Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy 4)

"Only once or twice, Spartan. Now, go over there and let the Bogatyr know that the two of you are cool. As long as he's here at Mythos, you might as well get to know him better. He could still turn out to be a toad, or he might just be your Prince Charming. Only one way to find out."

Oliver flashed me a grateful smile and went over to the others. He and Alexei walked away from everyone else, and the two warriors started talking. Oliver said something, and a small smile broke out on Alexei's face. For the first time, I realized that maybe something good could come out this whole horrible situation.

At this point, that small hope was the only one I had.

Chapter 7

My friends and I sparred in the gym for the rest of training time before going back to our dorm rooms to shower and change. Thirty minutes after that, I was sitting with Logan in the dining hall. Usually, I ate with Daphne and Carson, but the two of them had to go to some meeting about the winter band concert, and since our date had gotten interrupted yesterday, Logan had suggested that we eat breakfast alone together.

Well, us and Alexei.

He'd disappeared to shower and change just like the rest of us had, but once again he'd been waiting outside my dorm room when I'd opened the door. Now, he stood a few feet away with his black bag at his feet and his back against the wall. Alexei stood next to one of the many suits of armor in the dining hall, looking just as solid, still, and imposing as the metal figure. A large oil painting of some great mythological feast hung on the wall above his head.

With its paintings, suits of armor, and tables topped with fine white linens, delicate china, and gleaming flatware, the dining hall was way, way more upscale than your typical school cafeteria. In fact, it looked more like an elegant restaurant than a place where students ate on a daily basis. Adding to the illusion was an open-air indoor garden that stood in the middle of the enormous room. Olive, orange, and almond trees rose up into the air, while grapevines snaked up, around, and over all the branches, before plunging into the black soil. Statues could also be seen in the garden, food and harvest gods mostly, like Dionysus and Demeter. The statues were hidden here and there among the trees and twisting vines, although their faces stared out at the students as they ate.

Unfortunately, the food was even fancier than the decor. Lobster, veal, and escargot were among the daily items on the lunch line, all of which the academy kids loved. Yucko. Even when it came to more normal food, like cheeseburgers, pizza, and lasagna, the Mythos chefs were always using exotic ingredients and whipping up weird sauces to serve them with, which completely ruined the dishes. At least for me.

I didn't have much of an appetite so I just picked at my ambrosia fruit salad drizzled with honey-lime dressing, moving strawberries and kiwis from one side of my bowl to the other, even though it was one of my favorite items on the breakfast menu. Meanwhile, Logan scarfed down a pile of pancetta and his second Greek omelet topped with spinach and thick crumbles of feta cheese. I sighed, put my fork down, and pushed away my bowl.

"Do you want me to get you something else, Gypsy girl?" Logan asked. "The chefs set up a smoothie station this morning."

I didn't want a smoothie, but he was trying to make me feel better, so I forced myself to smile. "Sure, that would be great. Maybe mango, if they have it?"

Logan grinned. "I'll be back in a minute."

The Spartan grabbed his now-empty plate, probably to get another omelet while he waited for the chefs to make my smoothie. Alexei watched him go, but he didn't move from his spot beside the wall. He hadn't gotten anything for himself, not so much as a bottle of water or a granola bar. I wondered if not dining with the enemy was some kind of Protectorate protocol.

I looked at him, then gestured at the table. "You can sit down with us, you know. I'm not going to bite you."

Alexei gave me a cool stare. "Members of the Protectorate, even those who are only in training like me, take our responsibilities very seriously. We do not eat with people we are supposed to be keeping an eye on."

Apparently, I'd been right about the protocol thing. Yeah for me.

"I'm not some kind of criminal," I muttered. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"No, you just let Loki escape from his prison and doomed the entire world. Isn't that right, Gwen?"

I looked up to find Helena Paxton standing on the opposite side of the table-and she wasn't alone. Her Amazon friends stood on either side of her, along with several guys. Anger filled all their faces, and the emotion rolled off them in hot, furious waves.

I pushed my chair back and got to my feet. Helena jerked her head, and her friends formed a loose circle around me, trapping me between them and the table. The conversation around us died down, as the other kids in the dining hall stopped eating and turned to stare at us.

"Are you enjoying your breakfast, Gwen?" Helena asked in a sweet voice. "It looks like you've hardly eaten a thing. Maybe your conscience is finally bothering you. It should."

I didn't say anything. There was no point in it. Helena hated me, and she wouldn't believe a word I said anyway. But my silence only made her angrier. She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing to slits.

"I can't believe you just walked in here this morning like everything was okay, like we all don't know what you did-and what a traitorous Reaper bitch you are."

The kids circled around me murmured their agreement. My gaze went from one face to the next, but I all saw was anger-anger and no mercy. I wasn't psychic, not like Grandma Frost was, but I knew what would happen now. The other kids couldn't take their rage and frustration out on the Reapers who'd murdered their loved ones, so they were going to lash out at the next best thing-me.

"I didn't do what the Protectorate says I did," I replied. "I didn't do anything wrong."

How many times would I have to say those words before people believed me? I could scream them for hours, and it wouldn't make a difference. Not after the assembly. And especially not right now.

Helena arched an eyebrow. "Really? Because I remember seeing you at the Crius Coliseum the day the other students were murdered. My friend, Samantha Diego, was one of the girls who got killed. Tell me, Gwen, was it you who stabbed her in the back? Or one of your Reaper friends?"

More murmurs of agreement filled the air, even uglier and harsher than before, and the students around me crept forward. For the first time, I noticed that many of them had their weapons in their hands, swords and daggers mostly. That was bad enough, but what made my heart quiver with fear was the way the other kids were clenching the hilts and skimming their fingers along the sharp blades, like they were thinking about using them.

On me.

Panic pulsed through my body, but I made myself stand still. I looked past the ring of students, but I didn't see Logan. I scanned the rest of the dining hall, but I didn't spot any of my other friends either. It took me a few more seconds to realize that all the chefs had suddenly, mysteriously, vanished as well. In fact, I didn't see any adults dishing up pancakes and waffles at the food stations closest to my table, no professors eating their own breakfast, no staff members grabbing a cup of coffee before heading out to do their morning chores . Even more ominous was the fact that all the statues in the garden had dropped their heads and were staring at the grapevines twisted around their feet, as if they didn't want to see what was about to happen.

Desperate now, I looked over at Alexei. His job was to guard me. I hoped it meant protecting me too, because this was not going to end well-for me.

Alexei pushed away from the wall. Hope sparked in my chest that he would grab his two swords out of his backpack and come to my defense, but all he did was stand there. He didn't make any move to break up the mob that had circled me. I wondered if Linus had ordered Alexei to let the other kids do whatever they wanted to me. That would be one way for me to be punished-for me to be executed.

I wondered if Alexei would stop after the kids had beaten me or if he'd actually let them murder me right here in the dining hall. An image of my dead, broken body lying on the floor popped into my mind, my blood oozing over the marble, the scarlet stream getting soaked up by the black dirt in the garden and feeding the gnarled vines there-

I shook my head, banishing the image. That wasn't going to happen. I wasn't going to let it happen. I might not be as skilled a fighter as the other students, but I'd defend myself as best I could, even if I knew I wouldn't win in the end. Not against so many other kids.

Too bad I'd put Vic and my messenger bag underneath the table when Logan and I had first sat down. I could just see the bag's strap peeking out from beneath the white tablecloth on the far side of the chair I was standing next to. My heart sank. I knew I wouldn't be able to get to the sword in time, but I still had to try. It was all I could do.

I took a step back so I could get around the chair, but I bumped into a guy standing behind me. I whirled around, and the upperclassman brandished a sword at me and grinned. I tried to move to my left to get away from him, and one of the Amazons stopped me. I shifted back to my right, and there was Helena, holding a dagger.

"Did you really think you would get away with it?" Helena snarled. "Killing our friends at the coliseum. Letting Loki loose. All of that is your fault, Gwen-your fault. People are dead, our friends and family are dead because of what you've done. Well, I say that we get our revenge on you, right here, right now."

The ring of kids muttered their agreement and crept even closer to me. Once more, I looked at Alexei, but he stood in the same position as before, his arms still hanging by his sides, his face completely blank. No help there. Looked like it was up to me to save myself-or die trying.

Helena took another menacing step toward me, the dagger flashing in her hand, and I reached out and grabbed my fork off the table. It wasn't much of a weapon, but hopefully I could surprise her with it, shove her away, and break free of the mob before they all piled in on me-

"Leave her alone," a low voice growled.

Logan pushed his way through the kids until he was standing by my side. The Spartan was holding a plate with another omelet on it, along with a tall, frosty glass that contained my mango smoothie. The sight of the bright orange liquid made my stomach twist that much more.

"Get out of the way, Quinn," Helena snapped. "This is between us and Gwen."

Helena and the guy with the sword stepped forward again, and Logan moved to shield me from them-all of them. His blue eyes narrowed, and his hands tightened around the plate and the glass.

"I suggest you leave now," Logan said in a dangerous tone. "Before I show you just how deadly Spartans can be."

Everyone froze. All the Mythos kids knew about Spartans and their killer instinct, how they could pick up any weapon-or any thing-and automatically know how to kill people with it. That's why Logan rarely carried a weapon. He didn't need to, since he could grab whatever was handy and fight with it. He was only holding a plate and a glass, but he might as well have been brandishing two swords.

Helena sucked in a breath. For a moment, I thought she would lunge forward and try to stab me with the dagger, but she slowly tucked it back into the purse hanging off her arm. The guy with the sword lowered his weapon as well. Alexei also moved back, crossed his arms over his chest, and assumed his position against the wall once more.

"This isn't over, Gwen," Helena spat out. "If the Protectorate doesn't make you pay for what you've done, then we will. Do yourself a favor, and leave Mythos while you still can. Or do us all one and stay here so we can deal with you ourselves. Win-win for us, either way."

The Amazon smirked at me, then turned and stalked off to her table a few feet away. One by one, her friends followed her, and the other kids headed back to their seats as well. Still, only hushed whispers filled the dining hall, and everyone kept staring at me, wondering what I would do now.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here," Logan said, putting down the dishes.

I bit my lip, nodded, and got my messenger bag out from underneath the table. The Spartan grabbed my hand, and we headed for the doors. To my surprise, instead of following along behind me like he usually did, Alexei fell in step with us and flanked me on the other side.

Just before we stepped outside, something slammed into my back. I froze, wondering if someone had shot an arrow at me, but it didn't hurt enough for that. A second later, the thing on my back slid off and clattered to the floor, and I realized what had happened-someone had thrown a plate of food at me.

I looked over my shoulder at the mess. Chunks of Logan's omelet were sticking to the back of my gray hoodie, sprayed across my back like the paint on my dorm room door, while the plate had broken into a dozen pieces. I reached back and felt a few chunks of cheese sticking to my hair. Ugh.

"Bull's-eye." Helena's voice rang out loud and clear, and she started laughing.

Anger, frustration, and embarrassment made my cheeks burn, but I didn't give Helena the satisfaction of turning around and glaring at her. That would only make the Amazon laugh louder and make her that much more determined to torture me.

Instead, I straightened up and walked out of the dining hall, the cruel laughter of the other students ringing in my ears and adding to the misery already in my heart.

Chapter 8

My day didn't get any better after that.

After going back to my room to shower and change again, I went to my morning classes. I sat in my usual seats and tried to concentrate on all the lectures and homework assignments, but I was always aware of Alexei standing in the corners of the rooms, watching me.

Actually, he had to stand in the corners, since the other students pulled their desks away from mine as soon as I stepped into the classrooms. The first time it happened, I thought maybe we were breaking into study groups, so I got to my feet and started to scoot my desk around with everyone else's, until the Viking in front of me turned around and glared at me.