by Simon Archer
For the first time in days, I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I quickly swallowed and pushed them back. I had a job to do. I didn’t have time to get misty and sappy.
“Thanks for that, Ann,” I said as I patted the top of her hand so she would know I was good.
The farmer and I walked back out to the pasture so I could get one more look at my dogs.
“Well, you better get going. I know you didn’t drop these fellows off so early by choice. You must be leaving soon,” Ann said as she stuffed her hands in the front flap of her overalls.
“Real soon,” I confirmed. “Thanks again, Ann!” I raised my hand and walked down the hill without looking back because I was worried that the tears would threaten to come again if I did.
Instead, I kept my head turned firmly forward as I made my way to the lake. I had been surprised when Noel came by my door about a day ago to give me the paperwork for my departure.
“You will leave at six in the morning on the Argo,” she informed me as she handed me an itinerary.
“The Argo? Really?” I replied, surprise apparent.
“It’s the only way we can transport you off the continent,” Noel said simply. “Olivia from the Vreg branch will navigate you there, and she will be the one to pick you up for Christmas break.”
“Got it,” I said. “Thank you, Noel, I appreciate the information.”
Suddenly, the daughter of Poseidon grew quiet and solemn. “This choice of yours, to study abroad with the Cyclops. It has something to do with my sister, doesn’t it?”
Her words caught me completely off guard, so much so that I didn’t have any sort of lie prepared. My mind went blank, and all I could do was stare at the Elemental Official with wide, worried eyes.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I croaked out finally.
“Uh-huh,” Noel said as she raised one doubtful eyebrow. “You’ve got something planned. You cared too much about her to let her death go so easily.”
I cocked my head at the Elemental Official and chanced a question that I hadn’t considered before. “You… you and I have the same opinion on her death, don’t we?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Noel said, using my same words from a moment ago, though she pulled them off better than I had. Much more convincing. The daughter of Poseidon straightened her shirt and straightened her back. “Good luck, Cameron. I hope you find what you’re looking for over there.”
It had been such a strange but reassuring conversation that I continuously played it over and over in my head. There was no doubt in my mind that Noel didn’t believe that Sarah killed herself either, but because of the position she was in, she couldn’t say anything to contradict the Stratego, or at least not in such a blatant way.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I knew I had to pull this off. It might take a while to learn the techniques to make the armor Hades wanted, but I was putting myself in the best position possible in order to achieve that. Then, I could get Sarah back and get to the bottom of her death.
I approached the lake and had to stop in my track as I witnessed the magnificence of the Argo for the first time in person.
It was the subject of a lot of Grecian myths. The ship was originally built by Argus and consequently named after him. The crew that navigated the ship was protected by Hera herself. It is most well known for being the first ship to ever sail all of Poseidon’s waters. Jason sailed as the captain when he went in search of the Golden Fleece. But the ship ended up killing him when the mast broke.
The mast was in perfect condition now. There were three of them, with the center mast being the largest of them all. It was a golden color that shimmered in the rising sunlight. The sails were a pearly white, which I could see from here even though they were lowered due to the lack of wind. It was pulled close to the shoreline, with a plank lowered down to the ground so people could board.
This was going to be my ride to Italy. I was going to get to sail on the converted and infamous Argo. My inner geek screamed gleefully, and I had to keep myself from running straight up the plank to get on the deck.
My stuff had already been picked up and stored on the ship the night before, so all I had to do was worry about myself and Katlynn, who still hung out in my locket. My ghostly half-sister insisted on coming, and there was no arguing her out of it.
“Hey, you’re the only reason I’m back in the first place,” Katlynn reasoned. “So it figures that I should stay with you for as long as possible.”
I couldn’t argue with her logic, and part of me liked the idea of not going into this completely alone. Even though I hadn’t known Katlynn for very long, I knew my father had sent her to me to have my back and protect me, just like he’d sent Khryseos and Argyreos. I had to have faith that she would honor our father’s wishes and do just that.
“Cameron!” Olivia called out from the deck. The Vreg branch leader held up her arms and gestured out to the ship. “Welcome to the Argo!”
“She’s magnificent,” I complimented. “Permission to come aboard captain?”
“Of course,” Olivia said as she gestured at me with her arm. “But I think you might want to turn around first.”
Even though I was confused, I did as I was told. I spun on my heel and nearly fell over as someone collided into me for a hug. I felt the familiar arms and chest of Hailey, and I nearly collapsed right there.
After the Elemental Officials had issued their decision, Hailey stormed out of the building without another word. I tried to say goodbye to her the night before like I had with my four girlfriends.
“I love you but not enough to get up that early,” Beth jokingly complained as we all hung out in the kitchens while Jade made us a cake to celebrate my departure. Isabella nodded in agreement.
While Jade swore that she had invited Hailey to the shindig, she was nowhere to be found. While I was mightily disappointed, my heart aching as it cracked in my chest, I tried to reconcile with the fact that Hailey had every right to be angry with me. I had lied to her and changed everything about our plans without even thinking about her. What kind of boyfriend did that?
So it was a complete shock and relief when she held onto me so tight in front of the Argo, just as I was about to board the boat.
“What are you doing here?” I asked into her ear as she held me close.
Hailey pulled away so she could look me in the eye. “I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye.”
“But I thought…” I couldn’t finish the words. The tears that threatened to explode before crawled back to the corners of my eyes at the sight of her calm face and kind green eyes. “I thought you were too mad at me after I didn’t…”
“Oh, Cameron,” Hailey cooed as she took my face in her hands. Her thumbs swiped under my eyes. “I was mad, I mean, I am mad but not mad enough to let you go like that. Not without telling you that I love you.”
“Hailey,” I said as I wrapped my large arms around her
“I love you,” the daughter of Apollo repeated softly so only I could hear. “And I want to support you in whatever you do. You don’t need my permission or my blessing to go and do whatever you want. That’s not how I want this relationship to be.”
“Me neither,” I choked out the words. “But I’m so sorry for not telling you.”
“I appreciate that,” she replied. She tilted her head back and kissed each of my cheeks. “And I’m sorry for making you think that I didn’t support you.”
As wonderful as this moment was, there was a rock in my gut that wouldn’t go away. Here was this amazing woman, forgiving me and showing me that she loved me, but I was still lying to her. I looked down into her eyes, examining every angle of her sharp and beautiful face.
Hailey caught on quickly, immediately recognizing the worry in my eyes. “Cam, what is it?”
“I have to tell you something,” I said as I pulled away so I could look at the ground. I took her hands in mine and steeled m
yself with a large inhale.
“Cameron!” Olivia called out from the ship. “We’ve got to get going.”
“Just a minute!” I called back, knowing that there was no way I could leave without telling Hailey the truth.
“Whatever it is, it can wait,” Hailey said, trying to assure me.
“No, it really can’t,” I said, my words falling out of my mouth with the urgency. “I did something that you’re not going to like.”
“Cameron,” Hailey said, her voice dropping into something that hardened the rock in my gut.
“I went to the Underworld to find Sarah and ended up promising Hades I would make him the Helm of Invisibility, which is really why I’m going to Italy to study with the Cyclops so they can teach me how to make armor.”
My face contorted and twisted so tight as though I were preparing for a physical blow. I squinted through my narrow eyelids to gage Hailey’s reaction. She froze as if I’d just turned her to stone.
“I…” Hailey croaked, unable to form a full sentence.
“Cameron!” Olivia pointed to the rising sun. “We have to go. Now!”
I leaned down and kissed Hailey. I grabbed hold of her collar to steady myself as I mashed my lips onto hers. It took a couple of seconds, but Hailey succumbed to my advances. We pressed into one another, finding the familiar grooves and soft spots on one another’s skin. There wasn’t enough time for any sort of tricks, but I hoped she got the message after I pulled away.
“I love you, and I’ll see you soon,” I said. I put my hand to my heart and turned back to the Argo and ran up the plank so fast that I looked like I was doing lunges.
Olivia looked at me with raised eyebrows. “Good gods boy, I thought I would have to tie a rope around you and yank you up here myself.”
“No, I’m good, sorry for the delay,” I said sheepishly as I looked at the floor.
“Well, are you ready?” Olivia asked.
As much as I didn’t want to, I ventured a glance over the side of the boat to see if Hailey was still there. I knew I had just dropped an even larger bomb on her than before, especially after she’d forgiven me the first time around. I didn’t know how many more chances she would give me. But all I could hope for was that she appreciated my honesty and knew that there was nothing else I was keeping from her.
I opened my eyes and looked at the spot where Hailey had been before, and to my heart’s delight, my soldier still stood there, strong and back straight. She waved up at me while the other hand stayed in her pocket. I couldn’t tell if she was smiling but the fact that she was still there, let me know that she would be there for me when I got back. There wasn’t really anything else I could ask for.
With my heart full, I looked at Olivia and finally answered her question. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
14
Olivia jumped up to the raised section of the boat where the ship’s wheel stood proudly, taking the steps two at a time.
“Okay, things are about to get really weird for you, Enka,” Olivia said with a sly smirk.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked as I whirled around to face the head of the Vreg branch.
“It means that I hope you don’t get seasick,” the soldier replied, her smile only widening. “But if you do, this should help.”
Just then, the Vreg soldier threw something in my direction. I reacted instinctively and caught it with a low two-handed catch. After I straightened up, I noticed it was a small glass vile of a pink liquid.
I held up the vile between my pointer finger and thumb. “What’s this?”
“That there is a vile of lotus juice if you want to knock yourself out,” Olivia informed me. “There are cabins downstairs, but I mean, if you want to crash up here, that’s your choice. It is a long journey, so I won’t judge you if you decide to drink the juice.”
“Uh,” I said, not quite sure how to respond. “Thanks for the suggestion.”
“No problem,” Olivia said after offering me a salute. “Now, prepare for takeoff!”
I expected her to spin the wheel dramatically or release the masts after an enthusiastic comment like that one. Instead, Olivia closed her eyes and held her arms out at shoulder length to either side of her. She took another breath in, looking like a yoga instructor, as she slowly raised her arms over her head. As she did so, there was a tremendous rumbling, and the boat shook. I quickly raced to the side so I could grip it for support.
As I did so, I got a good look at the lake water below. It bubbled like a pot of water on the stove. Then, out of nowhere, the boat began to sink.
“Uh, Olivia?” I barked out over the rumbling, which intensified until it became as loud as a thunderstorm. “Olivia? Is that supposed to be happening? Olivia?”
I saw that the captain of this ship seemed completely serene and unperturbed by the fact that her boat was sinking. She held her pose, though her hands lowered slightly, like the arms of a clock. She seemed to be pushing the boat down with her powers, the timing of the sinking ship lining up perfectly with her movements.
In a panic, I looked out to see if Hailey was still there on the shoreline, and she might be able to offer me some encouragement. But my girlfriend was nowhere to be found. She must have left after I offered her that final wave.
Why had no one warned me how this was going to work? Did these branch leaders get some sick pleasure out of freaking out the students with their modes of transportation? Hailey had done the same thing to me when we first took her father’s chariot back to school for my second year. I had joked about preferring to take the Argo then, but now I wasn’t so sure.
The water rose slowly but surely, freaking me out as the edge of the water inched up the side of the boat. I couldn’t understand what was happening. Soon, very soon, in fact, we would be completely submerged. Wasn’t a boat supposed to float? This seemed like the very opposite of what we should be doing.
I couldn’t get Olivia to respond to my shouts. She continued to stay in her Zen-like state, moving her arms lower and lower. I reached up to my locket and popped it open, thinking that Katlynn might know something I didn’t about how the hell this ship actually worked.
The Eternal Flame zoomed out and immediately took the shape of my half-sister, with her glowing blue skin matching the color of the Flame.
“Hey bro, long time no see,” she said, clearly irritated. “I’m looking forward to getting to Italy, so I don’t have to hide out in the locket all the time.”
“Yeah, but we have to get to Italy first,” I said as I gestured wildly to our surroundings. “We might drown before then.”
Katlynn swiveled her head around to see where we were. Her eyes flicked from Olivia on the upper deck to me down below and then to the rising water. Suddenly, she let out a burst of laughter.
“Oh, my gods!” Katlynn cried through fits of laughter. “You actually thought we were sinking. That’s hilarious!”
I put my hands on my hips and stuck one of them out to the side, not appreciating her mocking tone. “Care to enlighten me?”
“As much as I would love to watch you panic some more,” Katlynn said, coming down from her high, “I guess I can tell you that the Academy’s version of the Argo works more like a submarine.”
“How?” I gestured upward. “There’s no ceiling! No cover, the water’s just going to come in around us.”
Katlynn rolled her eyes. “Come on, Cameron, you know by now that magic exists, right?”
“Duh,” I replied, instantly annoyed.
“Well, it’s magic,” Katlynn said in a sing-song voice as she splayed out her hands like jazz hands. Then she pointed up and gave me a wide smile. “Watch.”
I took a deep breath and put a bit of faith in my half-sister. Even though my panic told me I was going to die a watery death, I thought about how Olivia and the Academy and Katlynn wouldn’t let me drown. There had to be some magical explanation, even though it defied all logic. Despite the fact that I had been in this world now for two ye
ars, the fantasticness of the powers never ceased to amaze me.
This moment was no exception. Because just then, the Argo dove into the center of the lake and was completely engulfed by the water. All of a sudden, we were surrounded by the lake. However, it never dipped past the edge of the boat. It was as though we were floating in a bubble as it traveled down into the depths of the lake.
It was a gorgeous sight. I had never been scuba diving in my life, but I could only imagine this is what it felt like. Water surrounded us on all sides, crystal clear and blue, like an aquamarine gem. The sunlight from the morning drifted through the water, waving about like streamers. It twinkled and blinked as we drifted forward, like beacons in the dark.
A school of long silvery fish swam past without paying us a lick of attention. It was as though we weren’t even there. As we ventured forward, at a stable speed that made me feel as though we weren’t moving at all, two water nymphs swam alongside the boat. They had green skin and hair like seaweed. Together, they smiled with pointed yellow teeth and waved. Even though they were trying to be friendly, their supposed smiles were rather terrifying. Nevertheless, I waved back, keeping my smile as true and bright as possible.
I watched the scene under the lake travel by. I stood in the center of the boat, not brave enough to get too close to the edge. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, my stomach was not handling the journey all too well. It might have been slow and easy-going, but the thought of being underwater with no way of escape, stuck with only Katlynn and Olivia, made my breakfast churn uncomfortably.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me that hadn’t before that moment.
“Uh Katlynn,” I said, my voice stalling in my throat. “We just descended into a lake.”
“Yeah,” Katlynn replied, “So?”
“How are we supposed to get to Italy from a lake?” I asked, feeling rather stupid even as I asked the question.
Katlynn rolled her eyes at me in complete annoyance. She put her hands on her hips and stuck out her neck at me. “Why do you ask such questions? Don’t you know by now that my answer is always going to be magic?”