wood shatters.

  Grax looks around, confused, before diving under the water and disappearing.

  “He breaks them all the time,” Triton says. “But don’t worry, he’ll fetch another one. He always does.”

  Not moments later, Grax bursts through the waves and slides onto the beach. He drops another twisted piece of wood at Triton’s feet.

  Triton tosses it, using what I assume is his demigod power to make the wood disappear far across the waves.

  “If only Grax could destroy Dionysus’s staff like he does that wood,” I say.

  Triton digs his toes in the sand. “I wish. Grax isn’t allowed on Jipper. He ate too many satyrs on his first visit. Dionysus said he’d kill Grax if he ever so much as grazed one of Jipper’s rocks again.”

  Grax brings a partially chewed branch back and gnaws on the end for a while as he curls up at Triton’s feet. Triton leans forward and rubs his side.

  “Even if we could get Grax on the island, Dionysus would never let him close
to his staff. It rarely leaves his side, and he’ll definitely have it in hand by the time you show up.”

  There’s a loud crunch as Grax bites through his current stick. He lets out a whimper and looks to Triton as if he has another one hiding somewhere. Triton sighs. “If you want another one, you can get it.” He motions to the waves.

  Triton’s words, combined with something Phipps said about magic last night, break through my mind. I whip toward him, sending my head throbbing again. “Do you think Grax could find a particular piece of driftwood—one shaped a certain way?”

  Triton’s brow scrunches inward. “I suppose he could.”

  “And could you have one of your sea creatures bring me a small piece of gold?”

  He nods.

  I can’t tell if the heat I feel in my chest is the poison or hope burning for the first time. We’ll have to act fast if we want this to work.

  Triton looks at me like I’ve lost my mind as I tell him my plan. Maybe I have. But this is all I’ve been able to come up with.

  “We can give it a shot,” he says. “I’ll get Grax. You wake the others. It’s almost time to go.”

  I groan and rise to my feet, letting my vision settle before I edge forward.

  I wake Hettie first since I know she’ll be the hardest to stir, not to mention her groaning might rouse the others.

  She swats at me when I shake her shoulders. “The sun’s not even up yet.”

  “Come on, Hettie. We’re facing Dionysus today, remember?”

  Rhat yawns and stretches awake beside her.

  I touch Phipps and Lenny, who are sleeping back to back. “Better get the pegasi ready,” I say. “It’s almost time to go.”

  Lenny kicks Phipps when he scrunches inward and continues to sleep. After another kick, Phipps wakes up. “Fine, fine. I’ll see to the pegasi.” He wipes his eyes and goes to check on the herd, who have curled up with their wings around them to rest.

  “Time to wake up, my beauties,” Phipps calls, rubbing one on its head and another along its neck.

  I smile through a streak of pain racing up my side. I find Royce tucked on the edge of the sandbar. He looks younger when he sleeps. Peaceful. I wish I could leave him in that world of dreams.

  I kneel in the sand and ignore the ache in my muscles at the movement. Green veins peek out along my wrist right below my sleeve. I yank the fabric down, but it won’t be long before they’re visible all down my hand.

  I gently touch Royce’s shoulder. “It’s time.”

  Sleep clouds his face, and he blinks a few times before recognition sets in. He smiles up at me. “Good morning.” He sits up slowly, smoothing out his hair. “I guess today’s the day.”

  I nod.

  He gives me a hand as he stands. I look down to prevent him from seeing the pain across my face, but Royce gently pulls my chin toward him. “No matter what happens, remember we’re in this together.” His eyes hold mine as he strokes my jawline with his thumb.

  Then his lips are on mine. His hand twines through my hair, pulling me closer. He tastes like the ocean. He tastes like freedom, like life itself. And I want more. I want to stay this way forever.

  Heat rises through my body, and I’m afraid he’ll feel it. That he’ll know what I’m hiding.

  I pull away, ducking my face. “We don’t want to miss the signal.”

  He nods and pulls me back toward the pegasi.

  “Remember not to ride them too hard,” Phipps says to everyone as they mount. “And stay away from the wings. They don’t like it when you bunch in too close to them.”

  “There’s not much time,” Triton calls. “We all need to be mounted and ready before the first sunrays touch the ocean.”

  “Watch their manes too,” Phipps calls as he scrambles to his pegasus. “Don’t tangle them too much. It’s going to take a lot of brushing to fix.”

  “Is this the one I had yesterday?” Hettie asks from atop hers. “The one yesterday kept nipping at me.”

  “Then maybe you should be nicer to it,” Phipps says.

  Hettie scowls down at him.

  Royce hops onto one of the pegasi and then pulls me up next to him. Thankfully, I’m in front of him, and he can’t see the way my lips tremble as I fight to hold in a whimper. I clench my fingers into my palms.

  I lean back into Royce, suddenly wanting nothing more than to slip off into the cool sand and lie there, but as the pain spreads, I’m starting to think I might never get up again if I lie down.

  Triton moves his pegasus forward to the very edge of the sandbar. “The moment the light touches the water, look for a green flash. Then we fly as fast as we can in that direction. The island won’t stop moving, so overshoot the landing. If you don’t, you’ll drop off the sharp edge of the island, straight into the water, in which case you’ll have a hard time remounting. You’ll never catch up.”

  We all wait, the cool night breeze ruffling the manes of our rides. The only sounds are the impatient stamping of hooves squishing into the sand. Even Phipps is quiet.

  The sky lightens. A green flash sears at the base of the horizon.

  “Now!” Triton cries.

  All the pegasi swarm into the air.

  Triton sets an unwieldy pace, forcing his pegasus to go faster than I thought possible. The wind tears through my body and forces tears to well from my eyes.

  We speed over the ocean, and suddenly, there’s a shape on the horizon. And it’s getting closer.

  An island.

  Royce’s grip tightens around me as he spots it.

  “Jipper,” he cries, giving me a squeeze around my waist. “We’ve found it. We’ve really found it.”

  The island speeds ahead of us. It moves quicker than any ship can travel, quicker than I’ve seen anything move.

  “Faster,” Triton calls.

  Foam streams from our pegasus’s mouth as its wings continue to thump up and down. Its legs fight against the current of the wind, pumping faster and faster.

  A smooth shoreline comes into view. Trees roar up past it. Royce anchors me to him as we dip forward, aiming for the sand. The ground rears up at us. We’re coming in so fast.

  But the pegasus is having a hard time catching up with the island. The sandy beach seems to stay just out of reach. Hooves graze the top of the ocean, and Triton’s words about ending up in the water rush through my ears.

  Royce pulls upward, but we fall even farther behind the island.

  The pegasus surges. Its hooves connect with the beach. It glances off but tries once more. At last, its hooves find traction. We clamber onto the beach, the pegasus jolting forward.

  But something happens as soon as the pegasus makes it all the way onto the island. It’s as if the island stops moving. But we are still moving at a breakneck speed.

  We catapult into the trees. Royce and I vault forward as the creature tries to stop.

  Trees and vines tangle around us, and a branch scrapes across my side. I crash through the underbrush, roll across the ground, and land on a pile of thick leaves. Lumps of dirt pile around my shoulders where they’ve dug into the ground.

  I lift my head and try to orient myself.

  For a moment, everything is fine. But then the pain sets in. My shoulders, my elbows, my thighs, my knees. They all burn.

  I drag my arm out from where it’s twisted under my body and struggle to my knees.

  I can’t force myself any higher. I wrap my arm around my stomach as my insides scorch. I’m glad I didn’t eat breakfast because it would’ve come back up.

  “Kora,” Royce cries, crashing through the bushes. “Are you okay?”

  I suck in a breath as the poison rips its way through me, peeling away another layer from my insides and incinerating it. I can’t get any words out. It’s a struggle just to stay upright.

  He crouches before me. “What hurts the most?” He wipes at the dirt covering my cheeks, letting his fingers rest there.

  “I’m okay,” I finally manage to croak. />
  That’s when we hear shouting from the beach. We freeze, sharing a look. Royce wraps his arm around me, hauling me up. He helps me climb over the fallen logs and tangle of vines that clog the jungle floor until we break through the tree line and onto the uneven sand. I sink in with each step, leaning even more into Royce to stay on my feet.

  We push forward to find Phipps standing there trying to drag Triton off his pegasus.

  Triton keeps dancing his mount backward out of Phipps’s reach.

  “What’s going on?” Royce says.

  “He’s trying to steal one of Lenny’s pegasi,” Phipps says. “That pegasus belongs to Lenny, and if he’s going to leave, he doesn’t get to take it with him.”

  “You’re leaving?” Royce asks, turning toward Triton.

  Triton sits stoically, refusing to meet any of our gazes. “I’ve done my part. I got you to Jipper. Now I’m free to go.”

  “What?” I say, pushing off Royce and moving closer, my pain forgotten for a moment. “You can’t leave. We need you.”

  “You’re better off without me. Dionysus won’t take kindly to finding me with you. Aim to the left of the volcano, and you’ll find him. Stick to the trees so he doesn’t see you coming. And remember to be off the island before the sun sets.”

  I shake my head, trying to make sense of his words. “I thought—” I try to figure out what to say to him. “I thought we were friends.”

  “You thought wrong,” he snaps. “I told you friendships don’t last, and I’ve seen enough humans die during my years. I don’t need to see any more.”

  “You could guide us through the island,” I say. “You could help us.”

  He looks down. “It’s better if I leave now.”

  “Better for you,” Hettie says. “But then again, you only do what’s in your best interest.”

  “I fulfilled my promise. I’m free.”

  “At least leave the pegasus,” Phipps says.

  The crew starts to circle around Triton, but we’re wasting time on this battle when another one is waiting for us.

  “Just let him take it,” I say. “The sooner he leaves, the better. We should be saving our energy for Dionysus.”