The sick, horrid thought made me want to vomit, but I forced myself to just breathe-in and out, in and out, like my mom had taught me. I couldn't give in to the panic. If I did that, I was already dead. Calm, I had to stay calm, and I had to think. That was the only way I was going to get out of this alive.
My eyes flicked down, but Oliver had quit screaming.
Now, the Spartan lay quiet and stil at my feet. A wide pool of blood had formed under his left shoulder, mixing with the sawdust on the floor. I didn't know if the Spartan was dead or not, and I didn't dare bend down to check. Not with Preston stil aiming his crossbow at me.
"Don't worry about him," Preston sneered. "Like I told you before, archery's not reAll y my thing, but that's a pretty nasty wound. If he's not dead by the time I'm done with you, I'l put another bolt through his skul and finish him off. ActuAll y, this wil work out even better than I'd planned. I'l make it look like the two of you fought and kil ed each other. That way, no one wil be chasing me after the fact." Think, Gwen, think!
Okay, so Oliver couldn't help, since he was so badly injured, but I had to do something to try and save us. I had to keep Preston talking while I figured out some sort of plan.
"Why now?" I asked, wetting my lips. "Why did you decide to kil me now? Why wait All these weeks?" Preston's face tightened with anger. "Because after Jasmine's death, after they found out that the Ashtons are Reapers, the members of the Pantheon started hunting for us, so they could throw us into one of their pathetic little prisons. I had to leave school in Athens, and my parents had to go into hiding. Besides, I couldn't get to you at the academy. I'd visited Jasmine there before, and I couldn't take a chance that someone would recognize me. Like your friend Daphne."
All sorts of images from the past two days fil ed my mind.
Preston always standing next to the lobby wAll . Me never seeing him with anyone else, even though he always claimed he was meeting friends. The fact that he always disappeared whenever Daphne and Carson showed up.
The Valkyrie tel ing me that she didn't see his profile and picture with the rest of the student photos on the New York academy's Web site.
Something whispered at my feet, and I spotted Oliver slowly, slowly sliding his hand down along the floor. Relief flooded my body, chasing away some of the cold dread.
The Spartan wasn't dead yet, even though his eyes were closed and he was acting like he was.
I focused my attention on Preston again, determined to keep the Reaper talking for as long as possible.
Determined to keep him looking at me and not Oliver. I didn't know what the Spartan was up to, but I was going to give him a chance to do it.
"So it was All a lie, then," I said, rocking forward on my heels, so Preston wouldn't notice the fact that Oliver was digging in his jacket pocket for something. "You flirting and chatting me up All those times, asking me to lunch. You've been trying to get me alone All weekend, just so you could kil me. And you've been staying down here, too, haven't you? Here in the construction site, since All the rooms were rented out to Mythos students and staff for the weekend." Preston nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I was going to kil you that first night, right outside the party, but then your little Spartan boyfriend came outside and got in the middle of things."
I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling numb and frozen inside. Every word Preston said only added to the ice running through my veins. I remembered how happy I'd been that Preston had been flirting with me that night, how eager I'd been to fol ow him around the side of the building so we could make out.
Preston might have kissed me, but he would have fol owed it up by shoving a dagger through my heart. I'd been so pissed at Logan for butting in, but the Spartan had saved my life. If I got out of this alive, I was going to tel Logan as much, and that I was sorry for-
for everything.
"And the avalanche?" I asked. "You texted me and asked me to meet you at the hotel, so what exactly-you could make sure I was going down the mountain at the right time?"
"Wel , yeah." Preston rol ed his eyes. "I only had enough explosives for one try at that. I didn't want to waste them."
"And the Fenrir wolf?"
He shrugged. "I had it fol ow you around the slopes and keep an eye on you. I figured that if the avalanche didn't get you, then the wolf would finish the job. But the stupid dog got hurt instead."
Preston glanced to his left and let out a sharp whistle. A shadow I hadn't noticed before detached itself from the wAll and came over to him. The Fenrir wolf walked with a noticeable limp, although a bandage covered its leg where the tree branch had skewered it. Preston's doing, I supposed. As weird as it was, I was glad to see that the wolf was okay. It wasn't the creature's fault Preston was a Reaper maniac who wanted to murder me.
"Useless dog," Preston snarled.
The wolf lowered its head, but I saw its red eyes narrow the tiniest bit. I didn't know how much of Preston's words the creature understood, but the wolf didn't seem to like the Reaper any more than I did. So why did it obey him? What kind of hold did Preston have over it?
While Preston glared at the creature, I glanced down at Oliver. Somehow the Spartan had gotten his cel phone out of his jacket pocket. His pain-fil ed eyes fluttered open, and he looked at me. I nodded, tel ing him to do whatever he was trying to do. That I'd keep Preston crowing for as long as I could. Bloody fingers shaking, Oliver punched a button on the phone, then another one. I stepped in front of him, so Preston wouldn't see the light from the screen glowing in the semidarkness.
"How did you even know I'd be here at the ski resort to start with?" I asked. "You took a big risk coming All the way here from wherever you were hiding."
He shrugged. "Everyone always comes to the Winter Carnival. It's a Mythos Academy tradition." I could have laughed at the irony. Daphne had said those very same words to me earlier this week, but I hadn't reAll y believed her-or known that such a tradition was probably going to be the death of me. On the floor, Oliver hit some more buttons on his phone.
Desperate to give him more time, I looked back up at Preston. "But what about-"
"Enough!" Preston snapped. "Stop talking. Your whiny sniveling is driving me crazy. Face it, Gypsy. The Spartan's dying, and you're down here All alone with me and the wolf.
You're not getting out of here alive."
Preston stared at me, his blue eyes glinting with hate, his handsome face twisted into something black, ugly, and evil.
Then he raised the crossbow until it was level with my head and pul ed the trigger.
Chapter 21
Everything happened at once.
I dove to my right, Preston pul ed the trigger on the crossbow, and the Fenrir wolf bumped into his side, making Preston stumble. I don't know if the creature did it on purpose or not, if it was trying to help me or not, but the wolf screwed up the Reaper's aim and the bolt zipped over my head and disappeared into the semidarkness.
I scrambled to my feet. For a second I thought about running, about getting as far away from Preston as I could.
Then my gaze dropped to the floor, where Oliver stil lay, more and more blood pooling underneath him as he fumbled with his phone. Yeah, maybe the Spartan had scared me, but I couldn't leave him down here, helpless and defenseless with a barbed bolt sticking out of his shoulder.
So I did the only thing I could think of: I withdrew Vic out of the leather scabbard strapped to my waist.
"Wel , it's about bloody time," Vic muttered, glaring at me with his purplish eye. "I was wondering if you'd forgotten about me, Gwen."
Yeah, I kind of had a little bit, but I wasn't going to admit that to him.
"What was I supposed to do? Whip you out right in front of Preston?" I hissed. "My hands were up in the air, in case you didn't notice. And hel o, he had a crossbow aimed at my head.
Crossbow beats sword in that case." Vic just sniffed.
"Oh, look, the Gypsy has a sword," Preston said in an amused voice. "Good thing I do too."
The distinctive, raspy whisper of metAll sliding free of a scabbard made my heart drop like a stone in my chest. I whirled around and raised Vic. Preston had climbed back to his feet and drawn his own sword. He must have been wearing the weapon underneath his long, flowing, black coat. The edge of the blade touched one of the cracks of sunlight. Maybe it was my imagination, but the metAll seemed to wink at me, even as it took on a bloody, reddish tinge. I shivered and tightened my grip on Vic.
Preston walked closer and closer to me, picking his way through the construction debris and nonchalantly swinging his sword from side to side. "You know, I'm kind of glad I missed you with that bolt," he hissed. "It'l be so much more fun to cut you into pieces."
I reAll y, really wanted to scream, drop Vic, turn, and run.
But I couldn't leave Oliver to the Reaper's mercy. Besides, Preston would just stab me from behind anyway. All I could do was stand and fight-or at least try to.
I glanced past Preston, wondering what the Fenrir wolf was doing. The creature sat upright on its haunches, like it was an ancient statue that had been frozen in place, like one of the gryphons outside the Library of Antiquities. Its red eyes met mine.
Something like sadness flickered in its gaze, and it let out a low whimper. I might have helped the wolf during the avalanche, but I knew I couldn't count on it to come to my rescue. Not again, not here, not against its master. Spoiling Preston's aim was the only aid the wolf was going to give me. I'd just have to make sure it was enough.
Preston looked at me, taking in my stance and focusing on the sword bobbing up and down in my trembling hands.
A cruel, cruel grin curved his face. And then he attacked.
Clang-clang-clang!
Preston launched himself at me, his moves a shadowy blur in the semidarkness. Maybe some of my weapons training had finAll y sunk in, because I was able to deflect his blows. But Preston was two years older than I was, six inches tAll er, and totAll y ripped with muscle. Not to mention the fact he was a Viking. He was stronger than I was-so much stronger-and his blows jarred me from my wrist, All the way up to my shoulder. Every stinging, ringing clash of his sword threatened to rip Vic out of my hands. I could feel Vic's mouth moving underneath my palm, trying to shout out words of encouragement, but I had such a death grip on the hilt that my hands muffled his voice.
"Not bad-for a five-year-old who just got her first toy sword to play with," Preston sneered. "I can't believe you're supposed to be Nike's Champion. Start saying your prayers to that stupid goddess you serve, Gypsy, because you won't last another minute."
I blinked. "How do you know I'm Nike's Champion? I never told you that."
Daphne, Professor Metis, and Grandma Frost were the only people who knew the truth. Wel , them and Vic, of course.
Preston's eyes narrowed, and something red and evil sparked to life in the depths of his gaze. "Oh, we know All about you, Gwen Frost, and what you're supposed to do." What I was supposed to do? What the hel was he talking about? I didn't have time to think about it before he charged me again.
Clang-clang-clang!
I managed to block All of his attacks once more, although I was panting from the effort. Sweat slicked my palms, and my arms felt heavy and slow, like lead weights attached to my shoulders. I didn't know how much longer I could stop Preston from running me through with his sword. He was right. I wouldn't last another minute.
He came at me a third time, his sword whistling through the air, getting closer and closer to my neck with every single blow until-
CLANG!
Preston finAll y broke through my defenses. He smashed his weapon into mine so hard that I lost my grip on Vic, and the sword sailed off into the shadows.
"Gwen! Gwen!" Vic shouted, his voice getting fainter and more frantic the farther he slid into the darkness.
I started to lunge after him, but Preston grabbed me by my hair. I shrieked and then punched and clawed at him, but he just laughed at my weak blows. Preston jerked me back, then threw me forward. I tripped over one of the bags of cement on the floor and hit the wAll hard. My legs slid out from under me, and I landed in a heap.
Before I could even think about moving, Preston was on top of me, his sword an inch away from my throat. I kept my head perfectly stil , scarcely daring to breathe.
"Like I said," Preston sneered. "Didn't even last a minute."
A flash of movement caught my eye, and a shadow broke free of the wAll , creeping closer and closer to Preston.
The Reaper stared down at me and frowned. "What are you smiling at? I'm about to slit your throat, you stupid Gypsy."
"Nothing much," I drawled. "Just my hero." Logan erupted out of the darkness. The Spartan slammed into Preston, knocking the Reaper and his sword away from me. The two of them fel to the floor, punching, kicking, and rol ing over everything in their path. Oliver must have texted Logan and told him what was going on. That was the only reason I could think of as to why he would be down here right now. Despite the fact that Oliver had done his best to scare me, I was totally forgiving him for everything.
"Vic!" I shouted.
"Here! Over here!"
I scrambled to my feet and fol owed the sound of the sword's voice. I plucked Vic out of the pile of sawdust he'd landed in. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a hammer lying on one of the sawhorses, so I grabbed it, too, then turned and ran back the other way, so I could help Logan.
The Reaper and the Spartan had both gotten back on their feet and were slowly circling each other. Eyes narrow, faces tight, lips drawn back in silent snarls. Logan had his fists up, while Preston was doing that annoying, wavy-wavy thing with his sword again.
