Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3)(68)
Author: Jennifer Estep

"Nott," I whispered.

I raced up the steps and threw my arms around the wolf’s neck. "Oh, Nott!"

Tears ran down my cheeks, and I started rubbing the wolf’s ears. They felt real enough under my fingers. Nott let out a little grumble of happiness.

"I’m so, so sorry, Nott," I said through my tears. "I tried my best to save you."

The wolf licked my face, and I felt her gentle understanding and forgiveness fill my mind, along with another thought. With my arms still around the wolf, I turned to look at Nike. The goddess walked up the steps to where we were standing.

"You sent her to me, didn’t you? But why? And how? I didn’t think you could help me like that." Another thought popped into my head. "Is that why Nott had her pup so soon? Did you help her with that too?"

Nike nodded. "Yes, on both counts. I knew you would need aid in the forest when Loki was freed, and you had saved Nott before when you freed her from the Reaper boy. So I went to her and asked for her help. She agreed to trade her life for yours. And you’re right. The gods can’t interfere with mortals, but Nott isn’t quite a mortal, now is she?"

A small, satisfied smile curved her lips, and I knew what she was really talking about-another loophole. Just like picking a Champion was a god’s way of seeing that his or her instructions were carried out here in the mortal realm. Sometimes I wondered why the gods had bothered with rules in the first place since they were always looking for ways around them.

"But she died," I whispered. "Why would she want to die?"

"Nott was sick, Gwendolyn," Nike said. "Very few members of the Pantheon know this, but the Reapers use a potent drug, a poison really, to train the Fenrir wolves and other creatures. It’s what turns their fur and eyes that eerie red color. The Reapers start feeding it to them the day they’re born so they can control them. That’s why so many of the wolves and other creatures obey the Reapers and don’t try to fight against them-because the creatures need that daily dose of the drug to keep on living. Without it, the creatures slowly, painfully die."

I’d thought there was something wrong with Nott, given how tired she had seemed. I’d thought maybe it was because she was about to have a pup, but really, it had been the poisonous drug working on her the whole time, slowly eating away at her body.

"But surely there’s an antidote," I said. "Some way to reverse the poison."

Nike shook her head. "Not in Nott’s case. She’d been fed the poison for too long."

Another horrible thought filled my mind. "But what about Nyx? Will she be all right?"

"The wolf pup will be just fine," Nike said.

Relief filled me, and I stroked Nott’s ears some more.

"But now, I’m afraid it’s time for us to go," Nike said in a gentle voice. "Even now, Loki is starting to move against the other members of the Pantheon. I have preparations to make, old friends and allies to call upon."

I nodded and swiped the tears from my cheeks. "I’m going to miss you so much," I whispered to the wolf. "So much. But I’m going to take good care of Nyx for you. I promise."

Nott licked my hand, then moved away.

I got to my feet, and Nike approached me once more. The goddess leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. As soon as she touched me, I felt her power wash over me like waves of ice rippling against my skin. But it wasn’t a bad feeling. If anything, I almost felt like I was sharing in her strength, if only for a moment. That sensation, the immense feel of her power, gave me the courage I needed to carry on, knowing what she expected of me, knowing what I had to do to save us all-find a way to kill Loki.

"Take care, Gwendolyn Frost," Nike said. "Be well and stay strong until we meet again, for you will be tested-sooner than you think."

Then, the two of them stepped back, melting into the moonlight, until there were only shadows and frost gathered around me once more.

Chapter 29

I didn’t think that they would, I didn’t think that they could, but slowly, things went back to normal. I went to class, took care of Nyx, and snuck off campus to go see my Grandma Frost. I even kept working my regular shifts at the Library of Antiquities. I wouldn’t say that Nickamedes and I were besties now, but we didn’t snap at each other every chance we got, either. That was an improvement, I supposed.

But the mood at Mythos Academy was tense. The Powers That Were had called a school-wide assembly and held a memorial service for the kids and other folks who’d died at the Crius Coliseum. After the service was over, the Powers That Were had told everyone that the Reapers had finally succeeded in freeing Loki, although they didn’t mention exactly how it had happened or the part I’d played in things. The kids’ reactions ranged from shell-shocked to scared to immediately wanting to go to war with the Reapers. I knew the feelings-each and every one of them-because they were the same ones I struggled with every day.

Only I was actually supposed to kill Loki, and I had no idea how to go about doing that-if it was even possible in the first place. I told Metis and Grandma Frost what Nike had said to me, what she’d told me I had to do, but I didn’t share my mission with my friends. There wasn’t any point in worrying them.

I was worried enough for us all.

A few days later, Daphne, Carson, and I sat in the dining hall. Daphne and Carson were kissing, and I was picking at the froufrou mystery meat the chefs had decided to whip up for lunch. Just another day at Mythos Academy, despite the fact that an evil god was on the loose.

Daphne let out another giggle, and a shower of pink sparks filled the air. I rolled my eyes and put down my fork.

"Okay, seriously? You guys are going to make out during lunch, too? Do you know how disgusting that is? Some of us are trying to eat," I muttered.

"Not anymore," Daphne said. "You put down your fork."

"Whatever," I said. "And Carson? You should know that you’re wearing Daphne’s lip gloss again."

Carson blushed, picked up a napkin, and started scrubbing his face with it. Daphne just giggled, leaned forward, and planted another kiss on the band geek’s face. I rolled my eyes again, but I wasn’t the only one eyeing the happy couple-so was Savannah.

The pretty Amazon sat at a table a few feet away from us, along with Talia and Morgan, who seemed to have become friends with them. I hadn’t spoken to Savannah, but everyone at Mythos knew that Vivian was really a Reaper and Loki’s Champion. The Powers That Were had told everyone about Vivian during the assembly. Savannah and Talia were both picking at their food, and Savannah had a particularly miserable expression on her face.