"I'll see you guys later, okay? There's something I have to do."
Daphne and Carson waved good-bye to me, then started kissing again. I grabbed my bag and walked over to Savannah's table. I stood there almost a minute before the Amazon decided to stop pretending that she couldn't see me.
"What do you want?" she finally muttered.
I drew in a breath. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about Logan's breaking up with you. I know how much you cared about him, and I know how much we both hurt you. I'm sorry for it, all of it."
Savannah blinked like she couldn't believe I'd just apologized to her. Talia looked just as shocked, although Morgan smiled at me. I wondered if the Valkyrie had ever wanted to tell Jasmine that she was sorry for messing around with Samson, but of course, it was too late now.
Apologizing to Savannah was something I'd been thinking about for a while. I didn't know if it would make a difference to the other girl, and I certainly didn't expect her to like or even forgive me, but it was something I needed to do for myself. Even though I hadn't meant to, I'd hurt Savannah, and I wanted to try to make it right.
Savannah stared up at me, her eyes narrowed, like she wasn't sure I was serious. Then, her gaze drifted over to the table where Logan sat with Oliver and Kenzie. Sadness filled her pretty face.
"I knew," she said. "I knew Logan liked you the first time I saw you together at the homecoming dance. I just wanted it to be me instead. You know?"
"Yeah," I said in a quiet voice. "I know."
"He's staring at you right now."
I didn't turn and look at the Spartan. I wasn't quite ready to face him. Not yet. Nobody spoke for a moment. All around us, the clink and clatter of dishes sounded, mixing with the talk of the other students.
"So are you guys together now or what?" Morgan asked.
I looked at the Valkyrie, and Talia jabbed her in the side with her elbow.
"What?" Morgan asked, wincing. "You guys know I can't resist a good piece of gossip."
"I don't know what we are," I said, answering Morgan. "But I care about him. I never thought I'd be the kind of girl to steal someone else's boyfriend, but I guess I turned out to be that person, after all. Just like you said I was at the coliseum."
Morgan looked at me, then smiled again, green sparks of magic flickering around her. "Nah, Gypsy. You've got a long way to go to catch up to me."
I smiled back at her.
"Besides," Morgan said. "I told Savannah and Talia about how you saved me from Jasmine that night in the Library of Antiquities. So they know you're not all bad, even if Talia won't admit it."
Talia glared at the other girl, and Morgan quickly scooted her chair back so she was out of range of the Amazon's quick, sharp elbow.
"You remember?" I asked. "What happened that night?"
A haunted look filled Morgan's hazel eyes. "I could see and hear and feel everything that was going on as it happened. I just couldn't do anything about it."
The other girls looked at her with sympathy, but Morgan pretended that she didn't notice their stares. We were all getting good at ignoring things we didn't want to see.
"Anyway," I said. "I just wanted you to know I'm sorry. I'll see you around."
"Gwen?" Savannah called out as I started to walk away.
I turned to look at her.
"Be good to Logan, okay?" she said. "He deserves it."
I thought about telling her that I didn't know if Logan and I would ever be together, that I didn't know if the Spartan even wanted to be with me anymore. Instead, I just nodded.
"Don't think this means I won't still be kicking your butt in gym class every chance I get," Talia growled.
I grinned at her. "I'd expect nothing less."
The next morning, I went to the gym for the first time since Vivian had forced me to free Loki. Oh, I'd come to the gym for my usual class, but I hadn't shown up for early morning weapons training with Logan, Kenzie, and Oliver-until now.
I also had on the snowflake necklace for the first time since Loki had escaped. Grandma Frost had gotten it cleaned for me, and not a speck of blood remained on the silver strands. Still, whenever I touched the necklace, all the horrors of that night came rushing back to me, since all my feelings and emotions had soaked into the smooth metal. But the delicate necklace had made it through that long night when it shouldn't have, just like I had. It was a sign of my survival-and the hope I had that Logan and I could overcome our troubles as well.
I was the first one in the gym, and I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I paced back and forth in front of the bleachers where Vic was propped up and rehearsed what I was going to say to the Spartan.
"Oh, just tell the boy you bloody love him and be done with it," Vic growled. "This lovey-dovey stuff gives me heartburn. Don't you agree, fuzzball?"
Nyx barked, but I didn't know whether she was agreeing with Vic or angry at the nickname the sword had given her. The pup's twilight eyes were finally open, so I'd put her in my messenger bag this morning and had given her a tour of campus. I'd hoped that Nyx would stay in my bag during weapons training, but the pup had already climbed out. Now, she was trying to jump up onto one of the bleachers. Smiling, I bent down, picked her up, and put her where she wanted to go. Nyx licked my hand and started running up and down, like a pirate sprinting along a wooden plank.
"She's cute," a low voice called out behind me. "Just like Oliver said she was."
I whirled around. Logan stood behind me, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved blue T-shirt that brought out his icy eyes.
"Hi," I said in a soft voice.
"Hi," Logan said in a guarded tone.
We stood there. Logan didn't approach me; he didn't tease me; he didn't do anything that would tell me what he was thinking. Finally, I cleared my throat.
"So where's your entourage?" I asked.
Logan shrugged. "They quit coming a few days ago. Everyone has more important things to think about now that Loki's free."
I nodded.
"What are you doing here, Gypsy girl?" Logan asked, his gaze on my face. "I've called and texted you a dozen times, and you never once responded."
"I know," I said. "And I'm sorry about that. I came over here this morning to apologize for, well, everything. But especially for how I acted outside my Grandma Frost's house. You came to rescue me, you risked your life to save me, and I didn't want to have anything to do with you. I'm sorry for that. Sorrier than you'll ever know."