Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)(68)
Author: Jennifer Estep

Linus stepped away from the podium and turned to me. "Is there anything you’d like to say, Miss Frost?"

I hesitated. I didn’t know what to say. I barely knew what to think right now. Forty-eight hours ago, I had been fighting for my life on the auditorium stage. Now, here I was, back at the academy again, like it was just another Monday.

But most of all, I was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Logan was gone, that he’d left the academy, that he’d left me. I knew the Spartan had his reasons-I’d seen and felt them for myself-but I wished he had at least said good-bye in person. Then, I could have told him that it was okay, that I didn’t blame him for what happened, that I’d seen how hard and bravely he’d battled Loki. That no one could have resisted the evil god-not even a Spartan.

"Miss Frost?" Linus asked again.

Just the thought of Logan made my heart quiver with hurt and longing, but I drew in a breath and pushed those feelings aside. The Spartan wasn’t here, but everyone else was.

"Yeah," I replied. "There is something I want to say."

I stepped up to the microphone. By this point, the applause had died down, despite Daphne’s enthusiasm, and the crowd was quiet once more. My gaze went from one face to another, but this time, the other students’ eyes didn’t glimmer with anger at me. At least, not as much. Instead, they looked curious, wary, and afraid, but determined too. I knew those feelings because they mirrored my own.

"I know you’ve all lost someone to the Reapers," I said. "And so have I. They murdered my mom. They’ve murdered your moms and dads and brothers and sisters. They’ve killed your aunts and uncles and cousins and friends. They’ve taken so many people away from us-so many people that we love."

I thought of Logan, and I had to clear my throat before I could continue. "Now that Loki is free, we all know there’s another Chaos War coming. But we’re going to keep fighting. We’re going to keep going after the Reapers. It’s what we’re all here at Mythos training for. So we can learn how to protect the people we love. As long as we do that, as long as we train and fight and believe in each other, then you know what? We can win. We’re going to win. Because there simply is no other option."

I stepped back. Daphne whooped and got to her feet again, along with Carson, Oliver, Kenzie, and Talia. Even Savannah Warren, Logan’s ex-girlfriend, joined in with my friends. But to my surprise, they weren’t the only people who did so. One by one, the other kids stood up and started clapping-for real this time. And I felt one emotion pouring off all of them, all the kids, all the professors, all the staff members-hope.

Hope that things would eventually get better. Hope that we could defeat the Reapers. Hope that we could finally triumph over Loki.

I stood there and let that soaring, uplifting emotion wash over me. I reached out and wrapped it around myself like a suit of armor, letting it pour into all the dark places inside me and make them just a little bit lighter, just a little bit brighter-at least for this moment.

It didn’t make up for Logan leaving, but it helped-it helped a lot.

The members of the Protectorate escorted me off stage, and we wound up at the checkout counter in the Library of Antiquities. It was time for me to work my shift like usual, despite everything that had happened-death, destruction, heartache. Yep, just another Monday at Mythos Academy.

Inari and Sergei said their good-byes to me and wished me well, and I did the same to them. Yeah, they’d arrested me and put me on trial, but they’d just been doing their jobs. I was glad that they knew I was on their side now-that we were all on the same side.

"We’ll wait in the car for you, Linus," Sergei said as he and Inari left the library.

Linus nodded. The leader of the Protectorate turned and stared at me, but for once, his face was neutral.

"Thank you for saving my son," he finally said. "I gravely misjudged you, Miss Frost. And a great many other people."

Sadness and heartache similar to my own shimmered in his eyes, and I knew he was thinking about Agrona and how she’d fooled him. For the first time, I felt sorry for Linus. Sure, Logan might have left, but at least I knew he cared about me. Linus didn’t even have that small comfort.

I nodded, accepting his apology. "How . . . how is Logan? Is he okay? Where is he? Is he ever coming back to the academy?" The questions tumbled out of my lips.

Metis had told me that Linus and Logan had had a long, long talk after the battle at the auditorium. Metis hadn’t known all of the details, but she said that father and son had worked through some of their issues, trying to start undoing all the damage Agrona had wreaked on them-and what they’d done to themselves too.

"Don’t worry. Logan is safe and . . . as well as can be expected right now. He’s . . . troubled by what happened, as I’m sure you realize," Linus said. "Logan asked me for some time away from the academy. Some time for the two of us to really get to know each other after all these years. I’m on my way to meet him right now. I’m handing over some of my Protectorate duties to Sergei and Inari until Logan is . . . well again. But don’t worry. However long it takes, I’ll be by my son’s side, taking care of him."

I nodded. I was glad that Logan and his dad were going to spend some time together. I just wished I could have been a part of the Spartan’s plans.

Linus hesitated. "Logan asked me not to tell you where he is. He also wanted me to ask you not to use your psychometry on me or anyone else to try to find him."

My gaze fell to the checkout counter. I was standing on one side, and Linus on the other, but his hand was only a few inches away from mine on top of the smooth wood. I wanted to reach out, grab Linus’s hand, and find out exactly where Logan was. It would be easy-so freaking easy-and the temptation to do it was so strong.

But I’d promised myself I wouldn’t use my Gypsy gift like that-that I wouldn’t pull secrets out of people just because I could. If I did that, I’d be no better than Vivian, who used her telepathy magic to trick people, to dig around in their heads and mess with their emotions just because it amused her. No, the last thing I wanted was to be like the Reaper girl, even if it meant not knowing where Logan was.

Still, I curled my hands into fists and stepped back from the counter, just so I wouldn’t be tempted.

"He needs some space right now, Miss Frost, and I hope you’ll give it to him," Linus said, noticing my movements. "He cares about you very much, though. Never doubt that."

I nodded again, blinking back the tears in my eyes. Everything Linus had said was true-Logan needed some time and space to himself. It was selfish of me to want him here with me when he was the one who was hurting so much right now, but still, I wanted to see the Spartan. I wanted to hold him close and tell him that everything was going to be all right. I wanted to comfort him the way he’d comforted me so many times before. The temptation to use my magic to track down the Spartan rose up in me, and my gaze went to Linus’s hand again.