Page 17 of Dark Gods
“Hence the meeting in secret.”
He gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I tried to warn you, but--”
“No,” I sighed, holding up my hand. “It’s my fault. I got myself into this mess, I’ll figure a way out.”
“That’s just it. There is no out,” he said slowly. “The only way out is through, and honestly, if I were you, I wouldn’t stick around.”
“I’m not transferring out,” I said firmly.
He frowned. “You said you didn’t even want to come to this school in the first place.”
“I don’t. I still don’t,” I admitted, standing to pace across the fountain’s edge. “But I’ll be damned before I let that Underworld prick and his boy band chase me off.”
When I looked back, Dionysus was smiling. It wasn’t uncommon, but somehow, this was the first time it felt genuine. “You know, if anyone can survive the Wild Hunt, it’s probably you.”
“What about the teachers?” I asked. “Don’t they get involved?”
“They know better than that,” he said flatly. “Most of them were leaders back in their time at the Academy, including our headmaster.”
“Odin?”
“Who do you think started the tradition in the first place?”
I groaned. “Of course. Anything else I should know? Maybe I need to buy a bulletproof vest or something?”
“It’s notthatbad. They’re not allowed to do any real physical harm, but sometimes people get carried away, so watch yourself,” he warned me. “Your best bet is to just keep your head down and ignore it as much as you can.”
“That’s not really my style.”
“No,” he said with a weary sigh. “I didn’t imagine it was.”
“So I guess this is it, huh?” I finally asked.
“Just because we can’t hang out in public doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends,” he informed me. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
I couldn’t help but smile. If I was going to survive the semester as Hades’ damn White Rabbit, I was gonna need all the help I could get. Besides, as little time as it had been, I’d already grown attached to Dionysus. I was just relieved to know he felt the same.
“In that case, I’m gonna need the lowdown,” I said, flopping back next to him. “Tell me everything you know about the Triad.”
He eyed me warily. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not just looking to populate your survival guide?”
I grinned. “I may technically be from Olympus, but I’m a New Yorker at heart. If Hades and his crew want to make me their pet bunny, fine, but it’s gonna be one hell of a chase.”
7
After skipping fourth period to gather all the pertinent information Dionysus had to offer, I went to my next class feeling at least partially armed. My reception was as chilly as I’d come to expect, but no one made an overt move in front of the teacher, so at least I had the classroom to call home base.
Or so I thought until Swordsmanship.
Artemis was a foreboding presence, but I soon learned that even her watchful eye wasn’t enough to keep the Hunt at bay.
“Alright, everyone get in line,” she called once she’d taken roll for the day, pacing across the great stone pillars of the gymnasium. Unlike the sweaty linoleum room back in high school that doubled as a basketball court, gym class and aerobics room for the elderly on the weekend, this gymnasium was partially outdoors and equipped with the finest training gear. All along one partial wall were racks upon racks of weaponry, some of which I’d never even seen and doubted I could pronounce the names of even if I knew them.
“Today, we’re going to start by having everyone choose a weapon,” Artemis announced. She had a broadsword bound to her back and even though the thing had to weigh a ton, her movements were no less graceful for its presence. Then again, she was ripped, so I figured I’d have better luck trying for something a bit lighter, as badass as the broadsword looked. “You’re not locked in yet, so I invite you to experiment over the next few class periods until you find something that works for your individual style--and be realistic. A poorly armed competitor is as useless as an unarmed one in the arena, except that she has the ability to cut someone’s arm off.”
I could think of a few limbs I’d like to sever off the Triad, but I wasn’t going to give in to the temptation to obsess over them. They wanted me running scared like all the other little rabbits, but they were in for a rude awakening. If I was stuck here, then Hades was going to rue the day I’d accepted that invitation from the Academy. I’d just have to give it my all and wait for the chance to use everything I’d learned against him.
“I believe in kinesthetic learning, so we’re going to begin sparring today,” Artemis continued. “You’ll be using wooden versions of the big boy weapons, but you can still do damage, so don’t be an idiot. Pair up with the person next to you and get to it.”
