I bit back a growl. I needed to know what room Oliver was in, and I couldn't exactly go up to the Spartan and ask him. I opened my mouth to plead with the clerk some more when a voice spoke up behind me.
"Actually, Valerie, it's my phone that got lost. Gwen was nice enough to come over here and ask about it for me."
Morgan McDougall stepped up beside me, looking gorgeous in a form-fitting, mint green snowsuit. I eyed the other girl, wondering what she was doing-and why she was trying to help me.
The clerk's face creased into a smile. "Oh, hi, Morgan. I haven't seen you around much this weekend."
The Valkyrie shrugged. "I've been busy-like usual. Lots of fresh blood at the New York academy this year, if you know what I mean."
She winked at the clerk, and both of them dissolved into a fit of giggles. I just stood there, feeling awkward and stupid.
"Anyway," Morgan said, pulling a hundred-dollar bill out of the pocket of her snowsuit and sliding it across the counter. The motion made green sparks of magic shoot off the Valkyrie's fingertips. "Do you think you can help me out? Because Gwen's right. My parents will kill me if I lose another phone this year."
The clerk took the money as smoothly as the Valkyrie had offered it and gave her another smile. "What's his name?"
Morgan raised her eyebrows and looked at me. "Yes, whatwashis name, Gwen? I can't remember."
"Oliver," I said. "Oliver Hector."
Morgan's eyebrows shot up a little higher on her face, and she gave me a really weird look, but she didn't say anything. The clerk, Valerie, hit a few buttons on her computer and told us that Oliver was in room 822. Morgan thanked her, and the two of us strolled away from the registration desk. I waited until we were halfway across the lobby, right next to the statue of Skadi, before I turned and looked at her.
"Why did you do that?" I asked.
Morgan shrugged. "There are some advantages to being the school slut."
For a moment the Valkyrie stared at me, a strange light flaring in her hazel eyes, almost like she wanted to say something to me, wanted to talk to me about something. I wondered if it was about what had happened the night Jasmine had almost sacrificed her in the Library of Antiquities.
But then Morgan clamped her lips shut. She stalked off across the lobby and headed outside-alone.
Strange.Very strange. But the Valkyrie had gotten me the information I needed. I supposed I should be grateful to her for that, although I still couldn't imagine why she'd helped me in the first place. Yeah, maybe I'd saved her from being murdered by her best friend, but I didn't know if Morgan even remembered what had happened that night. Maybe she'd figured out some of what had gone down, though. That was the only reason I could think of to explain all the strange looks she gave me.
But what Morgan did or didn't know wasn't important, not right now, so I pushed away all thoughts of the Valkyrie. It was time to gear up for the next phase of my plan. Now that I knew which room Oliver was in, I just needed to swipe his key card-or his roommate's.
Chapter 18
Kenzie Tanaka never saw me coming.
Thanks to all the texts the students constantly sent out on the Mythos network, I was able to track him down in one of the hotel restaurants. The Spartan was having what looked like a very private, verycozybreakfast with Talia Pizarro when I walked by and accidentally-on-purpose spilled my extra-large spiced apple cider all over their blueberry, ricotta-cheese pancakes and strawberry shortcake waffles.
"Oops! I'm so sorry!" I said, bumping the table with my hip and making the cider slop everywhere.
Both Kenzie and Talia shoved their chairs back and leapt to their feet, Talia quite a bit faster than Kenzie, since she had her Amazon superspeed working for her.
"Geez, Gwen!" Talia snapped. "Watch where you're going!"
"Sorry, sorry, it's my fault. Totally my fault. Here, let me clean it up."
I used the napkins I'd gotten along with the cider and started dabbing at the puddles of liquid on the table. Kenzie and Talia stepped back and checked to make sure they hadn't gotten any of the sticky cider on their clothes. I moved from one side of the table to the other, bumping the chair Kenzie had thrown his leather jacket over and making the garment fall to the floor.
I fussed over the cider on the table for a couple of minutes, working until it was all cleaned up and chattering on the whole time about how sorry I was for ruining their breakfast. Talia rolled her dark eyes at Kenzie, and he shook his head in return. I'd totally annoyed them, which was exactly what I'd wanted to do. Annoyed people didn't pay much attention to details, like the fact that I slipped my right hand into one of the pockets on Kenzie's jacket while I used my left hand to wipe cider out of the chairs.
Finally, I finished cleaning up and gave them another sheepish smile. Then I leaned down, grabbed Kenzie's jacket, and handed it to him.
"Come on, Talia," Kenzie said, glaring at me as he grabbed his leather jacket and put it on. "Let's get out of here before Gwen decides to spill something else on us."
I gave them another apologetic smile as they stormed away. The two of them didn't see me stick my hand into the pocket of my purple hoodie and draw out a small, white, plastic card.
From our time training together, I knew that Kenzie always kept his wallet in his right jacket pocket, and it hadn't been too much of a stretch to think he'd put his key card in there too. For once, I'd actually gotten lucky, and the card had just been loose in the pocket, instead of tucked away inside his wallet.
"Room 822, here I come," I whispered.
I discreetly trailed Kenzie and Talia back to the hotel lobby and stepped behind a cedar tree, so they wouldn't see me. Oliver was waiting by the main door for them, just like I'd hoped he would be. I needed both of the Spartans to be out of the room while I searched it.
"What took you guys so long?" Oliver asked, frowning. "We were supposed to leave for the slopes five minutes ago."
I didn't hear Kenzie's reply, but I didn't really need to. I could imagine what he was saying about me right now. Gwen Frost, that clumsy Gypsy girl. The three of them walked outside and headed toward the alpine village. I eased over to the door and peered through the glass. If they were going skiing, I doubted they'd be coming back anytime soon. Good. I turned and headed for the elevators.
Before I went to Oliver's room, I had one more thing to do. I rode the elevator up to the thirteenth floor, went into my own room, and grabbed Vic off the bed. Whether or not Oliver was a Reaper, someone had almost killed me four times now, and I wanted to be prepared in case he tried again. Besides, it would be just my luck that Oliver would come back to his room for some reason before I'd found the notebook. Whatever happened, I figured it would be better to have the sword with me than not.
Vic's eye snapped open when I picked up the black leather scabbard with him in it.
"I know that maniacal twinkle in your eye. You're up to something, Gwen," he said. "What is it? And is there any chance I'll get to kill something today? Like a Reaper, perhaps?"
"If everything goes to plan, then no, you won't get to kill something today," I said, unzipping my hoodie. "But we might be able to catch the guy who's been trying to murder me."