by Kate O'Hearn
“Brutus, please,” Astraea said. “We can explain!”
“You can explain what you are doing walking around with a human in the middle of the night?”
“Yes, we can,” Astraea said. “I promise. But first, I need to touch your hand.” She reached out to the giant.
“Astraea, what are you doing?” Zephyr asked.
“Trust me, I have to do it,” Astraea said back.
“But if he’s one, as a giant, his touch could kill you—or he could squish us with his foot,” Cylus said.
Brutus huffed. “How dare you, Cylus. You know I would never hurt anyone. I should tell your mother what you just said.”
“Good luck with that!” Cylus shot back.
“Please, Brutus, just touch my hand and we can tell you,” Astraea said.
The giant frowned and reached out a massive finger to let Astraea touch it. When nothing happened, she grasped it with both hands and looked back at the others. “He’s safe.”
“Of course I am safe to be around,” Brutus said indignantly.
“I don’t mean that,” Astraea said apologetically. “I mean you’re you and not a Mimic.”
“What is a Mimic?”
“We should tell him,” Tryn said. “We need all the help we can get, but not here. Let’s get away from the palace. We don’t want Jupiter to see us.”
“See what?” Brutus said. “See that you are hiding a human?”
“That’s the least of our worries,” Zephyr said. “Come with us and we’ll tell you.”
They moved away from the palace and entered a large park lined with marble statues. The night dwellers were tending to the grounds but cleared away when Brutus settled down on the grass. He lay down to be closer to them. “All right, I am listening. . . .”
They stood beside the giant’s head and told him everything they’d been through, starting with the opening ceremonies, when Astraea had witnessed the capture of the human, up to Vulcan melting in the stable.
“If you go to the stable at my house, you’ll see what’s left of the Mimic Vulcan,” Zephyr said. “But don’t touch it without gloves, it’s still dangerous.”
Cylus remained silent through most of the exchange but came forward and lowered his head. “Brutus, please go to Vulcan’s forge and find Panis’s body. Take him somewhere safe until this is over. When we free his parents from Tartarus, they will want to see him and honor him properly.”
“Yes, do it, please,” Render agreed. “He doesn’t deserve to be left in the storeroom.”
Brutus sat up and looked around.
Astraea expected him to laugh at them or even accuse them of telling stories. Instead he rubbed his chin and nodded. He lay down again and spoke very softly. “I knew something was going on, but I was not sure what. So many strange things are happening.” His eyes were shadowed in sadness as he looked down on them. “Jupiter has ordered me to leave my post at Arcadia. I have been assigned to the outer zone of Olympia to keep watch over the nectar orchards. I am to leave here tomorrow.”
Astraea gasped and looked at Tryn. “You were right about Jupiter. This proves he’s a Mimic. The real Jupiter would never remove Brutus. But they’re sending him away so he can’t challenge them.”
“Do you really think Jupiter is one of those things?” Brutus asked.
“Mimics,” Tryn said. “They look like us, but if they touch you, you get weak. If they touch you too long, it’s deadly—that’s what happened to Panis.”
“I have never heard of such things,” Brutus said.
“That’s why we’re here,” Astraea said. “We’re hoping to use the arch in the palace to get to Xanadu to ask Emily Jacobs and Pegasus for help.”
Brutus nodded. “Do not forget Riza. She is powerful. This is a good idea, but it will not work.”
“Why not?” Tryn asked.
“Because Jupiter and Pluto have put armed guards all around the palace—you will never get in. That was why I was there. I was trying to figure out what I did wrong and was going to ask Jupiter. Now, with what you have told me, I understand. They don’t want me here. Perhaps the other giants and I are too big for them to duplicate.”
“It could be,” Tryn mused.
“We have to do something to get in,” Astraea insisted. “That arch is the only way to get to Xanadu unless you know another way.”
Brutus shook his head. “No, it is the only way. Riza saw to that.”
“Could you help us?” Zephyr asked. “Maybe you could cause a distraction or something. While the guards are going after you, we could sneak into the palace and use the arch.”
Brutus considered and then nodded. “That might work. I have nothing to lose by trying, as I have already been dishonored by being removed from my position at Arcadia.”
“There is no dishonor for you,” Tryn said. “It is them. You would be a formidable opponent and they know it.”
“Well, removing me is not going to work,” Brutus said. “If those Mimics are planning to take Titus, they are in for a fight. While you go to Xanadu, I shall reach out to the other giants and the Hundred-handers. We will stop them.”
“No, Brutus, you can’t fight them now,” Astraea said. “They are very powerful, and we’re not sure who is a Mimic and who is real. Please wait until we’re back from Xanadu with the others.”
Brutus rubbed his chin and nodded. “All right, I see your point. Head back to the palace. I shall be there shortly and will distract everyone. Just be ready to move when I give the signal.”
“What signal?” Tryn asked.
Brutus grinned, revealing large white teeth. “You will understand soon enough. Now when this starts, stay to the left side of the palace where the arch is. Do not deviate from that or you may be hurt.”
“What are you planning?” Astraea asked.
Brutus chuckled. “You will see. Get moving and good luck.”
“You too!” Astraea called. “And thank you!”
They ran out of the park and made their way back to the palace. They ducked behind a row of flowering shrubs not too far from the palace steps. When they peered around, they saw what Brutus was talking about. Guards with swords had been posted all around the building.
“What do they need swords for if they can kill you by grabbing you?” Cylus asked.
“I bet it’s for show,” Zephyr said. “To make them look like Titans.”
The sound of stomping started from behind them. They all turned and saw Brutus staggering down the street. Astraea started to frown. “Is he . . .”
“He looks like he’s drunk as a skunk!” Jake cried.
Soon Brutus started to sing with a thunderous voice that could be heard for miles. He staggered closer and stumbled, nearly falling onto a building.
“This is his distraction,” Astraea said.
“But it’s not working,” Darek said. “Look, the palace guards aren’t moving. . . .”
The words were no sooner out of Darek’s mouth when Brutus let out a thunderous belch and then stumbled again. He tried to right himself but tripped over his own feet. Tumbling forward, the enormous giant started to fall.
“He’s going down!” Tryn cried.
“Go . . . ooo . . . ,” Brutus bellowed in a drunken voice.
Moments later the giant crashed down onto the roof of Jupiter’s palace and took the entire right side of the building with him. All the guards abandoned their posts and ran toward the immense cloud of dust and rubble.
The doors of the palace burst open as people poured out and ran away from the crumbling building.
“He did it!” Tryn called. “Come on, now’s our chance.”
They left their cover and raced up the steps. The whole area was in an uproar as Brutus’s loud, drunken laughter and singing continued. The giant tried to rise but belched and fell back down into the palace, causing even more damage. Everyone around them was so focused on fleeing the disaster that they failed to notice the group entering the building.
�
�It’s this way,” Tryn called.
Choking dust filled the grand marble entrance, making it difficult to see. Astraea had only been to the palace a few times in her life, but she had never been invited into the council chambers. Following behind Tryn, they all crossed the spacious foyer and ran through the tall double doors to the chamber.
Astraea nearly ran straight into Tryn’s back as he stopped abruptly. Ahead of them lay complete destruction. The arch had been knocked down and lay in hundreds of broken pieces on the marble floor.
“That idiot giant broke the arch!” Cylus called furiously as he clopped up to a piece of stone.
“He didn’t do it,” Tryn said. “The Mimics did. Look around you. Nothing else has been disturbed. This was done days ago. You can see by the way the floor has been cleaned around the pieces.”
“What does it mean?” Zephyr asked.
Tryn looked at everyone. “It means we’re on our own against the Mimics. No one from Xanadu can help us.”
30
THEY FLED THE PALACE BEFORE the guards could spot them. Outside it was still pandemonium as Brutus sang at the top of his gigantic lungs and flailed his arms around, causing even more damage to the palace.
“Thank you, Brutus,” Astraea called softly as they ran away from the area.
After they made it back to the stable, it took them ages to clear up the mess that was Mimic Vulcan. While they worked, they started to draw up their next plan.
“So we know we have to fight them on our own. But how?” Cylus said.
“Yeah, every time they touch us, we collapse,” Render said. “It felt terrible; I don’t want it to ever happen again.”
“We have to find some kind of weapon against them that doesn’t require us touching them,” Astraea said.
“We have our weapon,” Jake said. “We just have to find a way to use it without hurting Nesso.” He was holding the snake in his hands and stroking her. He tilted his head to the side. “You know, back home they milk poisonous snakes for their venom to make medicine. I wonder if we could do the same with Nesso. That way we can use her venom, but she wouldn’t have to bite the Mimics and get sick.”
Cylus approached Jake, slapping him on the back so hard that he nearly knocked him over. “You’re pretty smart for a dumb human. Now you’re thinking like a warrior.”
“And you’re pretty strong for a half-naked boy-horse,” Jake said.
“Boy-horse?” Cylus raged. “I’m a centaur!”
“No, you’re a bully,” Astraea said. “All centaurs are.”
“We’re not bullies,” Darek called.
Astraea sighed. Centaurs were known for being strong—and for being natural bullies. They played rough and fought even rougher. Cylus and his herd lived up to the reputation, even if they didn’t realize it.
“All right, I’m sorry I called you bullies,” Astraea said. “But please, don’t hit Jake again. He’s human and they’re very fragile. You could really hurt him.”
Jake stood up. “I’m fine, Astraea. You don’t need to fight for me.”
Astraea raised her eyebrows. “Against the centaurs? Trust me, I do.”
“All right,” Cylus said. “We won’t hit the stupid human again, even though he deserves it.”
“And don’t call him stupid, either,” Zephyr added. “I told you, that’s my job.”
Jake looked at Zephyr and then said to Astraea, “What did she just say?”
Astraea grinned. “She told them not to call you stupid.”
“Hey, thanks, Zephyr,” Jake said.
Zephyr snorted at Astraea. “We really need to work on all those lies you keep telling him.”
The long night ended and the sun was up as they continued to refine their plan. It was almost midday before the centaurs prepared to leave.
“All right, so we all know what we are doing?” Astraea said.
Cylus nodded. “Yes. My herd and I are going to talk to the other students to see who has parents acting weird, so we can work out how many Mimics are already here.”
“Good,” Astraea said. “Zephyr and I are going to start looking at the teachers. We’ll try to figure out who we think is real and who might be a Mimic. Then we can decide who we want to tell.”
Tryn held up a small container of Mimic goo. “I am going to take this back to my dorm room and work on figuring out what those Mimics really are. My mother was a science officer, and I brought some equipment with me.”
“And Nesso and I are going to stay here and collect venom for weapons,” Jake said.
“Yesss . . . ,” Nesso agreed. “I can help.”
“Yes, you can,” Jake said. He kissed Nesso softly on the top of her scaled head.
“Oh, that is completely disgusting,” Cylus said. “Don’t do that again—at least not in front of me. It makes me want to hit you again.”
“But you won’t,” Astraea warned.
“No,” Cylus finally said. “I won’t.”
“So we all have our jobs,” Tryn said. “Remember, no one is to talk to anyone about Vulcan, Panis, or what happened at the palace. We don’t want a wrong word getting back to the Mimics. So we know nothing.”
Cylus huffed. “Do you think we’re stupid or something? Of course we won’t say anything.”
“I’m not calling you stupid,” Tryn said. “But after last night, we know just how dangerous these Mimics are. We all have to be careful.”
Astraea agreed. “Yes, one mistake and we’re all dead.”
When the centaurs left, Astraea and the others headed back into the house. Astraea pulled out the ambrosia cake, and Zephyr offered nectar.
While they ate, Tryn remained especially quiet. He was studying the ring. Finally he rose and approached the large kitchen wall. “I really thought this was a Solar Stream gem. It looks just like Emily’s.” He put on the ring and pointed it at the wall. “Xanadu!”
Just like before, nothing happened.
Jake stood up. “Maybe you’re not saying it right. They didn’t speak our language, remember?”
“It shouldn’t only work in their language,” Tryn said. He frowned and pointed the ring at the wall again. “Earth.”
The ring hummed, and then the wall in front of them exploded in a circle of blazing white light. A swirling vortex flashed within the light. Jake jumped back and nearly fell over. “Whoa, that . . . is . . . awesome!”
Tryn grinned. “I was right. This is a Solar Stream gem!” He lowered his hand and it automatically closed the opening. Holding it up again, he said, “Xanadu.” Once again, nothing happened. “So Xanadu is blocked somehow,” he observed.
“So, like, could that ring send me home?” Jake asked.
“Yes,” Tryn said softly. “If you really wish to return to Earth now, we won’t stop you.” He held up his hand again. “Earth, Los Angeles, California.”
The Solar Stream opened again.
Astraea said, “Jake, are you leaving us?”
Jake looked back at her. “Me leaving? No way. I’m staying to find Molly and fight those Mimics. I just wanted to see if it would work.”
Tryn’s face brightened. “So you’re staying?”
“ ’Course, dude,” Jake said, playfully smacking him on the back. “Besides, I can’t go anywhere until we figure out how to get Nesso home.”
The snake was back in her usual place around his neck. “But my home isss with you, Jake,” she hissed softly. “We are one now.”
“Aw, Nesso.” Jake blushed. “I feel the same.” He walked away from the blazing light of the Solar Stream and sat down. He handed a small piece of ambrosia to the snake.
Astraea was still standing beside Tryn. “Try Tartarus.”
Tryn nodded and lowered his hand to close the Solar Stream. He raised it again and called, “Tartarus.” Once again, the Solar Stream opened.
“Yes!” Zephyr cried. “At least we can free the others. I wonder if that ring is limited to just a few places or maybe where the Mimics have been. If it
is, it might make it easier for us to find where Nesso comes from. Then we could bring more of her friends here to help.”
Tryn looked at Zephyr in wonder. “I should have thought of that. We can use it to go to Nesso’s world.”
“So why didn’t you?” Zephyr teased. “You’re the one with the family from across the universe. You said your mother was a scientist and you love all this science stuff.”
Tryn shook his head. “I know. My mother would be horrified if she found out.”
Jake mused aloud, “That ring might get us to Nesso’s world, but if we don’t know what it’s called, how can we make it work?”
“Please, one problem at a time!” Astraea cried. “We should get to school. We’ve missed the morning already.” She looked at Jake. “Will you be all right on your own here?”
He nodded. “Go and see how many teachers have been replaced. Nesso and I will start collecting venom.”
Astraea was reluctant to leave Jake, but they all had their jobs to do. By the time she, Zephyr, and Tryn made it to school, the lunch break was ending, and they caught up with their classes for the afternoon session.
The first class after lunch was dance, taught by the Muse Terpsichore. Astraea felt awkward and clumsy, but as she watched, she saw Terpsichore touching the students to direct them into a correct movement.
“She’s not a Mimic,” Astraea whispered to Tryn when they passed each other.
Tryn stopped dancing and considered. “She has no real authority here. So it’s true that they are only taking people of power for the first round.”
“Until they’re all gone,” Astraea finished.
The next class they had to attend was the one taught by Vulcan. As Astraea and Tryn met Zephyr there, they wondered what would happen, considering Vulcan was now a puddle of goo.
Cylus and his herd were already in their area when Astraea and her friends entered. They looked at each other briefly, but then looked away.
Astraea leaned into Tryn. “I wonder who they will get to teach the class.”
“I don’t know,” Tryn answered softly. “The big question is, will it be a Mimic?”
They were all settled and waiting when the class door opened.