Dark Frost

"How are you feeling, girl?" I murmured.

Nott thumped her tail and leaned into my touch. I closed my eyes and concentrated. Once again, I could feel that spark of life in her stomach, the pup waiting to be born, although I had no idea when that might happen or what to do to help her. With everything that had been going on, I'd kind of forgotten Nott was a mom-to-be. I'd have to call Grandma later and get some advice on how to make the wolf more comfortable. Grandma had been raised on a farm. She'd know what to do. She always did.

I made sure Nott had enough water and gave her all the meat I'd been able to get from the dining hall at lunch today. After she ate, the wolf curled up in her nest of blankets and went to sleep. I petted her a final time before grabbing Vic. I left the door open a crack so Nott could get out and have more room to roam around if she wanted to, then walked across campus to the library.

Once more, I stopped outside the building, staring at the gryphons that crouched on either side of the entrance. It seemed like I was seeing the gryphons everywhere I went these days. First, in my mom's diary, then in the architecture book I'd found, and now here again in real life. If only the Helheim Dagger was as easy to find.

As I stared at the gryphons, I wondered what I always did-what would happen if I actually touched one of the statues, if my psychometry would somehow make it actually spring to life and attack me the way I'd seen it do in my dream last night.

I looked around at the other kids moving in and out of the library, laughing, talking, and leaning against the other statues like it was no big deal. The other students sat next to and even on the gryphons and other stone creatures on campus all the time. Surely, they wouldn't bite me ... or whatever.

Suck it up, Gwen. That's what Daphne would tell me if she was here, and my friend was right. I'd been creeped out by the gryphons and other statues ever since I'd first started going to Mythos. Enough was enough. It was time for me to realize the statues were just made of stone-nothing else. Determined to put my weird phobia to rest once and for all, I reached out with my fingers to touch one of the gryphons-

"Late again, I see," a snide voice murmured behind me. "Usually, you actually make it inside the library before you start wasting time."

I sighed and dropped my hand. "Yes, Nickamedes?"

The librarian strode up beside me, carrying several books. "Here," he said, dumping the books into my arms. "Make yourself useful and go shelve those. I've got another load to bring over from the English-history building."

"Yes, master," I muttered, but the librarian had already turned and walked away, so he didn't hear me.

I thought about putting the books down on the stairs and going through with my plan to touch the gryphon before I went into the library to work my shift-

"Now, Gwendolyn!" Nickamedes called out from across the quad.

I sighed, juggled the books so they'd fit better in my arms, and headed inside before he could yell at me again.

The evening passed the way it always did. I checked out books, helped students look up others, and even got some of my own homework done on the side. I finally decided to start writing the architecture essay for Metis's class, and I scanned through the gryphon book, looking for information I could use.

But I couldn't concentrate. Over and over again, my eyes kept going back to the other book in my bag-my mom's diary. Something about the diary was slowly working its way up from the bottom of my brain. I knew better than to rush it, though. That would only give me a headache, and I'd already had plenty of those this week.

Daphne stepped into the library at about six, along with Carson. The Valkyrie came over to the checkout desk, like she was just hanging out a second. I quickly finished eating the cherry granola bar I'd bought from Raven's cart earlier and polished off the rest of my bottled water.

"You ready?" she said in a low voice.

I nodded. "Yep, I've got the ring right here, and Vivian just texted me to say she's on her way. So hang back, and we'll see what happens."

Daphne nodded and moved over to a study table where Carson was waiting. I'd just gone back to my architecture book when Logan walked into the library.

The sight of him took my breath away, despite how cold and distant he'd been this morning during weapons training. I expected him to go sit at one of the study tables or maybe get a snack from the coffee cart, but to my surprise, Logan headed over to me, as if I was the person he'd come here to see all along. The thought made my heart start hammering in my chest, but I told myself not to get my hopes up.

"Gypsy girl."

"Spartan."

We stared at each other for several seconds before Logan sighed.

"Look, I've been thinking about the other day, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I know that your having the kind of magic you do isn't your fault. It's just ... frustrating. That you can know all these things about me with just a brush of your fingers. It scares me."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I wish I could turn it off-for you."

His lips twitched up into the barest hint of a smile. "I know, but I didn't have to be such a dick about it either. Or act the way I did this morning in the gym. I was wondering if we could just start over and rewind to how things were at the coliseum before the Reapers attacked. Do you think we could do that?"

I looked into his blue, blue eyes, and I knew I would do anything for him-even forgive him. "I'd love that, Spartan. I really would."

He grinned, and suddenly, everything was right in my world again. I wanted nothing more than to lean across the checkout counter and hug him tight, but I forced myself to be cool and make things work this time. As long as Logan was hiding something, we were still on shaky ground. I wanted the Spartan to tell me his secret in his own way, in his own time, and I didn't want to do anything to mess up what we had between us until then.

"Maybe we should take things slow," I said. "You know, sit down and actually talk instead of fighting Reapers and going from one crisis to the next. Maybe we can finally get that coffee we've been talking about for a while now."

Logan's grin widened. "I'd like that. As for taking it slow, that's fine, too-as long as you can control yourself around me, Gypsy girl. I have a reputation for being irresistible, you know."

I rolled my eyes, and he laughed, a low, warm, deep chuckle that made my toes tingle.

My good mood didn't last long, because Vivian entered the library, along with Savannah and Talia. The three Amazons put their stuff down on one of the study tables, then Vivian walked over and stepped up behind Logan, apparently thinking the Spartan was in line to check out a book.

"We'll talk later," I said. "There's something I need to take care of right now, okay? Call me later."

He gave me a crooked smile. "You got it, Gypsy girl."

Logan winked at me and walked away, but instead of leaving the library, he stopped at Daphne and Carson's table and started talking to them. The Valkyrie spoke to Logan, but she kept staring at me, waiting to see if I'd touch Vivian and freak out when I realized that she was really the Reaper girl. Only one way to find out.

"I got your message," Vivian said, stepping up to take Logan's place. "You said you found my ring?"

I pulled the plastic bag with the ring in it out of my bag and showed it to her.

Vivian's whole face lit up at the sight of the ring, like it was the most important thing in the world to her. Maybe it was, given the attachment she had to it. I didn't believe she could be the Reaper girl, no matter what Daphne thought. I just didn't see how Vivian could fake that level of shy niceness. Plus, her voice was so soft and sweet. It didn't sound anything like the Reaper girl's low, harsh tone. Then again, neither did Savannah's voice.

Vivian put the other hundred bucks she owed me on the counter. I touched the money and concentrated, but I only got the familiar, faint vibe off it, the feeling of the bill going from one hand to another until it had wound up in mine. No clue there, so I tucked the money into my jeans pocket.

"So where was it?" Vivian asked. "Where did you find the ring?"

"I found it in Savannah's room," I said in a neutral tone.

This was always the hardest part, telling someone her friend had taken what rightfully belonged to her-and not by accident.

I watched her closely, but all the usual emotions flickered across Vivian's face. Surprise. Confusion. And finally, cold knowledge as she realized what my finding the ring in Savannah's room really meant.

"Oh," she said, her face paling. "Oh."

That was all a lot of people could say when they found out something like that about their supposed best friends. I waited for Vivian to do or say something else, but she just stood there, a miserable expression on her face and tears shining in her eyes. After a second, she snapped out of her daze and held out her hand to me.

I handed over the bag with the ring in it, accidentally-on-purpose letting my fingers touch her hand so I could flash on Vivian and see if she was really the Reaper girl.

Various images of Vivian filled my mind. Her sitting in class this morning, eating lunch in the dining hall, walking over to the library. But mainly what I felt was a sense of hurt and confusion over Savannah's betrayal. Apparently, it had affected Vivian more than she was letting on because the emotion blocked out everything else.

There was no hint she was a Reaper, and I didn't sense any sort of hate or malice in her at all. That was a little strange. Even the nicest girl could be a total bitch sometimes. If I'd just found out that my best friend had stolen something from me, well, I'd be royally upset about it. But all Vivian felt was sad, disappointed confusion. She was a far better person than I was. By this point, I would have dug my fingers into Savannah's red hair and started pulling out clumps of it until she confessed to stealing the ring.

Before I could get any more vibes off her, Vivian pulled back, breaking the connection between our fingers.

"Well, thanks for finding it," she said in a tight voice.

"Sure. Anytime."

Vivian turned and walked back to the table where she was sitting with Savannah and Talia. Savannah asked Vivian something, but Vivian gave her a strange look and turned away from the other girl.

Across the library, Daphne looked at me, her eyebrows raised in a silent question. I shook my head, telling her I hadn't gotten any flashes off Vivian that told me she was the Reaper girl. The Valkyrie shrugged back at me.

But I wasn't done yet. I grabbed some books to shelve and wandered over to the table where Vivian, Talia, and Savannah were still sitting. Talia and Savannah were talking about something, but Vivian just sat there, keeping quiet and staring at the ring she'd slipped onto her finger.

I did my accidentally-on-purpose thing again, only this time, I dropped a book onto the table, right into the middle of the three Amazons.

"Whoops! So sorry about that. Let me get that out of the way."

I reached down and grabbed the book, touching Savannah's hand along the way. Memories and emotions rushed into my mind, everything from Savannah's sitting in class to eating lunch in the dining hall to the Amazon's smiling up at Logan as the Spartan walked her across campus when they'd been going out. A soft, warm, fizzy feeling swept over me then, telling me just how much Savannah had liked Logan-and just how hurt she'd been when he'd broken up with her.

That last feeling made my own stomach tighten with guilt, but I forced myself to keep touching her, to keep concentrating and keep looking for any hint that Savannah was the Reaper girl.

I didn't find anything.

Oh, Savannah was plenty pissed at me for a lot of things-for taking Logan from her, for the way the Spartan looked at me, even for dropping the book practically in her lap a few seconds ago. The Amazon wouldn't have minded working out her anger and frustration by sparring with and beating me a few times in the gym, but she didn't have any cold, dark, murderous rage toward me, and I didn't sense any of that feeling in the echoes of her heart.

Mystified, I drew back, clutching the book. By this point, all three girls were looking at me like I was a complete freak. Right now, I supposed I was.

"Sorry," I mumbled again and hurried off to shelve the books like I was supposed to.

The three Amazons watched me the whole time, putting their heads close together and whispering. I gritted my teeth and ignored them, pretending I didn't see them talking about me. On the way back to the checkout counter, I stopped by the table where Daphne was sitting with Carson and Logan.

"Anything?" the Valkyrie whispered.

I shook my head. "I didn't get any big vibes off either one of them. Vivian was upset Savannah took her ring, and Savannah was mad at me as usual. If one of them is the Reaper girl, she's found some way to hide it."

She tried to confuse me, make me see things that weren't really there, Grandma Frost's voice whispered in my mind. She had a lot of tricks, and she was strong in her magic. As strong as anyone I've ever seen with that kind of mental power-

"Savannah's not a Reaper," Logan said, interrupting my thoughts. His face tightened. "Trust me on that."

I opened my mouth to ask how he could be so sure, but I realized what his answer would be-because Savannah's family had been brutally murdered just like his mom and older sister. I bit my lip and kept my mouth shut. Logan and I had just established this new beginning between us. I didn't want to wreck it with my suspicions. Still, the Spartan gave me a sharp look, like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"Anyway, I think I've done enough snooping for one night," I said. "You guys can leave if you want to. I've still got a few more hours left to work."