Kiss of Frost

Chapter 7

Early the next morning, Friday, I stood out on the main upper quad, shivering in the cold along with the other students. Classes had been canceled for the day, and the professors were busy herding everyone toward the buses, which had been pulled into the parking lot behind the gym. The buses would haul us a few mountains over to Powder, the ski resort where the Winter Carnival was being held. Then the weekend fun would begin. Yippee-skippee.

I pulled my purple plaid coat tighter around me and shifted on my feet, trying to stay warm. Next to me, Daphne talked to Carson about the slopes they should hit once they got to the resort. The Valkyrie had on a pink designer snowsuit and a matching toboggan with a poofy white ball dangling off the end of it. That hat would have looked ridiculous on me, but it made Daphne seem quirky and cute. And of course everything from her outfit to her purse to her lip gloss went perfectly with the expensive luggage at her feet. Sometimes I thought Daphne took the matchymatch look a little too far.

I'd stuffed my clothes for the weekend into an old gray duffel bag I'd dug out from the back of my closet. Jeans, hoodies, graphic T-shirts, sweaters. My wardrobe was way more downscale than Daphne's designer duds. I'd also brought along some of my favorite comic books, a stash of sugary snacks, and Vic-just in case the mystery Reaper tried to kill me again and I needed a sword before the weekend was through.

I wasn't the only kid with a weapon. Most everyone had a sword or a dagger or two stuffed into their luggage. I could tell by the way the metalclink-clink-clinked together as the bags were loaded onto the bus. At Mythos, weapons were just another kind of accessory-a status symbol that let everyone else know what kind of warrior you were, what kind of magic you had, and how powerful you were.

Finally, we shuffled to the front of the line and boarded the bus. It wasn't your ordinary school bus. Oh, no. Nothing but the best would do for the rich kids at the academy. The bus was something a rock star would have, with plush, reclining seats and a flat-screen TV mounted above every third row. There was even a minibar in the very back, next to the restroom, although the profs onboard were making sure nobody was drinking anything stronger than soda-for now. I doubted the alcohol ban would last long, though, since I'd heard so many kids in the library talk about all the wild parties they planned to have before the weekend was over.

Daphne and Carson snagged two spots about halfway back on the bus, in one of the sections where four seats faced one another. They shared a quick kiss before Daphne pulled a map of the ski resort out of her oversize purse. The two of them bent their heads together and continued their previous discussion about which slopes they wanted to try out first.

I dropped into one of the seats facing them. We hadn't even left yet and I already felt like a third wheel. I sighed. I liked Daphne and Carson together-I really did. They made a cute couple, and they were good for each other. Daphne brought Carson out of his shell, while the band geek calmed the Valkyrie's quick temper. But seeing them together just reminded me of the fact that I didn't have a boyfriend-just a mad, mad crush on a guy who didn't like me back.

As if to prove my theory, Logan stepped onto the bus. The Spartan looked as scrumptious as ever in his black leather jacket, blue sweater, and faded jeans. For a moment I sat up straighter, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd see me, walk to the back, and take the seat next to mine. Yeah, I was really that pathetic.

Savannah boarded the bus right behind him, dashing my small, silly hope. Logan stuffed the Amazon's bag into one of the overhead compartments, and then the two of them sat down together. I had a perfect view of them from my seat. Great. Just great.

I got up, opened the bin where I'd stashed my own stuff, and pulled a stack of comic books and the tin with the last of Grandma Frost's chocolate-strawberry cookies out of my duffel bag. Then I plopped back down into my seat and resigned myself to reading about Wonder Woman, Batman, and other superheroes for the next two hours. Too bad the cookies wouldn't last nearly that long.

The first hour of the trip passed quietly, since everyone was still trying to wake up and recover from being dragged out of bed so early. By the start of the second hour, the conversation picked up, the noise level got louder, and more and more people started going to the bar in the back of the bus to get a drink or a snack. I moved over to the seat by the window, so my fingers wouldn't accidentally brush up against someone else's. I didn't want to flash on a guy walking by and see just how totally wasted he planned on getting this weekend.

I'd read about half of my comic books when Oliver dropped into the empty seat beside me.

"Hey, there, Gypsy girl," Oliver said, grinning.

I eyed him, wondering what he could possibly want. The Spartan and I had never talked outside of weapons training — not even once. I didn't know a lot about Oliver, just the things I'd overheard him talking to Logan and Kenzie about during our fighting sessions, but I doubted we had much in common. He loved gym class, and I did not. He knew how to use weapons, and I did not. He was a real bad-ass warrior, and I was not.

"Oliver," I said, then stuck my nose back into my comic book.

I expected him to get up and head over to his seat next to Kenzie, but instead, Oliver leaned over and peered at the colorful pages.

"Whatcha reading?" Oliver said, stretching out his fingers, like he was going to pluck the book out of my hands.

"None of your business. Anddo not touchmy comic book," I snapped, moving it out of his reach. "I just got this issue last week, and I don't want you or anyone else contaminating it."

Oliver frowned. "Contaminate it? How could I do that?"

I sighed. I suppose I could have explained it to him, about how people touching and using objects was how they got emotions, images, and memories attached to them in the first place. But I just didn't feel like it. All I wanted was to be left alone until the bus got to the ski resort. Especially since I could hear Savannah's soft laughter, loud and clear, even though I was three rows back from her and Logan. The Amazon hadn't quit giggling since we'd left Mythos.

"You could contaminate it because you'reyou," I said.

Oliver's face tightened, and anger sparked in his green gaze. But I was angry too-at myself, mostly, because I couldn't get rid of these stupid feelings I had for Logan, even though he was sitting less than fifteen feet away, smiling at another girl.

As if on cue, Savannah chose that moment to let out another flirty giggle. It took me a moment to unclench my jaw.

"Why did you even sit down here?" I snapped again at the Spartan. "Because I know it wasn't just to talk to me. I touched your notebook, remember? I know you've got the hots for somebody at Mythos, and I know it's definitely not me. So do us both a favor and don't waste your time flirting with me or whatever you're trying to do."

By this point, Daphne and Carson had stopped talking and were staring at Oliver and me with open mouths.

For a moment hurt filled Oliver's eyes-along with something that looked like worry. I frowned. Why would the Spartan be worried? I wasn't saying anything we both didn't already know. Before I could figure out what was wrong with him, Oliver got to his feet, stormed up the aisle, and dropped into his seat next to Kenzie. He said something to Kenzie, and they both turned around and gave me dirty looks.

I glared right back at them. I didn't care if they were Logan's friends or not, they were being total jerks right now. Okay, okay, so maybe I was being bitchy myself, but Oliver had started it by sitting down and bugging me in the first place.

"What was that all about?" Daphne whispered. "Why were you so mean to him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care."

Three rows ahead of me, Savannah let out another giggle and laid her head on Logan's shoulder. I raised up my comic book, so I wouldn't have to look at them-and I didn't for the rest of the ride.

The Mythos Academy buses reached the resort a little after nine that morning. Despite the fact that I hadn't really wanted to come, I found myself staring out the window with all the other kids.

The Powder ski resort definitely lived up to its name. The ground had still been bare at the academy, but up here, it was all white. Snow stretched out in all directions, from the ten-foot-high drifts that ringed the parking lot to the ski runs on the hillsides to the jagged tip of the mountain and the others that surrounded it. The morning sun hit the snow just so, making it blaze like a carpet of diamonds that had been rolled over the entire mountain. Everything justsparkled.

Daphne, Carson, and I grabbed our luggage and got off the bus, along with everyone else. We had to wait around for a few minutes while the other buses unloaded, which gave me plenty of time to look around. We stood at the base of the mountain, with the various slopes rising like bigger and bigger ocean waves above us until they crashed into the dazzling blue of the sky. Ski lifts circled the steep, slick hills, like merry-go-rounds, hauling people up the mountain and back down again.

And that was just what I could see on this side of the complex. Down here, a variety of shops selling everything from hot chocolate to snowsuits to mountain crafts clustered together in a charming village. All of the buildings had an old-world, alpine look to them, with sharp, sloping roofs; bright, candy-colored paint; and cute, gingerbread trim. They'd all been decorated for Christmas, and thick boughs of holly, red velvet ribbons, and strings of twinkling lights stretched from one shop to the next. The whole village looked like a holiday painting. I half expected to see a Saint Bernard lope by, a barrel of whiskey attached to its neck, to complete the picture-postcard scene.

The biggest building by far was the resort hotel itself, which loomed over everything. The enormous thirteen-story structure looked like it had been carved out of the mountainside one brick at a time. The light gray stone blended in with the rest of the rugged landscape, while the long, narrow windows reflected the dazzling sparkle of the snow.

Apparently, though, the hotel wasn't quite big enough, because I saw people moving back and forth in a construction area attached to the right wing. Saws, drills, and more whined, and hoarse shouts drifted over to us. I hoped Daphne and I didn't get stuck in a room on that side of the resort with all the noise.

Finally, the professors got everyone rounded up and led us inside the hotel, which was in the center of the whole Powder complex. When I'd first come to Mythos, I thought the academy was totally pretentious, snobby, and froufrou with its suits of armor and old, expensive paintings. But this place put the academy toshame.

Everything about the hotel was massive, from the stone fireplace that took up one entire wall to the thick wooden beams that supported the roof to the diamond-shaped skylights set into the ceiling. An enormous chandelier made out of curved animal horns hung in the center of the lobby, while plush leather chairs and couches were scattered throughout the room, inviting folks to sit, chat, and feel the heat of the crackling fire. Bits of gold and silver leaf glinted here and there among the gray stone, while the hardwood floors gleamed like sheets of bronze underfoot. It was the nicest, fanciest, most expensive place I'd ever been to.

But even here I couldn't get away from the statues. A thirty-foot-tall statue of a woman stood in the center of the lobby, her head and chin held high, her arms stretched up toward the sky. Strings of silver snowflakes had been wrapped around her body, making her look like she was summoning the beginnings of a blizzard. Skadi, the Norse goddess of winter. I recognized her from my myth-history book. Other smaller statues stood in the corners of the lobby and peeped out from recesses in the stone walls, like Ull, another Norse winter god, and Boreas, the Greek god of the North Wind.

Like the alpine village, the hotel had also been decorated for Christmas. Fat oranges and bags of figs gleamed like jewels in the silver bowls that had been placed at the statues' feet, right next to goblets filled with spiced mulberry wine. Holly had been shaped into crowns and ringed the heads of the various gods and goddesses while fat balls of mistletoe dangled from their cold fingers. Cedar and juniper trees covered with twinkling white lights clustered together in groups in the lobby, the fragrant scent of their needles mixing with the sweet smoke from the fire.

The crackling flames gave everything a soft, cheery glow, but I couldn't help but feel that the statues were all staring at me, just like the ones at the academy always did. I looked at Skadi. Maybe it was just my imagination in overdrive again, but the snowflakes twisted around her body seemed to wink at me one by one, like cold, cold eyes. I shivered and looked away.

"Isn't this place incredible?" Daphne asked from beside me.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Incredible."

Daphne smirked, not noticing my less-than-enthusiastic tone. "Told you. And just wait until you see the rooms. They're just as posh, and they even have a spa, too, where you can get all kinds of facials and other treatments. Watch my stuff, and I'll go get our room assignment and key cards so we can start exploring. Come on, Carson."

The two of them headed over and got in the line that had already formed by the front desk. Daphne and I would be sharing a room on one of the floors that had been designated girls only, while Carson would be bunking with one of his band buddies on one of the guys' floors.

The kids from the New York academy must have already arrived, because I only recognized about half of the students milling around the lobby. But really, they were all the same-warrior whiz kids dressed in the most expensive clothes their parents could buy. Sparks of magic cracked and flashed in the air as the students from the two schools mingled together, talking, laughing, and saying hello to old friends.

I dragged our bags over to one of the walls and stood there, just staring at everything and trying hard not to gawk. Despite the creepy statues, the hotel really was gorgeous. Back when my mom had been alive, we'd taken plenty of vacations, but we'd never stayed anywhere as nice as this. Powder was the kind of place where everything was designer this and designer that, right down to the chocolate mints they put on your pillows at night.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it?" a low voice murmured beside me.

I turned my head and found myself staring at one of the cutest guys I'd ever seen. Seriously. He was just… perfect. White blond hair, intense blue eyes, fantastic cheekbones. And if all that wasn't enough, he had a great body, too. I could see his muscles, even underneath the black turtleneck sweater he wore. He looked to be about my age or maybe a year or two older. At first, I didn't think he was talking to me-I mean, why would he? — but then, when he kept staring at me, I realized that he was.

"Yeah," I said, breathless. "It's amazing."

"So is the view from where I'm standing," the guy said.

And then he smiled at me.

It was like someone flipped a switch and suddenly turned on all the lights in the lobby-okay, okay, all the lights everywhere-because the guy went from cute to downright gorgeous,helped along by the two tiny dimples in his cheeks. Seriously, all that and dimples, too. He looked like a model who'd just stepped out of the page of some artsy fashion magazine. He was just that good-looking-the kind of guy you just couldn't help but stare at.

"You here for the Winter Carnival?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. You?"

He nodded back. "The same. What's your name?"

It actually took me a second to remember it. "Gwen," I said. "Gwen Frost."

He smiled again. "Well, Gwen Frost, I'm Preston, from the New York academy. I take it you go to the one down here in the Carolinas? I know you don't go to my school, because I'm sure I would have noticed you before."

All I could do was just nod and try to keep my mouth from falling open. Was he-was heflirtingwith me? It sounded like it, but I wasn't completely sure. I hadn't had a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Before coming to Mythos, I'd had exactly one boyfriend for a grand total of three weeks. And now that I was at the academy, guys still weren't tripping over themselves to talk to me.

"I just started going to Mythos this year," I said. "This is my first Winter Carnival."

He nodded, like I'd just said something cool and interesting, instead of reciting stupid boring facts. We stood there in silence for a minute, while kids moved in the lobby around us, laughing, talking, and texting on their phones. I kept sneaking looks at Preston out of the corner of my eye, waiting for his girlfriend to show up. A guy that cute? Hehadto be with someone already.

But no one came over to us-no girls, no guys, no professors. And I started to wonder what it would be like to flirt back. Just a little bit.

Before I could open my mouth to try, I spotted Daphne waving at me. The Valkyrie had a couple of plastic key cards in her hands, and she started threading her way through the crowd in my direction. I waved back at her.

Preston glanced down and checked his watch. "Well, I gotta go. I'm sure my roommate's got our key cards by now."

I nodded, even though disappointment filled me. So he hadn't been flirting with me after all-he'd just been killing time until he could go up to his room. Of course he had. I should have known it was something like that from the start. Guys like him just didn't flirt with girls like me. I winced, thinking I'd probably come off like a total loser.

Preston stared at me, his blue eyes bright and warm in his handsome face. "I've got to hang out with some friends this afternoon, but I hear there's going to be an awesome party tonight over at the Solstice coffeehouse. Maybe I'll see you there?"

My heart stopped, sputtered, and thenthump-thumpthumped in my chest. Okay, okay, so he wasn't exactly asking me out, but it sounded like he wouldn't mind if he ran into me later either. And given my stupid, unrequited, disastrous crush on Logan, I'd take what I could get.

"Maybe," I said, trying to play it cool.

Preston smiled at me a final time, then headed across the lobby.

A few seconds later, Daphne broke free of the crowd and stepped over to me. When I didn't immediately turn toward her, the Valkyrie snapped her fingers in front of my face, making pink sparks flash everywhere and fall to the ground like raindrops.

"Earth to Gwen. What are you looking at?"

"Oh, just this guy I was talking to."

Daphne's black eyes narrowed. "What guy?"

I tried to point out Preston to her, but there were too many people between us and him, and he was walking away too fast for her to really see him.

"He looks cute," she said, standing on her tiptoes to try to get a better look. "At least from the back."

"Believe me," I murmured. "He is."

Daphne elbowed me in the side. "See? I told you there would be guys here from the New York academy, and you've met one already. And you didn't want to come."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You're my genius best friend, always looking out for me."

"Damn straight," Daphne crowed. "Now, come on. Let's go dump our bags in our room. I told Carson that we'd meet him as soon as we could."

"Yes, master," I sniped.

We grabbed our luggage and headed toward one of the elevators. I looked for Preston, but I didn't see him in the crush of people hanging out in the lobby. Still, I couldn't help but think that maybe Daphne was right-finding a cute guy to take my mind off Logan was the best thing I could do this weekend.