Poseidon's Academy

Chapter 25. Trapped

Hailey found herself trapped in a familiar nightmare.

Demi stared vacantly at the sea, which stretched up in front of her like a wall of fluorescent blue water. Coral and sea-anemones in the gardens around her glowed pink, blue, green, and purple, casting the grounds in a dull light. 'They're here now, and they're getting stronger.'

Hailey gulped and glanced at the sea, seeing nothing but empty water. 'Who's here?'

Demi whipped around. 'You can still stop them.'

The wand appeared in her friend's hand, its moonstone tip shimmering. Hailey frowned. 'With the wand?'

'The wand did this.'

Suddenly, they weren't alone anymore. Hundreds of adults crowded the grounds, pressing up against Hailey and Demi and the force field. Most wore orange jumpsuits and neutralising bracelets, but some wore casual clothes. The only thing they shared in common was a look of misery, like they'd lost all hope.

Hailey knew instantly they were the missing people and escaped criminals. Why are they at Poseidon's Academy? And what do they have to do with the wand? She stared back at Demi. 'I don't understand.'

Demi looked at her with such sadness that Hailey wanted to cry for disappointing her. 'You never do.' She jumped through the force field.

'Demi!' Hailey shrieked, reaching to pull her best friend from the water.

She snatched her hand back as the people crowding the grounds materialised in the sea. They were only in her sight for a second before barbed tentacles wrapped around their legs and dragged them into the darkened depths below, a silent scream etched on each of their faces.

Demi was the only one left untouched, floating before Hailey like a shade. She met Hailey's eyes and mouthed the words you're next before she, too, was yanked away.

Hailey woke up, gasping in a breath. It had been so long since she'd had one of those nightmares that she'd thought they were over with. It still felt as if they were trying to tell her something. But what? All she could think was that it had something to do with the nereids. That the dreams were her subconscious's way of warning her to be careful because they just might set a sea-monster on her or something.

And, honestly, the nereids were really starting to worry her. October was almost here, and she still had no idea what they were up to. Her and her friends' spying seemed pointless. It was impossible to know when the sisters would be in their room.

Hailey thought it odd that the nereids hadn't done anything yet, especially when they'd said whatever they were up to would take a few full moons-which Hailey was pretty sure meant months in nymph speak. She liked to think Amathia had worked out what they were up to and foiled their plans before they could do anything. But she wasn't willing to take that chance and stop spying on them.

She glanced at the clock, which showed her it was 7am. Another ruined sleep-in, she thought with a sigh, rolling out of bed. Well, she might as well use this extra time to visit the stable, she decided, pulling on some clothes before sneaking into the hallway.

She hadn't been down there since Madam Grayson had made her and her friends clean it out all those months ago. At first she'd avoided going back because she was afraid of getting caught and into more trouble, but then it had been because she was too busy spying and trying to keep up with her school work to think about her hiding spot.

She was making time for it now though. It was the one place where she could forget about everything else going on in her life.

At least that's what she'd thought until she stepped inside and found the stable empty.