‘I was walking in from the grounds when I heard a scream,’ he said.
‘But you appeared out of nowhere. Are you a dematerialiser?’
He shook his head. ‘Nah. I’m an Other. I can slow down time.’
‘What’s going on here?’ Madam Grayson was on the stairs, walking down from the third floor. ‘Amber, why am I looking at five frozen students?’ Her angry voice carried down to the entryway.
‘I’ll be right back,’ Hailey told Demi, and dashed up the stairs to explain everything so that Riley, Charlie, and Amber didn’t get in trouble.
‘I can’t believe what happened,’ Demi said once Madam Grayson had marched Venus and the twins off to her classroom, and everyone else had gone their separate ways.
‘I know,’ Hailey said, leaning against the guardrail. ‘Venus almost killed you. If the Tyches are on our side, Madam Grayson will expel her.’
‘No, I meant about that guy catching me—Brax, that’s what Madam Grayson called him. He’s so gorgeous,’ she gushed.
‘Seriously? You almost die and all you can think about is how hot the guy who saved you is? Aren’t you angry about what Venus did?’
‘Of course,’ Demi said. ‘I hope she does get expelled. I’m just saying there was a positive side to almost splattering on the entryway floor. I hope I see him again.’ She looked towards the third floor, where he’d disappeared to a few minutes ago.
‘I’m sure you will. Come on, let’s get you upstairs.’
‘No way. The plan to see Sir Bliss is still on—out of all the times I’ve nearly died, this one was pretty anti-climactic,’ Demi said, taking the lead down the hallway their Creative Arts classroom was in.
‘Yeah, I guess that’s true.’ Over the last couple of years they’d almost died a dozen times... an arachne had tried to eat them, a cyclops had thrown them through the air, Hades had tried to incinerate them. So Hailey had to agree that being pushed over a guardrail wasn’t too traumatic in comparison. She followed after Demi, grateful that she wouldn’t have to wait any longer to find out from Sir Bliss if the nereids were planning something.
They stopped outside of the Creative Arts classroom. Music that sounded like an opera of sirens singing drifted out from behind the closed door. ‘Sir Bliss,’ Hailey said, rapping on the door.
Nothing.
‘Sir Bliss,’ Hailey repeated, knocking again.
‘Let’s just walk in,’ Demi said, throwing the door open.
The opera music blared in the room. Sir Bliss was sitting in front of a canvas, painting the Eiffel Tower; it looked like a photo it was so perfect.
‘Um, Sir Bliss,’ Hailey said loud enough to be heard over the music.
Sir Bliss’s head swivelled around and he beamed. ‘Hailey. Demi. Have you come to work on your projects in your free time? I do love students who are enthused about the creative arts.’
‘Ah, no,’ Hailey said. ‘We actually wanted to ask you something.’
His face fell a little. ‘Music off.’ The sirens stopped singing, leaving Hailey’s ears ringing. Sir Bliss rose to his feet, wiping his paint-speckled hands on his apron. ‘What would you like to ask me?’
Hailey hesitated for a second, thinking how weird it would sound if she blurted out that she needed him to have a premonition about whether the nereids were going to freeze the students. She wasn’t even sure he knew how truly evil the nereids were. But Hailey couldn’t think of a non-weird way to ask the question. ‘Well, you see, we were wondering if… um…’
‘If you can use your Apollo powers to get a premonition about whether the nereids are planning to kill us all,’ Demi finished for Hailey.
Sir Bliss raised an eyebrow. ‘Excuse me? Nereids? Kill everyone? What are you talking about?’ He suddenly chuckled. ‘Oh, are you working on a play? I’d love to hear all about it.’
‘No, we’re being serious,’ Demi said. ‘You see, we went to this parallel world where the nereids had stopped the palace in like Antarctica and were freezing everyone to death. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen here.’
Sir Bliss raised both eyebrows this time. ‘I see. But as I’m sure you’ve realised, the nereids are no longer here.’
‘We know the nereids aren’t here anymore,’ Hailey said. ‘But since they managed to attack the school with sea-monsters, we thought it’s possible they could find a way back here. Or attack the Academy another way. Are you able to focus a premonition on any attacks against the palace?’
Sir Bliss scratched his head of blond curls. ‘This is all very odd. Have you told Amathia?’
‘Yes.’ Hailey tried not to let her frustration creep into her voice. Why was he asking so many questions? Why couldn’t he just use his powers like they’d asked? ‘She said she’s keeping an eye on them, but we want to make absolutely sure they’re not up to anything like what we saw in the parallel world.’
‘I wish I could help you, but my powers don’t work on command. I receive visions at random.’
‘Can’t you at least try?’ Demi tapped an impatient foot. ‘Just close your eyes and think of the nereids. Maybe put that siren music back on to help.’
‘My powers don’t work like that,’ Sir Bliss repeated. ‘If they did, then every Apollo gifted with foresight would be rolling in riches from predicting the lottery.’ He chuckled to himself. ‘I’ve tried that one a few times.’
‘Please try,’ Hailey pleaded.
‘All right.’ Sir Bliss perched on one of the pottery wheel stools and closed his eyes.
Hailey stared at his face, waiting for something to change in it. For it to scrunch up or for him to suck in a breath. Anything that would signal he’d had a vision. But he merely looked like he was daydreaming. Come on. Please, give us something.
Sir Bliss gasped in a breath, and then another, and another.
Yes, it’s happening. He’s having a vision.
Achoo. ‘Sorry. Allergies,’ Sir bliss said with a sniff, opening his eyes.
Hailey’s shoulders slumped. ‘So you didn’t see anything?’
He shook his head.
She sighed.
‘Now back to predicting the lottery numbers,’ Demi said. ‘Maybe give that another go.’
Sir Bliss smiled. ‘I told you, my powers don’t work like that. I’m sorry, girls, but I’m sure Amathia has everything under contr—’ Sir Bliss stiffened, his eyes growing wide.
16
Missing
Sir Bliss’s breath came out in a gush. ‘Oh my.’
‘What? What did you see?’ Hailey demanded.
‘I need to tell Amathia.’ He pulled off his apron and tossed it aside as he hopped off the stool.
‘Did you see the nereids?’ Hailey pressed, following him to the door. ‘What are they planning?’ A vision of them charging towards the palace on sea-serpents flashed into Hailey’s mind. How long do we have before the nereids get here? Hours? Minutes? Is it already too late?
‘No, not the nereids,’ he said, striding into the hallway. ‘A student is about to go missing. I need to warn Amathia.’
‘Sorry, Hailey.’ Demi patted her on the back.
Hailey dropped down on the stool Sir Bliss had been sitting on. ‘I knew it was a long shot. I guess we’ll have to trust Amathia.’ She really hoped she was being serious when she’d said she’d do some research on whether the palace’s Goldarin commands could be changed. She’d visit her during the week to ask if she’d learned anything.
‘What do you think about the missing student?’ Demi plopped onto the stool beside Hailey’s. ‘I hope no one falls through the force field. Or decides to steal a sea-horse and go to an island. Actually, do you think it could be one of us? Should we have asked Sir Bliss?’
‘I’m sure if it was us, he’d have let us know. And, anyway, if he tells Amathia, she’ll make sure whoever is meant to go missing never does.’ At least some good had come of them visiting Sir Bliss.
***
Hailey pushed around the peanut butte
r pancakes on her plate; her stomach was as knotted as a fishing net. She’d had that stupid dream about the beanstalk again. The last thing she needed right now were reminders of what could happen if the nereids were up to something—or that Olympian Mysteries cult.
‘You okay?’ Aaron nudged her shoulder.
‘We should trust Amathia,’ Alec said, guessing what Hailey’s worries related to. ‘It’s not our responsibility to worry about the nereids.’
‘Um, except that it was our responsibility for the past two years,’ Demi pointed out before taking a bite of her ham and cheese croissant.
‘I wish we could do something to find out if they’re up to anything.’ Aaron shovelled baked beans into his mouth. ‘But we really can’t. We’d have to steal the sea-horses and go searching for them.’ He wiped the back of his hand across his sauce-covered lips. ‘But we have no idea where they are, so our search zone would be the entire sea. Not even Heracles could complete a task as impossible as searching an entire sea for six nereids. I’m sorry, Hailey, but Alec’s right on this one—we have to trust Amathia is taking care of things.’
Hailey skewered some pancake with a fork. ‘I know.’ She popped the pancake into her mouth and chewed, ignoring her stomach’s protests that it was too upset to eat.
‘I have an announcement everyone,’ Amathia said, striding through the archway.
What could she be announcing? That the nereids are on their way in full force, and we have to evacuate immediately? Or maybe more sea-monsters are swarming the grounds. Hailey gulped.
Amathia stopped in front of the teachers’ table, and turned to face the students. ‘Late yesterday I discovered a student missing.’ Murmuring disrupted the quiet as students began whispering about who was missing. ‘The missing student’s name is Lacey Mcderven.’
Hailey’s mouth turned dry.
‘Hey, we know her,’ Demi said.
‘The teachers and I have been searching the palace since I learned of the news, but as yet, we have not located Lacey,’ Amathia continued over the growing murmuring. ‘I believe Lacey may have gone exploring in one of the forbidden parts of the palace and is trapped somewhere. The teachers and I will continue our search, but I ask that anyone who saw or spoke with Lacey recently and has any information about where she might be, speaks with me after breakfast. I will be in my classroom for the next half an hour. Ancient History is cancelled for today, so if you have a class with me, please enjoy a free period in the library.’ Amathia strayed past the rows of tables and disappeared through the archway.
‘I wonder if she’s in that room we were in in first year—the one that traps anyone who enters it,’ Demi mused.
Alec looked at her as if she’d gone mad. ‘We weren’t really trapped in that room, Demi. That was just a cover story. We were in the…’ Alec gave a quick look around before leaning forward and whispering, ‘the Underworld.’
Demi rolled her eyes. ‘Dah. But I’m pretty sure a room like that actually exists here, because Amathia came up with that story pret-ty quickly.’
‘I’m sure if that room did exist, she would have checked.’ Aaron pushed his plate away. ‘I should check with Madam Grayson if they want volunteers to search the palace. I know all about how to conduct a search and rescue operation.’ He ventured towards the teachers’ table, where Madam Grayson was biting into a bagel.
‘I wonder what happened to Lacey.’ Hailey had only met her twice, so she definitely didn’t think of her as a friend or anything, but still, she felt sick with the thought of her being lost somewhere in the palace, alone and terrified. Or worse, she could have fallen through the force field. What if she drowned?
‘I guess now we know who Sir Bliss had the vision about.’ Demi sipped her strawberry smoothie. ‘But I don’t understand how he didn’t stop it from happening. I mean Amathia most likely went straight to Lacey’s dorm, so I don’t get how that wasn’t enough time to stop her from vanishing to wherever.’
‘He probably saw this.’ Alec rubbed his chin, thoughtful. ‘I mean he saw Amathia doing the announcement about Lacey missing. She might have been missing since yesterday morning.’
‘I bet she went palace exploring,’ Demi said. ‘She seems pretty curious when you consider she barged into our common room on day one. She’s probably been sneaking around the palace since she got here, mapping it out. Wasn’t her notebook full of weird stuff, Hailey?’
‘Yeah, I forgot about that.’ Hailey rested her knife and fork beside her barely touched pancakes, her stomach even more upset now than it had been when she’d first sat down. ‘I don’t remember any maps, just random thoughts.’ What she did remember, though, was Lacey talking to a shade woman about helping her move on by reuniting her necklace with her remains. Hailey almost jumped out of her chair as realisation hit her. That’s it! Lacey went to find the woman’s remains, which are hidden in a secret passageway. Lacey’s probably trapped in it.
Aaron dropped into his chair, face disappointed. ‘They don’t want students helping yet.’
‘I need to go.’ Hailey sprang up, picking her book bag off the ground and slinging it over her shoulder.
‘Where?’ Demi asked. ‘We’ve got Powers.’
‘I might know where Lacey is.’
‘How?’ Alec asked the question this time.
‘I’ll explain later. See you in class.’ Hailey rushed off before her friends could ask any more questions. If Lacey really was trapped in a passageway somewhere, Hailey didn’t want her spending a single second more there than she had to.
Amathia was pacing the Ancient History classroom when Hailey arrived, walking back and forth in front of her desk.
‘Amathia.’
Amathia glanced at her. Hailey caught a glimpse of the stress in her teacher’s features before a smile washed it away. ‘Hailey, what can I help you with?’
‘I think I might know where Lacey is.’
‘You saw her somewhere yesterday?’
Hailey shook her head. ‘No, this was three days ago. I heard her talking to a shade. It was a woman Amphitrite killed. She stole her necklace and hid her body in a secret passageway, and the shade can’t move on until she’s got her necklace back. Lacey said she would help her, but I think she might have gotten herself trapped in the process.’
Amathia was pensive for a moment, as if thinking about what secret passageway it might have been. ‘Interesting. That does make sense. Amphitrite was very vengeful. But this palace is filled with secret passageways—some only she and Poseidon knew about. I don’t suppose she mentioned where this woman’s body is?’
Hailey shook her head. ‘So you think I’m right? She’s somewhere in the palace and hasn’t accidentally fallen into the sea and drowned?’
‘I had a Hecate cast a locator spell yesterday, and they were unable to connect with Lacey, which means she is somewhere protected from magic. Poseidon’s palace is protected, so, yes, I believe she is here somewhere. And now with your information, I will have a better chance of finding her.’
‘That’s good.’ Hailey moved to leave, not wanting to hold Amathia up. But she paused. This was her chance to find out if she’d learned anything about being able to change the palace’s Goldarin commands. ‘I don’t want to keep you from finding Lacey, but have you found out anything more about the nereids and if it’s possible to change the Goldarin commands.’
Amathia’s face looked so tired, just for a second, before she gave Hailey a reassuring smile. ‘I have Madam Grayson and Madam Norwood scouring the library for any references to the palace and its Goldarin commands. As yet, they have found nothing. And I have also visited my sisters recently.’ She touched the blue tear drop hanging from a chain around her neck, rubbing the glass with her finger. ‘They did not appear in a position to siege the school. It seems their only plan was to rely on sea-monsters, and now that the palace is protected from them, they cannot use that plan again. I do not believe what happened in that parallel world will transpire here.’
***
Hailey collapsed onto her bed after a long day of classes, mainly spent worrying about Lacey and if Amathia had found her yet.
‘I’ve got something to tell you.’ Demi dumped her book bag beside her bed.
Hailey shuffled into a sitting position, and leaned her back against her sea-sponge pillows. ‘What is it?’
A grin spread over her best friend’s face. ‘Brax came up and saw me after you left the main hall this morning.’
‘Really? What did he say?’
‘He asked if I was okay.’ She half-swooned onto her bed. ‘Isn’t that sweet? Although I could barely talk to him I was so nervous. He’s just so gorgeous.’
‘Did he ask you out?’
Demi shook her head. ‘No. I don’t know if he’ll ever talk to me again now.’
‘Don’t say that. I think he likes you. You should ask him out.’
Demi gasped. ‘Are you crazy? What if he says no? I’m a year younger than him. He might think of me like a little sister or something. I don’t think I could take the humiliation of rejection—especially if Venus found out.’
‘But what if he says yes? How jealous would Venus be then?’
A devious smile crept across Demi’s face. ‘You’re so right.’ She giggled. ‘I think I’m going to do it. But what do I even say? “Hey, wanna go out?”’
Hailey crossed her legs. ‘Just ask him if he wants to hang in the grounds with you. At least then it’s not like you’re properly asking him out, so if he says no, it won’t be a big deal.’
‘That’s a great idea.’ Demi sighed and rolled onto her back. ‘I hope he says yes. That would be soooo amazing. I think I might actually love him.’
Hailey chucked a pillow at her. ‘Calm down. You don’t even know him yet.’
Demi rolled to face Hailey, propping her head up with her hand. ‘He saved my life. I think that’s all I need to know. He’s a regular Perseus.’ Her eyes flicked behind Hailey. ‘You’ve got mail.’
Poseidon's Academy Box Set Page 76