Wow. I am totally surprised that she isn't going to Oxford like everyone else. Like Griffinis. From what he says, pretty much everyone at the Academy goes there, since the school has an arrangement with the administration, if you're an Academy grad, you're in. No formal application required. That eliminates the background research on the applicants-and on the school.

"Hi, Adara," everyone says obediently.

She looks at Stella. "Your turn."

Stella takes a deep breath. "As I said before," she says, her cheerful voice wavering just a little. "I'm Stella. I'm a descendant of Hera. I graduated from the Academy last weekend-"

Everyone cheers, applauding her success. I roll my eyes. As if Stella's graduation hasn't been the number one topic in the Petrolas household for the last few weeks. By the time she walked acrossthe stage, I was ready to use her mortarboard to put myself out of my misery. I'm so over it.

"Thank you," she says, blushing. "And in the fall I will be matriculating at Oxford, where I intend to study economics."

I zone out while everyone oohs and ahhs. This is a story I know practically by heart. Instead, I imagine what life will be like without Stella in the house. Sure, we've only been housemates for a few months, but it feels like a lifetime. It's like I can't remember a time where she wasn't there to torment me daily. No more desperately rushing to the bathroom, only to find the door locked and the shower running. No more having her knock on my door before sunrise, her face covered in one of her rainbow array of face masks, demanding I return something I haven't borrowed-like I would borrow anything from her prep-trendy closet. No more facing her across the dinner table, worrying that my food will turn into something still living-and knowing I can't return the favor without it going terribly wrong. Life without Stella is going to be amazing. Like a birthday party every day.

Little tingles of happiness sparkle down my arms.

"Great Zeus," Miss Orivas cries.

My eyes snap back into focus. Everyone in the circle is staring, wide-eyed at Stella. If their mouths dropped any farther, they'd be cartoons.

A sense of dread shivers up my spine.

Slowly-in the hopes that maybe if I take my time it won't be as bad as I'm imagining-I turn to face Stella. Nope, it's my worst nightmare. The first morning of boot camp and I've already turnedStella into a birthday cake. Okay, not an actualbirthday cake. Just decorated like one.

"I'm so sorry," I blurt.

She has her eyes clenched shut-probably to keep the frosting from dripping into them-and I'm pretty sure her jaw is clenched, too. It's hard to tell under the swirls of blue icing. She is going to smote me faster than I can say-

"How did you do that?" Miss Orivas asks.

I shift nervously. "Um… I don't know… I-"

"What were you thinking about?"

Yeah, like I'm going to admit what I was thinking at that moment. Stetla would not only smote me, she'd make it so torturous that the six-day Marathon des Sables through the Sahara would feel like a stroll on the beach.

"I was thinking about my birthday," I cover. "It was a couple months ago and it was so much fun."

Miss Orivas nods in understanding. Of what exactly, I'm not sure. I know I don't understand.

"Phoebe Diane Castro." Stella's voice, gritted out through tightly clenched teeth, is icy cold and barely contained. If there weren't a dozen people here, she'd probably be screaming like a harpy. She takes a deep breath and then bursts into a bright glow.

I blink into the brightness and then, when I can see again, she's back to her perfect preppy self, there's a tiny blob of blue on her left shoulder, but I'm not about to point that out.

"You," she says, an uncomfortable smile on her face, "will learn how to control your powers in the next two weeks."

I'm ready for a threat-although I'm kinda surprised she'd incriminate herself in front of witnesses-but it never comes.

"You will be my pet project." She eyes me up and down. "If I can't turn you into a proper goddess, no one can."

I'm not sure which thought terrifies me more: the idea that I am about to become the focus of Stella's energy, or that I'm actually counting on her to succeed.

Chapter 4

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PSYCHOSPECTION


SOURCE: HERA


The ability to read the thoughts and emotions of others. Most hematheos can only sense general feelings, rather than specific, tangible thoughts. Descendants of Hera have the greatest affinity for this power and can often hear another's thoughts as if spoken aloud.


DYNAMOTHEOS STUDY GUIDE * Stella Petrolas

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________


GRIFITN IS WAITING FOR ME on the Academy steps when camp lets out for the second day-which wasn't any more exciting than the first day, unless you count Stella and Adara bickering over whether today's handout was supposed to be green or purple.

"Hi," I say, hurrying over to him and throwing my arms around his neck. "I didn't know you were meeting me here. I thought we were training at six today."

"We are," he replies, hugging me back, but looking totally unhappy.

Then you just stopped by to see me?" He can be so sweet, especially for a descendant of Ares. Nothing warlike about Griffin. Ofcourse there's the Hercules side of him. too. I lace my fingers through his. "I missed you."

He smiles nervously.

I can't tell what's going on in his head. You would think that after going out for nearly nine months, I'd have a little better insight into what makes his mind tick. But no. Hematheos guys aren't any easier to figure out than the regular ones.

Still, I can tell there's something he's not saying.

Damian's ability to read minds would sure come in handy right now.

"Actually"-he squeezes my hand-"I'm here to-"

His gaze shifts. His blue eyes look over my shoulder and he smiles.

Before I turn around, I know what I'm going to see.

"Hey, Dara." he says with a little wave.

Adara is standing at the base of the steps, just a few feet away. and looking disgustingly vulnerable. Where is the haughty lift of her brows? The disdainful smirk on her lips?

I frown. This must be her tactic-playing the victim about something so Griffin feels compelled to help her. He swears no one but me and Damian knows he's half descended from Hercules, so I'm sure she's not knowingly exploiting the heroic compulsion. But she's up to something. The stench of Steal Back My Boyfriendis overwhelming, even from this distance.

I'm kinda disappointed Griffin would even fall for this.

Turning back to me. he says. "Look. Phoebes, I need to talk to her. I'll catch up with you at six. okay?"

Then, before I can answer-by saying. "Um, excuse me?"-he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and then jogs over to Adara's side, leaving me in the dust. What is going on here? I feel like a total jealous witch, even though I knowthere is nothing romantic going on between them. I know that. Right? Not on his side, anyway. But Adara…?

Prepared to stake my claim, I start after them.

"Castro!" Stella's authoritative voice calls out, stopping me in my tracks with one foot hovering mid-stalk.

"Yes?" I squeak, twisting around to see her glaring down at me from the top of the steps.

With her fists on her hips and a determined look in her cool gray eyes, she looks like a girl on a mission. And I have a sinking feeling that Iam the mission.

"You and I need to chat." Clearly sensing I'm about to make some excuse, she adds, "Now."

With a glance at my boyfriend chatting with his ex I sigh. "Fine."

She stomps down the steps.

"Listen," she snaps. "I've been a Goddess Boot Camp counselor for three years, and I haven't failed a camper yet. I'm not about to start with you."

"So?" I ask. stealing a glance at Griffin and Adara. I nearly pounce when he puts his hand on her shoulder.

"So?"Stella repeats. "You pose a somewhat more"-she searches for the word-"challenging educational situation."

"Why is that?" I ask absently.

How can Griffin do that, knowing I'm right here watching them?

The ex-couple move down the path and 'round the corner of the building, disappearing from my sight. I can't believe this.

"Because-and it kills me to say this," Stella says, letting out a severely exasperated sigh, "you have the most natural power of any hematheos1 have ever known."

Griffin and Adara instantly forgotten, I turn on Stella.

"What?"

I can't have heard her right. That sounded like… a compliment.

"Most kids have trouble bringing their powers to the surface. Yours liveon the surface. They bubble out when you're not even trying."

Is that envy in her voice?

"That's highly unusual. Rare, even. Once you learn to harness them, you'll be at least as powerful as I am." She purses one side of her mouth, like she can't believe what she's about to say. "Maybe more."

"I'm sorry." I shake my head. That definitelysounded like a compliment. "What?"

"You heard me," she retorts. "I won't say it again."

"Wow," I say, in utter shock. Stella actually complimented me. I didn't think that was in her vocabulary. I'm surprised she didn't spontaneously combust at the effort.

"Earth to Phoebe," she says, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Focus on the bigger picture here, please."

I scowl. "How do you know what I'm focusing on?"

She just cocks her eyebrows, as if to say, How do you think?

Then it hits me. Her dad has this uncanny ability to read minds- or emotion- or whatever he's admitting to at the time. She probably inherited that talent from him.

'What, is reading minds like a Hera thing?"

"Didn't you review the study guide?" She crosses her arms over her chest, daring me to try sarcasm again. '"Psycbospection,.the ability to see into the minds of others, is a power derived from the queen of the gods."

"Oh." And I thought I was kidding.

That would be apretty cool power to have. No more trying to guess what Griffin is thinking or what Adara's motives are. Too bad I'm not a descendant of Hera.

"All hematheoshave this power," Stella says, answering my thoughts, "To some degree, anyway. It's how the powers thing works. In addition to a primary ability from your specific ancestor god, we have powers derived from all twelve Olympians-which you would know if you had read the study guide. The closer you are on the tree, the stronger allthe powers."

And I assumed the powers were more of a vague, limitless thing. I never thought about there being different kinds. Or where they came from.