by Linsey Hall
“Our weapons won’t work on them,” Maximus said. “They’re just dirt.”
“I’ve got this.” Bree flew up high, her magic swelling on the air. Lightning shot, bright and fierce, plowing into the nearest wolf. Thunder followed, cracking in my ears, but the wolves kept running, totally unaffected.
“They aren’t alive,” I said. “I don’t think we can kill them by normal means.”
They pounded closer, only sixty yards away now. Maybe less. Cold fear prickled my skin.
“Let me try.” Ana held out her hands, her magic flaring. She could use her Druid magic to control the earth, and she was clearly trying to influence the wolves. They kept plowing toward us, though, their footsteps shaking the ground. Ana grimaced and sweat dripped down her temple, but nothing changed.
“It doesn’t work.” She lowered her hands.
The wolves were nearly upon us.
“Better run,” Maximus said.
I sucked in a deep breath, getting ready. Then we sprinted. We split up, darting different directions to confuse the wolves. The Menacing Menagerie ran circles around them. But they were smart and fast.
The wolves rampaged, trying to stomp us into the dirt. One of them nearly got me once, the vibrations of his footsteps through the ground almost sending me to my knees. Bree and Ana took to the sky, trying to distract him, but it didn’t work. Every blow they landed had no effect.
Shit, nothing was working.
My heart thundered and my muscles ached as we tried to outrun the beasts, but they kept blocking us from the temple.
How the heck was I going to stop them?
I eyed the ocean. At first, I’d thought it was too far, but I was desperate enough to try.
I reached for the water with my magic, straining because it was so far off. I could barely feel it. I pushed harder, trying to call the water to me. Sweat dripped down my back. Finally, I caught hold of it. I forced a plume of water to rise up from the ocean and rush toward us.
“Clear out, Maximus!” I shouted. “You too, Menagerie!”
They all darted away from the wolves. Bree and Ana did the same. I sprinted to the right, and the wolves followed. It took everything I had to send the blast of water right at them. It sprayed me in the face as it plowed into them and turned them to mud. They collapsed, washing away in a tidal wave of thick brown sludge. It piled up around my boots and then my knees.
Oh fates, it was deep.
Maximus and the Menacing Menagerie had sprinted toward the temple, so they were out of the way of danger, but it was rising higher and higher around me, dragging at me, trying to pull me under.
My heart thundered and my skin turned to ice.
Panic tightened my throat as I looked up.
Ana swooped down toward me, her black crow form glinting in the light. She got as low as she could, and I reached up and grabbed onto one of her curled talons. She pushed her wings hard, soaring upward and plucking me out of the mud.
We sailed over the river of sludge, and she dropped me on the upslope of the next hill, right next to Maximus. I panted, propping my hands on my muddy thighs.
“Nicely done,” he said.
“It was close.” I straightened.
My sisters landed next to me. We were only about forty yards from the temple. Dark magic rolled out from it, and the roof glowed brighter than ever.
“Let’s go.” I started up the hill, running as quickly and silently as I could, though our cover was probably blown.
As we approached the temple, it loomed tall above us. Massive white columns supported the huge roofs. When five minotaurs stepped out from behind the columns, each at least eight feet tall and wielding a broadsword, I didn’t even slow. Though I did wish I had my potion bombs.
I pulled my electric sword from the ether and charged the nearest minotaur. His ugly bull face was adorned with horns and fangs, and pure evil glinted in his black eyes.
Oh yeah, these guys were from hell all right.
Minotaurs were just an ancient breed of Greek demon, and I wondered how the witches had enlisted them. They were notoriously hard to hire.
Bree’s lightning cracked through the air, while Ana dived down in her crow form to attack with her claws. Maximus swung his sword, going head-to-head with two minotaurs. The Menacing Menagerie had ganged up on one minotaur, with Poppy going for the eyes while Eloise struck for the throat. Romeo had leapt onto his head, where he beat at the minotaur’s skull.
I lunged for the one nearest me, swiping out with my blade. He dodged backward, but I followed, fast and determined. Whatever was happening inside that temple, I had to stop it.
The beast sliced at me with his wide blade, the steel glinting wickedly. I darted right, but too slowly. The thing sliced me across the thigh, and blood welled.
I ignored the pain, lunging again and going for his throat. I was too short, and the tip of my blade cut a bright red line across his chest. He roared, swiping out with his claws, and I danced backward. As he raised his sword to strike again, I put on a last burst of speed and sank my blade into his stomach.
His eyes widened, and he made a gurgling noise. I grimaced and yanked my blade out, letting him fall backward onto the stairs.
Maximus had taken out his two minotaurs, and a few other bodies lay scattered, courtesy of Ana and Bree. No guards were left standing, so I charged up the stairs. Maximus kept stride with me, and my sisters followed.
Bree landed on the stairs, folding in her silver wings, while Ana shifted from crow to human, racing up alongside us. The Menacing Menagerie climbed swiftly, their eyes alert and tails raised high. The huge entryway to the temple was open, revealing a massive space.
Before we stepped through, I leaned down to Romeo. “Stay away from the danger, but grab the Truth Teller if you can. It looks like a golden egg. Then get out of here.”
He nodded his little head, his black eyes determined.
“And remember,” I said. “If it gets too dangerous, bail.”
All three animals scoffed, ignoring me.
I stepped into the temple, taking it all in.
In the middle, a massive dark cloud rose up. The two witches stood around it, their black hair floating eerily around their heads. I squinted at the vision in the cloud, only able to make out terrifying black mountains and lightning. What were they looking at? There was clearly more detail in the image, but I couldn’t see it from here.
A loud hiss from the right side of the temple broke their concentration, and they whirled to glare at us. I looked between them and the animal that had made the hissing noise.
A massive eight-headed snake slithered toward us, glittery green eyes glued on my sisters. Bree’s silver wings sprouted from her back, and she burst into the air, her sword raised. She flew right for the snake and sliced out with her blade, cleanly removing one of the heads.
She swooped away, avoiding the other striking heads. Within seconds, the head that she had severed grew back as two more.
“Crap! A Hydra!” How the hell were we going to kill it?
A memory of the battle at the Colosseum flashed through my mind. Of me, slicing through the giant’s leg with my electric blade. A blade like that might cauterize the wound, making it impossible for two heads to grow back.
I drew the sword from the ether and shouted, “Ana! Catch!”
She turned, her eyes wide. I tossed the sword to her, and she caught it by the hilt.
She nodded. “On it!”
Next to her, Maximus conjured his own sword. “I’ll distract it while Bree and Ana go in for the kill.”
Ana tossed the blade to Bree, who was still hovering in the air. She darted toward the Hydra, then sliced out with her blade and removed a head.
I didn’t stick around to see if it worked. If it failed, I was sure I would hear about it. And I was certain that ignoring the witches would be a real bad idea.
I turned to face them. The dark image had fallen away from behind them, revealing the golden Trut
h Teller, sitting alone on a pedestal.
The witches glared at me, their purple eyes flashing and their hair floating around their heads. They rose up on their tiptoes, some kind of dark magic helping them to float across the floor as their tattered gray dresses dragged behind them. A shiver rolled down my spine.
As they raised their hands, dark magic crackled. I swallowed hard, waiting to see what they would send at me. When the bright orange flame burst forth, I lunged backward.
They sent it roaring toward me, a wave of fire. From behind them, I could see the Menacing Menagerie creeping toward the Truth Teller.
Excellent. I just had to stay alive and keep everyone else alive while they did that.
The fire was a problem, though. It rushed toward me as a wall, hot and fierce. This was no illusion. I dived left, narrowly avoiding it. On the far side of the temple, my sisters and Maximus battled the Hydra, which was presumably the witches’ bodyguard. If they could just keep it off me long enough…
I called upon my magic, reaching for the sea. I’d douse their flame with the ocean.
But the ocean didn’t respond.
It was too far away.
Definitely too far away.
Shit.
Panic sent my heart racing. The wall of flame was closing in on me, encircling me. The heat was insane, almost driving me to my knees.
I needed water. Something to douse it with.
The clouds.
The idea popped into my head. That might work. I called upon my new magic, focusing on the image of a cloud in my mind. I called upon a rainstorm, forming a massive cloud right overhead. It was hard at first, the magical equivalent of pulling teeth. But the cloud grew and grew.
The flames grew and grew, too.
They were nearly to me when the clouds finally released their downpour, snuffing out the flames. Steam rose around me, almost as hot as the fire itself. I curled into a ball, protecting my face.
When it faded, I jumped up, my throat burning from the heat. I squinted through the steam, finally catching sight of the witches.
They drifted closer to me, floating along on their toes, their purple eyes glinting with evil.
“What are you?” I screamed.
Twin smiles stretched across their faces. “We are the Stryx, and we are here to claim what is ours.”
“What the hell does that even mean?” Fear and rage coiled within me.
They raised their hands and sent a blast of magic at me. I dived left, but it was too fast. Too strong.
The sonic boom plowed into me, throwing me back against the ground. My head spun as I gasped, trying to catch my breath. I felt like my insides had been pulverized.
I couldn’t see them, but they had to be coming closer.
Aching, I dragged myself to my feet. The witches were nearly to me, still floating creepily in the air. They raised their hands again, ready to smack me with another blast.
The idea just pissed me off. I wasn’t their plaything.
Electric anger filled me, making me vibrate with rage. It surged through my chest, filling my limbs. I shook with it, so hot and pissed that I felt like I was a lightning bolt.
Energy crackled from me, and I felt my hair stand on end.
The witches’ purple eyes widened, shock paling their faces.
Hang on…
I looked down at myself, realized that I actually was crackling with energy. Electricity shot up and down my arms, bright and bold.
Holy crap, I was a human lightning bolt.
I looked up, then charged, sprinting toward the witches as fast as I could. The one on the right acted quickly, throwing up her hands and creating a white force field.
I plowed right through it, spreading out my arms so I slammed into both witches. The shock made them screech. It also tore through me, pain lighting me up.
We tumbled to the ground in a pile. They shook from the electricity, but I couldn’t hold on to them for long. It hurt too badly for me as well.
I yanked my arms back and curled in on myself, aching all over. The witches rolled away from me, scrambling to their feet. I forced myself to rise, to follow them, but they were too fast.
They shifted back into their winged forms and launched themselves into the air, then swooped out through the wide doorway.
Panting, I stared after them.
They’d decided to cut their losses and run. Or they’d gotten what they’d wanted from the Truth Teller.
Aching, my lungs heaving, I turned in a circle. On the far side of the temple sat the Menacing Menagerie, Eloise clutching the Truth Teller proudly. On the other side were my sisters and Maximus. Bree chopped off the last Hydra head, and Maximus kicked the thing in the chest, sending it flying backward. The monster slumped against the wall, headless, then disappeared in a poof of black magic.
The temple went silent.
I stood, exhausted, and surveyed my companions. Wounded, but standing upright. I considered that a big victory. They staggered over to me. The Menagerie followed, and Eloise handed the Truth Teller to me.
I leaned down and took it, the heavy weight cool in my hand. “Thanks, guys.”
They nodded, looking tired. Their fur was a bit singed in places.
“I couldn’t hope for better sidekicks.”
That got me three toothy grins.
“Where’d the witches go?” Ana asked, her right hand pressed to a wound on her left arm.
“I don’t know.” I sat down hard on the marble floor, no longer quite able to hold myself upright. “Apparently I’m a human lightning bolt, and they didn’t want a hug.”
“A hug?” Bree choked on a laugh.
“Yeah. I give terrible hugs.” I lay back on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. “Anyone know what a Stryx is?”
“No,” Ana said. “But I bet we can find out.”
“Good, because I think that’s what we’re fighting. And I think they got what they wanted from the Truth Teller, too.”
“That sounds like very bad news.” Maximus sat next to me. He draped his arm around my shoulders, his expression concerned.
“I think it is.”
15
We arrived back on the Protectorate lawn about thirty minutes later. It’d taken me a while to recover from the electricity trick I’d pulled, and I still had no idea how I’d done it.
Finally, Maximus had had to drag me up off the ground. Even now, I leaned against his shoulder as we stumbled up the lawn. Bree and Ana walked alongside, followed by the Menacing Menagerie.
“Thanks for coming, guys,” I said.
Bree grinned widely. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“It was a challenge this time.” Ana chuckled, as if she’d enjoyed that bit. “I thought we might be done for when the flame came, but you got us out of it.”
“Barely.”
“That’s all you need, sometimes,” Maximus said.
We stepped through the grand entry into the castle and pulled up short. Panic surged briefly in my chest.
Right there, in the middle of my home, stood the cocker spaniel from the Order of the Magica and rat man from the Intermagic Games. Harry Ward and Oliver Keates. They stood with Jude, who looked at them with serious eyes.
Shit.
They were going to want that potion that withered the vines. Just to make sure I wasn’t the one with the creepy death magic. Seriously, could I not get a break for just a half second?
As if they’d heard the door open, the three of them turned to look at us.
“Ah, the woman of the hour herself.” Harry Ward grinned, but it wasn’t pleasant.
“Back from absconding with the Truth Teller?” Oliver Keates said.
“Absconding?” I gave him my best eat-shit expression. “I was abducted, you moron. By the same interlopers I told you about. They wanted the prize.”
Oliver’s eyes widened. “But we protected it!”
“Only until one of the contestants grabbed it.” I couldn’t help but snap. “And si
nce you put us in that creepy Colosseum, it was open to the sky, and I was yanked out of there by a giant freaking bird.”
“But…but…”
I didn’t let Oliver finish. “I think you need to seriously rethink the nature of the Intermagic Games. That was just meant to be a disgusting death show.”
“It raises the stakes,” he said weakly.
“Screw your stakes.”
Harry Ward cleared his throat. “All of those issues aside, it seems that you are fine now. Did you recover the Truth Teller?”
“I did, no thanks to you.”
He nodded, clearly annoyed but putting on his best business face. “In that case, perhaps you could show us the potion that you used to steal the life from the vines back on Dartmoor? You know, just crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s. Can’t have any Magica with unknown death powers running around.”
A chill snaked through my hot anger. I was about to bluff about needing a moment to recover, but Jude cut in.
“Perhaps you should just run and get that, Rowan. Get this whole messy business over with. It’s in your room, isn’t it?”
My gaze darted to hers, and I couldn’t read her expression. Then again, in iffy circumstances, Jude would never give away the game.
I had to trust her.
Or run for it, once I reached my room.
I nodded curtly. “Fine. I’ll go do that.”
Maximus helped me walk away, but I did my best to lean away from his strength. As much as I appreciated it, I was pissed. And when I was pissed, I liked to stomp off on my own. Unfortunately, my stomping was a little pathetic given that I was still shaky from turning into a human lightning bolt, but I felt better for trying.
As soon as we were up the stairs and out of earshot, Maximus leaned in. “Do you actually have this potion?”
“No. And I don’t know if my friends are finished making it. Last I heard, they hadn’t succeeded.”
“So you could be making a run for it?”
“Could be.” The idea sent a streak of fear down my spine.
Maybe I wouldn’t have to run for it right away. Maybe I could buy some time. Unless Jude was sending me up here because she knew they’d never find a way to make that potion, and my chances were up.