Poseidon's Academy and the Deadly Disease

  First Published in Australia by Enchanted Inkwell

  This edition published 2018

  Copyright © Sarah A Vogler 2018

  Typesetting: Prepress Plus

  Cover design: Simon Critchell

  The right of Sarah A Vogler to be identified as Author of the Work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  ISBN number: 978-0-6484701-1-3 (Kindle)

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  National Library of Australia Cataloguing in Publication entry:

  For my mother—my number one fan

  Greek Mythology Pronunciation Guide

  (Note: this is a general guide only. Certain names have varying pronunciations.)

  THE GODS

  Aphrodite: afro-die-tee

  Apollo: uh-pol-o

  Ares: air-eez

  Artemis: ar-tuh-miss

  Asclepius: as-kleh-pee-uhs

  Athena: uh-thee-na

  Demeter: deh-mee-tur

  Gaia: guy-uh

  Hades: hay-deez

  Hecate: hek-uh-tay

  Hephaestus: huh-fes-tus

  Hera: hair-uh

  Heracles: hair-uh-cleez

  Hermes: her-meez

  Hypnos: hip-nos

  Morpheus: more-fee-us

  Persephone: per-sef-uh-nee

  Poseidon: poh-sigh-den

  Thanatos: than-uh-tos

  Tyche: ty-key

  Zeus: zoos

  NYMPHS

  Dryad: dry-ad

  Naid: ney-ad

  Nereid: neer-ee-id

  MONSTERS AND CREATURES

  Arachne: uh-rak-nee

  Cyclops/Cyclopes: sigh-clops/sigh-clo-peez

  Erinys/Erinyes: e-rin-es/e-rin-eez

  Gorgon: gaw-gon

  Harpy: hahr-pee

  Hippocampus/Hippocampi: hip-uh-kam-pus/hip-uh-kam-pee

  Hydra: hy-druh

  Medusa: meh-doo-sa

  Minotaur: min-uh-tor

  Pegasus/Pegasi: peg-uh-suhs/peg-uh-see

  Siren: sigh-ren

  Sphinx: sfingks

  Stymphalian Birds: stim-fey-lee-uhn birds

  PLACES

  Olympus: uh-lim-pus

  Tartarus: tar-ta-rus

  1

  Welcome Back

  Hailey rocketed through the sea, the reefs below a blur of rainbow. She stopped suddenly, shooting upwards out of the water. ‘I’m not too late,’ she said, sighing with relief to see the Ethiopian city crowded with mud brick houses a hundred yards away, where laughing children chased each other through the dirt streets, while their parents bartered at the marketplace, oblivious to the threat lurking in the sea.

  A giggle snapped Hailey’s attention to her left, where six nereids wearing flowing blue dresses lounged on a rock lapped by the sea. The nereids’ bloodthirsty eyes were trained on the city.

  Hailey surged over to them and slammed her fist against the rock with a bang. ‘You must end this! There is still time.’

  Nemertes, the nereid nearest Hailey, flicked her dark wavy hair behind her shoulder. ‘No. They need to be punished. They insulted us.’

  ‘A mistake. A careless slip of words. Please, Nemertes.’

  Nemertes’s green eyes met Hailey’s, glee sparkling in them. ‘It’s already begun. He is here.’

  The sea began rising and churning as if an angry monster were waking from its sleep. Higher and higher the water climbed, forming a forty-foot tidal wave in front of Hailey that remained frozen in place, like an enormous wall of water. The nereids laughed and clapped.

  ‘Tell him to stop, Nemertes. Please!’

  A wicked smile curved the nymph’s lips. ‘Too late.’

  The wave shot forward, ploughing through the city like a swarm of charging sea-monsters, turning buildings to rubble and sweeping the city’s population into the sea.

  ‘Daddy! Daddy!’ a girl screamed, clinging desperately to the side of a door as she reached a hand down to a dark shape sinking below her. Her dad, Hailey thought, tears burning her throat.

  All she could hear was screaming. Desperate people trying to find their loved ones as they held tight to the debris—ripped off doors, shattered tables, and pieces of thatched roofing—floating through a sea of bobbing bodies that was quickly turning a dark red as dirt mixed with blood.

  ‘Go on then, save your precious humans,’ Nemertes said, spitting the last word as though it were poison.

  A groan erupted from the sea, so loud the water vibrated, rippling as if in fear of what was coming. Hailey’s muscles stiffened and icicles shot through her heart. ‘Surely he wouldn’t.’

  The sea churned again as if another tidal wave was forming. But what emerged was much worse. A monster exploded from the water, rising up on a serpent tail as tall as the tidal wave had been. Tentacles hung from its body like gangly arms, thrashing just above the sea. Its head was round and smooth with two black eyes staring from its forehead. The rest of its face was one big mouth—seriously, the thing could swallow a ship—crammed with rows of razor-sharp teeth.

  A kraken!

  The sea-monster roared, shaking the earth and Hailey’s insides. The floundering people screamed and tried to swim away as one of the monster’s tentacles shot out and wrapped around a woman, tossing her into the monster’s mouth.

  ‘NO!’ Hailey couldn’t believe this was happening. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to cry. And most of all she wanted to get away.

  But she didn’t do any of those things. Instead, she swam towards the kraken. Another tentacle shot out, snaking around a boy no older than nine. ‘MOTHER!’ he screamed, the terror in his voice tearing straight through Hailey.

  She zoomed towards him, shooting through the water like a torpedo, and grabbed the monster’s tentacle, which was as thick as a tree trunk, before it could lift the boy. She yanked it, grey slime from its skin oozing between her fingers. The monster’s grip tightened, turning the boy’s sobs into gasps for air.

  ‘Let him go!’ She clawed at the tentacle, stripping dull grey scales off with her fingernails.

  Hot breath that reeked of rotting flesh enveloped Hailey, sending her gaze shooting up. Two black eyes glowered back at her, a mere foot from her face, hunger and rage burning in them. The monster’s teeth, which were the size of Hailey, gnashed together.

  She strangled a scream and spoke up. ‘You can’t have him! Leave. Return to where you slumbered.’

  The kraken growled and raised its head, its other tentacles slapping the sea, sending a spray of water over Hailey.

  The boy’s lips were blue, his breaths coming in tiny gasps. ‘It won’t harm me. You’re safe,’ she told him, just as the kraken lifted him.

  Hailey’s hand shot out, her fingers wrapping around the boy’s leg. A part of her wanted to let go and swim to land, but her hand clenched tighter. She dangled in front of the monster’s open mouth. Great. I’m about to become lunch.

  The kraken roared, flecks of drool spraying Hailey’s face, and tossed the boy. Her grip slipped from his leg; he reached for her, arms flailing as the sea soared towards them.

  Everything flashed white. The whiteness disappeared, and Hailey found herself sitting in a classroom with walls covered in yellowing pieces of parchment. They contained everything from the family trees of the Titans, to information about the Olympians and event
s they’d been involved in, such as the Titanomachy. Hailey wasn’t alone; other students sat in scallop-shell chairs and at polished-coral desks around her.

  ‘And that was my way of saying welcome back to Ancient History.’ Amathia stood at the front of the room, before a long coral desk. She was the same as Hailey remembered her from last year, with flawless skin and platinum blonde hair that draped over her pale blue flowing dress. A blue glass teardrop hanging from a thin chain glistened around her neck.

  Her hand rested beside a crystal orb on her desk. In Goldarin—the language of the gods and the first race of humans—it was called a watwdaom nnavv, which translated to memory ball. When someone touched it, they could transport everyone in the room into whatever memory they were thinking about.

  That’s what had just happened. Hailey had been in one of Amathia’s memories, reliving it through Amathia’s body, which she had had no control over. She’d felt terrified facing the kraken, but she didn’t feel terrified now. The watwdaom nnavv worked by blocking a person’s emotions about a memory when they came out of it. Hailey was grateful for that, because it meant the sea-monster she’d met wouldn’t haunt her dreams.

  ‘Can anyone tell me what event that was?’ Amathia asked.

  Alec raised his gangly arm. He was one of Hailey’s best friends, which meant she knew he was struggling with both his shyness and wanting to show off his knowledge.

  Amathia’s turquoise-coloured eyes settled on him. ‘Yes, Alec?’

  ‘The memory was from when Queen Cassiopeia of Ethiopia insulted the nereids by saying she was more beautiful than them. Poseidon flooded their city and sent a kraken as punishment.’

  ‘Well done.’

  Alec blushed and lowered his eyes, running a hand through his blond hair. ‘For those unfamiliar with the story, it ended with King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia offering their daughter, Andromeda, to the kraken as a sacrifice. Thankfully, Perseus saved her and slayed the monster.’ Amathia paused, allowing everyone to scribble notes. ‘You all know your ancestors killed the gods in the Great Battle and absorbed their powers, which is why everyone in the world has a power,’ Amathia continued, her dress shimmering like the iridescent scales of a fish when she moved. ‘This year’s focus is on what drove your ancestors to this act. In other words, we will be exploring the gods’ callous and vengeful nature. Class dismissed.’

  ‘Am I the only one wondering why the monster didn’t swallow Amathia?’ Demi asked while everyone stuffed their books into their bags.

  Jayden shook his head, his gelled black hair not moving an inch. ‘You really need to start listening in class. When we learned about nymphs last year, Madam Grayson told us sea-monsters can’t hurt nereids because Poseidon put a protection spell on them, don’t you remember?’

  Demi slung her bag over her shoulder, a few strands of her wavy brown hair getting caught under the strap. ‘Nope. But I do remember how much I’ve missed this place. I’m excited to be back.’

  Hailey headed for the door with her friends. ‘Going to a school that travels underwater and is run by a nereid who teaches history through her memories, what’s not to like?’

  They joined the stream of students in the hallway. Like the rest of the palace, the floor was made of white pearls—there were thousands of them, probably even millions—and the frosted crystal walls adorned with seashells and jewels glittered in the light coming from the glowing orbs floating beneath the ceiling.

  ‘Aaron, are you coming?’ Jayden called over his shoulder.

  Aaron was the last member of Hailey’s group. His brown hair was in its usual “bed-head” style, and he stared behind him, as if expecting someone to charge out. ‘Yeah, I’m coming.’

  ‘What’s the matter with you?’ Demi asked when he caught up. ‘You’ve been as quiet as Alec lately.’

  ‘Hey!’ Alec interjected.

  Aaron shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘No reason. Let’s go.’

  They weaved through a maze of hallways, passing through an archway back into the main entrance. A glass statue of Poseidon raising his trident stood in the centre of the open space, between a pair of crystal staircases curving their way upstairs.

  ‘Where to?’ Demi asked. ‘Since classes are done for the day, I’m thinking outside.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ Hailey said.

  They headed through the mother-of-pearl double doors across from the stairs and stepped into the enormous grounds, the sharp scent of salt drifting up Hailey’s nostrils. Sea-anemones and coral formed bright gardens of pinks, purples, blues, and greens. Between them grew trees with coral trunks, each blooming different types of jewels every colour of the sea—there were sapphire trees, azure trees, tanzanite trees, and so many more. Other trees grew big bunches of pearls, and some trees were draped in seaweed, resembling weeping willows, with sea-shell flowers dotting them.

  Hailey gazed down as she walked behind her friends. The diamond ground was transparent, so every step was like walking on water. She had a clear view of the rainbow reefs below, and the fish that darted between them.

  Her gaze drifted to the sea surrounding the grounds, which stretched over the top of the palace like a dome of water. A force field held it back from flooding in on them like a tsunami.

  ‘This will do.’ Demi plopped beside a pile of fallen sapphires the colour of the sea.

  Aaron cleared his throat as everyone sat down. ‘So I wanted to ask you guys something. Would you like to take part in the obstacle course race with me this weekend?’

  Demi cocked an eyebrow. ‘Obstacle course race?’

  ‘Yeah, the one Amathia mentioned at the welcome back dinner yesterday.’ Aaron combed a hand through his hair. ‘She and some of the teachers transformed an island—the Isle of Trials—into an obstacle course when Poseidon’s Academy first opened. The palace passes by it every two years, so Amathia likes to change the obstacles and hold a race.’

  Demi shook her head. ‘Sounds too sporty. That’s probably why I blanked out when she was talking about it at dinner.’

  Hailey curled her legs beside her. ‘Yeah, me too.’ She didn’t want to spend her weekend jumping over hurdles and climbing up ropes, or whatever happened in obstacle races.

  ‘I’d rather study,’ Alec admitted.

  ‘How about we do the next one?’ Jayden suggested.

  Aaron shrugged. ‘I guess it doesn’t really matter anyway.’

  ‘Sports never do.’ Demi snatched a sapphire from the ground. ‘Do you think anyone will notice if I take this?’

  Jayden plucked the jewel from her hand and tossed it back in the pile. ‘That’s called stealing.’

  Demi rolled her emerald green eyes. ‘I guess Mr Moral is back.’

  Hailey tuned out, not in the mood for Demi and Jayden’s bickering. She glanced at the palace, thinking it belonged in a fairy tale, with its blue crystal exterior sparkling with the colours of a rainbow as imitation sunlight glinted off its turrets and spires.

  She remembered how amazed she’d been when she’d first seen it last year, and how she’d thought she’d have the best experience of her life here. Everything changed when Hailey met Amathia’s sisters and learned they wanted to kill everyone and resurrect the gods. Thanks to them, Hailey and her friends had been imprisoned in the Underworld.

  She shuddered at the memories of the Erinyes’ fiery gazes burning into her head. Amathia had given Hailey and her friends a potion after they’d escaped back to Poseidon’s palace, which was supposed to have acted like the memory ball and blocked emotions that related to their time in the Underworld. But Hailey still had nightmares about that horrible place… the stench of death that hung in the air, the sky of lava, and the rooms that had brought her worst fears to life.

  She wondered if her friends were having nightmares too; she wasn’t brave enough to ask. Whenever the Underworld came up in conversation, they seemed nonchalant about everything that had happened, which made her think she was weaker than them. And that wasn’t something
she wanted to admit to.

  ‘Gaia to Hailey.’

  ‘Huh?’ Hailey focused her attention on Jayden.

  ‘We were talking about the nereids and how we need to start spying on them again so we can learn if they’ve got another plan in the works.’

  ‘I thought you and Demi were arguing about stealing.’

  Demi tossed a sapphire at her; it bounced off Hailey’s blazer and chinked against the diamond ground. ‘That was five minutes ago.’

  ‘Heads up everyone, the evil trio is on the move,’ Aaron warned.

  Venus was sashaying towards them with her twin sidekicks, Nerissa and Cleo. Hailey was disappointed to see that they hadn’t developed acne or warts to ruin their faces, with all three of them still looking beyond beautiful. Even the trio’s curls were pristine, with Venus’s blonde locks not having a single hair out of place, and the twins’ waist-length dark hair gleaming.

  Venus’s violet eyes contained a mixture of smugness and hatred when they met Hailey’s. ‘I hope you weren’t thinking that I’d forgotten about what you did to me last year.’

  ‘Trust me, Venus, it’s something I replay in my mind every day,’ Hailey replied, flashing back to when she’d punched Venus in the nose last year. In Hailey’s defence, she’d been on her way to save the world. And okay, maybe a part of her had wanted to break Venus’s nose to get her back for acting like a harpy.

  ‘Well, you’re about to regret it.’ Pink mist seeped from Venus’s mouth like a puff of smoke, engulfing Aaron.

  Aaron coughed and swiped it away. ‘Yuck! You need a mint.’

  Venus’s jaw dropped, and the twins exchanged dumfounded looks, their deep blue eyes practically popping out of their heads. ‘Wh… how did you…’ Venus stammered, clearly not used to her powers failing.

  ‘I got Madam Norwood to create a potion for the boys that would make them immune to your powers,’ Demi said, grinning with satisfaction. ‘Now take your love-inducing breath and go away.’

  Venus glared, clenching and un-clenching her fists. Hailey tensed, ready for Venus to launch at her, but a smile spread across her face instead, and she turned to the twins, whispering something to them.

  Nerissa and Cleo exchanged a smirk before opening their mouths and singing. Notes sweeter than a triple-coated Ares chocolate bar drifted into the air, entrancing Hailey with their ethereal beauty, making her forget about everything but that sweet, sweet music floating around her like an enchanting spell.