Spartan Destiny

by Estep, Jennifer

  Tears stung my eyes. I managed to blink them back, although I lifted Babs and cradled her in my arms, just to have something to hold on to. This was the Bunker, the heart of the Midgard, and Covington had completely destroyed it.

  “I’m sorry, Rory.” Zoe rested her hand on my shoulder. “It wasn’t this bad when Mateo and I left earlier. Covington must have ordered the others to tear the Bunker apart to try to find the Narcissus Heart.”

  “Which means this is my fault too,” I said in a dull voice. “Because the Heart wasn’t here. Because I hid it.”

  “It is not your fault,” Zoe said in a fierce voice. “None of this is your fault, and don’t you dare think for one second that it is. Covington has free will, just like we all do. He chooses to do evil things because he wants to, because he likes hurting other people. All of this is his fault, because all of this is his choice.”

  “Just like it’s our choice to stop him,” Mateo added.

  “Exactly,” Babs piped up. “And we are going to stop him. Right, Rory?”

  I looked at them each in turn. Zoe, Mateo, Babs. Determination filled their faces. They really did believe we could save our friends and defeat Covington.

  Seeing their determination, belief, and strength even in the face of the terrible odds stacked against us made a bit of hope spark to life in my chest. Sigyn was right. Being a hero wasn’t about magic or artifacts or power. It was about having the courage to keep going, to keep fighting, even when all hope seemed lost.

  “You’re right,” I said. “You’re all absolutely right. We are going to stop Covington. We still have a few minutes left, so let’s pick through the rubble and see if we can find any artifacts that might help us.”

  * * *

  We started digging through the mess, trying to salvage what we could, and I realized the destruction wasn’t quite as bad as I’d thought. Sure, the furniture was beyond repair, except for the briefing table, but the artifacts had survived intact. After all, these were objects with powerful magic. It would take more than being thrown down and trampled to destroy them.

  “Hey, guys,” Zoe called out. “See if you can find a sword or some other weapon that’s made of a really hard metal. Maybe there’s some artifact I can use to make a bigger, stronger version of my electrodagger.”

  Mateo started swiping through screens on his tablet. “I’ll call up the master list and see what I can find. Maybe once we know where certain artifacts were originally located on the shelves, that will help us pinpoint where they are now in all this mess. Even if I can’t find a weapon for you, maybe I can find something else that will help us fight the Reapers.”

  They got to work, calling out information and ideas to each other. Listening to them gave me an idea too. I left Zoe and Mateo in the briefing room, jogged to the back of the Bunker, and stopped in front of the door marked Stairs that I had run through earlier today.

  The door was still closed, but the Fafnir dragon had managed to punch its snout all the way through the metal, leaving a large, jagged hole behind in the middle. I peered through the opening.

  Minerva’s Spear was still wedged against the opposite side of the door, holding it in place. Covington and Drake must have figured that it would be quicker and easier to take the elevator, rather than go through the door and then climb up the steps.

  Well, their loss was going to be Zoe’s gain.

  I reached through the hole and grabbed hold of the spear. It took me several seconds to yank the weapon free and then maneuver it through the opening, but I managed it, and I jogged back to the briefing room.

  “Hey, Zoe,” I called out. “You still need a really strong weapon? Because this spear is supposed to be unbreakable.”

  I threw the weapon over to her. Zoe caught the spear and twirled it around in her hand.

  “Do you think unbreakable also means unmeltable?” she asked. “Because all the other weapons I’ve used with my new electrodagger design have melted after a few minutes. Too much heat and electricity.”

  “I don’t know.” I grinned. “But now seems like the perfect time to find out, don’t you think?”

  She grinned back at me. “Absolutely.”

  Zoe sat down on the floor where her desk had been and started rummaging through the debris, pulling out wires, tools, and more. Blue sparks of magic crackled in the air all around her, and she started humming a soft tune, completely caught up in crafting her latest creation.

  Since all of the chairs had been smashed, Mateo was sitting cross-legged on the briefing table, still going through that list of artifacts. Every once in a while, he would stop and check the feeds from the security cameras, making sure the Reapers were still in the library.

  “Anything?” I asked.

  He shook his head, his eyes still fixed on his tablet screen. “Nope. I haven’t found any other artifacts that seem like they would counteract the red narcissus venom or protect us from the Narcissus Heart. And Covington, Drake, and the other Reapers are still holding their positions in the library.”

  He didn’t look at me. Zoe was engrossed in her project, and Babs had her eye closed, taking a quick little nap, so none of them noticed my worried expression.

  I stared at the artifacts on the table, specifically Benzaiten’s Ring, Hephaestus’s Apron, and Veritas’s Diary. One, two, three artifacts that might reverse the effects of the red narcissus venom.

  They weren’t going to be enough.

  My friends didn’t realize it yet, but we needed one more artifact that would counter the venom. And if we didn’t find one… Well, I didn’t want to think about what might happen.

  So I waded into the debris in the back of the room, searching for the final artifact we needed, the one that would allow us to free all of our friends from Covington’s control.

  A sword, a hammer, a necklace… I found several more artifacts but none that would reverse the venom’s effects. I set the items on the briefing table, then hurried back over to what was left of the shelves.

  Something white peeked out from underneath a broken shelf in the back corner. I lifted the shelf, grabbed the object, and pulled it out into the light. It was…

  The white Chloris box.

  Luminous white stone, silver vines, emerald flowers. The box didn’t have so much as a scratch on it, despite all the destruction. I rubbed my thumb over one of the emeralds. The sharp tip of the heart-shaped flower pressed into my finger like a needle, although it didn’t draw any blood.

  Mateo noticed me holding the box. “Why would Covington leave that down here? You would think he would want to take it with him.”

  “Don’t you remember? He said this box didn’t have any red narcissus seeds, just other seeds that he didn’t want.”

  Mateo nodded and went back to his tablet.

  The green flowers on the white Chloris box made me think of something else that I needed to check on, so I put the box on the briefing table, then headed over to where my desk had been.

  My desk had also been smashed to bits, and I moved the broken pieces of wood aside, careful not to cut my hands on the rough, sharp edges. I set one of the desk legs out of the way, and I finally found what I was looking for behind it.

  The potted winterbloom.

  The green pot had been sitting on the corner of my desk, and it too had been tossed onto the floor with everything else. But somehow the container was still in one piece, although it was lying on its side. I fished the pot out of the debris and set it and the winterbloom inside upright on the briefing table, next to the white Chloris box.

  “There you go,” I said, stroking the flower’s white petals. “I know you’ve had a fright, but you’re okay now.”

  The winterbloom shuddered, as though it was just as horrified as I was by everything that had happened, and leaned into my touch. I stroked its petals for a few more seconds, then went back to my search.

  A few minutes later, Mateo’s tablet let out a series of loud beep-beep-beeps. Startled, Zoe and I looked at hi
m, and Babs’s eye popped open, since the alarm had jolted her awake.

  “That’s our three-minute warning,” Mateo said in a serious voice. “Rory, you have three minutes to get upstairs to the library before Covington, well, you know.”

  “Starts hurting Ian and the others,” I growled. “Believe me, I know.”

  We got to our feet, grabbed our weapons and artifacts, and met in a clear patch of floor beside the briefing table.

  “You guys know what to do,” I said. “I’ll try to keep Covington talking and give you as much time as possible to get into position, but don’t worry about me. Don’t even think about me. Just follow the plan. Promise me you’ll do that, okay?”

  Zoe and Mateo didn’t like it, but they both nodded, and determination filled their faces, the same determination that was beating in my own heart. We all knew that mine was the most dangerous part of the mission, at least in the beginning, but there was a good chance that none of us would make it out this alive.

  “Let’s go save our friends and stop Covington once and for all.” I grinned and held out my hand. “Team Midgard for the win?”

  Zoe and Mateo grinned and piled their hands on top of mine. This time, we all said the phrase in unison, along with Babs.

  “Team Midgard for the win!”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Zoe and Mateo made sure they had all their weapons and artifacts, then left the briefing room.

  Covington might suspect that I had rescued and freed Zoe and Mateo from the red narcissus venom, but there was no reason for them to walk into his trap too. I was the one he wanted, so I should be the one to face him.

  I glanced around the briefing room, wondering if this would be the last time I ever saw it. Even though I had only known about the Bunker for a few months, I had already made so many memories here. I hated leaving it, especially when everything was such a mess, but I didn’t have a choice. I took another look around, then slid the white Chloris box and the potted winterbloom into my messenger bag with my other supplies, and left the briefing room.

  The elevator was down here in the Bunker, so I stepped into the car and pushed the button for the second floor. The door slid shut with a whisper.

  “So this is it,” Babs said.

  I pulled the sword out of her scabbard and held her up by the blade so I could see her face. “I guess so.”

  “You know this is a crazy plan you’ve come up with, right?”

  I let out a breath. “Yeah. But it’s the only chance we have. More important, it’s the only chance our friends have.”

  “You know you’re probably going to die in the library,” Babs said in a serious voice. “Or maybe even worse, Covington will turn you into his Reaper zombie.”

  “I know. But I still have to try.”

  Babs’s hilt quivered, as if she was trying to nod her agreement. “I know you do. And that’s what makes me so proud to be your sword, Rory.”

  “And you always supporting me no matter what is why I’m so grateful and so very proud to be your warrior,” I said. “So here we go. One final battle.”

  Babs smiled at me, and a fierce light sparked in her emerald-green eye. “Aye! One final battle where we will emerge victorious!”

  And then she went on a roll, talking about how we were going to triumph over Covington, Drake, the other Reapers, and anything else that might be waiting for us in the library. Her quick, confident stream of words washed over me, each one making me feel a little stronger and more hopeful.

  Sigyn was right. Talking swords could be quite useful.

  By the time the elevator floated to a stop, I actually believed what Babs was saying. That we were going to save everyone. That we were going to defeat the Reapers. That we were going to win.

  Time to find out.

  The elevator door slid back with another whisper. I made sure my messenger bag was secure across my chest and stepped out onto the second floor of the library.

  I glanced around, but no one was on this level, and I didn’t see any Serket basilisks or Fafnir dragons lurking in the shadows. Covington probably expected me to come in through the front doors. He didn’t seem to know about the tunnels, so he hadn’t realized that I could get back into the Bunker and sneak into the library this way. Good. That gave me a few more moments to myself.

  I strode over to Sigyn’s statue. The goddess looked the same as the last time I’d been here a few hours ago, right down to the cracks that blemished her body and the chips and chunks of stone that had been knocked out of her statue.

  I stared at the goddess for several seconds, soaking up as much of her calm, quiet strength as I could. Then I crouched down, fished the white Chloris box and the potted winterbloom out of my messenger bag, and placed both items behind her statue.

  “What are you doing?” Babs whispered. “Why did you bring those up here?”

  I shrugged. “Like you said, I might not come back from this. The Reapers might kill us all. Covington has already destroyed the Bunker. I didn’t want him to destroy these too. Maybe Sigyn will watch over and protect them the same way she has done for me these last few months.”

  I straightened up and looked at the goddess, who stared back at me. Her white marble eyes slid shut, and she slowly lowered her head, as if she was bowing to me. I bowed back to her.

  Then I tightened my grip on Babs and headed downstairs to face the Reapers.

  * * *

  I eased down the stairwell, careful to make as little noise as possible. Despite his deadline, I didn’t want Covington to know that I was here until the last second, and I needed to give Zoe and Mateo as much time as possible to get into position.

  I stopped at the bottom of the steps and pulled out my phone. There were still no responses from Gwen, Logan, or Linus, but the screen was lit up with a text from Mateo.

  Zoe and I are ready. Good luck.

  I texted him back. Going to face the Reapers right now. Good luck.

  Then I slid my phone into my pocket, pushed open the stairwell door, and walked through to the other side.

  For a moment, the Library of Antiquities seemed completely empty. But the second I stepped into the center aisle, my enemies appeared. In an instant, I was surrounded.

  Reapers stepped out of the shadowy stacks on both sides of me, while two basilisks perched on top of the bookcases, one on either side of the center aisle. The creatures cocked their heads to the side and fixed their red eyes on me, as if they had orders to dart forward and snatch me up off the floor like a worm if I tried to run away.

  But this was my plan—my choice—and I was going to see it through to the end, whatever that might be. So I walked down the center aisle at a slow but steady pace. As I stepped forward, several of the Reapers moved so that they were standing behind me, blocking the exit. The other Reapers held their positions in the stacks, as did the two basilisks on top of the bookcases.

  I was about halfway down the aisle when Covington appeared.

  He stepped out of the stacks, strode over to the open space in front of the checkout counter, and turned to face me.

  And he wasn’t alone.

  Drake also stepped out of the stacks and walked over to join the Reaper leader, along with Ian.

  Behind them, a Fafnir dragon emerged from the shadows and leaped up onto one of the study tables to the left of the counter. The monster sat down, curled its spiked tail around itself, and yawned, as if it was already bored by this whole wretched affair and was considering taking a nap. A few red-hot embers flew out of its mouth and landed on the table, making the wood smoke and burn.

  I turned my gaze back to Covington. He didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons, except for Fafnir’s Dagger, which was holstered on his belt. Serket’s Pen gleamed in another slot on his belt. Drake was holding a sword, while Ian had an ax clutched in his hand. The other Reapers were carrying swords, and of course, the basilisks and the dragon could easily kill me with their beaks, talons, and teeth.

  No one moved to at
tack me, so I focused on Ian. The Viking was still in one piece, and he didn’t have any cuts, bruises, or other obvious injuries. But his eyes were even redder than before, as if Covington had dosed him with more red narcissus venom, and they burned like two rubies in his face. My heart twisted, but I forced myself to ignore my emotions and look at Covington again.

  The Reaper leader stared at me a moment, then made a big deal out of pushing back the sleeve of his red cloak and checking his watch. “You’re three minutes late. I said one hour, Rory. Not one hour and three minutes.”

  “Sorry,” I sniped back. “I didn’t realize punctuality was so important to you.”

  He gave me a thin smile. “Don’t test me. Your friends won’t enjoy suffering through your snark.”

  He snapped his fingers. Footsteps sounded, and I looked to my right. Several more Reapers stepped out from behind the fireplace, pushing three people in front of them—Aunt Rachel, Takeda, and Professor Dalaja.

  I scanned them the same way I had done with Ian. Aunt Rachel and Professor Dalaja seemed okay, although Takeda’s broken nose had swelled up, and dried blood covered his face from where Drake had punched him. I wondered if the Samurai could even feel the pain of the injury over the venom. I hoped not.

  Covington stared at me, then his gaze cut left and right, as if he was searching the library for enemies, the same way I had. “Where are your other friends? I know you rescued Ms. Wayland and Mr. Solis. My men found the bodies of the two Reapers you left behind. And since my men didn’t find your friends anywhere, I’m assuming you managed to find some way to free them from the red narcissus venom.”

  “You’re right. I did save them from the venom, and Zoe and Mateo left campus to contact Linus Quinn,” I said. “But don’t worry. They’ll be back soon enough, along with a whole legion of Protectorate guards. So you might as well surrender now.”

  The Reapers shifted uneasily on their feet, and even Drake seemed a bit concerned. That was the thing about Reapers. They were fine wearing masks, hiding in the shadows, and stabbing you in the back. But when confronted with the idea of being surrounded by Protectorate guards, most of them would turn and run away without a second thought. Cowards.