When she stopped in front of the fountain, her BFFs did too. Gazing into the water, she called out, “Hey, Minthe! Come out and meet my friends!”
Instantly, the beautiful green-haired water nymph materialized in the pool at the bottom of the fountain. With a graceful movement she rose to stand and extended her hands toward the girls.
“Hi. Nice to meet you all. Welcome to my fountain.” There was a joyful sparkle in her dark eyes as she said to Persephone, “I absolutely love it here! Thank you for convincing Zeus to let me come live at MOA. Did you notice the new pattern of the dancing waters? My idea!”
“You did that? It’s awesome,” said Persephone. “And you’ve spruced things up. This fountain has never looked better.”
“Thanks,” Minthe replied almost shyly. “My river was too overwhelming for me—so big and dirty. I didn’t know how to even begin to take care of it. But this fountain is beautiful and will be a cinch to keep clean. I’ve got more ideas for new water dances and mosaic decorations too!”
When Minthe had named MOA as the place she’d most want to live, Persephone had immediately thought of this fountain. It was the perfect home for the nymph. Luckily, Hades had agreed to let the nymph leave the Underworld. And after a quick exchange of magic-breeze messages, he and Persephone had gotten permission from Zeus and Poseidon for Minthe to live in the fountain.
From within its shallow waters Minthe could see students walking to and fro from the Academy to the sports fields and the gymnasium. She could watch them playing ball games on the lawn. And she could chat with and get to know those who often perched on the edge of the stone fountain’s pool to rest and relax. Which was what Persephone and her friends did now.
As they struck up a conversation with Minthe about the various students and teachers and classes at MOA, a ball suddenly splash-landed in the pool. Kydoimos raced over to the base of the fountain. “Oops. Sorry Minthe!” Ignoring the other girls, he grinned at the nymph. “You’d think my aim would get better, but I just keep chucking that ball in.”
“No problem, Ky,” Minthe replied, fishing it out.
Ky? The other girls exchanged amused looks. Persephone waited for Kydoimos to get mad and make some snarky comment. But he actually seemed pleased with the nickname Minthe had given him. Smiling back at the godboy, the nymph held the ball out to him. His hand brushed hers when he took it from her, and they both blushed. “Later, then,” said “Ky” before running off.
“You do know his aim is just fine, right?” Aphrodite said to Minthe when Kydoimos was out of earshot.
“Yeah,” said Artemis, “He’s tossing that ball into your fountain on purpose.”
“Because he’s crushing on you,” said Athena, as if to make things perfectly clear.
Minthe blushed again. “Do you really think so?”
Aphrodite arched an eyebrow at the nymph. “Trust me, as the goddessgirl of love I’ve got a sixth sense about these things.”
Minthe sighed dreamily. “Awesome. I think Ky’s sweet.”
Artemis was sitting next to Persephone. Leaning forward, she whispered in her ear, “Minthe may well be the first girl to ever think that about Kydoimos in the history of the world.”
Persephone had to stifle a giggle. To tell the truth, she’d been a bit worried that Minthe’s crush on Hades might continue to be a problem, since she’d probably see him just as much here at MOA as she did in the Underworld. But now it seemed that she’d transferred her crush to Kydoimos, who luckily returned her affection!
As the other girls continued to chat, Persephone became lost in reflection. She was pleased with herself for learning to see beyond the expected. Not only when it came to the existence of white blackbirds (she couldn’t wait to ask Muse Urania if Pausanias had seen what he expected to see when he’d almost certainly identified a snow finch as a white blackbird), but in people’s actions and behavior, too. It was a real skill!
Other people’s behavior—not just Minthe’s, Makhai’s, Kydoimos’s and Pirithous’s—was much less puzzling (or aggravating!) when, instead of judging them, you tried to put yourself in their sandals and think how you might feel in their place.
Feeling the warm sun on her back, Persephone trailed a hand in the cool waters of the fountain’s pool. A group of giggling girls who were walking toward the sports fields had begun to turn cartwheels across the lawn. One of them was Antheia. She did a double take when she caught sight on Minthe in the fountain, but then she saw Persephone and smiled and waved.
Knowing Antheia, she’d be quick to forgive Minthe for what had happened back at the River Cocytus. In fact, maybe she already had. Persephone smiled and waved back at the girl, feeling truly grateful for all she had—her friends, her school, her immortality, and… well… everything!
More from this Series
The Girl Games
Athena the Brain
Persephone the Phony
Book 2
Aphrodite the Beauty
Book 3
More from the Authors
Skade and the Enchanted…
Idun and the Apples of…
About the Authors
JOAN HOLUB is the New York Times bestselling author of over 150 books for young readers, including Little Red Writing, Zero the Hero, Mighty Dads, This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer, and What Is the Statue of Liberty? She also coauthors the Thunder Girls series with the amazing Suzanne. Visit her at joanholub.com.
SUZANNE WILLIAMS is a former elementary school librarian and the author of over seventy books for children, including the award-winning picture books Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) and My Dog Never Says Please (illustrated by Tedd Arnold) and several chapter book and middle-grade series. She also coauthors the Thunder Girls series with the fantastic Joan. Visit her at suzanne-williams.com.
Aladdin
Simon & Schuster, New York
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www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Joan-Holub
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READ ALL THE BOOKS IN THE GODDESS GIRLS SERIES!
ATHENA THE BRAIN
PERSEPHONE THE PHONY
APHRODITE THE BEAUTY
ARTEMIS THE BRAVE
ATHENA THE WISE
APHRODITE THE DIVA
MEDUSA THE MEAN
GODDESS GIRLS SUPER SPECIAL:
THE GIRL GAMES
PANDORA THE CURIOUS
PHEME THE GOSSIP
PERSEPHONE THE DARING
CASSANDRA THE LUCKY
ATHENA THE PROUD
IRIS THE COLORFUL
APHRODITE THE FAIR
MEDUSA THE RICH
AMPHITRITE THE BUBBLY
HESTIA THE INVISIBLE
ECHO THE COPYCAT
CALLIOPE THE MUSE
PALLAS THE PAL
NYX THE MYSTERIOUS
MEDEA THE ENCHANTRESS
EOS THE LIGHTHEARTED
CLOTHO THE FATE
PERSEPHONE THE GRATEFUL
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
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First Aladdin paperback edition December 2020
Text copyright © 2020 by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Cover illustration copyright © 2020 by Glen Hanson
Also available in an Aladdin hardcover edition.
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Cover designed by Tiara Iandiorio
Interior designed by Hilary Zarycky
Series designed by Karin Paprocki
Library of Congress Control Number 2020937981
ISBN 978-1-5344-5740-9 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-5344-5739-3 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-5344-5741-6 (eBook)