I leapt out from behind the wall, hands thrust out. A wall of fire erupted from my palms, and I pushed it toward Achilles and Antiope. Lucian, Ren, and Rosie ran out around the other side toward the next wall of cover. The champions were so surprised by my firewall they didn’t shoot any arrows.
I felt the power of the fire diminishing. Soon, I’d be exposed in the middle of the field. I spotted a cluster of fallen logs I could hide under. With one final push of the fire, I dropped my hands, snuffing the flames, sprinted to my left, and dove for cover. A couple of arrows whizzed over my head.
Being under the logs gave me a moment of reprieve, and I turned to look back toward our clubhouse. I was rewarded to see our plan had worked.
“What the hell is this?” Heracles and Bellerophon were both stuck in quick sand near our post.
I put my hand over my mouth to chuckle. Georgina and Marek had combined their earth and water affinities and produced a wonderfully thick, impassable pool of quick sand, like a moat around a castle. And now, two of the champions were stuck in it. It gave me some time to get to their fort and get the flag.
Another arrow whizzed by me. Then one hit the logs I was under. They’d found my cover. I was about to pop up to find my next cover when a spear tip broke through one of the logs and nearly struck me in the arm.
“Found you.” Antiope grinned down at me. She pulled back her spear, and I rolled to the right. She narrowly missed me, and then I was up on my feet, running as fast as I could.
An arrow struck the ground a sliver away from my right foot. I didn’t know where I was running to, as there wasn’t any good cover on this side. But I did spy a pool of shadows undulating near an outcropping of trees. I sprinted toward it, then dove into it, hoping beyond hope I wasn’t making a huge mistake. An arrow zipped by me just as I sunk into the ground.
Darkness swallowed me up. It was like being in a void. My body felt floaty, like I was in a sea of salt water. Picturing their home base in my mind, I ran that way, hoping I wasn’t just going deeper into the abyss with no way out. Finally, I reached my destination; the air felt lighter here, like I could easily move through it. Then I saw a pinprick of light. Eventually, that light swelled, and I stepped out of the shadow and into the field.
Medusa, who had been lounging nearby inspecting her nails, startled when she spotted me pop out of nowhere. She raised her bow, but she was too slow. I’d already knocked my arrow and sent it sailing toward her. It hit her in the chest. Red paint splattered all over her white dress.
“You bitch.” She lifted her head, removed her sunglasses, and I could see the her eyes start to glow.
I threw my shield over my face and made a run for their fort. As I ran, the flowers and the grass and the small bushes around me turned to stone. I nearly tripped on a petrified clutch of pansies, but I leapt over them and reached their home base. Now, I just had to clamber up to the top of their fort. But that was going to be impossible with Medusa on the rampage.
She cursed up a storm as she walked toward the fort. More things turned to stone as she neared. She was almost upon me. I risked a peek over my shield to see Lucian charging at her from behind, his sword raised.
He hit her across the back, more red splotched her dress, and she stumbled forward. I dashed up the fort steps, taking them two at a time. I reached the flagpole. With my heart nearly bursting, I grabbed that flag and tore it down.
The horn sounded.
We’d won.
I jumped up and down, waving the flag. “Wohoo!!” I looked over the side of the fort to see Lucian offering his hand to Medusa to help her up. Her eyes clamped closed, she swatted it away.
“I don’t need your help, junior.” She stood and put on her sunglasses. She glanced up at me. “Well played.”
“Thank you,” I said as sweet as cherry pie.
Down the field, my team, my friends, celebrated. And it filled me with so much happiness, tears welled in my eyes. As I looked at each of them, I realized they had become my home, and I would do anything for them.
While the other teams went through their trial, we were whisked away back to our dorms to prepare for the ceremony. I wanted to celebrate with my friends, especially with Lucian, but I was assured there would be plenty of time and opportunity later to celebrate, as there was a big feast after the official dividing of the clans.
After we had all showered, a troupe of nine women came into the dorms, carrying cases and rolling in a hanger of white and gold robes. I was dumbstruck as each of the women looked exactly alike.
“They’re the muses,” Georgina said.
Two of the women made a beeline toward me and Georgina. They both grinned. Even the shape of their mouths and the whiteness of their teeth were identical.
“I’m Clio, this is Thalia. We’re here to make you pretty.”
I looked at Georgina, who shrugged. “Okay,” we said in unison.
As we were being primped and polished, painted and styled, the word came in through the dorm that none of the other teams had passed the trial. I was happy we’d passed, but it saddened me to know that possibly some of the girls would be getting the boot from the academy. I may have prayed that one of those girls was Revana, but no such luck, as I saw her running around getting ready for the ceremony.
By the time Clio and Thalia had finished with us, we were both wearing the traditional white and gold robes, our makeup was flawless, our skin was dewy and glittered with the bronzer they slathered on. My hair was twisted up into a complicated braid on my head, a gold band wrapped around like a tiara. Georgina’s short hair had been slicked up and pinned. Her gold band also looked like a tiara on her head. We slid our pedicured feet into sandals, and we were ready to go.
As we filed out of the dorm to head to the stadium where I’d endured the lightning trial, we caught up with Jasmine and Mia, who both looked like Goddesses. Together, united, we walked through the academy to accept our individual fates.
There was an electric energy humming through the arena when we arrived and filed into the rows of seats. I looked across the arena to find Lucian. I saw him in the third row, and he grinned when our gazes met.
All the Gods and Goddesses walked into the arena and took up positions on the edge of the circle. Like a pie, it was split into twelve pieces. Eventually, each of us would be standing in one of those slices, relegated to that for the rest of our lives. It was overwhelming when I thought about it. I wasn’t sure if I truly wanted that fate.
Zeus stepped into the middle of the raised circular platform. “Welcome, recruits. You have all accomplished an amazing feat. You have successfully endured and passed enough trials to ascend to the next level of your training.”
Everyone clapped and cheered.
“Now is the moment you will be divided into your blood clan. The choices are based on the skills you’ve developed, the affinity to certain elements and training, and the trials you’ve passed. We do not make these choices lightly, and we are never wrong. The clan you are assigned to will be yours for the rest of your life.”
Jasmine reached for my hand. I took it, and we squeezed each other.
“After the grand celebration tonight, you will be moving to your clan’s hall. There you will have your own room and be welcomed by your other clan brothers and sisters, who have gone through the same first year training as you have. You will become a family.”
I looked across the arena at Lucian. I wanted him to know how I felt about him. There might never be another chance to tell him.
“When your name is called, get up and stand side by side with your God.” Zeus waved a hand toward the others. “Jasmine Walker.”
I squeezed her hand.
“Ares clan.”
Jasmine stood, glancing down at me. “You’re my best friend, Mel. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” A couple of tears rolled down my cheeks. I wiped them away.
She stepped down the rows and walked out into the arena and took her place near Ares.
More people were called. Every now and then, one of my friends stood and took their place in the circle.
“Ren Nakamura.”
I watched as my first friend stood up.