Then, finally, I saw the gryphons, the ones guarding the entrance to the library. They stared straight at me like usual, but instead of being stone, their eyes were red-Reaper red. I watched, horrified, as the statues began to move. One of them, the right one, hopped down from its perch and began to slowly stalk toward me-
I woke up in a cold sweat, thrashing at the covers that had twisted around my body like a snake curling around its victim. After a few seconds, I realized I was awake and that the gryphons, the rocs, and all the rest of it had just been a dream. Just a bloody dream, as Vic would say. I looked over at the nightstand where I'd propped up the sword. Vic's eye was closed, and his mouth was loose and slack. A series of soft mumbles sounded, telling me he was asleep.
"Bloody Reapers," the sword muttered. "Kill them all... ."
Every once in a while, Vic's eye would twitch, like he was chasing after the Reapers that haunted his dreams. For once, the sword's bloodthirsty attitude made me smile. It was nice to know I could always count on Vic's being, well, Vic. Even when he was asleep.
Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I got up and dug my mom's diary out of my messenger bag. I'd left the bag in the academy prison when I'd chased after Preston and the Reaper girl, but Metis had brought it to me. I snapped on a light and flipped through the crinkled pages, but even my mom's words couldn't bring me any comfort tonight.
I put the diary aside, but there was another book in my bag-the gryphon book I'd picked up last night in the library. The Use of Gryphons, Gargoyles, and Other Mythological Creatures in Architecture. Still remembering my strange dream of the statues stalking me, I opened the book, settled down under my comforter, and started reading.
For the most part, the book was super, super boring. If you were into architecture or old buildings, yeah, it might be cool, but to me, it was a total snooze. After a few eye-glazing pages, I gave up reading and just flipped through and looked at the photos, which were way more interesting. Basically, the book featured pictures of the creature-feature statues on famous buildings in the mythological world. I didn't recognize most of the structures, but the Crius Coliseum was included-and so was the Library of Antiquities. Lots of photos of the library's statues were shown. Of those, the two gryphons by the front steps got the most space, having their own two-page spread in the book.
Height, weight, type of stone used. All that and more about the gryphons was chronicled in dull little info boxes. The statues were estimated to be seven feet tall and weigh in at a whopping three tons each. Only seven feet tall? Really? The statues always seemed so much bigger to me. Even in the photos, they looked larger than that, but I couldn't decide if it was just a trick of the light playing across the pages.
I sighed. I didn't know why I was wasting my time looking at the gryphons. They were just statues after all. The Helheim Dagger was what I was really after, even though I was no closer to finding it than when I'd first started. Not to mention the fact that the Reaper girl had beaten me twice this week, Preston was free, and Logan and Daphne weren't speaking to me.
Right now, I didn't feel like Nike's Champion. I didn't feel brave or strong or smart. I didn't feel like I'd done a single thing that had been worthwhile. I was just Gwen Frost, that Gypsy girl who always messed up.
Disgusted with myself, I put the book aside, snapped out the light, and brooded in the darkness.
Grandma Frost drove me back to the academy the next morning. Nott took up most of the backseat, her enormous gray head stuck out the window like she was just a regular dog out for a ride in the car. The wolf made me smile when absolutely nothing else had these past few days.
Before we'd left the house, I'd asked Grandma if she wanted me to leave Nott with her, to help protect her in case the Reaper girl or Preston came back to the house. Grandma Frost had stared at the Fenrir wolf, and she'd gotten that empty, glassy look in her violet eyes again.
"No," she'd murmured. "I think the wolf should go back to the academy with you, pumpkin. Nott came to you, not me. She belongs with you."
I said good-bye to Grandma Frost and snuck Nott back to my dorm room. Then, it was time for me to head to the gym for weapons training. Kenzie and Oliver were already there waiting for me-and so was Daphne.
The Valkyrie was sitting on the bleachers talking to the two Spartans, but she got to her feet as soon as she saw me. She was wearing one of her favorite pink argyle sweaters over a black skirt and black tights. She stalked over and stared at me a second, before lurching forward and giving me a bone-crushing hug.
"Daphne ... ," I wheezed, my back cracking. "I ... can't ... breathe... ."
"Oops. Sorry about that. How are you?" she asked, pulling back and giving me a critical once-over. "Oliver called me last night and told me what happened. I was going to call you, but I didn't know if you'd pick up or not because of what happened outside Metis's office yesterday."
I shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. Metis healed the bumps and bruises I got fighting. My grandma's fine too-that's the most important thing. I still can't believe the Reaper girl managed to free Preston from the academy prison."
Daphne's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how she did it?"
I shook my head. "Not a clue. But I opened the door, and there she was, larger than life, like she'd had every single one of the door codes and magic mumbo-jumbo passwords she needed to get past the locks. Even Metis isn't really sure how she managed it. And of course I was stupid enough to open the door to the prison for her. Apparently, that's why the sphinxes carved into the door didn't attack or do whatever they were supposed to do. That's what Metis said, anyway."
At my grandma's house, Metis had taken me aside and said that Preston's getting free wasn't my fault, that she should have stayed in the prison with me, especially since Raven hadn't been there. I'd realized that I wasn't really angry at the professor for leaving me alone. No, I was mostly upset at myself for not being strong and smart enough to stop Preston and the Reaper girl. Some Champion I was turning out to be.
"Tell me everything," the Valkyrie said, walking me over to one of the bleachers.
We sat there, and I told my best friend about Preston's getting free, his attacking my grandma, and how I'd raced to save her. I also told her all about Nott, since I hadn't mentioned the wolf and her reappearance to the Valkyrie yet.
"I, uh, got your calls," Daphne said, cringing a little. "I thought you were just calling to talk. Or maybe to yell at me for all the things I accused you of. If I'd known your grandma was in trouble, I would have picked up."