Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6)(9)
“I would like Miss Frost to look at the artifacts as soon as possible,” Linus said. “I was hoping that she might accompany me and my men to the airport tomorrow.”
This time, he looked at Metis, as if asking her permission. The professor stared at me.
“It’s your decision, Gwen,” she said.
“It’s okay. I’ll go with them. Maybe I’ll be able to pick out the artifact on the spot without even touching any of them.” I doubted it, but my words seemed to ease some of the worry in her face.
“Then, I’m going too,” Logan said.
Linus opened his mouth as though he was going to argue, but after a moment, he sighed and nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from my son.” A note of pride rippled through his voice, and he gave Logan a tentative smile.
Logan nodded back at his dad, and some of the tension between them eased.
“There is one more thing,” Linus said, picking up a couple of folders at the end of the table and handing one each to me, Metis, and Nickamedes. “I thought that you might like to review the artifacts before the shipment arrives tomorrow. I want to know what the Reapers are targeting as soon as possible.”
I opened the folder and flipped through the photos inside. Some weapons, some jewelry, a half-used candle. The artifacts were exactly as Logan had described them to me before. I studied each one of the photos carefully, but they were just glossy sheets of paper, and I didn’t get any vibes about the artifacts off them. Not the way I would when I saw the objects in person and then touched them.
“Anything, Miss Frost?” Linus asked.
I shook my head and closed the file. “Nothing that jumps out at me.”
“Well, I suppose it was too much to hope, but thank you for looking at the information.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Is that everything?” Nickamedes asked, his voice still as snide as before.
Linus hesitated. “I don’t have to tell you that we’ve reached a critical point in our war with the Reapers. Now that Loki is free, they’ve become much bolder. It won’t be long before they start attacking larger and larger groups. Maybe even one of the academies. Finding this artifact could be our chance to finally turn the tide against them. And you all know how important that is.”
He was speaking to everyone, but his eyes were locked with mine, and I felt that same mix of worry and determination roll off him. For the first time, I realized what Linus already knew, what he was trying to tell everyone, even if he hadn’t come right out and said the words yet.
Unless we figured out which artifact the Reapers were after and why, we were in danger of losing everything
Chapter 3
The meeting broke up, and we all went our separate ways.
Logan looked at me, then at his dad, who was talking with Sergei, Inari, Metis, Ajax, and Nickamedes.
“It’s okay,” I said, seeing the debate on his face whether to go with me or stay here. “Go spend some time with your dad. Daphne and Carson will walk me back to my dorm.”
Logan let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, Gypsy girl. I’ll call you later, okay?”
I nodded. We kissed, and then he walked over to his dad and joined in the conversation with the adults. Oliver and Alexei stayed behind as well.
Still holding the folder of artifact photos, I left the basement with Daphne and Carson and climbed back up the spiral staircase to the main floor. The three of us didn’t talk as we left the library and stepped outside onto the quad. The sun had gone down while we’d been in the basement, and shadows now cloaked the lush lawns and spread out from the base of the bare, leafless trees like black blood slowly oozing over everything. I shivered, and not because of the bitter cold.
“All right, Gwen,” Daphne said as we started walking down the hill toward my dorm. “Spill it. Which one of the artifacts are the Reapers really after?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t get any big vibes off the photos, and none of the images moved or did anything creepy. I’ll have to see the artifacts in person to try to figure it out.”
Daphne gave me a suspicious look.
“Really,” I insisted again. “I don’t know what they’re after. At least, not yet.”
“But you’ll be able to find out with your psychometry, right?” Carson asked. “Once you see and touch the artifacts?”
I shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to.”
We didn’t say anything else, and we reached my dorm, Styx Hall, a few minutes later. I said good-bye to my friends, slid my ID card through the scanner attached to the door, and went inside for the night.
I trudged up the stairs to my room, which was located in a separate turret that had been added on to the side of the building. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
All of the kids at Mythos had the same sort of dorm furniture, and my room was no exception with its bed, bookcases, TV, mini fridge, and desk. But the small, personal touches were what made it feel like home, like the photos of my mom and Metis that were propped up on my desk, along with a small replica statue of Nike. Posters of Wonder Woman, Karma Girl, and The Killers decorated the walls, while crystal suncatchers shaped like snowflakes hung in the windows.
At the sound of the shutting door, something stirred in a wicker basket in the corner. A moment later, a flash of ash-gray fur exploded out of the basket and leaped across the room, landing on top of my right sneaker. Nyx, the Fenrir wolf pup I was taking care of, sank her teeth into one of my shoelaces and gave it a vicious tug, easily ripping it in two. Her teeth were getting sharper every day.