Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6)(2)
Just thinking about what the Reapers might be up to made my stomach clench with dread. I’d already lost so much to Agrona, Vivian, and the other warriors, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before they struck again. But Daphne and Vic were right. There was nothing I could do about the Reapers today, and I should enjoy this time with my friends and boyfriend.
Because I might not have much longer with them, if Loki had his way.
“Okay, okay,” I muttered. “I’ll put on a happy face for the rest of the day.”
Daphne gave me a sharp look. “Promise?”
I made an off-center X over my heart, tracing over two scars that marred my skin there underneath the purple hoodie and thick gray sweater I wore. “Promise.” “Good. Then let’s go,” Daphne said, clamping her hand on my arm and using her great Valkyrie strength to pull me toward the door. “Our order should be ready by now, and I’m in desperate need of a sugar buzz.”
I sighed again, but I let her lead me out of the bathroom.
Daphne and I stepped out into the main part of Kaldi Coffee.
In many ways, Kaldi’s was your typical coffeehouse. A long counter running along the back wall. A glass case full of sinfully sweet cheesecakes, cupcakes, and every other kind of dessert that you could think of. Lots of overstuffed chairs and couches. Wrought-iron tables. Espresso machines burping and bubbling away, flavoring the air with the rich, dark aroma of the coffee they were brewing up.
What wasn’t so typical were the folks inside the coffeehouse.
Valkyries, Amazons, Vikings, Romans, Spartans. All kids around my own age, all descendants of ancient mythological warriors, and all armed with weapons. Swords, daggers, staffs, spears. Practically every person in the shop had a mug of coffee in one hand and something sharp and pointy within easy reach of the other. Morgan McDougall, one of my Valkyrie friends, had a crossbow propped up on the table next to her, the bolt in it aimed toward the door. Morgan had told me once that always having a weapon around made her feel better. Yeah. Me too.
I barely had time to wave at Morgan before Daphne strong-armed me over to two couches in front of the fireplace. As we moved through the shop, whispers sprang up in our wake. Or my wake, rather.
“Hey, look, Gwen Frost is here . . .”
“She must be taking a break from fighting Reapers . . .” “I wonder when she’s finally going to battle Loki . . .” I grimaced and tried to pretend I didn’t hear the other kids talking about me. Everyone at Mythos Academy knew that I was Nike’s Champion and that I was supposed to find some way to save us all from Loki and the Reapers. Nothing like a little added pressure to make a girl worry and obsess that much more.
I sighed. Daphne was right. I was being totally paranoid today, and I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off.
She let go of my arm and plopped down on one of the couches next to a guy with black glasses and hair, eyes, and skin that were all a dusky brown. Carson Callahan, her band geek boyfriend, and a truly nice guy.
Daphne leaned over and gave Carson a loud, smacking kiss, not caring who saw her do it or the fact that she’d just transferred all the pink gloss from her lips onto his. Carson gave her an adoring look in return and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. She hugged him back, her strength making him wince before she let him go.
“Is that my hot chocolate?” Daphne asked, her gaze zooming over to a tray full of mugs and plates of desserts on the table between the two couches. “Finally.”
Practically every seat in the coffeehouse was taken, so we’d left the guys to brave the long line at the counter while Daphne freshened up in the bathroom.
Carson shot her another adoring glance. “I got you a piece of chocolate cheesecake too. I know how much you like it.”
“Thanks, babe.” Daphne kissed him again before leaning forward and picking up her oversize mug of hot chocolate.
I shrugged out of my hoodie, then sat down on the other couch next to a guy with ink-black hair and the most amazing ice-blue eyes I’d ever seen. He smiled at me, making a warm, fizzy feeling explode in my heart.
Logan freaking Quinn. My boyfriend. The guy I loved. “It’s about time you came back,” Logan said, his voice taking on a light, teasing note. “I was starting to wonder if you’d snuck out the back and were ditching me for some other guy.”
“Never,” I replied. “It’s not my fault that Daphne spent forever touching up her hair and makeup.”
“Hmph,” Daphne sniffed, but she was too busy canoodling with Carson and eating her cheesecake to really let me have it the way she usually did.
Seeing my friends so lovey-dovey made me turn toward Logan. I smiled at him and leaned forward, ready to kiss him, but he grimaced. It was just a twinge, just a small twitch of his mouth, really, but it was enough to make me stop. Instead, I changed direction, moved past him, and grabbed my own mug of hot chocolate, as if that was what I had meant to do all along. As if I hadn’t noticed his wary expression—or the hurt that it sent shooting through my heart.
I leaned back against the couch cushions, still holding my hot chocolate. Logan hesitated, then reached out and put his arm around me. But he didn’t draw me close like Carson had Daphne. Instead, we sat there, touching, but still with this distance between us—distance that I didn’t know how to get rid of.