Her eyes flew open, and she exhaled when she realised she’d passed through the monster. ‘Sorry,’ she told Aaron.
Alec sneezed behind her. ‘I really don’t feel well,’ he groaned, skirting around the minotaur.
‘We’ll get out of here soon,’ Aaron assured him.
They darted down a few more hallways before they reached a coral room with an arch at the end of it that gazed into the familiar jewel-encrusted hallways of Poseidon’s Academy.
‘The exit!’ Hailey bolted forward, not noticing that the ground was transparent and looked down at a bottomless sea.
‘Hailey, wait!’ Aaron shouted.
There was a whoosh right before Hailey dropped through the floor. Water wrapped around her, the salt stinging the cuts on her calves. She reached up to pull herself back through the hole, but the floor in the maze had re-sealed itself.
Alec and Aaron’s shocked faces stared at her from above. Aaron was shouting something, but the water and floor muffled his voice.
Hailey banged on the glass, hoping it would re-open. But nothing happened. She wanted to scream in frustration. She’d made it through the maze only to get swallowed by the floor and drown. She supposed one positive was that the water was warm for a change.
Her lungs burned. Would she have enough air to swim under the palace and re-surface? she wondered, about to take off and find out when Alec pushed Aaron out of the way and gestured for Hailey to move. She swam to the left and watched Alec slam his fist into the ground again and again. Tiny lines splintered along the floor, spider-webbing out and multiplying with each one of Alec’s punches, until it finally shattered, shards of glass raining into the water.
Aaron dragged Hailey up, and she gasped in a breath. ‘Thanks,’ she told Alec, who was cradling a bloody hand.
‘Come on.’ Aaron helped Hailey stand up. ‘It’s over now.’
They sprinted through the exit and into the safe hallways of Poseidon’s palace. ‘Where are we?’ Hailey stared down the hallway, having absolutely no idea what part of the palace they were in. She hoped they were near the stable, or somewhere else that they’d be able to navigate their way from, and that they wouldn’t end up wandering through unfamiliar hallways, giving the nereids plenty of time to wake up and hunt them down.
‘No idea,’ Aaron said. ‘But at least we’ve only got one hallway to choose from this time.’
They followed the hallway, Aaron limping from the gash on his ankle, and Alec sniffling while he cradled his injured hand. The cuts on Hailey’s legs throbbed with every step, but she kept moving, knowing they were a long way from being out of danger. A trail of blood and water followed them, but the floor’s self-cleaning magic quickly got rid of the mess, not leaving a single drop of water for the nereids to follow.
They dragged their battered bodies to the end of the hallway and turned the corner to the right. Tingles swept through Hailey. She blinked, gazing back. ‘Did anyone else feel that?’
‘Yeah.’ Aaron reached a hand back the way they’d come. ‘What the…?’
Hailey reached her hand out, too, her fingers pressing against an invisible wall that sent pins and needles across her palm. ‘It’s a force field.’
‘This is the barrier PET was trying to get through.’ Alec pointed to the ground. The pearl floor was singed—like someone had been throwing fireballs at it, or explosive potions.
Aaron scratched his head. ‘How did we get through?’
Alec pressed his hand against the invisible barrier. It rippled slightly, just like Aaron’s force field did whenever someone touched it. ‘It must allow people out but not in.’
‘There wasn’t anything in there but a deadly maze,’ Hailey said, not understanding what purpose the force field served—Tartarus, she didn’t even understand what the maze was for. Poseidon’s trident isn’t in there, just like Amathia said.
‘Yes, there was,’ Alec countered. ‘There were all those paintings—and that room. Poseidon didn’t want Amphitrite to find out about his affairs. That’s why the barrier is here. He was hiding his lust.’
‘He must’ve been really paranoid about her finding out if he added in the maze,’ Aaron remarked.
‘Why didn’t Amathia let PET in if that’s all it was?’ Hailey found it hard to believe Amathia would risk the palace being blown up to hide Poseidon’s affairs, which were pretty well-known.
‘Pride,’ Aaron said simply. ‘It was the one thing she could keep from them—intruders who took over her home. If I were her, I wouldn’t have let them past the barrier either.’
Cough. Cough. Cough. Alec moaned. ‘I feel horrible.’
‘Come on, let’s get you to the fourth floor before the nereids find their way out of the maze,’ Aaron said.
They managed to find their way back to the entryway.
‘I’ll go alone,’ Alec said, stopping Hailey and Aaron when they started for the stairs. ‘You need to get ready for the nereids.’
‘What are you three doing down here?’ Hailey’s head shot up to Madam Grayson descending the stairs. Uh oh. ‘I told you to come straight back to quarantine.’ She crossed her arms when she reached them, waiting for them to explain themselves.
‘My dad had other plans,’ Aaron informed her. ‘The nereids escaped and he wanted us to find them.’
‘WHAT?! He wanted you to find them? They would have killed you. What was he thinking?’
‘They tried to kill us,’ Hailey muttered under her breath.
Madam Grayson’s eyes narrowed. ‘What happened to your hand, Alec? And why are you wet, Hailey? What did you do?’
‘The nereids caught us spying and made it clear they wanted us dead. We’re pretty sure they’re coming for us still.’ Hailey figured there was no point in lying. ‘And I fell through a trapdoor into the sea—Alec cut his hand breaking the glass.’
Madam Grayson’s mouth popped open. ‘I… I… I don’t even know what to say. How do you three keep finding yourselves in these situations? I don’t—’ Alec coughed, drawing Madam Grayson’s attention. Sweat glistened on his brow and dripped down the back of his neck. ‘Alec, you’re sick.’
Alec swallowed. ‘I know. I’m heading for the fourth floor.’ He hesitated, almost as though he thought going upstairs would seal his fate—that reporting to “sick bay” would give Poseidon’s Plague permission to overtake his body. ‘Good luck,’ he finally said, and disappeared up the stairs.
‘Where’s Amathia?’ Aaron asked. ‘She needs to know her sisters are on the loose.’
Madam Grayson’s face fell. ‘She’s not here. She left to find a rare plant sap that she believes can cure everyone.’
‘What?!’ Hailey couldn’t believe it—the one person who actually had a shot at stopping the nereids wasn’t even here. ‘When is she coming back?’
‘I don’t know. But we need to get out of here before the nereids find you.’ Her gaze flicked to the left archway, ready for them to come slithering out at any moment.
Aaron shook his head. ‘We can’t hide from them. We need to find out what they did to everyone. If we catch one, could you look into her mind and see how they created Poseidon’s Plague?’
‘I can only see into someone’s mind when it’s open. And I guarantee the nereids will block me from their memories the second I come near them.’
‘What if you took them by surprise?’ Aaron pressed.
Madam Grayson pondered that for a second before saying, ‘That would work. They wouldn’t be able to block me once I’d gained access. But we need a plan.’
Hailey waited in the grounds for the nereids. The jewel trees glittered in the sun, and the diamond floor sparkled. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, and she clutched her necklace, gazing up at the sunny sky, feeling her nerves ease slightly. So much relied on this plan; if she screwed it up, everyone in the palace would die.
‘Where are the other humans?’
Hailey tore her eyes from the sky, a trickle of fear running down her spine when sh
e spotted Nemertes and the other nereids piling into the grounds a few yards from her. ‘Sick. They went to the fourth floor.’
Nemertes glanced around the grounds, searching for anyone who might be hiding, before focusing her deadly gaze back on Hailey. ‘Why are you waiting here? I thought you would be cowering away somewhere.’
‘I’m not afraid of you.’ Hailey kept her voice even, despite the fact she was as terrified as a rabbit fleeing from a Stymphalian bird. ‘And I need answers. I’m giving you one more chance to tell me how to cure Poseidon’s Plague.’
Nemertes laughed. ‘Are you threatening me?’ Her eyes turned poisonous. ‘You are a filthy human. You are nothing but an animal that provides the gods with nourishment. And now it is time for you to die.’
Nemertes lunged.
‘NOW!’ Hailey threw her hands forward. A gale of wind slammed into Nemertes. She cried out in surprise and crashed into the other nereids, knocking them to the ground like bowling pins.
Aaron sprinted from around the palace and grabbed one of the fallen nereids—Pherusa, if Hailey remembered correctly—tossing her a few feet away and then throwing his hands up before the other nereids, who had scrambled to their feet, could attack.
‘It touched me!’ Pherusa shrieked, swiping at her arms.
‘Release us.’ Nemertes’s voice was as deadly as a snake’s bite.
‘No.’ Aaron smirked when Nemertes rammed her fists against his force field.
‘Oh no you don’t,’ Hailey said when Pherusa leapt to her feet and lunged for Aaron. Hailey kicked her leg out, her foot connecting with the nereid’s ribs.
Pherusa wailed, clutching her side as she hit the ground. Her teeth gritted together and she snarled at Hailey like a rabid dog. It gave Madam Grayson—who had appeared from behind the palace—a chance to sneak up behind the nereid and press her fingers against the nymph’s temples.
Pherusa stiffened.
‘Get away from her!’ the other nereids screeched, and rammed their fists against the force field again and again. Great big ripples shot across it. But it stayed strong.
‘Can you hold it?’ Hailey asked.
‘Yeah.’ A trickle of sweat ran down Aaron’s face. ‘This is nothing compared to a cyclops.’
‘Just a little more.’ Madam Grayson pushed her fingertips harder against Pherusa’s temples.
Pherusa’s hands clenched into fists.
‘Anything?’ Hailey asked.
‘She’s fighting.’ Madam Grayson’s voice was strained. ‘I need to concentrate.’
Hailey translated that to shut up and let me work, so she did, fiddling with her necklace and pacing in front of a topaz tree. They were so close. As soon as they knew what the nereids had done, they could reverse it. Maybe the nereids couldn’t offer up a cure, but she had faith that if Madam Norwood and her Hecates knew the source of the disease, they’d be able to brew a cure.
‘It can’t be,’ Madam Grayson gasped.
Hailey’s eyes snapped to her. ‘What is it?’
Madam Grayson stumbled back from Pherusa, her bemused hazel eyes settling on Hailey. ‘Something impossible. They’ve—’
‘Incoming!’ Aaron shouted.
Hailey whirled around in time to see Nemertes launch what looked like a sea-urchin over Aaron’s force field. And then she was hitting the ground, hard, with Madam Grayson throwing herself on top of Hailey, acting as a human shield.
There was a whizzing sound, followed by Madam Grayson and Aaron’s cries. Madam Grayson stiffened, her body rolling off Hailey. Hailey leapt to her feet and cringed when she saw the tiny spikes sticking out of her overseer’s back like acupuncture needles.
Madam Grayson’s breathing became shallow as her skin paled, turning almost translucent. ‘Madam Grayson?’ Hailey’s voice shook. ‘What do I do?’
‘Fight,’ Madam Grayson moaned.
Hailey gulped and turned back to the nereids, who were still stuck behind Aaron’s force field.
Aaron was on his knees, his arms shaking. Hailey noticed the spikes in his legs and reached to pull them out.
‘Don’t,’ he wheezed. ‘Poison.’
Hailey glared at Nemertes. ‘What’s the antidote?’
‘An Asclepius. Your friends will be dead within the hour.’
‘I can’t hold it. I’m sorry, Hailey.’ Aaron slumped to the ground.
Nemertes launched forward just as Hailey threw her hands out and jumped back. A few jewels on the topaz tree near her chinked to the ground as a gust of wind charged at the nereids, tossing them backwards.
Hailey lifted her arms above her head, the warmth flowing from her fingers burning like steam as she poured all of the anger and hate she harboured for the nereids into the sky. They were responsible for everything. Because of them her friends were dying. Because of them Hailey was imprisoned in the Underworld. Because of them she had nightmares. Because of them the prophecy could come true. Because of them she might have to face the gods one day.
The sky blackened and wind bellowed around the grounds, increasing in ferocity as Hailey focused on creating a tornado strong enough to carry the nereids to the other side of the world.
‘Okaeat.’
The warmth flowing through Hailey’s fingers cut off as the sky vanished, replaced by water. ‘NO!’ she cried as the palace plunged through the sea.
‘You are not worthy of Zeus’s powers.’ Nemertes was back on her feet with her sisters. ‘He and Poseidon will praise me when I inform them I killed the one person capable of thwarting them.’ She prowled towards Hailey, who backed away until she reached the grounds’ edge, stopping just a few inches in front of the force field.
She glanced about for an escape route, but the other nereids fanned out around her. The only way out was through the force field, and she didn’t think drowning would achieve anything. Hailey swallowed down her fear and straightened when Nemertes stopped in front of her.
The nymph’s hand reached to shove Hailey into the sea, or to choke her, she didn’t know. Hailey ducked and swept her leg, kicking Nemertes’s feet out from under her and sprinting forward. The other nereids swarmed her.
Hailey kicked and punched with no real direction. All she knew was that she had to get away. To escape so she could get help for Madam Grayson and Aaron, and then Madam Grayson could tell Madam Norwood what the nereids had done.
The nereids snarled and shouted as Hailey’s fists and feet pummelled into flesh. But instead of retreating, they tightened the circle around her, clawing at Hailey’s arms and tearing at her hair. A blow to the stomach pushed the air from her lungs, and she collapsed to her knees, gasping.
The nereids loomed around her, breaking their tight circle to let Nemertes in. She held one of the poisonous urchin darts that had taken down Aaron and Madam Grayson. ‘This death is far too kind for you. But I would rather watch you die now than allow you time to escape while we devise a more painful end.’
‘Gee – thanks,’ Hailey puffed out, clutching her aching stomach as she tried to regain her breath. ‘Glad to know – you no longer plan – on feeding me to the – sea-monsters.’
Nemertes paused, and Hailey noticed a very slight raise of one eyebrow. ‘I never planned on feeding you to the sea-monsters.’ Realisation smoothed her features. ‘Ah, you were spying. I was not speaking about you.’
‘Then who were you talking about?’
‘Get away from her!’ Hope stood by the palace doors, a few yards away.
Nemertes laughed, not at all worried by Hope. ‘I don’t think so. And if you were wise, you would leave.’
Hope sucked in a breath before pitching something into the circle of nereids. Hailey recognised the vial she’d taken from the Hecate room, right before it shattered on the ground. Gold liquid leaked over the diamond floor before exploding into a shower of dust that rained over the grounds like a glitter bomb.
Hailey pinched her nose and clamped her lips shut, not wanting to inhale a single fleck. The nereids collapsed almos
t instantly, their eyes drooping shut. I guess they can sleep if there’s a spell involved.
‘Are you okay?’ Hope stepped over the fallen nereids and helped Hailey up. ‘Did they poison you?’
Hailey blinked, too shocked to answer. The nereids had been about to kill her, and a vial of gold liquid had taken them all out. Her luck was barely comprehensible. Thank you, Tyches.
Hope shook her shoulders. ‘Hailey. Did they get you with poison?’
‘No,’ Hailey finally said, snapping back to reality and letting her breath out. ‘But they got Aaron and Madam Grayson.’ She glanced at their bodies. They look so still.
‘Madam Mendem needs to heal them. I’ll get her.’ Hope bolted for the palace.
Hailey settled down beside Aaron, glancing anxiously at the nereids. Their bodies twitched, but they didn’t get up—they were still asleep, for now. ‘It’ll all be okay,’ she told Aaron. ‘Hope’s getting help. She took out all the nereids. Which is weird since she’s supposed to be sick,’ Hailey continued, voicing her thoughts aloud. ‘But she looks fine. Unless she died and her powers brought her back. But she hasn’t been sick that long… Maybe Poseidon’s Plague works differently in immortals—maybe it only makes them sick for a little while. It doesn’t matter. That’s not important. I just hope she gets back here soon with Madam Mendem.’
‘I’m here – it’s okay,’ Madam Mendem said five minutes later. She was puffing, but she didn’t bother stopping to catch her breath; she moved straight to Aaron, plucking the darts from his legs and placing her hands over the small wounds. ‘Poison is tricky,’ she told Hailey. ‘It’ll take me a little while – to draw it out.’
‘But he’ll be fine? And Madam Grayson too?’
Madam Mendem nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘Hailey.’ Hope lingered behind Madam Mendem, biting her lip. ‘Can you come with me? Please.’
‘I want to wait until Madam Grayson wakes up. I need to know what she saw.’
‘Please, Hailey. It’s important. It won’t take long.’
Hailey didn’t want to leave, but Hope looked desperate to talk to her. ‘I’ll be back,’ she told Madam Mendem who had her eyes closed, deep in concentration. Hailey followed Hope towards the palace, the cuts on her legs beginning to sting again now that her adrenaline rush had worn off. ‘Where are we going?’ she asked when Hope led her into the entryway and through the left archway.
Poseidon's Academy Box Set Page 58