Poseidon's Academy

by Sarah A Vogler

  ‘Me too.’ Evonee’s smile faltered. ‘Well, I need to get back to painting. Congratulations everyone.’ She turned to leave and then glanced back at Hailey. ‘Oh, and you’re banned from the art studio.’

  ‘What? Why?’

  ‘It’s a surprise,’ Evonee said and scurried off before Hailey could pester her further.

  ‘Hang on.’ Demi squinted at her acceptance letter. ‘This says we start January first. That’s forever away.’

  ‘I guess it’s only fair though,’ Jayden said, ‘considering Poseidon’s Academy takes students from all over the world—not everyone’s first term begins at the end of the year like ours do.’

  ‘But I don’t want to wait that long.’

  Jayden threw an arm around her shoulders. ‘Just think, you’ll have an extra few months to practise your powers so you can outshine all the other Demeters when you get there.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Demi perked up.

  ‘Come on, let’s celebrate with some ice skating,’ Jayden suggested.

  ‘Wait. Hailey never got to show off her powers.’

  ‘Me? No. I don’t want to.’ If someone other than her friends saw her using her powers, it would lead to people banging down her door to make requests for her to do something “Zeus worthy”, like make the sky rain fireballs.

  ‘Come on, Hails,’ Jayden prompted. ‘It’s only us.’

  Hailey scanned for peeping neighbours. But no one was around, thanks to the ice rink out front. ‘Okay,’ she gave in, figuring she only had so long left with her powers, so she might as well use them. She raised her arms, warmth returning to her fingertips and flowing towards the sky.

  A chill swept around the backyard.

  ‘Cold air, really? That’s so boring.’ Demi crossed her arms, unimpressed.

  ‘Look.’ Jayden pointed up.

  Snowflakes drifted from the patch of sky above them.

  ‘Okay, snow in summer, that’s much better.’

  Hailey smiled at the snowflakes fluttering down, feeling just a little proud of the fact she’d created them. And then she remembered this would be one of the last times she’d get to use her powers. Her chest tightened.

  It’s the only way, she reminded herself. I’ll never be free otherwise.

  2

  Poseidon’s Island

  Hailey’s skin erupted in tingles, and the world spun around her in melting and merging colours. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing it would end before her somersaulting stomach expelled the chocolate-chip pancakes she’d had for lunch.

  She could still smell the scent of turpentine and vanilla that had clung to her mum as she’d hugged her goodbye seconds ago. Hailey held on to that smell, imagining she was back at her house and not being hurled through space.

  Her head and stomach calmed when she arrived at her destination. Gingerly, she opened her eyes and gasped.

  Before her an endless sea stretched, the sun glinting off the water, making it sparkle like a sea of aquamarines, sapphires, and turquoises. Waves rolled onto the beach, their steady rhythm making the sea sound as though it were breathing.

  ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ A kind-faced woman stood beside Hailey, wearing a white Grecian dress. ‘I’m Madam Grayson. I’ll be your overseer until you graduate. You’re Hailey Woods?’

  Hailey tensed, thinking Madam Grayson knew who she was, but relaxed when she realised the teacher’s eyes were on a piece of parchment covered in names and arrival times. ‘Yes, that’s me.’

  Madam Grayson ticked her name off. ‘I need your travelling necklace.’ Hailey pulled off the winged pendant and handed it over. ‘Not everyone has arrived yet, so please wait with the other first years until they do.’ She pointed to an apprehensive group of students standing twenty feet away.

  But Hailey’s eyes weren’t on them. She focused instead on the island, which was a tropical beach formed of white sand that appeared as fine as dust and soft as powdered sugar. Students lounged beneath palm trees, and several other teachers dressed in Grecian outfits waited at varying points around the island, ticking off names as students materialised before them.

  ‘It’s not a good idea to keep standing there, unless you want to get squished.’

  Hailey turned back to Madam Grayson. ‘Sorry. I’ll join the others.’ She gripped her suitcase’s handle and moved out of the way as a boy, who looked ready to throw up, appeared in the spot she’d been standing.

  She continued towards the group of students she’d be spending the next five years with. Only a few of them appeared to know each other, talking in hushed voices while those around them either shuffled their feet or fidgeted with their bags.

  ‘Hailey, you’re here.’ Demi broke free of the crowd and yanked Hailey into a quick hug.

  ‘Where’s Jayden?’

  Demi waved a hand. ‘Talking to some randoms. I don’t know any of these people. I think we’re the only ones from our school.’

  Hailey glanced back at the crowd, studying the students’ faces. No one looked familiar. A lightness spread through her, making her smile. If she didn’t recognise anyone, then that meant no one knew she was a Zeus. She was officially a nobody. Blue skies. ‘I think you’re right about us being the only ones from our school.’

  ‘We must be even awesomer than I thought.’

  ‘What have I told you about modesty, Demi?’ Jayden tsked, appearing from the crowd. ‘Hey, Hails.’

  ‘I can’t believe this is really happening.’ Demi bounced from foot to foot. ‘We’re going to Poseidon’s Academy. Poseidon’s Academy! And we’ll probably get to meet sea-nymphs!’

  ‘Maybe you should tone it down a little so people don’t think you’re crazy—well, at least not just yet.’ Jayden grinned. ‘And they like to be called nereids—not sea-nymphs.’

  Hailey, too, could barely believe she was about to enter Poseidon’s Academy and see Poseidon’s palace. The gods’ kingdoms and hideouts were coveted places that many archaeologists and historians had spent their lives searching for unsuccessfully. Poseidon’s palace was one of the main places searched for, and there hadn’t been a single sighting of it since the gods’ demise. Its lack of appearance had led people to think Poseidon had destroyed it before he’d died to ensure no human ever set foot in his home.

  But it turned out the nereids who lived there were just really good at hiding it. And five years ago, they’d announced they’d converted the palace into a high school and were accepting applications.

  ‘Listen up, first years,’ Madam Grayson said, positioning herself at the front of the group.

  ‘Move.’

  A shoulder slammed into Hailey, making her stumble a step, as a girl with blonde curls bashed her way to the front.

  Madam Grayson appeared not to notice the disturbance, continuing to speak. ‘Master Anderson should be opening the portal to the Academy any second now.’

  Portal? There hadn’t been any mention of passing through a portal to get to the palace in Hailey’s acceptance letter; she’d assumed it would rise from the water.

  ‘Look.’ Demi pointed to a burly man striding towards the sea. Hailey guessed he was Master Anderson.

  Master Anderson stopped at the water’s edge. A blue orb the size of a coconut shone in his hand. He pitched it into the sea, where it made a tiny plop before sinking.

  Hailey wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe the orb was some type of bomb that would explode and signal the palace to pick them up.

  But there was no explosion—not even a ripple.

  Demi sighed. ‘How very anti-climactic.’

  Hailey was about to agree but was distracted by Master Anderson calling out several unfamiliar words. She picked up the last one as sounding something like ennat.

  That’s when everything broke into chaos.

  A CRACK shattered the air, its intensity shaking the ground and reverberating through Hailey’s body.

  The water began churning, spinning around as if someone had pulled a plug from the bottom of th
e sea.

  It’s a whirlpool!

  Hailey didn’t know what to say or do. All she could think was that something had gone terribly wrong, because why would anyone create something so dangerous.

  The whirlpool dragged Master Anderson into it; he didn’t even get a chance to shout out for help before he vanished.

  Hailey choked on a breath. Had she just seen someone die?

  ‘Calm down,’ Madam Grayson called out after several first years screamed. ‘This is the portal to Poseidon’s Academy. Master Anderson is safe on the other side. Watch the older students go, and you’ll see there’s nothing to worry about.’

  ‘Wow!’ Demi exclaimed.

  ‘Cool!’ Jayden beamed.

  Hailey didn’t want to watch anyone else get swallowed, but the pull of the whirlpool was like a sea-monster attack: she couldn’t look away.

  The second, third, fourth, and fifth years divided into groups. Each group followed Master Anderson’s example, jumping into the swirling sea. Hailey kept waiting for her body to relax and be okay with the fact she’d have to do the same, but her body only tensed more with every group of students she watched disappear.

  It was incomprehensible to her how diving into a whirlpool to get to the Academy hadn’t made it into the rumours about the school. It would be the first thing she told her mum if she lived through this.

  ‘Okay, our turn,’ Madam Grayson announced, after the other teachers followed the last of the older students into the whirlpool. ‘It’s tradition for the first years to jump in alone rather than in groups, so please form a line.’

  ‘Let’s get there first,’ Demi said, grabbing Hailey and Jayden’s hands.

  Every instinct in Hailey’s body screamed at her to get as far away from the sea as possible. But she let Demi drag her towards it, reminding herself with every shaking step that this was the only way to Poseidon’s Academy. The only way to her being free of her powers.

  ‘When you get to the Academy, please wait for me in the grounds,’ Madam Grayson instructed. ‘All right, off you go.’

  Demi was first. She pivoted around to face Hailey and Jayden, blowing them a kiss. ‘See you on the other side.’ She leapt backwards, vanishing into the churning water.

  Hailey gulped; it was her go. She inched forward a few steps and froze, her breath hitching as she peered at the raging water, imagining it sucking her up and throwing her around like a ragdoll while it gleefully drowned her.

  Calm down, she told herself, and instinctively raised her eyes to the sky. Its azure blue shade steadied her breathing.

  Keeping her eyes on the sky, Hailey gripped her suitcase, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

  Nothing happened.

  She went to take another step just as an invisible force yanked her into the sea. A wall of water replaced the sky, spinning around Hailey like a tornado. It didn’t touch her though. Aside from the sea-spray misting her face, she was dry. She dared to take a breath, her muscles un-tensing when salty air flooded her lungs.

  Gingerly, Hailey reached out her free hand and trailed her fingers through the swirling water, shivering at its coolness. ‘Incredible,’ she said, right before the water disappeared and she began falling.

  3

  Poseidon’s Academy

  Hailey’s feet hit solid ground, and the same salty scent that had hung on her acceptance letter swarmed her nostrils.

  ‘Welcome to Poseidon’s Academy.’ Master Anderson stood before her, wearing gold shorts and a white polo shirt, and holding a crystal orb—the same one he’d thrown into the sea to create the whirlpool. Hailey wondered how something so small could contain a portal so powerful, and then she looked up, finding the whirlpool spinning two feet above her, ready to drop the next student.

  A hand latched around her wrist and jerked her aside. ‘You’re looking the wrong way,’ Demi told her.

  Hailey followed her best friend’s gaze and gasped when she saw Poseidon’s Academy.

  The palace looked as if it belonged in a fairy tale set in an ice kingdom. Its blue crystal exterior sparkled with the colours of a rainbow as invisible rays of light glinted off its turrets and spires, which rose towards the sapphire blue sea.

  The enormous grounds that encircled it were even more enchanting. Sea-anemones and coral formed bright gardens of pinks, purples, blues, and greens. Between them grew trees with coral trunks. One type sprouted big bunches of pearls. Another lot resembled cherry blossom trees, but instead of pink flowers, each tree bloomed a different type of jewel: there were tanzanite trees, aquamarine trees, turquoise trees—basically jewel trees every colour of the sea. There were also trees that looked like weeping willows, with seaweed draping from their branches.

  Hailey stared down at the transparent ground, where rainbow reefs grew beneath her feet. Her eyes widened as a school of fish swam by, their tails long like veils, and their scales shiny and iridescent like opals.

  Her gaze drifted to the sea surrounding the grounds, which stretched over the top of the palace like a dome of water. She wondered what was keeping it from flooding in on them like a tsunami. Perhaps a spell cast by the goddess Hecate herself, she mused.

  ‘This place is amazing.’ Jayden gaped, coming to Hailey’s side.

  ‘It’s unbelievable,’ Hailey agreed, drinking in every inch.

  She’d only expected a palace. She’d never thought there’d be grounds surrounding it, or that those grounds would have magical trees growing topaz and lapis lazuli.

  ‘I’m going to be rich,’ Demi declared, stuffing emeralds the same colour as her eyes into her skirt’s pockets.

  ‘Demi, no stealing,’ Jayden chided her.

  ‘I’m not stealing. They’re lying on the ground. And there’s about fifty trees here. I don’t think anyone will miss a few jewels.’

  ‘Demi, put them back.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘Look, I don’t know what the rules are here,’ Jayden said, ‘but stealing jewels could equal expulsion.’

  Demi’s eyes widened, and she emptied her pockets so quickly, Hailey thought she’d gained the power of super speed.

  About twenty minutes passed before Madam Grayson dropped from the portal. She flicked her long black plait behind her shoulder. ‘You can close it now, Rowan.’

  Master Anderson raised the orb and said, ‘Zdaoknav svdaeat.’ The whirlpool descended like a tornado, pouring into the orb, where it swirled inside the blue crystal, raging to be set free again.

  Madam Grayson moved to the front of the group, the transparent ground making it look as though she were walking on water. ‘Now that we’re all here, let’s begin the tour,’ she said. ‘Hephaestus created the palace, and the diamond ground. He also designed the invisible force field that keeps the sea from flooding in. Poseidon, with the help of Demeter, created the plant life. And it should go without saying that it’s forbidden to pick or take the jewels and pearls.’ Demi sighed along with several other students. ‘To reduce the chances of humans discovering the palace, Poseidon and Hephaestus created the grounds to travel constantly through the sea,’ Madam Grayson continued. ‘In other words, the palace is always moving, but it’s gradual enough that you won’t feel it. Let’s head inside.’

  ‘We get to see inside the palace!’ Demi squealed, linking arms with Hailey and Jayden and flitting towards the palace’s mother-of-pearl double doors.

  Hailey held her breath in anticipation as she passed into the entryway, hoping the inside was just as magical as the outside.

  Thousands—maybe even millions—of white pearls formed the floor, and shells and jewels adorned the frosted crystal walls. On either side of the room, a crystal staircase curved its way upstairs. And in the centre of the open space stood a glass statue of Poseidon raising his trident, ready for battle. Hailey imagined him charging down the stairs, eager to climb into his chariot so he could soar through the infinite sea.

  ‘You can leave your suitcases here. Someone will bring them up later,’ Madam G
rayson instructed the first years.

  Demi looped her arms back through Hailey and Jayden’s once they’d added their suitcases to the giant pile. ‘Come on, I wanna be the first one to see our common room.’

  They ascended the right staircase, trailing behind Madam Grayson, who led them up three flights of stairs. ‘Your common room is up here,’ she announced, stepping onto an off-shoot staircase.

  Puffing, Hailey followed her overseer up the ten steps to the common room, which was enormous and broken into two sections. The half on her left resembled a study area. Scallop-shell chairs surrounded dozens of desks, waiting for students eager to gain knowledge from the hundreds of books that crowded the coral bookcase against the back wall.

  The other half of the room was its opposite. An ornate fireplace engraved with sea-monsters and nereids rested against one wall. Driftwood was piled high inside it, tingeing the flickering flames blue and making the common room smell faintly of burning wood. Sofas, armchairs, and floor cushions were scattered around the rest of the space.

  Madam Grayson waited patiently for all the first years to file in before she pointed to a door in the centre wall. ‘That door leads to the fourth years’ common room—they use a separate staircase—only go in there if specifically asked by one of them. The boys’ dormitories are through there.’ She pointed to the door on the far left. ‘And the girls’ dormitories are through there.’ She pointed to the door on the far right—just past the fireplace. ‘Names are written on the doors, so find your name, and you’ll have found your dormitory.’

  Demi grabbed Hailey’s hand and galloped towards the door leading to the girls’ dorms. She flung it open, revealing a long hallway lined with about twenty-five doors.

  Hailey stared down the hallway, suddenly feeling very sick as she realised she’d probably have to share a room with a stranger. What if she didn’t get along with her dorm mate? What if it turned out to be the girl who’d shoved her on Poseidon’s Island? Would Madam Grayson let her switch dorms? Or would she be stuck with a harpy for five years?