When we weren’t in classes, Georgina, Jasmine, and I spent our time together either in our rooms eating and playing cards, or down in the common room where once or twice Dionysus would show up with some new song he created and make us listen to it on repeat. Those were fun nights and made me forget about the odd sensation growing inside of me. Every now and then, I’d catch Dionysus looking at me funny, and I wondered if he still saw my tattoos dancing and a dark aura hovering around me. I never asked, though. I was too afraid to.
I yawned again, as we made our way through the academy to the Hall of Aphrodite for our transformation class. The word was that the Goddess never left her gilded hall. I knew that was a lie, as I’d seen her skulking around with Ares on my first night at the academy. But I kept that information to myself.
“Are you still not sleeping?” Georgina gave me a concerned look.
“I’m fine. Just woke up a little earlier than I wanted.”
She didn’t look convinced.
I’d woken up at three o’clock, again for the fifth day in a row. I had a feeling I was having bad dreams, but I couldn’t remember them when I woke. All that lingered was a feeling of ominous dread. So, it proved difficult to get back to sleep after waking. Some mornings I would just lie there in bed, staring at the ceiling, so I didn’t wake Georgina. Other times, I walked the dark hallways of the academy, and made it a game of not getting caught by the hall monitors. Pandora had almost busted me the other morning, but I’d managed to duck into the girls’ shower room before she could spot me. I figured I was improving my stealth skills.
It was my first time in the Hall of Aphrodite, so I didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard a few of the first years, like Revana and Lucian, had been invited for a private dinner party a week ago by Eros and Psyche to the hall. It bothered me that even here, money and power and good looks gave you advantages the rest of us didn’t have. After reading about Aphrodite over the years and overhearing some of the other recruits talking about it, I expected splendor. The reality of the hall far surpassed anything I could ever imagine.
The floor was a labyrinth of gold and red and black tile, producing an optical illusion of boxes stacked on top of one another. It was polished to a shine, and I could see my reflection in it as clear as a mirror. The arched ceiling was embossed with gold and painted with frescos done in red and gold and of Aphrodite and her various companions like Eros, her son, and the three Graces—Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. Everywhere you looked, there were carved pillars holding up the ceiling, also gold embossed, and the walls were wallpapered in red velvet. I’d never seen anything so gauche; it nearly hurt my eyes.
As a group, we entered the adjacent room to the lavish front entrance of the hall, which I assumed was the classroom. Thankfully, it wasn’t as opulently decorated. I didn’t think I could’ve handled all that gold and red for two hours. Fifty high-backed chairs were arranged around a raised pulpit. It reminded me of a church. The Church of Aphrodite.
While we all got seated—Jasmine, Georgina, and I sat together as usual—the door at the back of the room opened, and Aphrodite walked in, head high, breasts jutted, hips swaying. She was accompanied by three other women, two of them carried the train on her lavish gold gown, and the other carried a large, black leather case.
Everyone was transfixed as she stepped up onto the pulpit, especially the boys. I didn’t blame them; she was stunning up close. It was almost difficult to look upon her, like looking into the hottest part of the sun. She was too bright.
She waited until she had everyone’s rapt attention before she spoke. “Transformation. It is the act of changing into something else. A caterpillar into a butterfly.” Her gaze swept the audience. “A tadpole into a frog. I will teach you how to change your look, your shape, so you can turn into someone else. It is a masterful skill to have in order to deceive your enemies or to even hide among them.” She looked right at me.
For the next two hours, Aphrodite showed us how to alter the shape of our faces, which was the first step to transformation. At first I couldn’t believe it was even possible, but after she demonstrated by changing her appearance into that of an old, withered hunchback hag, I became a true believer.
With the help of her assistants, who ended up being the three Graces, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, we each took turns either plumping up our faces or thinning them down. Georgina, Jasmine, and I couldn’t stop giggling, as Georgina ended up fattening her face so much she looked like a tomato, especially with her red hair. By the end of the class, it was obvious she had a knack for changing. Jasmine and I didn’t latch onto it as well. I think all I managed to do was to make my nose long and thin like Pinocchio, which made everyone around us laugh hysterically. Lucian included.
At the end of class, I was leaving with my friends when Aphrodite called me back.
“Melany, why don’t you stay a minute?”
Both Georgina and Jasmine gave me funny looks. I shrugged and then walked back to where the Goddess stood waiting. “Did I do something wrong?”
She gave me an indulgent smile, but it didn’t make me feel warm. A shiver actually rushed down my back. “On the contrary, I’ve only heard great things about you.”
I grimaced. “Really?”
“Oh yes, you have made quite a stir around the academy.”
She was probably referring to the incident in elemental class when I’d gotten electrocuted. Despite that, I was still surprised Aphrodite even knew my name. She didn’t seem like the sort of person who even bothered with that trivial information.
“My husband talks quite fondly of you.”
Now, I really did give her a look. There was no way Hephaistos said anything complimentary about me to his wife. He wouldn’t say anything nice like that to anyone. Maybe she heard from her lover, Ares, about what a pain the ass I was.
“And because of that, I want you know, that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me.” Her gaze scrutinized me from toe to head. “I can imagine it must be hard for you here, considering you’re… so different from everyone else.”
I wondered if she meant my strange aura, or if she meant that I had blue hair, piercings, and tattoos, and didn’t look as pampered and polished as everyone else, especially Revana and her crew.
“I, ah, appreciate that.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. As if I would confide in her, knowing full well that she was conspiring with Ares about something. Although she was breathtaking, there was something utterly deceptive about her. Maybe it was the fact that she could transform into anyone. If that wasn’t the ultimate trickery, I didn’t know what was.
She set her hand on my arm, and I felt a prickle of heat along my skin. “I was very concerned when I heard what had transpired in your elemental training. Zeus’s lightning is very dangerous. I’ve told him time and time again that he shouldn’t be teaching that so soon in a young one’s training. Disastrous accidents can happen. Obviously.” Her hand stayed on my arm, and my head started to feel a bit floaty. Like I’d drunk too much wine. “Do you remember anything about how you survived? Did someone help you?”
I frowned. “Zeus brought me back.”
“That’s not how I understand it. He said he tried to bring you back, but it didn’t work.”
I wanted to pull away from her. My face was flushed, and too much heat circulated in my body. I felt drunk. But not just on alcohol—on her. She smelled like wild flowers, and her hair was so shiny and soft looking, I wanted to reach out and twirl a tendril of it on my finger, like spinning gold.
“Can you remember who brought you back? Did someone whisper to you?”
I shook my head, trying to clear it. Her words were like a lullaby in my ears, lulling me into a daze. Seducing me into submission.
Fight her.
I heard the voice in my head. It was like the whispers I’d heard before. From the shadows. In my dreams.
Her hand tightened on my arm, like a snake. Constricting me. “Tell me what you know
. Tell me—”
With everything I had, I pushed her away, both physically and mentally. I stumbled backwards and nearly fell onto my ass. I expected anger from her for assaulting her. But she just smiled, as if nothing had happened.
“You should run along my dear. Your friends will be missing you.” Her grin widened. It almost appeared as if her teeth had sharpened, but that could’ve been my imagination. “Won’t they?”
Without responding, I turned and ran out of the room then out of the hall. The big, heavy gold doors slammed shut behind me the second I was out. The sudden need to be with my friends spurred me on, and I ran through the academy halls to the dorms.
I didn’t quite know what had just happened with Aphrodite, but a sense of dread tightened in my guts. I’d been in danger that much I grasped, but I didn’t know why. How was I a threat to Aphrodite? And what was she willing to do to end it?
Chapter Eleven
MELANY
Pitch black surrounded me. I felt like I was floating. I could see a pinpoint of light, and that was when I realized I was back inside the spiraling portal underwater. My lungs burned from lack of oxygen. A few more minutes and I would certainly die.
I looked past the portal to the dark waters beyond, and saw a shape hovering nearby. Watching me. I reached out toward the form, pleading for help. Suddenly I didn’t know how to swim. I didn’t know why I was here in this portal again, but I was going to die if I didn’t get out.
My fingers breached the edge of the whirling spout. My hand reached for the form floating within inches of me. I wriggled my fingers, grasping for assistance. “Help me!” I tried to scream, but when I opened my mouth, water poured in. And now, I was choking on it.
My vision blurred. The pressure inside my head expanded. Pain pummeled at me. It wouldn’t be long before I succumbed to the water and took it in.
Then a hand snatched mine and pulled me out.
Bolting straight up in bed, I coughed and sputtered, taking in greedy gulps of air. Whispers swirled around me, trying to penetrate my ears. But I didn’t want to listen to them. They were telling me bad things. Asking me to do bad things.
I swatted at them, buzzing like stinging insects. “Stop it!”
Then I felt warm hands on top of mine. “Mel! You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Slowly, my surroundings came into view. I was in my bed, in my dorm. And Georgina held me, talking me out of whatever fugue I’d been trapped inside.
She ran a hand over my head. “You’re okay. You’re here, with me.”
I nodded, and took in a deep breath, trying to slow my heart rate, which thundered in my chest, each beat like a hammer against my rib cage.
“Same dream?” she asked.
I nodded.
For the past nine days, I’d been having the same horrible dream every night. It all started right after the incident with Aphrodite. It was almost like she’d sparked something inside me. Tried to force open some door inside my mind. And it was opening. I could hear it creaking inside my head and feel every small progression in my body. I feared what was inside.
After Georgina helped me calm down, we dressed and headed to the dining hall for breakfast. Jasmine caught up with us, and upon seeing me, immediately hugged me.
“Are you okay? You look so pale.”
I gave her a look.
“Well, paler than usual.”
“Bad dreams still,” Georgina piped up, as she slopped oatmeal into a bowl and handed it to me.
We took our meals and sat at our usual spot at one of the long tables in the hall. Mia joined us, and I noticed the instant grin on Jasmine’s face.
“Are they the same?” Jasmine asked.
“Yeah, I’m trapped in the portal underwater, and I’m going to drown, but someone who I can’t see pulls me out right before.” I played with my oatmeal, not hungry at all.
“Maybe it’s just stress getting the best of you,” Jasmine said. “That is sort of what happened to you getting here, wasn’t it? I mean, Lucian saved you, didn’t he?”
I nodded, just as my gaze landed on him two tables away, laughing with his friends. He glanced up from his meal and caught me looking at him. Before I could turn away, he gave me a soft smile that made my heart thump a little bit faster.
“Maybe you’re stressed about the practice water trial today.” Mia shrugged.
Georgina nodded. “I bet that’s it. You did tell me you weren’t looking forward to it since you didn’t do too well in water.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” I smiled at my friends, knowing they all meant well and were only looking out for me. But they were wrong in this. It wasn’t stress trying to burrow into my mind like a worm in dirt; it was something altogether more worrisome. Something sinister.
There was a buzz of excitement and apprehension during elemental class. After our lessons with the other elements, we were all going to be doing a practice water trial in the pool with Poseidon. Despite my attempts to deny it to myself, I was nervous about the trial. I wasn’t all that good with water or in it. After six classes, I’d only been able to make a tiny cyclone in the water while some like Ren, Marek, and even Lucian, could make waves as high as the twenty foot ceiling. But the prep training wasn’t about making water spouts and waves, it was about staying underwater for as long as possible and collecting rocks from the bottom of the pool. It seemed simple enough, but the catch was we had to do it while evading an attack from some water beast Poseidon was going to set loose. Fun times at Poseidon’s pool party.
The whole thing was a distraction, and I nearly set Hella’s pants on fire when a fireball I was making got away from me, bounced once, and exploded at her feet. Hephaistos rushed over with a bucket of water and doused her before it could do any damage.
“I’m so sorry.” I rushed over to her, my hands still aflame.
“It’s fine.” She moved away from me.
But I could see it in her face that it was far from fine, and now she was afraid of me. I supposed I didn’t blame her; I had come at her waving around my fire hands.
“What’s wrong with you, girl?” Hephaistos growled at me, tossing the rest of the water from the bucket onto me to douse my hands. “You have to stay focused, or you’re going to hurt someone.”
That distraction followed me through shadow class, as I walked through the motions, dissipating at will, then to lightning where I was barely even allowed to touch the metal rods in case I got electrocuted again, then over to the garden, where we were practicing growing vines. I hadn’t managed to do anything in this class. I knew it wasn’t possible to be good at everything, but I had no affinity to the earth and plants whatsoever. The rest of my group had been able to at least coax a flower to open its pedals and to move a huge boulder across the garden. Georgina was already growing fruits and vegetables with the touch of her hands and the intention in her heart.
After having completely given up, I sat on the ground and watched as the others tried to coax some vines to wrap around Demeter’s legs. I laughed when Jasmine’s vine went crazy and did a loop around her feet and tried to trip her.
I heard other laughter, and my gaze drifted over to where Lucian and his group were at the fire station. Revana and Isobel were huddled together, looking my way and snickering. When Revana spotted me watching them, she sneered.
I didn’t know how one person could be so hateful. It wasn’t just me who she looked down on, either; it was almost everyone except her immediate friends, although I had overheard her talking crap about Isobel behind her back to Diego.
As I stared at her, I got angrier and angrier. Gritting my teeth and pressing my hands down into the dirt, I thought someone needed to shut her up. She reminded me so much of Callie with her backhanded remarks, disdainful looks, and condescending manner. I’d put up with it for years, swallowing it down over the lump in my throat because I hadn’t had a choice.
While Revana continued to smirk and sneer, probably remarking about how trashy I was,
all I could picture was a gag in her mouth. It was such a vivid image that I grinned.
Then I was being shaken out of my stupor. “Snap out of it, Melany.”
I looked up as Demeter squeezed my shoulder. “What? What’s going on?”
“Let go of Revana.”
I frowned, confused. My gaze swung over to the fire station and I gasped.
Revana had vines wrapped around her head, over her mouth in particular. Every time she struggled, the vines seemed to be pulling even tighter until her eyes bugged out. Then I noticed the vine had originated from a plant near my shoe. I jumped to my feet, and immediately the vine went slack, and she and Isobel were able to tear it off her face.
The second she was freed, Revana came at me like a freight train. “You bitch.”
I managed to dodge her first punch before Demeter intervened.
“Enough.”
“She tried to kill me!”
Demeter made a face. “I’m sure that’s not true. It was totally an accident, wasn’t it, Melany?”
I nodded.
Zeus peered down at us from overhead. “Everything all right down there?”
“Yup, just a little mishap.” Demeter gave him the thumbs up. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Should we discuss it in council chambers later this evening?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
Demeter shook her head. “No, I don’t think that needs to happen.” She glanced at Revana. “No one’s hurt. Right?”
Revana glared at me but shook her head.
“You see, it’s all good.”
“Return to your training.” Zeus turned and gestured to his class, who were all peering over the side.
Revana, accompanied by Isobel, returned to the fire station. Everyone else went back to what they were doing before chaos had ensued. Demeter put her hand on my shoulder.
“Where did that come from?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I was just sitting there.”
“Something happened.”
“I got angry I think.”
Demigods Academy - Year One Page 8