The Goddess Test
Page 29

Before I could see Ava, however, Calliope informed me that I had to meet my tutor. Once I’d finished my meal, she was the only one there to show me the way, with Ella conspicuously absent. I hoped it meant she was busy helping Ava, but given how much she already seemed to hate me, I expected her to stick around as little as possible.
On our way, we passed a bowl of fruit, and I remembered the question I hadn’t been able to ask Henry. “Why do you taste my food?”
Calliope held a door open for me. “To make sure no one’s trying to kill you.”
“Why would they try to do that?”
She gave me a look that made me feel like an idiot for not already knowing the answer. “Because if Henry relinquishes his control over the Underworld, someone else will take his place. Not everyone’s rooting for you, you know.”
“Wait, what?” I’d been so concerned about what would happen to me if I passed that I hadn’t stopped to think what might happen to Henry if I failed. “Who?”
“I can’t tell you that. Watch out!”
I stopped abruptly, narrowly missing a vase set on a pedestal. It looked expensive. And ancient. And handmade. I sucked in a breath and moved gingerly around it.
“In here,” said Calliope, gesturing toward another door. She pushed it open, and I stepped inside, focusing on the only thing worth looking at: a small wooden table with a matching chair on either end. Everything else was a dull white, and it smelled as if it had recently been painted.
“I’ll see you afterward,” said Calliope as she pulled the door shut behind me. I spun around and hobbled toward her, managing to trip over the thick carpet.
“Wait!” I called, but it was too late. The door was already closed, and to my horror, I noticed there was no handle. It would be impossible to open without someone on the other side.
I stood there like an idiot for the better part of a minute, trying to figure out how to get out. There was a large window on the far wall, but we were three stories up. Jumping wouldn’t likely be suicidal, but it’d hurt. Other than the door, there were no other exits, so the only thing I could do was wait.
Kicking my shoes off my aching feet, I took a seat at the table and crossed my arms over my chest. The chair was uncomfortable, and the room was hot, but at least I didn’t have to walk in those heels anymore.
The thick smell of incense filled the air, making me sneeze. Looking over my shoulder, I caught sight of a familiar face, and my eyes widened. Behind me stood Irene, the receptionist from the high school office, dressed in a white robe similar to Ava’s. It flowed behind her and was stunning, but it was nothing compared to her hair. While it’d been red before, now it was vivid ruby, so bright in the sunlight that it almost glittered. It couldn’t possibly be natural.
“Hello, Kate,” she said with a friendly smile. “It’s good to see you again.”
I hesitated. “Nice to see you again, too?”
She sat down across from me with the sort of grace that a dancer would’ve given their right arm for, and I couldn’t help but feel a stab of bitterness. What was she supposed to teach me, how to be beautiful?
“Is there anyone else from Eden here that I should know about?” I said. First Sofia, and now Irene—was Dylan due to mysteriously appear as well?
The corners of her lips twisted into an amused smile. “I suppose you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you? Sorry about the subterfuge, darling. I promise it was only for the best.”
“Yeah, I figured,” I grumbled. I didn’t like knowing I’d been tricked. “You’ll be tutoring me then? Calculus and science and stuff?”
She laughed, the sound of it like wind chimes. “Something cooler. Something much, much cooler. Henry wants you prepared in case you pass, and that means learning about people. How they work, how they see themselves and each other, why they make certain choices—psychology, mostly. Some astronomy and astrology as well. Aside from that, more importantly, you need to learn about this world. Not just the Underworld, but all of it.”
“Mythology?” The word felt heavy on my tongue.
“It’s not mythology here,” she said with a wink. “As long as you remember that, you’ll be just fine.” Seemingly out of nowhere she pulled a thick book and set it on the table, which groaned.
“I have to read that?” I said.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “It has pictures.”
Somehow that wasn’t very reassuring. “Why do I have to learn all of this?”
She didn’t have the chance to answer me. Instead, the door with no handle burst open, and unintelligible shouts filled the room. I stood so quickly I nearly knocked over my chair. Irene looked annoyed, but she remained seated and didn’t speak.
Ella, Calliope and Ava stumbled into the room, each seemingly determined to be the first one inside. Ava wore a pink dress that I would have rather burned than wear, and Ella stormed in behind her, irate.
“You can’t just take things that don’t belong to you!” shouted Ella, her face glowing with fury.
“Kate, tell her,” pleaded Ava.
“I’m sorry,” said Calliope, shoving her way to the front. “I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen—”
“She’s the one who wouldn’t listen,” said Ella, pointing at Ava.
“Excuse me? You’re the one who wasn’t listening to me.”