I shivered, thinking of how the prowler had almost pounced on me, Daphne, and Carson. “I think running into one was more than enough for tonight.”
“Well, I suppose that killing one prowler isn’t a bad start to the week,” Vic admitted. “But we will definitely have to up our quota in the coming days. Nike gave me to you for a reason, Gwen. And do you know what that reason is? To kill things. Lots of things. The sooner we get started, the better. Because with me by your side, you can’t lose!”
I rolled my eyes at the sword’s crowing, cocky words. Confidence was something else that Vic had an abundance of, right along with attitude.
“Well, we can talk about all that tomorrow. In the meantime, I need my beauty sleep, and so do you. Good night, Vic.”
My words seemed to soothe the bloodthirsty sword, and he nodded his head in agreement.
“Very well. Until the morrow then.”
Vic closed his eye and went back to sleep.
I settled myself on the bed, but instead of crawling under the covers, I unwrapped one of the chocolate ganache-covered brownies that I’d snagged on the way back to the academy. I broke off a piece of the brownie and popped it into my mouth. It wasn’t quite as good as the ones that my Grandma Frost made, but it satisfied my need for a quick sugar fix.
I could have stayed up longer and eaten the rest of the sweet treats that I’d brought back, but I had classes tomorrow. Despite the Halloween party over in Cypress Mountain, the Powers That Were at the academy still expected the students to get up bright and early in the morning.
I snuggled down underneath my gray microfleece sheets and turned off the light by my bed, but I couldn’t go to sleep. Instead, I kept replaying the fight with the prowler over and over again in my head. Despite how scared I’d been, Vic was right—things hadn’t turned out too badly. I’d had a fun night with my friends, well, up until the prowler had tried to eat us. Still, I’d survived another encounter with a Nemean prowler when I probably shouldn’t have. That was reason enough to celebrate right there.
And then there was Logan.
My eyes drifted over to my desk. When I’d come back to my room, I’d slid the ring that the Spartan had handed me over the small replica statue of Nike that stood on my desk, so that the ring hung around the goddess’s throat like a miniature necklace. Moonlight slipping in through the curtains illuminated the whole room, including the crystal hearts on the ring, making them look like silver stars shimmering against the goddess’s skin.
I thought of how the Spartan had charged into battle without a second’s hesitation, of how he’d stepped in between me and the prowler, determined to keep me safe from the creature no matter what. Sure, Logan had been out with Savannah tonight, but he’d come to my rescue once again when it had really mattered. Somehow, I knew that he always would.
The Spartan might be with another girl right now, he might have said that we couldn’t be together, but things weren’t over with Logan and me yet. They were just getting started. Somehow, I knew that—I just knew it. Even now, alone in the darkness, the thought gave me hope—so much hope.
Smiling, I closed my eyes, ready to face tomorrow and whatever new trials I might encounter here at Mythos Academy. The Spartan had been right about something tonight. Whether the new dangers were tricks, treats, or something else, I’d hold my own against them, just the way I had so far. Logan’s face was the last thing that I remembered seeing before sleep finally claimed me for the night.
About the Author
Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Jennifer is the author of the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy battling bad guys and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals—Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.
Jennifer is also the author of the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.
Jennifer is also the author of the Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. The books focus on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Lila does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families—or mobs—who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the two most powerful Families in town.
Jennifer is also the author of the Bigtime paranormal romance series. The books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals.
For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at www.JenniferEstep.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.
Happy reading, everyone!
Halloween Frost Page 3