“Of course not,” I sniped. “I’m just the reason the two of you got together in the first place. It’s not like I’m going to be responsible for your lifelong happiness or future kids or anything.”
He gave me a sour look that melted into a smile before he disappeared back into his office.
“You should cut the librarian some slack,” Vic piped up from his spot behind the checkout counter. “Love can be a tricky thing, after all. Don’t you agree, fuzzball?”
Nyx was curled up in her basket, but she lifted her head up and barked out her agreement.
I laughed and went back to work.
My friends came and went as the evening wore on and turned into night. Daphne. Carson. Kenzie. Talia. Morgan. Savannah and her boyfriend, Doug. And Alexei and Oliver came by too, since they’d gotten back from Russia a few days ago. Some of the sadness had left Alexei’s eyes, although I knew it would take time for him to fully recover.
Finally, Logan came to the library, and I forgot about everything else. Despite everything that had happened with the candle, the Spartan and I had forgiven each other, and we were in a good place now—and stronger than we’d ever been before.
Logan hung out around the checkout counter while I went about my usual chores. Finally, though, I got caught up enough to take a break, and he flashed me a sexy, wicked grin.
“You know,” he drawled. “With all the time we’ve spent together the past few weeks, there’s one thing we haven’t done.”
“Oh really? What’s that?”
He jerked his head at the stacks and waggled his eyebrows. “We haven’t been back there in forever. Maybe it’s time we see what all the fuss is about for ourselves, huh?”
I leaned closer to him. “That sounds like a plan to me, Spartan.”
Logan laughed, and I headed around the counter. Together, and still laughing, we scurried toward the stacks. We’d almost reached them when the inevitable happened, and I heard the door in the glass office complex squeak open.
“Gwendolyn!” Nickamedes called out. “Where are you going? These books aren’t going to shelve themselves!”
I looked back over my shoulder at the checkout counter. The librarian waved me over before disappearing back into his office. I turned back to Logan and grabbed his hand.
“Come on,” I said. “This way.”
“What about the books?” he asked. “And Nickamedes?”
“He can wait,” I said. “Just like I waited for you—
and for all of this.”
Logan frowned, not quite understanding my meaning. So I tightened my grip on his hand and reached for my psychometry, letting him see all the memories that were attached to my mom’s scarf, the one Grandma Frost had given to me the night of the dance, the one that was carefully tucked away in my messenger bag. Then I reached for all the images and feelings—good and bad—from the snowflake necklace around my neck, the one he had bought me for Christmas.
I showed everything to Logan. All the battles we’d fought, all the enemies we’d faced down, all the heartache we’d endured. But most of all, I showed him my love for him and all my hopes for our future—together.
Logan sighed in understanding, and I let go of the memories and emotions.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for,” I whispered, staring into his blue, blue eyes.
“Me too,” he whispered back.
I’d been thinking about that book of my life Sigyn had shown me, and I’d finally figured out why some of the pages had been blank. Now, I was ready to fill them in with new memories—my memories of all the experiences I’d have with Logan and the rest of my friends over the years ahead.
“So come on, Spartan,” I teased. “Let’s go. Unless you changed your mind about wanting to be alone with me.” Logan smiled at me, that slow, sexy smile I loved so much, the one that always made that warm, fizzy, dizzying feeling explode in my heart. “I would never do that,
Gypsy girl. Not with you.” “Good.”
So I grinned, pulled Logan back into the shadowy stacks, and pressed my lips to his, ready to start the next chapter of my life at Mythos Academy.
The one that I would write myself.
Dear Readers,
Well, we have come to the end of Gwen’s adventures at Mythos Academy. I hope you have all enjoyed reading about Gwen as much as I have enjoyed writing about her.
This is really the first time that I have ended a series, and it is a bittersweet feeling.
On one hand, I hate to leave Gwen, Logan, Daphne, Carson, and everyone else behind at the academy. I’ve enjoyed spending time with all of the characters, getting to know them, and putting them through all the many challenges that they have faced together.
I’m going to miss so many things about writing the series. Visiting Grandma Frost’s kitchen. Listening to Professor Metis’s myth-history lectures. Hearing Vic talk about how awesome he is. Watching Nyx grow up. Walking by the gryphons and all the other statues on campus. Attending gym classes with Coach Ajax. Working for Nickamedes in the Library of Antiquities.
However, I’m also happy that I got to bring Gwen’s story to what I hope is a satisfying conclusion for fans of the series.
Please know that I have appreciated and enjoyed all of the nice comments and e-mails that I have received about the characters and the books. Entertaining folks is one of the reasons that I write, and knowing that folks are reading and enjoying my books is always humbling. So thank you, readers, for taking this trip with me, Gwen, and all of the other characters.
I have been asked if I will ever write more in my Mythos Academy series. I’ll never say never. Perhaps someday in the future, I will dream up a new set of adventures for Gwen, Logan, Daphne, Rory, or another character at Mythos Academy.
But, for now, Gwen’s story is finished. I see a bright future, good things, and great times ahead for Gwen and her friends, and I hope that you do too. The characters and the world of Mythos Academy will always live on in my heart.
Jennifer Estep
BEYOND
THE
STORY
Mythos Academy Warriors and Their Magic
The students at Mythos Academy are the descendants of ancient warriors, and they are at the academy to learn how to fight and use weapons, along with whatever magic or other skills that they might have. Here’s a little more about the warrior whiz kids, as Gwen calls them:
Amazons and Valkyries: Most of the girls at Mythos are either Amazons or Valkyries. Amazons are gifted with supernatural quickness. In gym class during mock fights, they look like blurs more than anything else. Valkyries are incredibly strong. Also, bright, colorful sparks of magic can often be seen shooting out of Valkyries’ fingertips.
Romans and Vikings: Most of the guys at Mythos Academy are either Romans or Vikings. Romans are superquick, just like Amazons, while Vikings are superstrong, just like Valkyries.
Siblings: Brothers and sisters born to the same parents will have similar abilities and magic, but they’re sometimes classified as different types of warriors. For example, if the girls in a family are Amazons, then the boys will be Romans. If the girls in a family are Valkyries, then the boys will be Vikings. However, in other families, brothers and sisters are considered to be the same kind of warriors, like those born to Spartan, Samurai, or Ninja parents. The boys and girls are both called Spartans, Samurais, or Ninjas.
More Magic: As if being superstrong or superquick wasn’t good enough, the students at Mythos Academy also have other types of magic. They can do everything from heal injuries to control the weather to form fireballs with their bare hands. Many of the students have enhanced senses as well. The powers vary from student to student, but as a general rule, everyone is dangerous and deadly in their own special way.
Spartans: Spartans are among the rarest of the warrior whiz kids, and there are only a few at Mythos Academy. But Spartans are the most dangerous and deadliest of all the warriors because they have the ability to pick up any weapon�
��or any thing—and automatically know how to use and even kill someone with it. Even Reapers of Chaos are afraid to battle Spartans in a fair fight. But then again, Reapers rarely fight fair. . . .
Gypsies: Gypsies are just as rare as Spartans. Gypsies are those who have been gifted with magic by the gods. But not all Gypsies are good. Some are just as evil as the gods they serve. Gwen is a Gypsy who is gifted with psychometry magic, or the ability to know, see, and feel an object’s history just by touching it. Gwen’s magic comes from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
Bogatyrs: Bogatyrs are Russian warriors. They are exceptionally fast, and most of them use two weapons at once, one in either hand. Bogatyrs train themselves to always keep moving, to always keep fighting, which gives them great endurance. The longer a fight goes, the more likely they are to win, because they will still be going strong as their enemies slowly weaken.
Want to know more about Mythos Academy?
Read on and take a tour of the campus.
The heart of Mythos Academy is made up of five buildings that are clustered together like the loose points of a star on the main, upper quad. They are the Library of Antiquities, the gym, the dining hall, the English-history building, and the math-science building.
The Library of Antiquities: The library is the largest building on campus. In addition to books, the library also houses artifacts—weapons, jewelry, clothes, armor, and more—that were once used by ancient warriors, gods, goddesses, and mythological creatures. Some of the artifacts have a lot of power, and the Reapers of Chaos would love to get their hands on this stuff to use it for Bad, Bad Things.
The Gym: The gym is the second largest building at Mythos. In addition to a pool, basketball court, and training areas, the gym also features racks of weapons, including swords, staffs, and more, that the students use during mock fights. At Mythos, gym class is really weapons training, and students are graded on how well they can fight.
The Dining Hall: The dining hall is the third largest building at Mythos. With its white linens, fancy china, and open-air indoor garden, the dining hall looks more like a five-star restaurant than a student cafeteria. The dining hall is famous for all the fancy, froufrou foods that it serves on a daily basis, like liver, veal, and escargot. Yucko, as Gwen would say.
The English-History Building: Students attend English, myth-history, geography, art, and other classes in this building. Professor Metis’s office is also in this building.
The Math-Science Building: Students attend math, science, and other classes in this building. But there are more than just classrooms here. This building also features a morgue and a prison deep underground. Creepy, huh?
The Student Dorms: The student dorms are located down the hill from the main quad, along with several other smaller outbuildings. Guys and girls live in separate dorms, although that doesn’t keep them from hooking up on a regular basis.
The Statues: Statues of mythological creatures—like gryphons and gargoyles—can be found on all the academy buildings, although the library has the most statues. When she first came to the academy, Gwen thought that the statues are all super creepy. Now, she likes the fact that they are around, especially the two gryphon statues by the library steps, the ones that always seem to be watching over her. . . .
Who’s Who at Mythos Academy—
The Students
Gwen (Gwendolyn) Frost: Gwen is a Gypsy girl with the gift of psychometry magic, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. Gwen’s a little dark and twisted in that she likes her magic and the fact that it lets her know other people’s secrets—no matter how hard they try to hide them. She also has a major sweet tooth, loves to read comic books, and wears jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, and sneakers almost everywhere she goes.
Daphne Cruz: Daphne is a Valkyrie and a renowned archer. She also has some wicked computer skills and loves designer clothes and purses. Daphne is rather obsessed with the color pink. She wears it more often than not, and her entire dorm room is done in various shades of pink.
Logan Quinn: This seriously cute and seriously deadly Spartan is the best fighter at Mythos Academy, and he wins almost every fight he is in, whether they are mock fights in the gym with other students or real battles with Reapers. Logan is determined to protect Gwen and his friends, especially since Reapers killed his mom and older sister when he was younger.
Carson Callahan: Carson is the head of the Mythos Academy Marching Band. He’s a Celt and rumored to have come from a long line of warrior bards. He’s quiet, shy, and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but Carson can be as tough as nails when he needs to be.
Oliver Hector: Oliver is a Spartan who is friends with Logan and Kenzie and helps with Gwen’s weapons training. Oliver is one of Gwen’s friends, too.
Kenzie Tanaka: Kenzie is a Spartan who is friends with Logan and Oliver. He also helps with Gwen’s weapons training and is dating Talia.
Savannah Warren: Savannah is an Amazon who used to date Logan. She is friends with Talia and Morgan.
Talia Pizarro: Talia is an Amazon and one of Savannah’s friends. Talia has gym class with Gwen, and the two of them often spar during the mock fights. Talia is dating Kenzie.
Helena Paxton: Helena is an Amazon who seems to be positioning herself as the new mean girl queen of the academy, or at least of Gwen’s second-year class.
Morgan McDougall: Morgan is a Valkyrie. She used to be one of the most popular girls at the academy—before her best friend, Jasmine Ashton, tried to sacrifice her to Loki one night in the Library of Antiquities. These days, Morgan is friends with Savannah and Talia, and she has also helped Gwen fight Reapers.
Jasmine Ashton: Jasmine was a Valkyrie and the most popular girl in the second-year class at Mythos Academy—until she tried to sacrifice Morgan to Loki. Gwen battled Jasmine in the Library of Antiquities and managed to keep her from sacrificing Morgan, although Logan was the one who actually killed Jasmine. But before she died, Jasmine told Gwen that her whole family are Reapers—and that there are many Reapers at Mythos Academy. . . .
Preston Ashton: Preston is Jasmine’s older brother, who blamed Gwen for his sister’s death. Preston tried to kill Gwen during the Winter Carnival weekend at the Powder ski resort, although Gwen, Logan, and Vic eventually got the best of the Reaper.
Vivian Holler: Vivian is a Valkyrie and a second-year student. She is also Loki’s Champion and was responsible for the death of Gwen’s mom. Vivian wants to kill Gwen more than anything else, and Gwen feels the same way about her.
Alexei Sokolov: Alexei is a third-year Russian student who most recently attended the London branch of Mythos Academy. He’s a Bogatyr warrior who is training to become a member of the Protectorate, and he is Gwen’s bodyguard.
Rory Forseti: Rory is a first-year student at the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy. She’s a Spartan and Gwen’s cousin, since her dad and Gwen’s dad were brothers. Rory’s parents were Reapers, although they never told her about that. However, everyone at the academy now knows about her parents, and Rory has a lot of pain and guilt about all of the terrible things that her parents did as Reapers.
Who’s Who at Mythos Academy and Beyond—
The Adults
Coach Ajax: Ajax is the head of the athletic department at the academy and is responsible for training all the kids at Mythos and turning them into fighters. Logan Quinn and his Spartan friends are among Ajax’s prize students.
Geraldine (Grandma) Frost: Geraldine is Gwen’s grandma and a Gypsy with the power to see the future. Grandma Frost makes her living as a fortune-teller in a town not too far away from Cypress Mountain. A couple of times a week, Gwen sneaks off the Mythos Academy campus to see her grandma and enjoy the sweet treats that Grandma Frost is always baking.
Grace Frost: Grace was Gwen’s mom and a Gypsy who had the power to know if people were telling the truth or not just by listening to their words. At first, Gwen thought that her mom had been killed in a car accident by a drunk driver.
But thanks to Preston Ashton, Gwen knows that Grace was actually murdered by Vivian, Loki’s Champion. Gwen is determined to find the Reaper girl and get her revenge—no matter what.
Nickamedes: Nickamedes is the head librarian at the Library of Antiquities, who loves overseeing all the books and the artifacts in the library. Nickamedes is also Logan’s uncle, and Gwen has learned that Nickamedes once dated her mom, Grace, when the two of them were students at the academy.
Professor Aurora Metis: Metis is a myth-history professor who teaches students all about the Reapers of Chaos, Loki, and the ancient Chaos War. She was also best friends with Gwen’s mom, Grace, back when the two of them went to Mythos. Metis is the Champion of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, and she’s become Gwen’s mentor at the academy.
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