Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)(58)
Author: Jennifer Estep

"Come on," she whispered. "This way."

Morgan backtracked and led us down another hallway, then another one, circling around the concert hall. A few times, we had to stop, take another route, or even crouch down in the shadows as we waited for Reapers to pass by. Two-man teams patrolled the perimeter of the concert hall, all of them armed with swords and cell phones. I would have liked nothing more than to fight them, but I knew if we did that, the alarm would be raised, and we’d lose whatever chance we had of saving my friends.

Finally, we reached a door with a sign that read CONTROL CENTER-STAFF ONLY. The door was locked, but Morgan easily used her Valkyrie strength to yank it open. I winced at the noise she made, but there was nothing I could do about it.

We slid through the opening and closed the door behind us. Several chairs flanked a large control panel, while a series of monitors were mounted on the wall above. Wires snaked every which way across the floor, and a variety of boxes and switches jutted out from the other walls. In addition to concerts, the Aoide Auditorium also hosted everything from musicals to sporting events.

"Come on," Morgan whispered. "This way."

The Valkyrie led us through the room and over to another door on the far side. This one had a sign that said CATWALK ACCESS-AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Morgan twisted the knob. It wasn’t locked, so she opened the door, and we stepped through it.

We walked up a flight of stairs that led to a catwalk that ringed the concert hall. Lights, stage backdrops, and weighted bags were anchored to the black metal rails, along with an elaborate series of pulleys and levers. Every two hundred feet or so, more stairs led down to other areas below.

We were on the back side of the concert hall, but I could see people on the stage below. Alexei pointed in that direction, and the three of us crept along the catwalk over to that part of the auditorium. Finally, we stopped right above the wide stage and crouched down, peering over the side of the metal railing. The sight below made my heart clench with fear.

Because the concert hall was filled with Reapers-and my friends were trapped in the middle of them.

Chapter 25

The enormous stage took up most of this side of the concert hall. The chairs that the band members should have been sitting in had been pushed to the back, with all the Mythos students huddled together in a tight wad in the center of the glossy wooden floor. Reapers ringed them on all sides, each one brandishing a long, curved sword. The kids stared at the Reapers in fear, and I could see the silvery shimmer of the tears on their faces even from up on the catwalk.

Daphne, Carson, Oliver, and Kenzie were on the stage with the rest of the band members. Carson had his arm around Daphne, holding her close, while Oliver and Kenzie were sitting back-to-back, staring at the Reapers with watchful eyes, like they were waiting for a chance to attack. Some of the tightness in my chest eased. They were all okay-for now.

Still, as I looked down at the Reapers, something about them bothered me. Even more so than usual. Finally, I realized what it was-the fact that the Reapers weren’t wearing their rubber Loki masks. The evil warriors had on their black robes like usual, but their faces were bare.

"The Reapers are going to kill them all," I whispered. "That’s why they’re not wearing their masks. They don’t need to hide their real identities because they don’t plan on leaving anyone alive."

Beside me, Alexei nodded, his face grim as he silently agreed with me.

I kept scanning the stage. The adults had been separated from the kids and moved off to the left in front of a set of stairs that led down to the auditorium floor. The adults were also sitting on the stage, their hands tied in front of them with what looked like red velvet. The curtains, I thought, noticing tattered strips of fabric dangling down on that side of the stage. The Reapers must have cut up the stage curtains to use as ropes.

My gaze went from one face to another. Metis, Nickamedes, Ajax, Inari, Sergei. They were all bound and glaring at the Reapers. Several guards surrounded them, and I noticed a pile of weapons lying off to one side. The Reapers must have disarmed them already.

Cuts, blood, and bruises marred the adults’ features, especially Ajax, whose bloody, swollen face looked like it had been used for a punching bag, but they all seemed more or less in one piece.

The same couldn’t be said for everyone, though. Several people, adults mostly, were on the right side of the stage, away from everyone else. They were all lying down and sprawled on top of each other at awkward angles, and it took me a few seconds to realize why-because they were all dead. Blood oozed out from underneath their bodies and dripped off that side of the stage. Plop, plop, plop. Despite how high I was, it seemed like I could hear every single crimson drop hitting the floor. I put my hand over my mouth and swallowed a scream.

But the thing that concerned me the most was Logan. The Spartan had been separated from the others, and he was on his knees in the middle of the stage in front of the other kids. His back was to me, and his head was bowed, so I couldn’t see his face. Something gold glinted around his neck, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was from up here. But the worst part was that Logan was completely motionless, despite the fact that he wasn’t tied up or being guarded like the others were. Something rectangular lay on the stage a few feet away from him. It took me a moment to realize that it was a book, most likely the original volume of Great Transformations -and that it was open, as though someone had been reading it.

My heart twisted in pain, fear, and dread. The Reapers had started the transformation ritual already. Otherwise, Logan would have been fighting and trying to free everyone else.

And finally, my gaze went to Linus, who’d also been pulled away from the others. He sat on the stage a few feet away from Logan, his hands bound and a horrified look on his face as he stared first at his son, then at Agrona.

The Reaper towered over her husband, a bloody sword in her hand. All the other Reapers were staring at her, and it was obvious that the evil warriors were taking their orders from her.

"You’ll never get away with this," Linus’s voice drifted up to the catwalk.

Agrona looked down her nose at her husband. "Oh, but I already have, darling. You and the members of your precious Protectorate are all nicely tied up, and I have complete control of the situation-and more important, your son."

Her words sent a shiver up my spine, but Logan stayed where he was, his head bowed, still motionless. His stiff, awkward pose reminded me of how Morgan had looked when Jasmine had used the Bowl of Tears to control her. I glanced at the Valkyrie, and the hard set of her mouth told me she was thinking the same thing.