Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)(52)
Author: Jennifer Estep

"What’s wrong?" Alexei said in an impatient tone. He’d put his backpack down too and was leaning against the table.

"This feels way too easy," I said.

Morgan snorted. "You think all that research you did in the Library of Antiquities, sneaking off campus, and asking me to drive you down here was easy? I think you need a new definition of the word, Gwen."

I ignored her. Alexei, Morgan, and I were the only ones in this part of the coliseum, and the conversation and chatter from the other visitors had long since faded away. I didn’t hear so much as a whisper of movement, but I still glanced back toward the door, half-expecting to see a group of Reapers rush inside, swords out, ready to skewer us.

I waited and waited-but nothing happened. Finally, I turned back to the shelf, staring at the book and the words on the spine-Great Transformations Through the Ages and How They Were Achieved: Volume II.

Morgan snorted again and grabbed the book off the shelf, causing green sparks of magic to shoot out of her fingertips. I sucked in a breath, but once again nothing happened.

"See?" she said. "It’s just a book. You are being totally paranoid. Now, can we please get on with this?"

"I agree with the Valkyrie," Alexei said. "Everything seems normal here. So use your magic on the book, and let’s leave."

"Fine," I muttered. "But if things go bad, and I start screaming my head off, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Alexei and Morgan glanced at each other before she held the book out to me. I drew in a breath, took it from her, and waited for the images and feelings to enter my mind so I could learn all the secrets the book might contain.

The memories flooded my brain, and I got flashes of all the people who’d looked at, touched, and read the book over the years. Nothing unusual there. Disappointment filled me, and for a moment I thought that those would be the only images attached to the book-but I was wrong.

Snatches of conversations and whispered words tumbled through my mind, one after another.

"A difficult thing, transferring a soul to another body . . ."

"Have to make sure the host subject is exceptionally strong . . ."

"Once the soul is transferred, it will overpower the other until there’s nothing left of the original subject or soul . . ."

The voices were all cold, clinical, and detached, as though they were talking about experimenting on lab rats instead of human beings. I shuddered at the words and their horrible implications, but I tightened my grip on the book and went even deeper into the memories, searching for anything that would tell me what was so important about this book that the Reapers would risk breaking into the Library of Antiquities to steal the original volume of it-

Vivian’s face popped into my mind.

I immediately grabbed on to the image, bringing it into sharper focus and letting myself fall into the memory.

Vivian stood in the coliseum library. She looked around, her golden gaze going from one corner of the room to another, as though she was expecting trouble. The library lights were dim, and stars shimmered through the glass roof, instead of sunshine. The Reaper girl must have broken into the coliseum at night.

Finally, when she was sure no one was coming to investigate, Vivian turned her head, and I realized there was someone else in the library-someone wearing a black robe. The hood was up, and the person had his back to Vivian so I couldn’t see who it was. Somehow, though, I knew it was the Reaper I’d chased in the library, even though all I could make out was a pair of black gloved hands clutching a book-the same Great Transformations book I was holding right now.

"It’s no good," the Reaper said, his voice seeming higher than it had before as he snapped the book shut and held it out to Vivian. "What we need isn’t in here. The Pantheon must have decided the information was too dangerous and removed it from this edition."

"Are you sure?" Vivian asked, grabbing the book and flipping through the pages. "The others were positive that this was the right book."

The Reaper shook his head. "Some of the information is in here, but not all of it. We need the list of jewels and the entire ritual from start to finish in order to transfer Loki’s soul into the body we have in mind. Believe me when I tell you there is no room for error or mistakes of any kind. We only get one shot at this, and we have to make sure it goes smoothly, or our years of waiting and watching will be for nothing, and our lord will be in even worse shape than he already is. We’ll have to get the original book after all."

"And where would that be?" Vivian asked.

"The Library of Antiquities," the Reaper said.

Vivian blinked, apparently surprised by the information. After a moment, she shook her head. "There’s no way you’ll be able to get onto the grounds, much less into the library. Not now, with all the extra security they’ve added to campus."

"We always knew it was a possibility that we might need the original book, and we’ve planned accordingly. This is where you come in," the Reaper said. "You’re going back to school."

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Do I have to? I’ve already wasted enough time at that stupid academy."

"Oh, I think you’ll like it much better there this time around, especially since it will give you a chance to make life miserable for your good friend, Gwen Frost. By the time we’re through with her, the Protectorate will decide to execute her and do your job for you. All you’ll have to do is sit back and watch her suffer."

A smile stretched across Vivian’s face, and a bit of Reaper red flashed to life in the depths of her golden eyes. "Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place?"

"Come on," the Reaper said, moving to the doorway, his back still to Vivian. "Let’s get out of here before someone finds us."

The image of the library started growing dim and hazy, and I knew that this particular memory was coming to an end. Still, I held on to the book, straining to see every last thing Icould-including the Reaper’s real identity.

Come on, I thought. Turn around and show yourself.

My heart sank as the Reaper neared the entrance to the library. One more second, and the evil warrior would be gone-and so would any chance I had of discovering who the Reaper was.

Vivian put the Great Transformations book back on the shelf, but she was in a hurry and didn’t push it back far enough. The book fell to the floor. The sound cracked like thunder in the library. Vivian winced, leaned over, and picked up the book.

The Reaper whirled around, and I realized that the person wasn’t a man at all. She wasn’t wearing a mask, and I finally saw her face-her beautiful, familiar face. Her green eyes narrowed, and she glared at Vivian.