Elementals 3: The Head of Medusa (8 page)

“Chione?” I asked, and she nodded to let me know that I was correct. “You look like Elsa. From
Frozen
.”

“You’re wrong, my dear,” she said with a knowing smile. “I’ve been around for far, far longer. It’s Elsa who looks like
me
. Now, please come in. As I understand, we have quite a lot to talk about.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

We hurried inside the ice palace, and while the huge, high-ceilinged rooms were still made of ice, I was glad to find it surprisingly warm—warm enough that we were able to remove our outer layers of clothing. An ice nymph (who Chione assured us
wouldn’t
attack us) collected our jackets and told us she would return them to us before we left.

“Are you still using your powers to heat the air?” I asked Chris, worried about the toll this might take on him. How long could he keep this up before he expended too much energy?

“Nope,” he said as he tried to fix his hair, which had become messed up from his hat. “I have no idea why it’s not freezing in here—probably magic—but hey, I’ll take it.”

“It’s not magic—the construction of the palace naturally warms the air inside, like an igloo,” Chione explained. “The walls are packed with snow, which is a fantastic insulator. It gets quite warm in here, especially in the summer, when the sun is out. Antarctica is actually a desert, because we get little precipitation, so the skies are most always clear. The combination of the snow insulation and the sun can allow it to reach sixteen degrees Celsius in the summer!”

“Which means
what
in Fahrenheit?” Chris asked.

“About sixty degrees,” Danielle replied quickly. “Multiply by two and add thirty. It’s not exact, but it works.”

“Yes.” Chione nodded. “That’s correct. Although I don’t understand why you Americans don’t follow the rest of the world and use Celsius. Anyway, since the sun is almost set, it’s not quite that warm in here now—it’s closer to around thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Which, I imagine, feels warm compared to what you endured outside.”

“It does,” I agreed, shivering at the memory. “I’ll be happy if I never have to be in temperatures like that again.”

“Me too,” Blake said, and the others all chimed in in agreement as well.

“As you can imagine, I have a few questions for you,” Chione said. “But I assume you’re all famished, since being outside in such low temperatures burns a ton of calories. So… would you care to sit down for a meal?”

My stomach rumbled at the mention of food. “Yes,” I said, wrapping my arms around my stomach to quiet it down. “Food sounds amazing.”

“Fantastic.” Chione spun around, her dress as stiff as ice, despite her movement. “Follow me to the dining room.”

We did as she said, and entered a beautiful banquet hall, which was, like the rest of the palace, made of snow and ice. The clear, domed ceiling let in plenty of light, and a crystal chandelier hung from above. The table was set, the serving trays laid out on the icy surface. We all took a seat, and I was grateful for my snow pants, or else sitting on a block of ice—despite how delicately it was carved to resemble a chair—would have been very uncomfortable.

“I expected you would be hungry, so when the gods sent word to me about your possible arrival, I sent some of the nymphs to collect some extra food,” she explained. “The water has been infused with orange energy to help you get your strength back. But I’m afraid we don’t have many varieties of food sources on the continent—we’re limited to local fish, penguin, seal, and whale.”

“Is it legal to eat those foods?” Kate asked, concern crossing her features. “I thought they’re protected species.”

“It’s illegal for
humans
to hunt them, correct.” Chione removed the cover from the platter closest to her and took a large portion of what looked to be red meat. “But human laws hardly apply to myself and my nymphs. Now, please dig in. I recommend the whale—it’s delicious.” She cut into the red meat on her plate—which I assumed to be whale—placed it in her mouth, and smiled as she chewed.

I wouldn’t normally try any of those foods (minus the fish), but I was starving, and red meat looked heavenly. So I helped myself to the whale, surprised when I liked it. I more than liked it—I loved it. It had zero fishiness at all. It tasted like beef, but softer and more tender. I finished off the portion in less than ten minutes and helped myself to seconds. But despite enjoying the whale, I avoided the penguin and the seal. Those animals were too cute to eat.

As we ate, we explained to Chione how we were able to travel to the ice palace. Apparently, most groups don’t make it to the front door. The last time someone made it was over a hundred years ago, when a demigod son of Poseidon made an attempt. He was able to see the ice palace, because of his connection to water, but according to Chione he was “undeserving of receiving what he came for” and had to pay the price—whatever
that
meant. She refused to tell us more.

“It’s an interesting story,” she said once we finished telling her about our journey. “The five of you have completed quite an impressive feat.”

“Thank you,” I said, sitting straighter at the compliment. “We had no choice but to try, since the only way we can get Medusa’s head is if we have the Golden Sword. We came all the way here for it—and trust me, it wasn’t easy. But we made it, which must mean something.” I took a sip of water, placed it back down on the table, looked her in the eye, and said, “So… now that we’re here, and now that you know
why
we’re here—will you be able to give us the sword?”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“I understand your problem.” Chione leaned back in her chair and frowned. “And I do want to help you. Because yes—the Golden Sword is here in my palace.”

“Great.” I forced a smile, despite her chilly tone. “When can we get it?”

“That’s where the problem comes in,” she said. “You see, the sword is frozen in a block of ice, with magic so strong that not even
I
can free it. I’m simply here to guard it until the one who
can
free it comes to get it.”

“Frozen in a block of ice?” Kate repeated. “Like Excalibur in the stone?”

“Yes,” Chione said. “The same type of magic used to encase Excalibur in the stone was used to keep the Golden Sword in the ice—magic from the goddess Aphrodite. The Arthurians called her the ‘Lady of the Lake,’ but of course, we know better than that.”

“So if you have the sword here, can we try to free it from the ice?” Danielle asked.

Chione raised an eyebrow. “The sword has been encased in the ice for over two millennia,” she said. “Many before you tried to free it, and they all have failed. Great warriors, they were. You think that one of you can do what they could not?”

“The gods wouldn’t have sent us here if we had no chance,” Blake said.

“Very well.” Chione sighed. “But beware, there is a consequence if you fail.”

She looked at each of us, as if expecting that the mention of a consequence would scare us away. But we hadn’t traversed through the freezing cold tundra and fought nymphs who were trying to kill us for nothing.

“We’re listening.” I held her steely gaze, waiting for her to continue.

“Your group will be given three attempts to free the sword,” she said. “If after three attempts you do not succeed, you will be bound to servitude here for seven years.”

We were silent as we took in what she’d said.

“Why don’t we take the block of ice with the sword home through a portal, place it in front of a fireplace, and let it melt?” Chris asked. “Then we can free it without having to pull it out.”

“Clever idea,” Chione said, and Chris puffed his chest at the compliment. “However, the block of ice is part of the ice palace itself. To bring it back, you would have to bring back the entire palace, and no portal in history has ever been close to that large. So I am afraid that plan would be impossible.”

“When would the servitude begin?” Kate asked.

“Immediately after the failed third try,” Chione said. “If you fail, you will be escorted to my ice nymphs, who will use ice cuffs to bind you here.”

“Would you be willing to bargain?” Kate asked. “If we fail, could our servitude begin
after
the summer solstice?”

“There will be no bargaining,” Chione said. “I did not create these rules—they were put in place by the goddess Aphrodite herself when the sword was first brought here, to ensure that only the worthy attempted to free it. If you’re not up to the task, then perhaps you shouldn’t try at all. That would be disappointing after you made it all this way, but I will grant you one favor, since I’m impressed that you made it to the palace alive—I will create a portal for your return home.”

“That’s very generous of you,” I said, relieved that we wouldn’t have to traverse the frozen tundra again. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to survive the cold a second time. “But if we
do
get the sword, will you create the portal for us as well?”

“Of course,” she said. “I promise on Zeus himself that if you attempt and succeed, or if you decide not to take the risk at all, I will create your portal home. It’s the least I can do after how much you’re risking to save us all. Now—what will you choose? Remember, only three of you may attempt to free the sword, so choose wisely.”

“Why only three?” Danielle asked. “We made it here together. Why can’t we
all
try?”

“The rule is in place so that only the worthy make an attempt for the sword, accompanied only by those who believe in them,” she explained. “Otherwise, groups would storm the palace by the dozens, or by the hundreds, all after the power that the sword can give them. We couldn’t have that. So, the choice is yours. Which three will it be?”

“We need to discuss this,” Blake said, not giving any of us a chance to speak. “Privately. If you don’t mind.”

“Of course.” Chione stood from her seat, maneuvering herself without her frozen ice gown hitting her chair or the table. “I understand. I’ll leave you to it. A nymph will be waiting outside the door—you may send her to fetch me once you reach a decision.”

Chione spun around and exited the dining room, leaving us alone to discuss our next move.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“I think we should try,” Danielle said the moment Chione was gone.

Kate chewed on her lower lip, moving her uneaten food around her plate with her fork. “And risk
three of us
being trapped here in servitude for seven years?” she asked. “I don’t know. It feels like too big of a gamble.”

“But don’t you remember what Nyx told us?” I said. “We’re the
only
ones who can stop Typhon and seal the portal to Kerberos. She told us that we had tough decisions ahead, and I can’t imagine that turning around now is what she wants us to do.”

“I agree,” Blake said, and knowing that I had his support instantly made me feel stronger. “But the difficult decision isn’t figuring out if we want to try this or not. We’re here, so we’re doing this. It’s figuring out which three of us will attempt to free that sword.”

Even though I knew it probably wouldn’t help, I reached for the sun pendant hanging around my neck.
Apollo… what should we do?
I thought, trying harder than ever to send my question to him. Maybe, this time, he would answer.

Of course, nothing happened. I dropped my hand down to my lap, letting the pendant fall back to my neck. Why had I bothered trying? He clearly didn’t care about helping me.

Blake reached for my hand and squeezed it, as if he knew what had just happened. I smiled at him in thanks, grateful that he was here for me, even though my father wasn’t.
We would figure this out together. We
had
to.

“I think Nicole should try,” Danielle said.

I did a double take, making sure I’d heard her right. I had.

“Why?” I asked.
O
ut of the four of them, she was the
last
person I thought would want to put so much trust in me.
Unless she was volunteering me because she wanted me to be an ice slave for the next seven years. Which I didn’t say out loud, because while Danielle and I weren’t best friends, she didn
’t hate me that much, either.

At least, I didn’t
think
she did.

“Because, as much as it irritated me at first, being the center element makes you unique,” she said. “
You ignited our powers on the night of the comet.
It would be stupid if you
weren’t
one of the three.”

I agreed with her, but I didn’t want to sound full of myself, so I just said a simple thank you. The others unanimously agreed that I should be one of the three, also.

“I think I should try, too,” Kate spoke up. “This is the Sword of
Athena
, and I’m a descendant of Athena. That connection would be unwise to ignore.”

“Are you sure?” Chris asked, his eyes full of concern. “Because if you’re not the one, and if the other two aren’t either, then you…”

“Will have to serve Chione for the next seven years,” Kate said. “I know. But three of us have to take that risk, and it makes sense for me to be one of those three.”

Chris pressed his lips into a line and said nothing, but the rest of us agreed with Kate, because her logic
did
make sense.

“We need one more person,” Chris said. “And for the record—if we don’t get that sword, it doesn’t mean the end of our journey. I know that Chione said
that the three who try
w
ill
be forced to stay here for seven years, but we’ve been through too much to accept that.
If we fail, no one’s staying here.
We’ll figure out a way to escape, even if we have to fight to do it.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Blake flicked his lighter on and off, the flame reflecting dangerously in his eyes. “We fought our way in, and we can fight
our
way out. If it comes to it, I’ll burn this ice palace to the ground.”

“I agree that we can’t stay here,” Kate said. “But first things first—we need to determine who the third person will be who will try for the sword.”

“Danielle,” I said suddenly. “It should be Danielle.”

“Really?” Danielle smirked and raised an eyebrow. “You’re not just saying that
because you want to see me turned into an ice slave
for the next seven years
?”

“No.” I held her gaze,
wanting her to know that I would never do something like that
. “I’m saying it because you’ve been instrumental on this mission. If it hadn’t been for you, we might not have beaten the ice nymphs. Plus, water is your element. It makes sense that you should try removing the sword from the ice.”

“I agree with you.” She nodded, her eyes serious. “I was about to volunteer myself, but you spoke up first.”

“So it’s decided?”
I
asked
,
looking around at everyone. “Danielle, Kate
, and I
will try for the sword?”

“That makes the most sense,” Kate said. “Unless
Blake
and Chris can think of any reasons why it would be better for one of
them
to try?”

“I had my big moment back in Greece when I flew the yacht over Charybdis,” Chris said. “As cool as it would be to pull the
s
word out of a block of ice, I can’t think of a reason why one of you girls shouldn’t have the spotlight today. And like I said earlier, I swear on Zeus himself that if you fail, we’ll get you out of here. No one’s becoming an ice slave
—
not
today, and not ever.
”

“Thanks,” Kate said softly, smiling shyly at Chris. Then she took a deep breath and pushed her hair behind her ears, apparently back to business.
“Blake?”
she
asked, and all eyes were on him.
“Are you all right with this plan, too?”

He didn’t answer as quickly as Chris did. Instead, he stared off into space, his brow furrowed, as if he were in deep thought. “I can’t agree as easily as Chris did,” he finally said. “Because what if I can use my power to melt the ice around the sword? Plus, the gods put me in charge of weapons when we went on the scavenger hunt back in Kinsley.
I should try for the
s
word instead of Nicole
.”

“Why instead of
me
?”
I
asked.
“Is it because you don’t want me taking the risk?”

“Of course I prefer to take the risk instead of you,”
he said
.
“
But
it’s more than that.
Athena forged
the
s
word
,
so it makes sense for Kate to try. It’s
encased in ice
, so it makes sense for Danielle to try
.
I
have a strong connection with weapons, and
I
can use
my
power to melt the ice.
” He
looked around at the others. “What do you all think?”
he
asked
them. “
Nicole’s
a fantastic fighter,
and her powers have saved us all on more occasions than I can count,
but her
abilities and heritage have no connection to this task.
Should she step down and let me try instead?”

Kate probed her food with her fork, staring at it in deep thought. “Blake’s point makes strategic sense,” she finally said, dropping her fork and looking back at us. “I hate to see Nicole step down, but I agree that Blake should try.”

“I’m fine with it if you all are,” Chris agreed.

The only person left was Danielle.

“I understand what you’re all saying,” she started. “But I still think
Nicole
should try, since her element is so powerful.
I really believe that she might be the one meant to do this.
”

“Then you don’t think Blake should try?” Chris asked.

“No,” she said. “He’s the expert with weapons, so he definitely should. As should Kate, since she’s a descendant of Athena. Which leaves one option—I’ll give up my spot so Nicole can try for the sword.”

“What?” My mouth dropped open, unable to believe what she’d said. “But… you have power over water, and the sword is encased in ice.”

“The sword is locked in ice because of a spell cast on it by Aphrodite,” Danielle said. “The magic of the gods is more powerful than ours—I couldn’t control the water when Charybdis had her hold on it, so why should my power over water be stronger than Aphrodite’s? If Blake, Kate, and I try and fail, we’ll always wonder if we made a huge mistake by not giving you a chance. You
have
to be one of the three. Which is why I’m stepping down.
And like Chris said—if we’re not successful, no one’s getting
left behind
. We’ll either all be
trapped as
ice slaves
together
, or we’ll fight our way out.
I’m hoping it’s the latter.
”

“We’ll fight,” Chris said
, banging his fist on the table for emphasis
. “
We won’t leave anyone behind. So Nicole—what do you say? Are you
trying
for this
s
word or what?
”

“I don’t know…” I wrung my hands together, unsure. They all believed in me so much. But what if I tried for the sword and failed? Then I would be letting everyone down.

“
As much as I don’t want to admit it, because I don’t want you taking the risk,
Danielle’s right,” Blake
told me
. “
Y
our power united the five of us. You’ve been the center of this since day one. And you’re the only demigod in the group. Getting this sword could be your destiny.”

“
Exactly
,” Chris
said
. “It would be pretty stupid if we didn’t let the one demigod here have a go at this.”

“Kate?” I looked to my friend, hoping she would give me sound advice. 

“I would prefer if all five of us were able to try.
It would give us the best odds.
” She chewed on her lower lip, and I had a feeling that she wasn’t sure
what
we should do. “But I agree with the others. It makes sense for you to be one of the three.”

I looked around at each of them, surprised by how confident they appeared. And they were all watching me, waiting for me to agree—they were looking at me as if I were their leader. I didn’t want to let them down. Especially because if I didn’t try for the sword, and if none of the three of them got it, I would always wonder if it were my fault. 

“Okay,” I finally said, forcing myself to sit straighter. “If this is what you all think is best, then I’ll do it.”

“So, this is our final decision?” Kate asked. “Me, Blake, and Nicole will try for the sword? If you don’t agree, speak up now.”

No one said a word.

“Okay,” she said, standing up from her seat. “Let’s let the ice nymph know that we’re ready to speak to Chione.”