Poseidon's Academy

Epilogue

THE MISSING 718 REMAIN CLUELESS

One month has passed since the missing 718 returned home with no memory as to who kidnapped them or where they were being kept. Hecates have been working extensively with the missing 718 to restore their memories, but, as yet, no potion they have brewed has worked. While police are assuring everyone that they are continuing their investigation into the kidnappings, it doesn't look promising that the world will ever learn the mystery of who kidnapped the missing 718 and why.

Good, Hailey thought, tossing the newspaper onto her clamshell nightstand. If the Hecates hadn't worked out how to restore the prisoners' memories by now, then they probably never would, which meant no one, besides her, her friends, and a few teachers, would ever know the truth about the Underworld and the gods.

'This is impossible.' Demi was wrestling with the zipper on her suitcase.

'You'd probably be able to shut it if you folded everything up instead of shoving it all in,' Hailey remarked, stacking a pile of clothes into her own suitcase, which was open on her bed.

'Too late for that now.' Demi plunked down on her suitcase lid and zipped it closed. 'Yes,' she cheered.

Hailey laughed and closed her suitcase. 'I can't believe it's been a year. Or that we actually survived it.'

'Yeah, those exams were pret-ty hard.'

'I meant about us almost getting expelled twice, and nearly being killed by Scylla, a knoxen, a griffin, Fifth, Hades, and the Erinyes.'

'Hades and the Erinyes? I have no idea what you're talking about. I was too busy being trapped in a room.' Demi smirked.

Hailey tossed a pillow at her. 'Come on, let's go.'

They wheeled their suitcases down to the common room, which was already packed with soon-to-be second years.

'Out of my way.'

Someone bashed into Hailey, who had to press a hand to her suitcase to keep from falling. She glared at Venus sauntering away with the twins.

'Bet you wish you could punch her again,' Demi muttered.

Hailey clenched her hand into a fist. 'You have no idea.' Considering what had happened to them in the Underworld, Amathia had allowed Hailey breaking Venus's nose to slide. She doubted she'd get away with doing it a second time.

'Ready to go home?' Jayden asked, pushing towards them with Alec and Aaron.

'Definitely,' Hailey replied. All she wanted to do was go home, hug her mum, and never have to think about what had happened to her in the Underworld again.

'Excuse me,' Madam Grayson said, making her way past them with the chest of travelling necklaces. She stopped in the middle of the room, the students forming a circle around her. 'I think we've had a pretty good year, and I have every hope next year will be even better,' she said with a smile. 'I'd like to remind you your report cards will be mailed in the next couple of weeks and are for your parents to open, not you.' Madam Grayson paused to make sure this last bit sank in. 'I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and I look forward to seeing you next year.' She placed the chest on the ground and took a couple of cautious steps back.

'Demi, we can wait,' Jayden called as Demi leapt into the horde of students diving for the chest, everyone seeming eager to escape the school—or more like escape schoolwork.

Hailey wanted to follow her, but a fear of being trampled kept her from joining the throng. 'I think she's pretty desperate to get home after everything we've been through.'

'Who can blame her?' Alec said. 'I hope next year isn't as eventful.'

Aaron crossed his arms. 'Yeah, we'll see about that.'

'Got them,' Demi announced, squeezing her way back through the crowd of dematerialising students and handing them each a necklace.

'Thanks.' Hailey slipped the necklace over her head. 'See you in a couple of days.' She shut her eyes and thought of home.

'Hailey!' Evonee leapt from Hailey's bed and yanked her into an excruciatingly tight hug.

'I missed you too, Mum, but you're kind of crushing me.'

Evonee released her. 'Sorry. I've been wanting to do that since the school told me you were missing again. I can't believe you got locked in a room for two nights. How does that even happen?'

Hailey hated lying to her mum, which is why she decided to tell her the truth. 'Actually, we weren't locked in a room. We were in the Underworld—prisoners of Hades in fact. We met the Erinyes and Persephone as well. But Hades accidentally killed Persephone. We put Hades and the Erinyes back to sleep, so you don't have to worry about them doing any more damage,' Hailey said all of this very casually.

Evonee chuckled. 'You have such a big imagination. If you're too embarrassed to tell me how you got yourself locked up that's fine.'

It was the exact reaction Hailey had assumed her mum would have. The truth was pretty unbelievable. But it had been the truth, and if it ever came up again and her mum realised Hailey really had been in the Underworld for two days, Hailey could say that she'd told her all about it and she hadn't believed her.

'Why don't you settle in a bit and then come downstairs. I'll make pizza for lunch.' Evonee kissed Hailey on the head before ruffling her hair, the gesture reminding her of her dad.

She opened her mouth to call her mum back as she left the room, but stopped herself. While she was tempted to tell her about seeing her dad, Hailey didn't know if it had even been real. Her mind had been about to implode on itself from pain and guilt, so the more reasonable explanation for her dad suddenly coming back from the dead was a hallucination to help her survive all that.

But what if it really was him? It had felt so real, and she could still smell his coppery scent as he'd hugged her goodbye. Real or not, her dad had saved her life and made her see that she wasn't the giant failure she'd been spending the last five years thinking she was.

'Thanks, Dad,' she said, clutching her heart pendant and sagging back onto her bed.

She was finally home—and in one piece. She was still in disbelief over her first year at Poseidon's Academy. When she'd jumped into that whirlpool, she'd never thought her year would consist of battling monsters, two gods, and the Erinyes. She wanted to believe that her second year wouldn't be nearly as action packed, but with the nereids hanging around the palace, it was doubtful.

But that was next year's problem.