Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep Page A

Alexei heard the Greek chorus of mean, he gave no indication. I was beginning to wonder whether he ever did anything but look blankly at other people. Other than that soft smile he’d given Oliver this morning, his expression hadn’t changed all day long. Or maybe that was just because I was public enemy number one at Mythos.
    As I hurried toward the library, I realized that not all of the kids were going to be content with just cursing at me. A couple of guys broke away from their group of friends and started following me across the quad.
    “Where are you off to, Reaper girl?” one of them called out. “Got some more of our friends to kill? Going to run through some more kids with your sword?”
    Anger surged through me at his words, and my steps slowed. For a moment, I thought about turning around and confronting the guys, but there was no point in it. They would believe what they wanted to about me, and nothing I said would change their minds. Besides, out of the corner of my eye, I saw another guy moving off to my left, flanking me. I didn’t want a repeat of what had happened in the dining hall this morning—especially since Logan wasn’t around to help me.
    I quickened my pace, and the guys following me did as well, their hoots and hollers growing louder and louder the faster I walked. I’d just reached the library steps when the guy on my left threw his soda at me. I managed to jump back before the can hit me, but the liquid inside still splattered all over my jeans. I was so surprised that I just stood there, staring down at my soaked pants.
    Of course, the guys who’d been following me thought this was the funniest thing ever . A second later, another can of soda came my way. I managed to avoid this one too, and it sailed through the air and hit one of the gryphon statues that were planted on either side of the library steps.
    Eagle heads; lion bodies; wings tucked in against their sides; razor-sharp beaks; long, curved claws that glinted in the weak winter sun. The gryphons were some of the fiercest-looking statues at Mythos. For months, I’d found all of the statues to be sinister and creepy with their all-seeing eyes, but the gryphons had especially freaked me out since it seemed like they were always watching me, more so than any of the other statues, even the sphinxes. But ever since I’d learned that my mom had hidden the Helheim Dagger in a secret compartment in the base of one of the statues, I’d come to admire the gryphons and think of them as protectors of the entire academy—including me.
    So while maybe I deserved to get doused with soda, the statue did not. Instead of hurrying up the steps before I got beaned in the head by another can, I walked over to the gryphon statue, grabbed a pack of tissues out of my messenger bag, and started wiping the sticky, orange-colored liquid off the dark gray stone.
    “Sorry about all this,” I mumbled. “It’s me they’re really after, not you. Because of what happened with the dagger. Because the Reaper girl used it to free Loki.”
    The gryphon didn’t speak to me, but it almost seemed like its eyes narrowed in thought. Okay, protector or not, that was still a little creepy.
    I managed to wipe off the last of the soda. I glanced over my shoulder at the guys, who were still watching me. One of them had another can, this one unopened, which he viciously shook. He smiled at his friends, then started walking toward me, the can held out in front of him. I sighed. I knew what was coming next—Gwen getting sprayed in the face.
    I thought about going inside the building, but the guy would probably just follow and unleash the soda on me as soon as he got close enough. No doubt that would happen when I was in the middle of the library and among all of Nickamedes’s precious books. I weighed getting a lecture from the librarian versus getting soaked out here on the steps. I decided to get soaked. Nickamedes and I were on better terms these days, but I still