Hailey glanced around. Almost the entire Monsters and Creatures class was staring at the back of Demi’s head. She heard the hushed whisper of someone saying, ‘Apparently, she punched Cady for no reason. I thought Demi was supposed to be nice, but she’s just like Venus.’
Hailey’s blood boiled like a Hecate’s bubbling cauldron—comparing her best friend to that harpy was the ultimate insult. She whipped her gaze to the whisperer, opening her mouth to set them straight, but her words fell away when Jayden strode through the door. Her eyes shone expectantly, waiting for him to smile and come over—after all, Cady wasn’t in their class group, so there was no reason why he couldn’t sit with them.
He gave Hailey a half-smile and settled into a chair in the back row. Hailey’s chest tightened. It’s okay, she told herself. Jayden is still your friend. He’ll realise he’s being a massive jerk face soon enough.
‘Don’t bother getting your textbooks out,’ Madam Grayson said when she entered the classroom. She walked to the front and slipped behind her long polished-coral desk, where she placed a crystal orb among the piles of neatly stacked books.
Hailey frowned; it looked like the memory ball Amathia taught Ancient History with.
‘I spent the holidays on an African safari,’ Madam Grayson informed them. ‘I saw some of the monsters and creatures I’ve been teaching you about, as well as some new breeds, so I thought it’d be a good learning experience to show you the monsters close up.’ Madam Grayson beamed with excitement. ‘Amathia has kindly leant me her watwdaom nnavv, so off to Africa we go.’
Madam Grayson pressed her fingers to the crystal orb. The room flooded with light as bright as a flash of lightning. Fresh air swirled around Hailey; she inhaled it, its crisp clean scent reminding her of standing on the top of a mountain with an endless forest of green beneath her. When the light faded, Hailey wasn’t on top of a mountain; she was in the back of an idle jeep with six other people. Troops of antelope, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, giraffes, and about a hundred other species, grazed and dashed through the lush green landscape, which seemed to go on forever in every direction.
Scattered among the animals were humans. One man stood beside a fig tree, right next to a stretch of browning grass the size of a football field. He pressed his hands to the ground; the grass brightened to green and spread out like a pool of water, covering the rest of the dying earth. Not far from him was another man. He reached his arms above his head, water shooting from his fingertips and drizzling down like rain.
‘We have a large number of Demeters and Poseidons who maintain the land,’ the tour guide informed them from the driver’s seat. ‘This is the sector where we keep the ordinary animals. But I’m sure you didn’t come here to see them. So let’s move along to the monster sector.’
Hailey gulped as the tour guide gripped the jeep’s steering wheel and they took off. What kind of monsters? Please, please, please, don’t be arachnes, knoxens, or cyclopes. She never wanted to see any of those again; she’d rather forget about how they’d tried to eat her over the past two years.
Hailey jostled around in her seat as the jeep travelled over dips in the ground, and rocks. She’d only been in a car once before, when her mum and dad had taken her for a scenic trip around England. Pain gripped her chest at the thought of her dad, and she reached to touch her gold heart-pendant necklace, which had her name engraved on it. Her dad had used his Hephaestus powers to make it for her before he’d died on her eighth birthday. But Hailey’s hand didn’t move. It stayed in her lap, completely out of her control. This wasn’t her memory. It was Madam Grayson’s, which meant she had zero freewill.
‘Here come some rare and exotic monsters,’ the tour guide called back to the tourists.
Hailey’s hand—Madam Grayson’s hand—pressed against her heart when she saw the herd of monsters. They looked like elephants at first glance—at least their bodies did. Three heads extended from their grey necks: a leopard’s, an antelope’s, and a zebra’s. It was the most bizarre thing Hailey had ever seen. It was like someone had taken four separate animals and sewed them together.
‘To the right you will see an elimera herd,’ the tour guide informed them, slowing the jeep to a crawl. ‘The elimera is part of the chimera family, but instead of being part lion, goat, and snake, it’s part elephant, leopard, antelope, and zebra. While it may look a little daunting, the elimera is a passive creature that mainly feeds on grass—but occasionally it will devour a hyena or two.’
The jeep’s speed picked up again, and they stopped a minute later. The tour guide pointed to a herd of buffalo; Hailey leaned back in her seat. She’d already seen buffalo in this memory, and they weren’t that exciting.
‘That herd looks like ordinary buffalo, I know,’ the tour guide said. ‘But don’t be fooled by them. They’re one of the most dangerous creatures you’ll see on this safari.’
Hailey would have laughed if she’d been in her own body. How can buffalo possibly be dangerous? Do these ones breathe fire?
The tour guide honked the jeep’s horn, and Hailey touched a hand to her ear, cringing at the horrible noise.
The buffalo gazed up from their grazing, their eyes locking on to the jeep and those on board. Okay, so now the buffalo will run away. How interesting. Not. The buffalo did run. But not away. They charged towards the jeep. At the same time they changed. Leathery grey skin grew over their fur, and a horn shot out from the top of their noses. They’d transformed into rhinos, and they were aiming their glinting horns at the jeep like swords as they charged towards Hailey and the other tourists.
‘Mate, I think you need to floor it,’ the man sitting in front of Madam Grayson told the tour guide.
The tour guide smirked and leaned back in his seat.
Hailey’s eyes bulged from their sockets as her heart quadrupled in speed, racing as fast as an eight-legged cheetah. RUN! she screamed inside Madam Grayson’s head. RUN NOW!
The buffalo-rhinos were mere yards away. In a few seconds, Hailey and everyone else on the jeep would be stabbed and trampled. They didn’t stand a chance against the charging herd.
The lady sitting beside her screamed.
Hailey tried to shut her eyes. She didn’t want to watch the blood bath about to happen. But Madam Grayson’s eyes remained wide. She flinched when the herd reached the jeep, their horns ramming into a force field that rippled like Aaron’s did whenever someone touched it. The buffalo-rhinos slammed against the force field protecting the jeep again and again. A few even blew fire from their nostrils. But the force field only rippled.
They tried to break through to the humans inside a few more times before huffing in defeat and stalking off, each one of them transforming back into a buffalo. What in Tartarus was that?!
‘We call those shape-shifting buffalo,’ the tour guide informed the petrified tourists. ‘They are incredibly territorial and will attack anyone or anything that invades their space. They can change into a rhino whenever they want, and the males can shoot fire from their nostrils. While there are only a few hundred of these creatures in the world, they have managed to kill nearly a hundred humans over the years.’
Thank the Tyches for force fields was all Hailey could think, especially when she saw the next herd—or more like pride—of monsters. These ones she recognised. They looked like lions, only twice as big.
‘Here we have Nemean lions, made famous by Heracles, who discovered them while completing his twelve labours.’ The tour guide grabbed the gun sitting on the passenger seat. Bang! A fireball the size of a pebble shot towards the sky, and the lions unleashed an almighty roar.
Their golden fur flipped inside out, like a reversible jacket. Metal now covered their skin like armour.
‘Once they’ve transformed, their skin is impenetrable.’ The tour guide fired at one of the lions. The fireball bullet puffed into smoke the moment it hit the lion’s skin. ‘And their claws are sharp enough to slice through steel,’ he added as the pride charged for the jeep, roaring and gnashi
ng their metal teeth together.
The tour guide hit the accelerator before the lions could ram against the force field. Hailey was grateful for that. Even though they couldn’t hurt her, it was still terrifying seeing a monster trying to tear your throat out.
The guide went on to show them crocopotamuses—half-hippo, half-crocodile; hybrid hyenas that could throw spikes from their fur; baboons with fangs as poisonous as a cobra’s; and about a dozen other nightmarish creatures.
Hailey was starting to think the safari would never end, and then the white light returned and she was back in the classroom, staring at Madam Grayson’s grinning face. The fear that had gripped her in the memory ebbed. Thanks to the watwdaom nnavv’s power to block a person’s emotions about the memory they’d seen, Hailey wouldn’t be having any nightmares about a crocopotamus trying to drown her.
‘I hope everyone enjoyed seeing some new monsters up close and personal,’ Madam Grayson said.
‘It was awesome!’ Demi proclaimed, all embarrassment from the start of class gone now. ‘How much did it cost you to go there?’
Madam Grayson smiled at her. ‘I think it might take you a few years to save up enough money for that trip, Demi. Well, I seem to have gone over a little today. Please apologise to Madam Norwood for me, and for homework, write a report on why you think there are so many new monster and creature species emerging. Class dismissed.’
4
The Beanstalk
The sweet melody of a violin mixed with a flute drifted through the air as Hailey hunched forward, delicately tracing a fine paintbrush over the canvas in front of her. The chemical-laden smell of paint hung heavy in the air, reminding her of home and her mum.
Hailey leaned back to examine her work; her shoulders slumped. In her mind, she’d envisioned a vase bursting with sunflowers that looked real enough to touch. But what stared back at her was a mess of yellow and brown paint. She sighed. She would never be a painter like her mum.
‘Yours looks better than mine,’ Aaron said from beside her.
She glanced at his canvas. Hailey assumed he’d been trying to paint a hydra breathing fire, but it looked more like a nine-headed dog vomiting orange. She chuckled. ‘Sorry.’
‘Now, now, my little prodigies, I will not have anyone giggling at another’s masterpiece,’ Sir Bliss said, prancing over to them in his white toga. ‘Your painting shows much potential, Aaron.’
‘Thanks,’ Aaron said, a snicker on his lips.
‘Oh my, Alec, once again your painting is sublime,’ Sir Bliss gushed, shifting his eyes to Alec’s easel beside Aaron’s.
Hailey peeked over and bit down the jealousy rising inside her. He’d painted an entire field of sunflowers creeping towards a cottage. Everything was perfect. Why couldn’t she have talent like his?
Alec beamed. ‘Thank you. I decided to be a little daring and use a combination of acrylic and oil-based paints.’
‘What about me, Sir Bliss?’ Demi was sitting on a stool behind them, a pile of misshapen clay on her pottery wheel.
Sir Bliss’s features sagged a little. ‘What a lovely… um, bowl? I’m sure it will look spectacular once it’s painted. Now, where’s Jayden? Doesn’t he usually sit with you?’
The smile vanished from Demi’s face, and Hailey’s chest tightened. Hailey’s eyes shifted around the classroom. Students were scattered everywhere—at easels, pottery wheels, musical instruments, and a few at desks. That’s where Jayden was. Sitting at a desk, scribbling something in a notebook. He’s probably writing love poems for Cady, she thought with a twinge of nausea.
‘He’s not our friend anymore.’ Demi’s voice was as cold as a Chione’s powers.
‘Oh, I…’ Sir Bliss stiffened, his eyes growing wide, as though someone had cast a freezing spell on him.
‘What’s wrong?’ Aaron asked him.
Sir Bliss’s breath came out in a gush, and he blinked, like he’d just woken from a dream. He whirled around, his gaze fixing on Tanzy. She was walking towards them with a clay jewellery box. ‘Be care—’
A boy pushed away from his desk as Tanzy walked past. Her foot caught the chair’s leg, sending her tripping forward and the jewellery box flying from her hands. It shattered on the pearl floor, shards of baked clay scattering under desks and chairs.
‘Oops. Sorry.’ Tanzy’s cheeks burned red as everyone’s eyes locked on to her. She moved to click her fingers to clean up the mess, but the broken clay vanished before she could. Not so much as a speck of clay dust remained, thanks to the palace’s floor having a self-cleaning spell woven into it.
‘Sometimes my visions don’t give me enough warning,’ Sir Bliss muttered to himself, and scurried off to help Tanzy.
‘Being an Apollo with the power of premonition would be so cool.’ Demi wiped her wet clay-coated hands on her filthy apron. ‘You’d never have to study for a test—your visions would give you all the answers.’
‘Apollos have to wear neutralising bracelets coming up to and during any tests,’ Alec pointed out, and then nudged his head to Demi’s pottery wheel. ‘Your bowl is drooping.’
‘Medusa.’ Demi hit the pedal and gently cupped her hands around the spinning clay, trying to reshape it.
‘I wonder how far he can see into the future?’ Hailey mused, watching Sir Bliss hand Tanzy a new lump of clay. Would he have a vision of the nereids waking up the gods before it happened, if they were planning something?
‘Most Apollos can only see a week in advance,’ Alec said, painting a cobblestone path leading up to the cottage. ‘Why?’
Hailey shrugged. ‘Thought maybe he’d be able to see any trouble from the nereids before it happened.’
‘Well, considering he didn’t the last two times, I doubt it.’ Aaron dipped a paintbrush into the blob of green paint on his palette.
‘The nereids can’t do anything now anyway, Hailey,’ Demi said. ‘Amathia kicked their arses into the sea. We never have to worry about them again.’
Hailey wasn’t so sure about that. She wouldn’t put it past Nemertes to storm the palace—maybe with a few sea-monsters. She hoped Amathia was smart enough to have had a Hecate cast a spell over the grounds to keep them out—but that wouldn’t stop them from trying to raise the gods from the dead. Please, Tyches, don’t let them be plotting anything!
***
Hailey stared up at a seaweed tree that looked like a weeping willow, with its seaweed branches dangling down to touch the diamond ground. Seashell flowers dotted it like little daisies. One bloomed open, revealing a pearl the size of Hailey’s fist in its centre. ‘Cool,’ Hailey said, reaching out to touch it, just as the pearl dropped to the diamond floor with a thud. It rolled away towards the palace, coming to a stop in front of the double doors.
Hailey took a step towards it, and then froze as a tremor blasted through the ground. A beanstalk exploded out of the pearl, shooting into the air like a plant spelled to grow all the way up to the sun.
‘What in Tartarus?!’ Hailey gazed around to see what the other students were thinking, but she was alone in the grounds. She waited for people to rush from the palace—surely they’d felt the vibrations or seen the beanstalk from their windows. But no one came.
Hailey stumbled towards the beanstalk, craning her neck to follow it into the sky. She couldn’t see where it ended. This is so weird. ‘Hello, anyone there?’ she called towards the palace, not sure what she should do.
Silence greeted her.
Another tremor shot through the ground. This one so strong Hailey lost her balance and tumbled forward. She grabbed hold of the beanstalk before she could hit the floor.
The beanstalk sprang up again, this time with Hailey on it. A scream ripped from her, and she hugged her arms around the beanstalk. Air whooshed around her as she soared higher and higher, feeling like she was on a rocket being blasted into space.
Hailey squeezed her eyes shut. I’m okay. Everything is okay. I’m not zooming through the air on a plant that will probably drop
me.
Everything suddenly went still. Hailey dared to peek her eyes open and gasped. A cloud that took up the entire sky floated beneath her, with a palace perched on top. Olympus! No one had ever seen the home of the Olympians before. No one even knew where to look for it.
Stunned, Hailey stretched her foot out and tapped the cloud. It was solid, like there was a floor beneath the wisps of white. She leapt from the beanstalk just as a streak of lightning zapped the ground in front of her. A man appeared in the lightning strike, a ring of gold leaves resting on his head, giving him away as the King of the Gods.
‘This palace belongs to the Olympians. Get out!’ Zeus threw his hands forward, shoving Hailey backwards.
‘AHHHH!’ she screamed, soaring off the cloud. Her hands reached for the beanstalk, her fingers gripping its leaves; they tore free, sending her plummeting towards the earth.
Hailey sucked in a breath, waking up to sweaty skin and twisted sheets. Seriously, this again? Why did she always have these stupid dreams when she was at the Academy? The gods are dead. The gods are dead. The gods are dead, Hailey repeated to herself again and again until her heart slowed. The words didn’t stop her mind from racing though. What will happen if the gods wake up? If they suddenly appear one day demanding to be worshipped again? The world would look to her, the only Zeus in the world, to face them. All because of some stupid prophecy that had haunted Hailey her entire life: “the gods will one day return to claim back their thrones. Only the one born with the powers of Zeus, who can shoot lightning from their hands, will be able to defeat them.”
Like every Zeus that had come before her, Hailey couldn’t shoot lightning from her hands. Tartarus, she could barely control her powers well enough to shoot lightning from the sky. She was a weak Zeus—at least in the eyes of everyone else who expected her to be stronger. To be in total control of her powers, despite the fact she was only fifteen and her powers were still growing.
Hailey sighed. Why did she have to be the only Zeus in the world? Why didn’t whoever hands out powers give it to someone else? Someone stronger than her? Someone worthy of the power?
Poseidon's Academy Box Set Page 66