Goddess Boot Camp

I appreciate your efforts in this endeavor.

Tanya Tyrovolas

Level 13 Coordinator

Professor of Literature

The Academy

Serfopoula. Greece

Ms. T is a bit of a nutcase. She wears togas to school and I think she's a strong advocate of reinstating trial by combat-as in gladiatorial combat, which was banned in the sixth century. I make a reminder in my Academy calendar to look at the course catalog before August. The last thing I want is to spend my (second) senior year enrolled in classes I hate.

I skim through the next few messages.

An automated system message reminding students that Academy e-mail is rigorously scanned and violators of the terms of use will be required to take a forty-hour 'Responsible Electronic Communications' course.

Three e-mails from school clubs, encouraging new members to join now to beat the fall rush-yeah, like Mock Government is going to be turning them away at the door.

An e-mail from the maintenance staff, asking students to remove personal items from lockers before the buildingwide clean-out next week.

The last e-mail-with no sender and no subject-piques my curiosity.

To: [email protected]

From: [Blocked]

Subject: [Ho Subject]

Curious about the contents of the missing Olympic record?

Be in the courtyard at midnight on Tuesday.

Come alone.

My heart starts racing. My mind starts racing. So whoever sent me the note already knewthe record was missing? Then why did they send the note? Is this the same person who stole it? Or do they know who did?

What if they are just trying to mess with me? Or hurt me? It wouldn't be the first time someone at the Academy went out of their way to make me look and feel like an idiot. Would I be totally stupid to agree to this meeting?

And if I don't, will I ever find out what really happened to Dad?

Chapter 7

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VISIOCRYPTION

SOURCE: HADES

The ability to hide, mask, or cloak an object. Duration of effect and size of object affected varies depending on strength of powcr. Effect is temporary and does not affect the physical characteristics of the object.(See visiomutation for permanent changes of appearance.)

DYNAMOTHEOS STUDY GUIDE * Stella Petrolas

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WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE TUNNEL and out onto the stadium field the next morning, Griffin is waiting for mc next to the soccer goal-sure, in Greece they call it football, but my dad played football. The sport with a round, black-and-white ball will always be soccer to me. Griff smiles that heart-melting smile, gives me a quick kiss, and says, 'I missed you, kardia tis kardias mou.'

Until that moment I have every intention of letting the whole Griffin-and-Adara-in-thc-bookstore thing go. Not every guy is a cheating jerk like Justin.

But when he says he missed me, I wonder, Did he really?

I can't stop myself from asking, 'How was the trip to Serifos?'

'Oh,' he says. 'We had to reschedule. The freezer malfunctionedand flooded the cellar. Aunt Lilli and I spent the morning rearranging the stockroom.'

So he hadn't left the island yesterday. 'Is that why we're running in the morning again?'

'Didn't I say that?' He bends over, reaching for his toes.

No, he didn't say that.

Joining him in the stretch, I ask, 'What did you do in the afternoon?'

I feel I like the Inquisition.

He's not avoiding eye contact, I tell myself. He can't exactly look me in the eye when he's hanging upside down and pulling himself into deeper extension.

'I stopped by the bookstore.' He spreads his feet and twists to reach for one ankle. 'Wanted to see if they had anything on endurance conditioning and nutrition.'

Of course it was something innocent-he was researching our training.

I smile as I mimic his stretching, mentally whipping myself. Clearly, I need to get a handle on that jealousy monster-which Nicole insists has red eyes, not green. Sometimes I wonder how she knows so much about mythological beasts. Other times I don't want to know.

'Did they?' I lift my foot behind me and grab my ankle, stretching my quads.

'No.' He smiles and says, 'But Iona said they would order some for us.'

Why am I so eager to assume the worst about Griff?

As the daughter of a psychiatrist, I do not go in for the therapy thing. After a lifetime of psychoanalysis, I'm immune. But I'm starting to think that maybe I need some help on my trust issues. I mean, I shouldn't be so quick to doubt Griffin, Especially not after what we went through to get together.

We're fated by an oracle, after all.

If the prophecy says Griffin will 'find his match in a daughter of victory'-aka the goddess Nike, aka my great-grandmother-then our relationship, our future is secure, right?

The red-eyed monster needs to take a hike.

'So what's our training plan for today?' he asks, interrupting my self-exploration.

I give him a wicked grin. 'Steps.'