Have fun and don’t murder your stepsister. Love, Mom

That’s pretty cool that they’ll get to see an international marathon. I wish I could go. Before we moved to Serfopoula, I never had a burning desire to be anywhere but Southern California. Now I wish I could go everywhere. It’s like if being in Greece changed my perspective on the world so much—for the better—then I can only imagine how different I would be if I saw even more of it.

I send Mom a quick reply—mainly because I think she’ll brave the cost of a phone call if I don’t. My mind is such a mess right now I know she’d pick up on it and the last thing I need is her turning into therapist Mom from thousands of miles away.

I don’t want to open the next e-mail, but know I should.

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Boot Camp Update

Greetings Campers

PROPER CAMP ATTIRE: Please wear closed-toe shoes and long pants every day. NO SHORTS or SANDALS!!! This is for your own protection.

Tomorrow’s boot camp will be something SPECIAL! Meet in front of the maintenance shed at the north end of the quad at 10 A.M.! Latecomers will be left behind and this is a day you will not want to miss!

~ Adara ~

I roll my eyes. Besides her overuse of exclamation points and her tendency to yell, the idea that we’re doing “something special” in camp tomorrow is not exciting. It’s terrifying.

Next is an administrative message from Ms. T, the Level 13 coordinator.

To: Level 13 Students

From: [email protected]

Subject: Upcoming School Year

Attention all returning Level 13 students:

Summer is not too early to begin planning your academic future. You will meet in individual sessions with your assigned adviser at the end of August, but I encourage you to review the course catalog and make a list of those you would like to schedule. Because many Level 13 classes have restricted enrollment, you should also list second and third choices for every period. Any advance preparation will make your advising session go far smoother.

I appreciate your efforts in this endeavor.

Tanya Tyrovolas

Level 13 Coordinator

Professor of Literature

The Academy

Serfopoula, Greece

Ms. T is a bit of a nutcase. She wears togas to school and I think she’s a strong advocate of reinstating trial by combat—as in gladiatorial combat, which was banned in the sixth century. I make a reminder in my Academy calendar to look at the course catalog before August. The last thing I want is to spend my (second) senior year enrolled in classes I hate.

I skim through the next few messages.

An automated system message reminding students that Academy e-mail is rigorously scanned and violators of the terms of use will be required to take a forty-hour “Responsible Electronic Communications” course.

Three e-mails from school clubs, encouraging new members to join now to beat the fall rush—yeah, like Mock Government is going to be turning them away at the door.

An e-mail from the maintenance staff, asking students to remove personal items from lockers before the buildingwide clean-out next week.

The last e-mail—with no sender and no subject—piques my curiosity.

To: [email protected]

From: [Blocked]

Subject: [No Subject]

Curious about the contents of the missing Olympic record?

Be in the courtyard at midnight on Tuesday.

Come alone.

My heart starts racing. My mind starts racing. So whoever sent me the note already knew the record was missing? Then why did they send the note? Is this the same person who stole it? Or do they know who did?

What if they are just trying to mess with me? Or hurt me? It wouldn’t be the first time someone at the Academy went out of their way to make me look and feel like an idiot. Would I be totally stupid to agree to this meeting?

And if I don’t, will I ever find out what really happened to Dad?

CHAPTER 7

VISIOCRYPTION

SOURCE: HADES

The ability to hide, mask, or cloak an object. Duration of effect and size of object affected varies depending on strength of power. Effect is temporary and does not affect the physical characteristics of the object. (See Visiomutation for permanent changes of appearance.)

DYNAMOTHEOS STUDY GUIDE © Stella Petrolas

WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE TUNNEL and out onto the stadium field the next morning, Griffin is waiting for me next to the soccer goal—sure, in Greece they call it football, but my dad played football. The sport with a round, black-and-white ball will always be soccer to me. Griff smiles that heart-melting smile, gives me a quick kiss, and says, “I missed you, kardia tis kardias mou.”

Until that moment I have every intention of letting the whole Griffin-and-Adara-in-the-bookstore thing go. Not every guy is a cheating jerk like Justin.

But when he says he missed me, I wonder, Did he really?

I can’t stop myself from asking, “How was the trip to Serifos?”

“Oh,” he says. “We had to reschedule. The freezer malfunctioned and flooded the cellar. Aunt Lili and I spent the morning rearranging the stockroom.”

So he hadn’t left the island yesterday. “Is that why we’re running in the morning again?”

“Didn’t I say that?” He bends over, reaching for his toes.

No, he didn’t say that.