Read Online Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Estep
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scanner to get the door to open for me.
I could have told her not to bother. That there was a sturdy persimmon tree that reached up to a second-floor window on the back of the building. The window had a busted lock, and whatever magic was on it to keep students in or bad guys out had dissolved or disappeared a long time ago. Now, all the girls used it and the tree to slip out at night and see their boyfriends. Everyone except me, of course. I didn’t have a boyfriend, much less just another girlfriend to hang out with after curfew.
“Now, don’t worry,” Metis said. “Ajax and Nickamedes have already started increasing the security at the library and over the whole campus. Nickamedes is out casting more spells right now. The dorms themselves are already quite secure. They all have wards on them to ensure the students’ protection, but Nickamedes is going to increase the power and complexity of those as well.”
Her voice was so calm and matter-of-fact that it reminded me of the teachers at my old school and how they’d all tell us to patiently file outside when we were having the yearly fire drill. They’d been so calm because they’d all known that there was no real fire and they didn’t even think there was a problem to start with.
I thought of how easily I’d been able to walk down to the main gate, slip past the sphinxes, and leave campus earlier today. Apparently, just as easily someone had been able to come into the library and kill Jasmine tonight. Nickamedes’s spells and the rest of the academy’s magical security hadn’t stopped either one of those things from happening. Just like all the academy’s rules and threats of punishment didn’t stop kids from drinking, smoking, or having sex in their dorm rooms. But I didn’t say anything.
“Now,” Metis said, taking my silence for some kind of agreement. “Would you like me to take a look at that bump on your head? I can heal you, if you wish. You’ll never even know you were hit.”
I blinked. “You can heal me? How?”
Metis held out her hands, palms up. They looked as smooth as polished bronze underneath the streetlight burning over the dorm. “I have a magical talent for healing injuries. All I have to do is place my hands on someone, picture them getting well, and they do.”
Now that was a pretty cool power, and I’d heard of a few other kids on campus having that kind of ability. All the students at Mythos had something going for them, the magic that classified them as a particular type of warrior. Valkyries and Vikings were incredibly strong; Amazons and Romans were superfast; Spartans could kill you with whatever happened to be handy. As if that wasn’t enough, the students had other magic as well, bonus powers as it were, everything from enhanced senses to the ability to shoot lightning out of their fingertips or create fire with their bare hands.
I wondered what the healing power made Metis, if she was a Valkyrie or an Amazon or something else, instead of just my myth-history professor. I might have even taken a chance and let Metis heal me, if it hadn’t been for the whole touching-my-head part. I didn’t want to touch anyone or anything else strange tonight. I’d seen enough horrible things in the last two hours. I didn’t want to see any more.
“No, thank you,” I said. “I’ll just go . . . sleep it off or something.”
Understanding flashed in Metis’s eyes, and she nodded. “Very well. I examined you at the library before you woke up. The wound isn’t that severe. You should be fine with a good night’s sleep. But if you have any problems, blurred vision or anything like that, come see me immediately.”
I doubted that I’d get a good night’s sleep after finding a murdered girl, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I just nodded.
Professor Metis started to go, but she hesitated and turned to look at me once more. “I don’t know if I said this before, but that was very brave of you, Gwen, trying to
I could have told her not to bother. That there was a sturdy persimmon tree that reached up to a second-floor window on the back of the building. The window had a busted lock, and whatever magic was on it to keep students in or bad guys out had dissolved or disappeared a long time ago. Now, all the girls used it and the tree to slip out at night and see their boyfriends. Everyone except me, of course. I didn’t have a boyfriend, much less just another girlfriend to hang out with after curfew.
“Now, don’t worry,” Metis said. “Ajax and Nickamedes have already started increasing the security at the library and over the whole campus. Nickamedes is out casting more spells right now. The dorms themselves are already quite secure. They all have wards on them to ensure the students’ protection, but Nickamedes is going to increase the power and complexity of those as well.”
Her voice was so calm and matter-of-fact that it reminded me of the teachers at my old school and how they’d all tell us to patiently file outside when we were having the yearly fire drill. They’d been so calm because they’d all known that there was no real fire and they didn’t even think there was a problem to start with.
I thought of how easily I’d been able to walk down to the main gate, slip past the sphinxes, and leave campus earlier today. Apparently, just as easily someone had been able to come into the library and kill Jasmine tonight. Nickamedes’s spells and the rest of the academy’s magical security hadn’t stopped either one of those things from happening. Just like all the academy’s rules and threats of punishment didn’t stop kids from drinking, smoking, or having sex in their dorm rooms. But I didn’t say anything.
“Now,” Metis said, taking my silence for some kind of agreement. “Would you like me to take a look at that bump on your head? I can heal you, if you wish. You’ll never even know you were hit.”
I blinked. “You can heal me? How?”
Metis held out her hands, palms up. They looked as smooth as polished bronze underneath the streetlight burning over the dorm. “I have a magical talent for healing injuries. All I have to do is place my hands on someone, picture them getting well, and they do.”
Now that was a pretty cool power, and I’d heard of a few other kids on campus having that kind of ability. All the students at Mythos had something going for them, the magic that classified them as a particular type of warrior. Valkyries and Vikings were incredibly strong; Amazons and Romans were superfast; Spartans could kill you with whatever happened to be handy. As if that wasn’t enough, the students had other magic as well, bonus powers as it were, everything from enhanced senses to the ability to shoot lightning out of their fingertips or create fire with their bare hands.
I wondered what the healing power made Metis, if she was a Valkyrie or an Amazon or something else, instead of just my myth-history professor. I might have even taken a chance and let Metis heal me, if it hadn’t been for the whole touching-my-head part. I didn’t want to touch anyone or anything else strange tonight. I’d seen enough horrible things in the last two hours. I didn’t want to see any more.
“No, thank you,” I said. “I’ll just go . . . sleep it off or something.”
Understanding flashed in Metis’s eyes, and she nodded. “Very well. I examined you at the library before you woke up. The wound isn’t that severe. You should be fine with a good night’s sleep. But if you have any problems, blurred vision or anything like that, come see me immediately.”
I doubted that I’d get a good night’s sleep after finding a murdered girl, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I just nodded.
Professor Metis started to go, but she hesitated and turned to look at me once more. “I don’t know if I said this before, but that was very brave of you, Gwen, trying to
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