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I absolutely wanted to be sent away from here, and if a simple lie could make it happen, this wouldn’t be the school with a reputation so fearsome, it reached me in the dark place that had shielded me from knowledge of almost everything else.
“I’m not stupid to think you wouldn’t expect that,” I replied. “It’s been eighteen years and no ability has shown itself. Even if it was something I couldn’t see—like the power to give good fortune or peaceful dreams—wouldn’t Ifeelit? Wouldn’t I know?”
Silently, she nodded.
“Then, there it is. We’re all witnessing a historic moment. The fifth non-demigod in Olympian record.”
The mutterings were growing louder. No one knew what to make of me, but a few of them had ideas on what todowith me.
“Execute her! This isn’t the mundane world.”
“Get rid of the worthless bitch.”
“Let’s not be drastic,” the woman said lightly. “We haven’t yet reached the point that we must accept you’re making history.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Just because your power hasn’t manifested, doesn’t mean it never will. There’s every chance you’re a daughter of Ares. They can only summon their power when they feel intense hatred.”
“That was my mother’s explanation when I was the age of nine and giggling with my dolls. I am a woman now and I assure you”—the goddess flashed in my mind, and even the memory of her true form burned—“I’ve felt hatred.”
“Hmm.” The woman went back to her seat. It was then I noticed Alexander was not in the stands where he should be. He was standing behind Commander Vasili.
No. No, no, no! He cannot tell him of what happened in the prison, believing that will prove me a liar. A god’s curse is not a god’s power. The first Medusa would attest to that.
“I say no,” the woman said, dragging me off Alexander. “You do have power, my dear, you simply haven’t discovered it yet. I once knew a man who was also convinced he had no power, then at the age of twenty-eight years, he set foot on his first boat and the seas calmed beneath his feet. He didn’t know he could control the tides, because he’d never seen the ocean.
“You are exactly where you need to be now, young one. Here at Deucalion, we will help you discover who you really are.”
“But I—”
“Or,” the commander said, “you will be sentenced to twelve years hard labor. As was the lying traitor of two years hence who spun the same story, and then refused to participate in training. In the end, he was made useful to his people.”
Alexander bent and whispered in Vasili’s ear. I surged forward.What the hades are you telling him!
“I see,” Vasili said. “Aella Galanis. Sisyphean class.”
I looked from Alexander to the commander, then back to that blasted grin. My protest stalled on my tongue.
Arguing with him would only move me from one prison to another. I’ve seen men on hard labor. They’re cursed to do the worst and most dangerous jobs, but the manacles never leave their wrists. I can’t break free of the goddess if I can’t break free of my jailors.
Accept it for now. The plan remains the same. I will leave the academy on my own terms.
I left the stadium. Making my way out of the shadows, someone called my name.
“Aella, over here.” Ionna waved me under the awning. She, Nitsa, and Daciana sat on the steps of a side entrance into the academy. “Are you finished? How did it go?”
“Sisyphean,” I replied, leaving out the details.
“Nice,” Nitsa said, giving me a smile that trembled. “We’ll be together.”
“Are you okay?” I put my arm around her. “Were you hoping for something different?”
She shook her head. “I knew I would be in Sisyphean, but that doesn’t make it any easier to tell my parents. They and my three older brothers were Titans. Having auselessdaughter doesn’t go down easy.”
“You’re not useless. The way they think about these things is ridiculous. You have one of the most incredible powers out of the bunch.”
She snorted. “I’m acow, Aella. There are thousands of them grazing the fields. What exactly is so incredible about turning into a lowly, common animal?”
