Poseidon's Academy Read online

  10

  The Sirens’ Song

  Hailey stood in the grounds, just in front of the palace’s entrance, forcing her gaze down to the rainbow reefs growing below the diamond floor. She refused to look at the sky. She wanted nothing to do with it right now. Not when her entire Powers class was standing around her. She could feel their eyes boring into her, waiting for her to give them a show.

  Hailey had managed to avoid using her powers in front of anyone since the palace rose two days ago. But there’d be no avoiding it today. Not when Madam Norwood had decided to have Powers class outside.

  ‘Okay, everyone break apart and practise your powers,’ Madam Norwood instructed. ‘If you can’t use your powers out here, then pair up with someone who can and help them.’

  Hailey resisted the urge to bolt back inside when Madam Norwood approached her. She would probably be like Hailey’s last Powers teacher and try and mould her into a weapon so she’d be ready to fight the gods if they returned. Madam Norwood glanced at Demi, Jayden, Alec, and Aaron, who hadn’t moved. ‘I said to practise.’ The four of them scrambled off, leaving Hailey alone. ‘I never had a chance to assess your powers. Would you mind showing me?’

  No was what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t exactly refuse a teacher, unless she wanted a detention. ‘Okay,’ Hailey said slowly.

  She finally raised her eyes. The sky was not happy: dark clouds crowded it, threatening to pour rain down at any second. It was the type of sky Hailey dreaded because when there was rain, a storm was never far behind.

  She swept her hand across the sky, swatting away the clouds, which drifted into the distance as an applause broke out. Hailey shrank back when she realised her entire Powers class had been watching.

  ‘Get back to work,’ Madam Norwood snapped, fixing the other students with a stern glare. Demi gave Hailey a big smile and thumbs up. ‘That was very well done,’ Madam Norwood said to Hailey. ‘Your powers are more advanced than I’d thought.’

  Hailey blinked. Had a teacher just complimented her powers?

  ‘I sense you can do more,’ Madam Norwood continued. ‘But I understand that you probably don’t want to be seen as showing off. You can practise manipulating the clouds with wind for the rest of the lesson. I assume you can control the wind?’

  Hailey nodded and waited for Madam Norwood to add that she wanted a plethora of tornadoes by the end of class.

  ‘Good. I’m going to help some of the other students now.’

  Madam Norwood wandered off, leaving Hailey gaping. That’s it? She was happy seeing Hailey push a few clouds around? It appeared her new Powers teacher was nothing like her previous one after all.

  Blue skies.

  Classes ended and Hailey headed outside with her friends, who wanted to take in as much sky as possible before the palace descended tonight. She swatted away a few grey clouds before settling on the ground, next to a blue zircon tree.

  ‘Where do the clouds go when you do that?’ Alec asked.

  Hailey shrugged. ‘I don’t really know. But as long as I can’t see them, I’m happy.’

  Aaron cocked an eyebrow. ‘What’ve you got against clouds?’

  ‘Nothing. It’s lightning I don’t like.’ But she wasn’t going to tell him why. ‘What homework should we do first?’

  ‘Hey, you’re the Zeus, right?’ a girl’s voice asked.

  Hailey didn’t bother looking up to see who the latest harasser was. She concentrated on unpacking her book bag. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Can you—’

  ‘No.’ Hailey cut her off.

  ‘But I—’

  Hailey met the girl’s gaze. ‘No, I won’t use my powers for you. So stop asking!’

  ‘Jeez, rude much?’ the girl muttered and stalked off.

  Um, you’re the one trying to force me to use my powers for your personal entertainment, how does that make me the rude one? Hailey wanted to shout out after her.

  ‘Great, my afternoon is ruined.’

  Hailey mimicked Aaron’s scowl when she spotted Venus and the twins prowling towards a girl with fly-away brown hair, who was leaning against a tanzanite tree. Hailey didn’t hear what the evil trio said to the other girl, but whatever it was sent her running away in tears.

  Hailey sprang to her feet with her friends and stormed towards Venus and the twins, who were wearing matching smirks.

  ‘What did you say to her?’ Hailey demanded.

  Venus’s smile widened. ‘I told her Others aren’t welcome here, and she should leave the Academy.’ She sneered at Alec and Aaron. ‘That message applies to you two as well.’

  Aaron took a step forward, raising his hands, but Jayden darted in front of him before he could activate his force field. ‘Don’t let her get to you. You’ll only make her happy.’

  ‘I’d be careful what you say, Venus,’ Demi said, her words edged in threat. ‘I can get the sea-anemones to attack you again any time.’

  Venus’s smile vanished. ‘That was you?’

  Demi shrugged. ‘You deserved it.’

  Venus’s hands clenched into fists, and her face turned red. Hailey cut her off before she could shout out any promises of revenge saying, ‘You should apologise to Alec and Aaron, and the girl you made cry.’

  Venus scoffed. ‘Or what? Will you blow me away on a wisp of wind, you pathetic excuse for a Zeus.’

  Hailey’s temper surged forth like a ravenous hydra. She summoned a gale of wind and threw it at Venus and the twins, the evil trio slamming into a pearl tree, sending pearls scattering to the ground and rolling into the sea.

  ‘Nice.’ Aaron patted her on the back.

  ‘Hailey, you’re stooping to their level,’ Jayden chided. ‘We should have walked away.’

  ‘I could have sent them into the sea or to the other side of the world. But I didn’t.’

  ‘Maybe we should have told Madam Grayson.’ Alec chewed his lip, looking like he wanted to bolt and pretend he’d never been in the grounds. ‘We’re probably going to get into trouble now.’

  Demi rolled her eyes. ‘Honestly, you two, Venus and the twins deserved it, and you know it.’

  ‘Just like you’ll deserve what we do next.’ Hailey startled, not realising Venus had stormed back over.

  Aaron stepped up to her. ‘Leave us alone—and everyone else, for that matter. No one likes a harpy.’

  ‘And I don’t like Others infesting my school.’ Venus huffed out a breath, pink mist floating from her mouth like a puff of smoke.

  The mist engulfed Aaron, who tried to swipe it away, but some of it drifted up his nose. He stiffened. ‘How can I serve you, my love?’

  Venus’s eyes sparkled with glee. ‘Come to my side.’

  ‘What are you doing, Aaron?’ Demi grabbed his arm, but he pulled free, moving to stand beside a thoroughly entertained Venus.

  ‘That’s enough, Venus.’ Jayden’s voice was hard. ‘Let him go.’

  ‘That’s not going to happen.’ She glanced at Nerissa and Cleo. ‘Your turn, girls.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’ Hailey raised her arms again. Warmth flowed into her hands and then evaporated as music sweeter than a triple-coated Ares chocolate bar floated through the air. The song’s ethereal beauty consumed Hailey, making her forget what she’d been doing. Her arms fell to her sides.

  It wasn’t until Jayden and Alec trailed towards Nerissa and Cleo that she understood what was happening: the twins were singing, using their siren powers to draw the boys to them.

  ‘I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got new toys to play with.’ With a swish of her curls, Venus turned. ‘Come, Aaron, let’s go tell the rest of your unworthy kind it’s time to leave Poseidon’s Academy.’

  Jayden, Alec, and Aaron obediently traipsed away with Venus and the twins. Silence settled over the grounds, allowing Hailey’s brain to start working again now that the twins’ powers were no longer distracting her. Sweeping the three girls up in a tornado was her first thought, but the boys were too close an
d would get swept up too.

  Hailey turned to ask Demi what they should do. Her best friend was way ahead of her. She had grown a bunch of sea-anemones’ tentacles and was directing them at Venus and the twins, the tentacles slithering towards the girls like snakes.

  As if sensing the plants’ approach, Aaron whirled around and raised his palms, blocking the tentacles with his force field. He glowered at Hailey and Demi and shoved his hands forward.

  It took Hailey a second too long to comprehend what he was doing. His force field ploughed into her, slamming her to the ground as her face erupted in pain. Demi crumpled down next to her, hitting her head so hard Hailey thought she’d been knocked out. But a moan told her otherwise.

  ‘I think my face is broken,’ Demi groaned, staggering up. ‘Remind me to kick Aaron when this is over.’

  ‘Come on, we have to get inside before Venus makes them do something expulsion worthy.’ Hailey sprinted into the palace and caught a glimpse of the boys through the middle archway.

  She burst into the hall, where only a few students sat eating late breakfasts. As far as Hailey could see, there were no teachers. She supposed that was a good thing, because it meant the boys wouldn’t get in trouble for whatever they were about to do.

  Venus, Nerissa, and Cleo sat at a table fifteen feet away, wearing matching grins as they watched Jayden, Alec, and Aaron march up to a pair of girls sitting two tables away.

  ‘Stop!’ Hailey cried, weaving through tables to get to the boys, having a feeling that whatever they were about to do wasn’t going to be good.

  Jayden and Alec ignored her yelling and picked up the girls’ bowls of cereal, emptying them over the girls’ heads, milk and Demeter flakes pouring over their hair and trickling into their laps. Hailey halted to a stop. She was too late; she couldn’t do anything now.

  ‘This is bad,’ Demi said, reaching Hailey’s side.

  ‘We don’t want you in our school, Others,’ Aaron hissed at the girls, who Hailey recognised as Tanzy and Lexa, first years.

  The girls sprang up, milk dripping from their hair.

  ‘You chose the wrong Uniques to pick on,’ Lexa spat angrily in an American accent. She levitated into the air, her long hair flying out around her, and kicked Aaron square in the nose, sending a sickening crack through the hall.

  Aaron howled, his hands shooting to his nose; bright red blood oozed from between his fingers.

  ‘Now leave us alone,’ Tanzy said, her accent matching Lexa’s. She clicked her fingers when Lexa landed, and the food and milk coating them disappeared—even the purple ribbon in Tanzy’s dark hair turned immaculate.

  ‘Jayden, Alec, and Aaron, this isn’t you,’ Demi pleaded. The three boys stared at her, their eyes empty. ‘Venus and the twins have you under their spell.’

  Chairs screeched against the pearl floor. ‘Don’t listen to them,’ Venus snarled, sauntering over with the twins. ‘Finish off those two.’

  ‘Don’t,’ Hailey begged them.

  Jayden, Alec, and Aaron hesitated. The twins’ sweet singing engulfed the hall, and the boys snapped back around to the two girls. Lexa levitated, her leg swinging at Jayden’s face. Hailey waited to hear the crack of his nose breaking.

  But Lexa never made contact.

  A gale surged through the main hall, sweeping up Hailey and everyone near her, sending them soaring over tables and gaping students. She barely had time to register what was happening before the wind dumped her, her leg exploding in pain as it collided with a chair.

  ‘WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!’ Master Anderson roared, storming over to where they’d crashed. ‘Get up!’

  Waves of nausea washed over Hailey. Moving would probably result in the reappearance of her breakfast, but Master Anderson looked so furious she was willing to risk it. She gritted her teeth and forced her battered body up, being careful not to put any weight on her left leg, which she was pretty sure was broken.

  Master Anderson’s harsh gaze melted when he noticed some of them were injured. He pinched his nose and shook his head. ‘I shouldn’t have used my powers on you. But you looked ready to kill each other.’

  ‘Oh no, Master Anderson, we were only trying to stop these boys from attacking Tanzy and Lexa,’ Venus said in a sickly sweet voice. ‘They were harassing them for being Uniques—but they referred to them by their old name.’

  Hailey glowered at Venus, who looked as though she hadn’t been remotely hurt by the fall—not one curl was out of place. She didn’t think it was possible, but in that moment, she hated Venus even more.

  ‘That’s a lie, Master Anderson!’ Demi cried indignantly. ‘Venus, Nerissa, and Cleo used their powers to control them.’

  ‘Is that true?’ Master Anderson asked Venus and the twins. ‘Because you know using your powers to influence others is not tolerated at Poseidon’s Academy.’

  Venus feigned offence. ‘I would never use my powers like that, and neither would Nerissa and Cleo.’

  Nerissa shook her head. ‘Definitely not.’

  ‘Never,’ Cleo agreed.

  ‘Stop lying!’ Demi shouted.

  Master Anderson raised a silencing hand. ‘Enough,’ he said, taking a deep breath. Hailey cringed, thinking he was preparing to use his Anemoi powers again. But instead he said, ‘I don’t know what happened here, but mark my words, if it happens again you’ll find yourselves answering to Amathia. Now get to the healing wing.’

  Master Anderson left the hall, giving Venus the chance to poke her tongue out at Hailey and mouth I win.

  11

  The Healing Wing

  The clean scent of eucalyptus greeted Hailey when she lumbered into the healing wing. Single beds with crisp sheets and hospital-tucked corners bordered the walls, all of them empty. The only person there was a short plump woman sitting behind a desk at the end of the narrow room.

  The plump woman looked up from the notes she was scribbling and gasped. ‘Medusa!’ she shrieked, bustling over to them. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Master Anderson,’ Demi replied simply, guiding Hailey to a bed.

  The nurse clucked her tongue. ‘Did he sneeze again? The last time that happened, he almost took out an entire PE class. Not to worry. I’ll sort you lot out.’ She approached Hailey with a big smile. ‘Hello, dearie. I’m Madam Mendem.’ She examined Hailey’s rapidly swelling leg dangling over the bed. She shook her head. ‘My, my, that does look nasty, you poor thing.’

  ‘I think it’s broken,’ Hailey said with a sigh, imagining how tiring and inconvenient climbing up and down the hundred-and-something stairs to and from her dorm, classes, and the main hall would be. ‘How quickly can you speed up the healing time?’ she asked, assuming Madam Mendem was an Aceso like her last school nurse.

  An amused smile spread across Madam Mendem’s face. ‘Oh, pretty quickly, dearie. Now just relax.’

  Hailey flinched when the nurse touched her leg. Soothing warmth spread from her ankle to her knee, erasing the pain. It appeared Hailey had been wrong about the nurse being an Aceso. The only person strong enough to completely heal an injury was an Asclepius. Hailey had never been healed by one before; there were only so many in the world, and most of them worked in hospitals.

  Madam Mendem drew back her hand and plonked down beside Hailey. ‘Now you’re hurt,’ Hailey said, noticing Madam Mendem’s leg was as swollen as hers had been seconds ago.

  ‘We Asclepiuses heal fast. My body will have it mended in a jiffy.’

  Someone coughed, drawing Hailey’s attention to the bed across from her. Aaron was slumped on it, his crooked nose dripping blood into his lap, while he stared down with a look of utter dejection. ‘Looks like Aaron’s back to normal,’ she told Demi.

  ‘Pity we can’t say the same about Jayden and Alec,’ Demi replied in disgust.

  Hailey’s nausea returned as she watched Jayden fluff up Nerissa’s pillows, while Alec massaged her pedicured feet. Hailey wanted to slap the both of them out of their trances, but she doubted the nurse wou
ld approve.

  Madam Mendem got back up, her leg now only slightly swollen. ‘Who’s next?’

  ‘I think Nerissa should be next,’ Jayden said.

  Hailey rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Tanzy, who perched on a bed near the door, staring out a window. Hailey couldn’t change what had happened, but she could at least explain the boys’ innocence. She wandered over to her. ‘Hey, Tanzy.’

  Tanzy raised a hand as Hailey opened her mouth to explain everything. ‘I already know Venus and those sirens were behind it all. I heard them tell the boys to get us, and I know Alec and Aaron are Others, so it was pretty obvious attacking us wasn’t their idea.’

  ‘Oh.’ That was easier than Hailey had expected. ‘Well, in that case, do you mind talking to Aaron? I think he’s feeling pretty guilty.’

  ‘Okay,’ she agreed, cradling her wrist and standing up.

  Hailey suddenly remembered how the food and drink on Tanzy and Lexa had vanished. ‘Tanzy?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘What’s your power?’

  ‘I can make things disappear.’ She let go of her injured wrist and clicked her fingers at a shell embedded in the wall.

  It vanished, leaving behind a tiny indent.

  ‘Wow. Where does everything go?’

  Tanzy shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea.’

  Someone’s shoulder smashed into Hailey. She steadied herself against Tanzy’s bed in time to see Nerissa shoot her a spiteful glare before leaving the healing wing. ‘You can’t make people disappear, can you?’

  ‘Trust me, I’m working on it.’

  Ten minutes later, Madam Mendem finished healing their injuries and released them. Hailey lingered at the bottom of the healing wing stairs with Demi, Jayden, Alec, and Aaron. Tanzy had left five minutes earlier, after talking to the three boys. But her words about it not being their fault hadn’t eased their guilt over what they’d done.

  ‘I’m going to make Venus wish she was never born an Aphrodite,’ Aaron proclaimed, his eyes seething with loathing.

  ‘No,’ Jayden said. ‘Revenge is how this whole thing started. We will not stoop to their level.’