by Alice Wilde
"Hello, Eden," she says, without looking up from her desk. "You were waiting outside for quite some time. If it were anyone else, I suspect they would have given up by now. This must be important."
"Yes, I think so," I say and then pause.
"Okay, out with it," Headmistress Parthenos says, still reading over a pile of paperwork on her desk.
"I… I'm not sure how to say this," I begin. "I went to see Janus a little while ago, but the problem is he wasn't there."
"I'm not sure I see the problem," Parthenos says. "Janus can often be a little hard to find. It's not unlike him to just wander off from time to time, but don't worry he'll be back soon. He can never stay away from his collection for very long."
"But is it normal for him to leave the door to the Hall of Antiquities open while he isn't here?" I ask.
Parthenos's head snaps up, "what did you say?"
"Just that… Well, the door was wide open but Janus wasn't there."
"You should've started with that," she says, hurrying out from behind her desk and over to me. Parthenos grabs my arm and pulled me through darkness once again to the corridor outside her office. She doesn't let go as we make our way back to the Hall of Antiquities, and I almost find it hard to keep pace with her.
As around the corner that leads to the hall, we both stop short.
"Did you close the door behind you?" She asks.
"No."
"Stay behind me."
She walks forward, and I stay close behind her as she steps up to the door and throws it open.
"Good evening, Parthenos," Janus says, looking up from his usual place behind the desk. "I hope today finds you well."
"Janus, what happened?" I ask, stepping out from behind Parthenos.
"Is this some kind of joke, Eden?" Parthenos asks, whirling on me.
"What? No, of course not."
"I don't have time for this, not now," she says before pushing past me back toward her office. "Don't bother me again unless you have a real problem, be sure to get your facts straight next time."
I stand frozen in place, watching after her as she disappears around the corner, and then look back at Janus. He’s watching me, his head cocked to the side, but this isn’t what sends a chill down my spine. It’s his expression.
He’s smiling. Albeit ever so slightly, the oddness of his expression being anything but a straight face gives me cause enough to step back away from him.
“Aren’t you going to come in to study?” Janus asks.
“Oh,” I start, “no, not today. I haven’t had breakfast yet, and I should probably get that before my classes start. I’m sure you understand...”
Janus doesn’t respond, but continues to watch me as I back away, the smile still plastered on his face. As soon as I can tear my eyes away, I spin around on my heel and walk away as quickly as possible.
First the Demigod Trifecta are acting strange…and now Janus?
Something is definitely going on.
My first class of the day is with Cerridwen and, not surprisingly, the Demigod Trifecta, too. They’re already seated and waiting by the time I arrive. I decide not to fight the inevitable and make my way over to sit with them when Professor Cerridwen intercepts me.
“Ah, Eden. Welcome back.”
“Thank you, Professor Cerridwen,” I say.
“Why don’t you have a seat over here?”
I’m taken aback when she directs me to a seat on the opposite side of the room from the Demigod Trifecta, but I don’t object and allow her to lead me to it. I can’t help glancing back at Thorne, Rhys and Fenn but immediately regret it.
They’re watching me and they look all but pleased by the fact that I’ve chosen to sit away from them.
“Shall we begin?” Professor Cerridwen says in a cheery voice, from the head of the class.
For the remainder of the lesson, I do my best to concentrate on what she says, but I can feel the eyes of the demigods trained on me. I don’t hear most of what Cerridwen teaches, but it doesn’t seem to matter much anyways as it’s mostly the same information I learned last year.
And, just like last year, we’re given the same assignment in which we’re supposed to record and study our horoscopes. I suppose Astria will be seeing a great deal more of me.
“However,” Cerridwen says, “this year, I’d like you to study not just about your own horoscope, but another’s as well. Please pair up with one of your other classmates and do this assignment together at least once a month.”
I look around the room nervously as everyone begins to pair up. I can see Tink and Trixie have chosen each other, but Kate doesn’t seem to have a partner yet. Our eyes meet and I give her a little smile, but she turns away.
Movement out of the corner of my eye makes me turn to look, and I notice Thorne is making his way over to me. Cerridwen notices as well.
“Clarence, would you please partner with Thorne?” she asks before Thorne can reach me. “And, hmm, let’s see. Ah, yes. Kate, please pair with Eden.”
All three of the others look dismayed at their assigned partners, but I can’t help the little surge of joy that bubbles up inside me at the thought of working with Kate.
“Wonderful,” Cerridwen says. “Class dismissed.”
I gather my books as quickly as possible and look to catch Kate before she can leave class, but she’s already gone by the time I stand from my chair.
“Thorne?”
Clarence is trying to get his attention, but Thorne ignores him as he pushes past him and out of the classroom along with Rhys and Fenn.
“Eden,” Cerridwen calls just as I’m about to leave class. “Would you please stay behind a moment?”
I stop and step to the side to allow the rest of the students to leave before she crosses over to me and shuts the door.
“Yes, professor?”
“I’m not exactly sure how to put this,” she says. “Have you noticed anything strange about this year?”
I look up at her in surprise, my brow furrowing.
“I have actually.”
“I thought so. Eden, I can’t say for sure what’s going on, but you need to be careful. In all the years I’ve been at this school, I’ve never had so many students repeating my course in their Second Blood year…No, I take that back. I’ve never had any students repeat my course after they passed the first year.”
“What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know,” Cerridwen says, giving me a soft smile. “Just be careful, and keep an eye on your horoscope…you never know how it might help.”
“Okay.”
“Good luck, Eden.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly, opening the door to leave class.
“Oh, and Eden?”
“Yes?” I ask, hoping she’ll have some advice to give me.
“Try to stay away from the Demigod Trifecta…I’ve never seen them quite so interested in a single student before.”
I have to hold back a sigh at this, and force a grateful smile to my face.
“Thank you, Professor Cerridwen. I’ll try.”
Leaving the classroom, I’m grateful to see that the Demigod Trifecta isn’t standing around waiting for me, but I wish Kate was.
There’s a bit of time until my next class, so I decide to get a head start on what Cerridwen had mention and make my way over to the statues in the garden.
Perhaps Astria will have some words of wisdom, or something.
I’m thankful to see there aren’t any student huddled around her at this time of day and quickly walk over to her and kneel.
“Welcome, child,” she says as soon as my knees touch the ground and I’ve closed my eyes. “I see you’ve managed to make it to Second Blood. That’s quite an achievement.”
I try to keep my mind open and clear as I wait for her to continue.
“Eden,” Astria continues after what feels like an eternity, “your future is…I’m not sure how to say this, but I can hardly see a thing. You’
re about to be given a choice that will seal your fate, and the fate of millions to come. Until then, I’m afraid I have nothing for you.”
“What choice?” I ask, but Astria doesn’t respond.
I jot down what she said in my journal, but only because I have to. I don’t know how that information is going to help me in the slightest. If anything, I only feel more anxious now.
Great and just in time for my next class, too.
Standing at the top of the dark, winding staircase, I look down into the dimly lit darkness. My knees are weak and I have to lean against the stone wall for a long moment to gather my own strength. Nothing good had ever come from descending into the depths below.
There was no denying it, this was my least favorite of all the classes I’d ever attended. As long as I didn’t catch a glimpse of my back in a mirror, I’d been able to block it from my mind on most days, until now.
Somewhere down below the Demigod Trifecta was no doubt waiting for me, and so was torture. I’d hoped never to have to return to this part of the grounds again, but now that I am supposed to…I don’t know if I can.
My heart is pounding in my chest and my stomach has twisted into a tight knot inside me. I can hardly breath, and my chest is painfully tight. I sit down heavily onto the stairs and lean over, putting my head between my knees and retch onto the floor.
I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I’ve never had such a violent reaction to mere thoughts before.
My whole body is trembling, and I feel like I’ll pass out if I try to move.
“Eden?”
A slowly sit up at the sound of my name as someone lays a tentative hand on my shoulder and sits down beside me. Looking up, I see that it’s Kate.
“Kate?” I ask in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m not really sure,” she says. “I’m supposed to be in a class with Professor Formido, I think. I don’t know how it happened, but I was given a few new classes this year, even though I’m still a First Blood… Maybe this is a stupid question, but are you okay?”
I can’t help but laugh at this.
“No, I can’t say that I am.”
Kate watches me for a long moment, her face pained.
“But I’ll be fine,” I say hurriedly. “I guess we’d better get to class.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yes, don’t worry about me,” I reply, and I mean this. Now that I know she’s in this class as well, I’m no longer worried about myself but for her. If I’d barely survived a year with Formido and the trifecta, how will she?
Kate takes my hand and helps me to my feet. Standing next to her, I’d forgotten how small and fragile she is. Waves of guilt wash over me at the thought of how things had ended between us last year.
“Kate,” I start to say, but she shakes her head.
“I’m not here to make up,” Kate says. “I think it’s probably best if we stay as far away from each other as possible outside of our studies.”
“I understand,” I say, although inwardly, I’m not sure that I do.
“See you in class,” Kate says, giving me a look that I can’t quite comprehend before disappearing down the winding staircase.
I do my best to clean up the mess I’ve made and then follow after her, down into the darkness.
10
Eden
The dungeon is just as I remember it, only worse. This time, it’s not just Rhys but all three of the demigods, and it only makes my memories of the last time I was here with all three of them more vivid. I know it’s not real, but I could almost feel the lashes of scorching pain across my back once again.
Kate is sitting at the front of the room, and I want nothing more than to go sit with her, but I stop myself from doing so. Instead, I find an empty seat in the middle of the rows away from both the guys and Kate. Not that it matters. A few seconds later, all three of the Demigod Trifecta have ordered the other students nearby to move and are seated around me.
“This is going to be a fun class together,” Thorne whispers from his seat behind me.
I keep my eyes focused on the front of the room, keeping my mouth shut and remaining as still as possible. Rhys still sits an arm’s length away from me, but I can tell he’s watching me out of the corner of his eye.
Fenn is having a hard time sitting still, fidgeting with excitement every time he looks around the room.
The room suddenly becomes completely silent as heavy footsteps approach. Everyone turns their heads to watch as Professor Formido strides into the room, his muscles thick and rippling, as foreboding as ever and dressed in leather armor. His hair is tied up in a messy ponytail, and his eyes scan our faces from beneath his thick brows as he walks to the head of the room.
“This is going to be an interesting year,” he says in deep voice, a dark smile spreading across his face. “Pair up.”
“Eden,” Rhys says without a moment of hesitation.
Thorne sits back at this, obviously annoyed.
“Thorne,” a voice says from somewhere behind me, and I freeze in place.
This is the first of my classes that Nyx and I have had together, but why?
“No,” Thorne says. “I’ll take Kate.”
My chest tightens at this. I should have been faster, and claimed her has my partner. How could I be so stupid?
“No, I’ll take Kate,” I speak up.
Professor Formido looks over at us and snorts.
“No girl, Rhys has claimed you. Kate, go with Thorne.”
“Fine,” Nyx says, her voice clearly strained. “I’ll take Fenn.”
“Whatever,” Fenn says with a shrug.
“For the rest of the year,” Formido says, “these will be your in-class partners. For those of you who are Second Bloods, your study partners have already been assigned.”
I can’t imagine what kind of homework we’d get for this class that would require the help of anyone else, and I don’t think I want to. In-class assignments are bad enough…and that’s with Formido supposedly supervising.
“Today, we’re going to study the art of manipulation,” Formido says. “However, instead of physical manipulation. You are going to test your skills with verbal and emotional manipulation.”
Rhys chuckles softly to himself at this, and I swallow hard. Of course, this was going to be perfectly easy for him. How was I supposed to go up against him?
“I’ve sectioned off various parts of the room. Go claim one.”
Rhys immediately finds one in a dark corner of the room, and I follow him slowly over to it as I watch to see where Thorne takes Kate. Of course, he chooses an area of the room on the very far side of the room.
As I step into the sectioned off area with Rhys, the room around us suddenly becomes silent. I can still see the others, but I can no longer hear them.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Rhys says with a smirk. “It’s almost as if we have the whole room to ourselves.”
“That’s not the word I’d use for it,” I answer, slowly walking around the space so that I’m able to position myself in front of Rhys in a way that I can still watch Kate.
“Why did you choose me?” I ask, not really caring about his answer.
Rhys laughs deeply at this, startling me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him respond this way.
“That’s a stupid question,” he says. “You’re the easiest person to manipulate in the entire room.”
“I am not,” I retort.
“See?” Rhys says. “I’ve already managed to get under your skin, or should I say…wings?”
The words sting. I can’t believe he’d stoop so low, although I know I shouldn’t be surprised. I clench my teeth together in an effort to keep the tears from welling up in my eyes at the cruel reminder.
“That was low,” I finally manage to say. “Even for you.”
“What did you expect?”
“A little decency.”
“Then you’re more of an idiot than I th
ought.”
“At least I can control my emotions.”
Rhys opens his mouth to respond, but then steps back, frowning. I take advantage of his momentary silence to look over toward Kate, and my stomach drops.
Thorne is standing over her smiling, while she’s crumpled into a pile on the floor, sobbing.
Without thinking, I rush past Rhys toward her but am suddenly thrown back as soon as I try to leave our area of the room.
“You’re not getting out of here until class is over or I’ve finished with you,” Rhys says with a snarl. “Whichever comes last.”
“Then do what you must,” I snap at him.
“What?”
“Just hurry up so we can get this over with.”
Rhys steps back again, working his jaw as he looks at me with a mixture of confusion and frustration.
“That’s not how this works.”
“So, how does this work?” I ask. “You bully me around until I burst into tears, and you finally get a sense of satisfaction that you are still capable of feeling some kind of emotion? Or do you push me around in an effort to break me because you’re afraid of what I might do to you?”
He scoffs at this, but it feels forced.
“No.”
I can feel the rage in me building as I watch Thorne berate and talk down to Kate. Even though I can’t hear what they’re saying, I can imagine and I want nothing more than to save her from him.
“No, of course not,” I say. “Why would any of that matter to you when you’re already so far gone that you’ve already passed the point of no return.”
“What are you talking about,” Rhys growls. “You—”
He looks like he’s about to hit me, his eyes shooting daggers at me as he takes a large step forward, instantly closing the space between us.
“You—”
Rhys starts to say again, his nostrils flaring as he stares angrily down at me.
Without thinking, I lift up on the tips of my toes. Flinging my arms around his neck, and press my lips to his.
His body tenses against mine, and he remains motionless for a long moment in my arms. I start to pull away, but just as I do, he wraps his arms around my body and press me forcefully against his own as he steps forward and pushes me up against the wall.