Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa (12 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

We spent the rest of the day devising a plan. Until this mission was completed, we were going to have to miss school—possibly two entire weeks of school. My parents weren’t going to be happy about it, but it wasn’t up to them. After all, there wouldn’t
be
a school to attend if we failed. We would make up the missed days somehow. But if we failed in this mission, there would be no make-ups, which was why the mission came first.

Strangely enough, my parents were understanding when I explained this to them. I still didn’t know what exactly Darius and Hypatia had told them when they’d dropped me off before Antarctica, but whatever it was, it must have convinced them not to give me a hard time about going off on these quests.

We ordered in pizza and I told them about what happened in Antarctica—although I gave them a much tamer, not-as-dangerous-sounding version than what had
actually
happened. In the version I told them, Chione created the portal home for us after Danielle removed the sword. My parents didn’t need to hear about how we’d almost become slaves in that palace for the next seven years. They didn’t even know that there would have been a consequence if we hadn’t gotten the sword.

After dinner, I spent a good part of the night packing for LA. At least we had a place to stay while there—Hypatia had talked to the Head Elder of Southern California, and he was happy to let us stay with him.

Once finished packing, I undid the clasp of my necklace and placed it in my jewelry box. I crossed my arms and glared at the sun pendant. What good was it if Apollo didn’t respond when I reached out to him? There was always a chance that my pendant didn’t work like the one Zeus had given to Ethan and Rachael, but I suspected that wasn’t the case. Apollo was, quite simply, ignoring me.

Putting the necklace away made me feel like I was getting back at him—as if I was telling him I didn’t care.

But as much as I didn’t want to care, I still wished things were different. So the next morning, as I was getting ready to leave, I reached for the necklace and put it back on. Because what if I needed to use it, and it was a huge emergency that Apollo
would
answer, but I couldn’t contact him because I’d left the necklace at home? It was a risk I couldn’t afford to take.

Blake picked me up the next morning, and he helped me with my suitcase, shoving it in the trunk of his car. Once sure my parents weren’t watching us out the window, we shared what was supposed to be a short kiss, but ended up lasting longer than expected.

“So,” he said, once we were on our way to Darius’s. “I didn’t expect to see Ethan again this soon.”

“Me either,” I said, instinctively playing with the chain of my necklace. When I realized what I was doing, I dropped it and laid my hand down in my lap instead. I might need to wear the necklace in case of an emergency, but that didn’t mean I had to touch it. “After what happened in Greece, I thought he
hated
me. But now he’s acting like none of that ever happened. It hasn’t even been a month since his sister died, and it’s like he’s already over it.”

“Do you trust him?” he asked.

“I would like to,” I said. “But I don’t know. Do you?”

“Everything he told us yesterday made sense,” he said. “But… I think he might have ulterior motives in coming here.”

“What kind of ‘ulterior motives?’” I asked. “Isn’t saving the world enough of a motive?”

“Maybe,” he said. “But he’s also had a thing for you since he kissed you on the Land of the Lotus Eaters.”

“Come on!” I laughed, throwing my head back at how ridiculous that was. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?” he asked. “I can’t blame him. You
are
a pretty good catch.” With that, he reached for my hand over the center console and squeezed it.

“Thanks.” Heat rose to my cheeks, and I glanced down, knowing I must be blushing. “But you
know
that kiss meant nothing. It only happened because of the lotus. And even though Ethan’s here to help us, I don’t think he’s forgiven me for what happened to his sister. I wouldn’t, if I were him.”

“Don’t go blaming yourself again,” Blake said. “You didn’t know how fast the hydra’s poison would act. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I guess,” I said, even though I didn’t agree with him. I should have rushed to Rachael’s side instead of spending those few extra seconds kissing Blake. I didn’t act as quickly as I should have, and that would
always
be my fault. “I think Ethan’s just a huge flirt,” I said, trying to change the subject. “Remember how crazy he seemed for Lampetia the moment he saw her on Helios’s island? He was making heart eyes at her the whole time. I actually thought he wanted to stay there with her instead of coming back with us.”

“He’s definitely a flirt,” Blake agreed. “I just wish he would flirt with someone else instead of with
my
girlfriend.”

My heart warmed when he said it—I loved being reminded of the fact that we were finally, officially together. “Who would you prefer he flirt with?” I asked. “I’m pretty sure that Kate’s interested in Chris, so I doubt she would notice even
if
Ethan tried flirting with her.”

“All the more reason why she should want him to,” Blake said.

“So that it’ll make Chris jealous?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “It sounds dumb, but it works.”

I said nothing, smiling instead. Because on the Land of the Lotus Eaters, Blake had gotten so angry at the sight of Ethan kissing me that it had yanked him out of his lotus-induced haze. And even now, after Blake knew that I’d chosen him, he was still annoyed that Ethan had tried to flirt with me. Which—while I wouldn’t say it, because it would probably embarrass him—I actually found cute. Because I would feel jealous if any girl tried flirting with Blake, too.

“You have nothing to worry about,” I assured him. “Because no one in the world stands a chance against you.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “No one in the entire
world
? The world’s a pretty big place…”

“No one,” I confirmed. “Even more than that—no one in the entire
universe
.”

“Then it sounds like we’re perfect together,” he said. “Because no one in the entire universe stands a chance against you, either.”

We stopped in front of Darius’s and kissed again, and in those minutes, it was so easy to lose myself in the moment and forget about the task ahead. But then another car pulled up behind us—Chris’s—and we forced ourselves to break apart.

“We should probably head inside,” I said reluctantly.

“Yeah,” he agreed, sounding as disappointed as I felt. “After all, we’ve got a world to save.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“I’ll be accompanying you on your journey to LA,” Hypatia said once we’d gathered in Darius’s living room.

“I thought we were staying with the Head Elder of Southern California,” I said. “Why do we need two Head Elders there with us? Isn’t it worse to put
both
of you in danger?”

“I’ll be accompanying you because Jason, the Head Elder of Southern California,
is
a notorious ass.”

I snickered, unsure if she’d
actually
said that. But apparently I’d heard right, because Ethan laughed, too. Even Kate let out a chuckle.

“It’s
true
,” Hypatia said, sticking her nose in the air. “There’s simply no better way to phrase it.”

“If he’s such a ‘notorious ass,’ why would you want to be around him?” Danielle asked.

“
I
don’t want to be around him,” Hypatia said. “But I think it’s best that you—specifically, that the females of this group—have someone watching out for them. Jason’s known for… well, he’s known for being quite the
lady’s
man. I wouldn’t want anything funny to happen, especially since you’re all underage.”

“I can watch out for the girls just fine,” Blake said. “If this Jason tries anything, I’ll torch his ass.” He flicked on his lighter and sent a flame out from his palm for emphasis, closing his fist to snuff it out.

“Yes, well, I think that it’s best that I be there, just the same,” Hypatia said, fidgeting in place. “Now, are you all ready?” She looked around at each of us—we were all standing around with our luggage, plus the additional bags packed with weapons. “All right,” she said, apparently deciding that yes, we were ready. “Let’s go.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The sun hadn’t yet risen in LA when we arrived. I could tell we were in a house, but it was so dark inside that I couldn’t see much more than that. Judging by the waves crashing outside, I assumed that this house was on the beach.

“What time is it here?” I asked, feeling like an idiot for not checking the time zone difference before leaving. Before going to Greece, I’d never left the east coast, so time zones weren’t something I thought about often.

“Just after six.” Hypatia walked to the wall, and judging by the sound of her running her hand against it, she was searching for a light switch. “The sun should be rising any minute now. And if I remember correctly… Jason isn’t a morning person.”

“If he’s not a morning person, then why are we
here
this early?” Danielle asked, stifling a yawn. “I could have had a few more hours of sleep.”

“We’re here this early because we have a lot of information to cover,” Hypatia said, finally finding the switch and turning on the lights.

Jason’s house was
huge
. I’d seen some beautiful houses recently—Blake and Danielle’s families lived in mansions—but this house was unlike anything I’d seen in Massachusetts. It was airy, sleek, and modern. The entire back
wall
was a giant window that looked out to the ocean, making it feel like we were outside ourselves.

“Wow,” Danielle said, gazing out at the water. “I know you said that Jason had room in his house for us to stay with him… but I wasn’t expecting
this
.”

“He knows how to live large.” Hypatia huffed and rolled her eyes. “I told him we would be here at dawn, but he’s probably still sleeping, so I’ll go wake him up. You all wait here. And don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll want to give you the grand tour immediately. He loves to show off.”

With that, Hypatia hurried up the steps to the balconied hall, heading straight to what I assumed was his bedroom.

“Did anyone else notice that she knows
exactly
where his bedroom is?” Danielle asked once Hypatia was gone.

I shrugged off her comment and walked toward the windowed wall, placing my hand against the glass and staring out at the ocean. It was hard to see much because the sun was still rising, but it was my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean, and it was absolutely beautiful. 

I felt someone approach from behind, and looked over to see Blake standing next to me. “It’s a killer view,” he said, soft enough that only I could hear. “I bet it’s even more impressive at sunset.”

“It’s incredible,” I said, breathless as I listened to the waves crashing over the shore. “I didn’t know that people actually lived like this. I mean, I did, but I didn’t think I would ever be inside a house like this one.”

“I keep forgetting how new our world is to you,” Blake said. “It’s pretty normal to find people of our kind in positions of power and wealth. It’s one of the advantages that comes from using energy to affect your emotions and the emotions of people around you. It’s even more common with the Elders and the Head Elders, since they can use gray energy to compel people to do what they want.”

“So you’re saying this Jason guy uses gray energy for personal gain?” I asked.

“Look around.” Blake motioned around the mansion, which was full of expensive electronics, spotless furniture, and priceless artwork. “I’ve never met the guy, but I’d say it’s a safe assumption.”

At that moment, Kate came back from a nearby room—apparently she’d been exploring. “Umm, you guys?” she squeaked, looking around in even more awe than before. “Judging from the room next door, Jason isn’t just a typical Head Elder who happens to be rich because of his abilities. I think—”

She was cut off when a door upstairs slammed open and Hypatia strolled onto the balcony, followed by an unmistakable face that I’d seen on movie posters everywhere since I was a kid—that of Jason Flynn himself.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“You’re
Jason Flynn,
” I stated the obvious, gaping up at him. “The one who just won an Oscar.”

“The one and only,” he said, strolling down the stairs to meet us. “And judging from my conversation with Hypatia last night, I’m going to guess that you’re Nicole?”

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in shock that
Jason Flynn
knew who I was. In elementary school, my friends and I had Jason Flynn movie marathons where we only watched movies that Jason was in. I’d had posters of him on my wall. He was my cell phone wallpaper for a good portion of middle school. And now, I was in his house. Looking at him.
Talking
to him. As if he were a normal person and not Hollywood royalty.

This was even crazier than finding out that I was a witch descended from the Greek gods.

“Am I missing something?” Ethan asked, looking at me, to Jason, and back again. “Who’s Jason Flynn?”

“You’ll have to excuse him,” Kate jumped in. “He’s from Australia.”

“As far as I’m aware, movies exist in Australia.” Jason laughed and shook out his hair—a trademark move I’d seen him do a million times on screen.

It took all of my control not to whip out my cell phone, run up to him, and ask for a photo of the two of us together. Becca would
freak out
if she knew. So would my friends back in Georgia. I could
not
leave LA without photographic evidence of meeting Jason Flynn.

“Obviously there are movies in Australia,” Danielle said, throwing her hair back as well. She somehow managed to look just as glamorous as Jason Flynn while doing it. “But Ethan here was stuck on the Land of the Lotus Eaters for two years. Long story. Maybe all that lotus fruit melted some of his brain.”

“Guys—relax,” Ethan said, holding his hands out. “I was just kidding. Of
course
I know who Jason Flynn is.”

Jason gave him a small smile and noticeably relaxed. Way to go, Ethan. Managing to irritate the movie star within a minute of meeting him.

I wondered why Jason wasn’t saying anything, but then I remembered—he’d asked
me
a question. And I was just standing here like a star-struck idiot.

“Yes, I’m Nicole,” I said, stumbling over the words. “It’s so nice to meet you.
Britannic
is one of my favorite movies.”

“Glad to hear it.” He smiled, and I instantly relaxed. “I’ve already met Ethan,” he continued. “Now I’m going to guess that you’re Danielle, you’re Blake, you’re Kate, and you’re Chris?” He looked at each of them as he said their name, his signature smirk evidence that he knew he was right.

“That’s right,” Blake said, turning to Hypatia. “How do the two of you know each other?”

“Yeah,” Chris chimed in. “You didn’t think to warn us that we were portaling into
Jason Flynn’s
house? If you did, maybe Nicole wouldn’t be standing here looking like she’s going to pass out from being in his presence…”

“Hey.” Kate playfully slapped his arm. “Be nice.”

“It’s okay,” I told both of them. “I was just a big fan when I was younger. I still
am
a big fan. But not to the level where I have his posters all over my wall.” I blushed the moment the words were out of my mouth. “I can’t believe I just said that.”

“Want to get it out of the way and get a picture together now?” Jason offered.

“Really?” I asked, brightening. “You don’t mind?”

“Not one bit.” He smiled and held an arm out for me to join him. “Come on.”

I handed my phone to Blake, who obliged in taking the photos. Then he jumped in the photo as well, and Hypatia agreed to take it of both of us with Jason. It soon turned into ten minutes of all of us making sure we had individual
and
group photos with him. Jason either didn’t mind, or was great at
pretending
he didn’t mind. Which was possible, since as of earlier this month, he was an Oscar winning actor. It was about time, too. That Oscar was a long time coming.

“Remember—don’t send the photos to anyone or post them online,” Hypatia said. “Not until we figure out a good cover story about why the five of you are in LA.”

I wasn’t sure
what
type of cover story she was planning on concocting, but I agreed not to show anyone the pictures yet. I was just happy to have them at all.

“We got distracted, so you never told us,” Blake said to Hypatia. “How do the two of you know each other?”

“When Hypatia and I were your age, we were two of the most promising witches in the world,” Jason jumped in. “We were both able to use gray energy when we were eighteen—a record for any witch. Since we’re younger than the other Elders, we naturally spent time together at events.”

“The Elders have events?” Kate asked. “Like… conventions?”

“Not exactly,” Hypatia said. “But we do get together every year to discuss the job. Not all of us, of course, since having all of us in one place could be disastrous, but in small groups.”

“Hypatia and I always land in the same group,” Jason added.

“Yes,” Hypatia said, looking at him quizzically. “
How
is that, exactly?”

“Beats me.” Jason shrugged, and I had a feeling that he wasn’t telling the entire truth. Judging by Danielle’s smirk, she had the same exact thought. “Anyway, I hear the six of you need golden tickets to this ‘Medusa’s’ gallery opening this Saturday night?”

“Tickets would be nice,” Kate said. “Although, I figured that since you and Hypatia are Elders, you would be able to compel the guards to let us in.”

“We
could
do that,” Jason said. “Or I could buy the tickets myself.”

“You could get them that quickly?” I asked. My mom was an artist, so I knew that tickets for opening events like this were nearly impossible to get this close to the show.

“I already
did
get them that quickly.” He walked into the kitchen, and returned with eight tickets. I’d originally thought that calling them “golden tickets” was a metaphor, but the tickets were actually gold. Or at least, they
looked
gold. “Eight VIP tickets for the event,” he said, waving them in the air. “They give us access to the exclusive meet and greet with Medusa afterward. During the party, I’ll
convince
the other few people with golden tickets that they have to cut the night short and go home early. Which will ensure that the six of you have a private audience with Medusa.”

“Wow,” I said, still unable to fully comprehend that this was the actual
Medusa
we were talking about. “How’d you manage to get us those so quickly?”

“Being a celebrity has its perks,” he said. “I put a call in to my assistant yesterday, and she delivered them a few hours later. And Hypatia,” he added, facing her and giving her his trademark grin. “I would be honored if you would be my date.”